The 14 Best Budget Restaurants in Tbilisi

Racha Tavern has been sitting on the same street since the Soviet era. Brick walls, wooden tables and chairs, and an old Soviet-style refrigerator and counter give the restaurant an authentic feel. Here, you can eat the staples of Georgian cuisine, such as khinkali, khachapuri, mtsvadi, and kharcho.

Mafshalia is another very cheap spot for those who like to taste Megrelian cuisine. The staple here is elarji, a corn meal dish with sulguni cheese that stretches each time you try to take a bite. Besides elarji, they have other dishes that are known throughout the region.

If you’d like to indulge in a delicious wine and dinner experience any time of day, you can head to Easy Wine. The menu here is diverse and reasonably priced. You can try both Georgian and European dishes like khachapuri, lobiani, barbeque, soups, fish, salads, and more. If you are traveling with kids, Easy Wine has a special menu for kids too.

Kiwi Vegan Cafe is one of the few vegan places in town that offers a wide variety of meals, including sandwiches, burritos, tofu curry, falafels, and hummus with vegetables. The average price of a meal is 6-7 Lari (a little over $2).

Shemomechama in Georgian means “[it was so delicious] I accidentally ate the whole thing.” With Soviet-style standing tables, blue colored walls and a simple, yet delicious menu, Shemomechama is a place to try Georgian cuisine like khinkali, Georgian kebab, and mtsvadi. Additionally, if you’d like to travel back in time, they offer a Soviet candy dessert called mamalo.

Amra is a place to try western Georgian cuisine, particularly Abkhazian and Megrelian cuisine. With a friendly atmosphere, large selection of meals, wine, and desserts, Amra is a favorite place for locals.

Chemo Kargo is another very cheap bite for budget travelers. The menu here is very diverse offering both Georgian and European recipes. If you are traveling with a group of friends, share a large meal of pork calf with sausages, marinated vegetables and potato wedges among other side dishes. They also offer a similar plate with chicken or vegetables. The price of these big plates start at 25 Lari ($9.71) and go up to 58 ($22.52).

Moulin Electrique is one of the most popular places to hang out both for locals and visitors of Tbilisi. With two locations in town, at Fabrika and Abkhazi street, Moulin Electrique offers a cozy atmosphere, outdoor seating and delicious, reasonably priced meals. Sandwiches here start at 6 Lari ($2.33), while main courses cost between 12.50 to 15 Lari ($4.85-$5.83) on average. They also serve soups, salads, and desserts together with a wide choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.

If you enjoy having a little peace to read a book, then Books Cafe is the place for you. Designed in vintage style, the venue has shelves of books for you to choose from. The cafe offers sandwiches, toasts, desserts, and appetizers of many flavors. Moreover, the place is very cheap with an average sandwich price of 6 Lari ($2.33).

Begemot Coffee and Books is another book-themed cafe with great coffee, meals, and, you guessed it, books. One of the great things about this place is that you can bring a book here that you already finished and swap it out for a new one. Similar to the Book Cafe, this cafe offers a cozy and peaceful atmosphere despite its central location. Come here to escape the crowds and enjoy delicious coffee and meals.

If you are fed up with Georgian cuisine and want to have something different, quick and tasty, head toward the Fire Wok for Asian noodle dishes and soups. The food is prepared quickly and for an excellent value, compared to other Asian restaurants in town.

Ukve offers sushi, noodle dishes, and soups for a good price. The menu is very diverse and if you aren’t in the mood to dine in, you can order your meal ahead of time online and pick it up.

Besides being one of the best places for breakfast, Hurma is also a perfect venue for lunch and dinner for budget travelers. Here you have the choice between wraps, quesadillas, Asian fried rice with vegetables, grilled meals, smoothies, soups, salads, and more.

Tuk Tuk offers Thai cuisine and is a local favorite. Soups, noodles, rice, and sushi are staples here. The meals are not typical of Thailand, but they are very close to the original recipes.