Coming up in this guide: loads of Georgian food, way too much salt, crowd-pleasing classics, and some tucked-away gems.
Right now, as I’m writing this, I’m living in Kutaisi… and I’ve spent a hefty chunk of time munching my way around the city.
For a little place, it has a surprisingly-large number of restaurants. So in this guide, I’ve brought you the best of them, covering price ranges, opening hours, and what you can get your greasy little lips around.
Today, Travelness are visiting the 23 best restaurants in Kutaisi. So bring your cutlery, kid—cos you’re coming with us!
A quick disclaimer, before we get started: Kutaisi doesn’t have the best culinary scene in the world—and most places serve their food way too salty. But there are some great spots if you know where to find them.
1. Sisters
Probably the best restaurant in Kutaisi, probably my favorite restaurant in Kutaisi.
One of the hippest joints in the city, Sisters is shabby-chic, arty, and interesting… but without being pretentious.
But more importantly than any of that (obviously), the food is great—they serve loads of Georgian classics (some with a twist), along with other unusual stuff. So if you’re bored of typical Georgian fayre, this is one of your best options.
My favorite dishes here are the elarji (basically just cornflour mixed with cheese, sort of like a super-stringy Georgian polenta), the ajapsandali (a bunch of stewed vegetables you can get anywhere, but it’s particularly good here), the chicken with pomegranate and plum, and their pumpkin side dish (mashed-up pumpkin and walnuts, mixed with more pomegranate).
I’ve also heard the pizzas are good, but I’ve never wrapped my mouth around one.
The Sisters staff are friendly, the prices are lower than you’d expect, and they often have live piano music (it’s low-key and laid-back, so it doesn’t dominate the place).
- Price range: $$$
- Opening hours: 2pm until 2am, 7 days a week
- Address: 35 Zakharia Paliashvili
- Website
2. El Depo
El Depo is a big name in Kutaisi.
It’s always busy, it’s usually completely full, and it has a reputation for churning out Kutaisi’s best khinkali (knot-topped parcels stuffed with fillings, sort of like pelmeni or pierogi or bao, or [insert some other doughy dumpling you’re familiar with here]).
No matter when you visit El Depo, you’ll always find big collections of people eating even-bigger collections of khinkali.
They also serve salads, breads, a decent mushroom soup, and other (all affordable) eats and treats.
But it’s not all positive: as you’ll soon learn from this guide, Georgians love putting WAY TOO MUCH salt in their food—and El Depo is one of the worst places for it.
So if you’re a salt-avoider like me, you might want to order a small portion (or just not bother coming here at all). But if you’re not a miserable salt cynic like me, you won’t care, and you’ll think this is one of the best restaurants in Kutaisi… like most other people seem to.
- Price range: $
- Opening hours: 24/7!
- Address: 10 Ioseb Grishashvili Street
- Website
3. El Paso
Owned by the exact same people who own El Depo,* pretty much everything about this place is the same as its khinkali-creating cousin.
*No, I’m not sure what the sort-of-Spanish-name branding is about either.
So if you get to El Depo and there aren’t any tables (which is pretty likely), you can just hop to El Paso instead.
The food is the same, the menu is the same, the prices are the same, and the focus on khinkali is the same. The staff here are a bit friendlier, and the decor is vaguely less casual.
Again, if you want khinkali, you’ll think this is one of the best restaurants in Kutaisi. It’s not a great spot for a fancy date or whatever, but if you want a quick and tasty chow-down joint with some friends, El Paso is perfect.
- Price range: $
- Opening hours: 9am until midnight Sunday to Friday, and 10am until midnight on Saturdays
- Address: Head to the southern part of the roundabout around Colchis Fountain. You’ll find it there
- Website
4. Baraqa
One of my favorite restaurants in Kutaisi, Baraqa is laid-back, it has a massive menu, and it’s family-friendly (every time I come here, they’re always silently screening cartoons on their TVs… which I love, cos I have the brain of a big fat baby).
It’s one of those good-whatever-you’re-looking-for restaurants; a nice combo between not-too-fancy and not-too-casual.
My favorite morsels here are the eggplant with walnuts (a massively-popular side dish in this part of the world), the Adjarian khachapuri (a big oval slab of bread topped with butter, cheese, and an egg), and any of the meaty stuff.
Oh, and their brown bread is great. What a boring recommendation, I know.
The food here isn’t particularly innovative or interesting (well, maybe it’ll be interesting if you don’t know anything about Georgian food), but there’s a big selection, and they do all the basics well. And as a nice bonus, the restaurant is in the center of the center of the city—perfect for short-term tourists.
- Price range: $$
- Opening hours: 9am until midnight Sunday to Friday, and 10am until midnight on Saturdays
- Address: 7 Tamar Mepe Street
- Website
5. Magnolia
One of the best restaurants in Kutaisi for a scrumptious summer session, this riverside spot is fancy in a laid-back way.
If the weather is good, sit your little bum down on the outside terrace, where you get views of the northern hills, sounds of the rushing-by river, and a welcome slice of sunshine.
No matter where you sit, I recommend munching on the kebabs, the pork shashlik, the lobio (that’s thick sort-of-soupy beans in a pot), and the pkhali (minced-up vegetables mixed with walnuts).
Don’t eat their buffalo khinkali speciality. It tastes like a bad smell.
- Price range: $$$
- Opening hours: 11am until 11:30pm Tuesday to Sunday, and 10am until 10:30pm on Mondays
- Address: 2 Davit and Konstantine Mkeidze Street
- Website
6. Saxinkle Palmebi
For Saxinkle Palmebi, we’re getting really rough and rugged.
This place isn’t what most people might call a ‘restaurant’ (I’ve never understood why restaurants are so fancy anyway—we’re only chewing up and swallowing food, let’s all get over ourselves).
Instead, it feels like a rudimentary canteen, with basic tables, chairs and decor. If you like no-fuss no-frills places (like I do), you’ll love it—and you’ll think this is one of the best restaurants in Kutaisi.
It’s another place to get your mouth around the Georgian classics. So you’ll be eating khinkali, tomato-cucumber-walnut salads, endless types of khachapuri, and loads of grilled meats.
Again (as I keep saying about lots of the restaurants on this list), the food here is outrageously salty. If you don’t like too-salty food, don’t bother coming.
- Price range: $
- Opening hours: 10am until midnight from Sunday to Friday, and 10am until 12:30am on Sundays
- Address: David Agmashenebeli Avenue (around number 73 or 75, but I can’t remember for sure)
- Website
7. Hacker-Pschorr
For some reason, Kutaisi is home to three (separate but similar) sort-of-themed restaurants, serving up a combo of Georgian food, central European food, and German (or Belgian) drinks.
Of them all, Hacker-Pschorr is the most famous. It’s a well-known hangout spot for both foreigners and locals, and you’ll always find big groups of friends munching and chatting here.
Aside from the Georgian fayre, they also serve sausages, so-called ‘beer snacks,’ (which really just means deep-fried stuff) and some German-style food (including schnitzel).
It’s also surprisingly cheap—if you’re looking for a low-cost meal in a ‘normal’ restaurant (eg, not a cafe or a canteen), you’ll think this is one of the best restaurants in Kutaisi.
For unhealthy and informal, it’s a good option.
- Price range: $$
- Opening hours: 10am until midnight, 7 days a week
- Address: #8/2, 13 Galaktion Tabidze Street
- Website
8. HB Kutaisi (also known as Beer Museum)
Until recently, this place was known as HB. Now, it’s known as Beer Museum (despite the fact that it’s not a museum in any conceivable way).
Anyway, that’s not important. Here’s what is important: of all the German-themed (or Belgian-themed) places in Kutaisi, this is the best of them.
The painted old-school decor makes you feel like you’re in some retro Bavarian bierhall, the staff are smiley, the crowd-pleasing music makes for a decent atmosphere, and the food is good. I recommend munching on the mushroom soup, the lobio, and the tasty steak salad. Other good options include the kebabs and any of the meats.
Don’t get the kubdari (that’s the meat-stuffed bread). Though it’s admittedly pretty tasty, it’s the greasiest thing on the planet.
They have loads of indoor seating, along with an outside area offering 7 or 8 tables.
Great for eating with a group of friends, or for families. Not so good for a romantic meal. All in all, one of my favorite restaurants in Kutaisi.
- Price range: $$
- Opening hours: 10am until midnight, 7 days a week
- Address: 9 Galaktion Tabidze Street
- Website
9. Hoegaarden
Pretty similar to both HB and Hacker-Pschorr, the food is more or less the same here, but the drinks menu is Belgian rather than German.
It’s right in the center of the city, the menu is varied, and the staff are super friendly. Some of my favorites here are the grilled vegetables, the pork medallions, the ojakhuri, and any of the pizzas. Other offerings include burgers, salmon and trout, and a load of pork-based stuff.
All the food is a bit greasy—but as you’ve probably worked out by now, it’s difficult to eat genuinely healthy food in most Georgian restaurants.
If you want to watch some live football (that’s ‘soccer,’ to you silly Americans) while you munch, this place has a couple of screens—and they’ll play pretty much any televised game.
On nice days, Hoegaarden has some outside chairs and tables. Because the restaurant sits on a busy street, it’s a nice spot to do some people-watching. All in all, a good spot for a central meal!
- Price range: $$
- Opening hours: 10am until 11pm, 7 days a week
- Address: 7 Tsisperi Kantselebi Street, Kutaisi
- Website
10. Bikentia’s Kebabery
Theoretically, I should think this is one of the best restaurants in Kutaisi.
It serves up all the stuff I love…
… it’s completely unpretentious, with no chairs, no frills, and no elegance. They serve only kebabs, bread and drinks, and you stand at chest-high tables to eat. The staff are friendly, your food is ready within 5 minutes, and the prices are stupidly low (10 lari for a meal)…
… but, sadly, the food is absolutely terrible.
The kebabs taste like they’re made of 87% salt, 10% overcooked meat, and 3% despair.
People review this place pretty generously, but I honestly have no idea why. I want to love this joint, cos munching here feels like you’re munching in some old-school USSR canteen (and I love that type of atmosphere).
So if you’re looking for an unusual local experience, and some hyper-fast food, I still recommend coming here… but if you want a meal that actually tastes nice, set yourself up for a big sodium-coated disappointment.
- Price range: $
- Opening hours: 10am until 9pm, 7 days a week
- Address: 9 Tsisperi Kantselebi Street
- Website
11. Tea House Foe-Foe
This place is more of a cafe than a restaurant. So I recommend coming here for drinks and desserts rather than a full-on meal.
They serve up great crepes and waffles, and a massive range of nice teas. I always slurp on the ginger one, but other brews include ingredients like pineapple, hibiscus, lemongrass, wild cherry, jasmine, and loads more interesting stuff.
That said, they also serve a pretty big selection of savory food, including soups, omelets, salads, fried chicken, cheese plates, some Georgian classics, and more…
… so if you’re on the hunt for a quick and casual lunch, this is a good spot. The savory food isn’t great, but the atmosphere is nice, the decor is interesting, and the staff are lovely and welcoming. I really like this place, and I come here a lot.
- Price range: $$
- Opening hours: 9:30am until midnight, 7 days a week
- Address: The corner where Tsminda Nino Street meets Shota Rustaveli Avenue
- Website
12. Paolo
Sitting next-door to Tea House Foe-Foe, I’ve never actually been here (what a stinking little charlatan, I know).
But I’ve included it on this list because people keep recommending it to me… so I’ll definitely get myself there eventually.
It’s known for being one of the fancier restaurants in Kutaisi—the food is presented thoughtfully (not like it’s been thrown onto your plate with a ladle from across the room, like some of the other places we’ve featured), and the flavor combos are a bit more innovative and interesting. The menu is mainly made up of Georgian classics with a twist.
They have a small amount of outdoor seating, and occasional live music—and it’s popular with both locals and tourists.
If you want fancy, or you’re hunting out a venue for a romantic meal, you’ll think this is one of the best restaurants in Kutaisi.
- Price range: $$$
- Opening hours: 11am until 2am, Sunday to Thursday. And 11am until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays
- Address: 5 Shota Rustaveli Avenue
- Website
13. Piatto
Another laid-back joint, this isn’t actually one of the best restaurants in Kutaisi—it’s really just a pleasant cafe inside a basic bookstore.
That said, the food is pretty good. They do a mixture of universal classics (pizza, pasta, salads), along with Georgian-style stuff. Their sweet treats are pretty good too—get your lips around their panna cotta.
I often come here with my laptop. Because it’s big and airy and well-lit, it’s a good place for getting some work done. Be warned though—if the weather is good, it gets pretty busy by lunchtime. So if you want to work here, I recommend nabbing a spot by 11am at the latest.
I assume Piatto is pretty new, cos it doesn’t have a website, or much of an online presence. But don’t let that put you off—I massively recommend the place. It’s great for an informal lunch, or a quick if unimpressive dinner.
- Price range: $$
- Opening hours: 10am until 10pm, 7 days a week
- Address: 4 Shota Rustaveli Avenue
- Website
14. Papavero
Sort of hidden away in a semi-secret street, Papavero is one of the city’s best spots for getting a wide range of non-Georgian food.
As you’ve probably learned from this list so far, most restaurant food in (the Georgian city of Kutaisi) is… well… Georgian.
But if you munch at Papavero, you’ll find a much wider range. Expect good salads, pizzas and burgers. Other highlights include schnitzels, pork steaks, stewed beef, and lots of mushroom-based dishes.
It’s also one of the ‘nicest’ restaurants in the city, and is great for a date or a romantic meal.
They have a load of outdoor tables (some of them semi-inside, in some weird plastic house thing), and a good range of drinks.
And last time I was here (it was a Saturday), they were playing live music. It was nice-accompaniment-to-a-meal live music, not I-can’t-hear-what-anyone-is-saying-and-I-want-to-punch-someone-in-the-face live music. Which isn’t always the case in Georgia.
- Price range: $$
- Opening hours: 10am until midnight, 7 days a week
- Address: 5 Tsisperi Kantselebi Street
- Website
15. Cafe Newport
If you’re hunting for fancy, you’ll think this is one of the best restaurants in Kutaisi.
The decor is classy (it looks like it would have belonged in that hotel from The Shining, before it got inhabited by murderous ghosts), the staff are smiley, the food is surprisingly affordable (only vaguely more expensive than the city’s other restaurants), and it’s right in the center of the city.
Some of the most popular meals here include the steak, the hummus, the tiramisu, the sandwiches, and the kiev cutlet. If you want standard restaurant fayre (rather than Georgian stuff), you’ll really like the place.
- Price range: $$$
- Opening hours: 1pm until 11pm, 7 days a week
- Address: 1 Newport Street
- Website
16. Palaty
Again, I haven’t actually been to this place. Just being honest, please don’t judge me.
But I’m adding this to the list cos Palaty is one of the city’s favorite munch-time spots—and as it’s a nice balance between impressive and casual, it’s pretty good for any occasion. And any person.
It’s especially popular with local people. Often, when you ask born-and-raised Kutaisians to name the best restaurant in Kutaisi, they’ll name this one.
According to people I’ve spoken to, some of the best-loved dishes here include the chicken in garlic sauce, the roast duck in green plum sauce, the eggplant with walnut, and any of the soups.
- Price range: $$
- Opening hours: 10am until 11:45pm, 7 days a week
- Address: 2 Pushkini Street
- Website
17. Toma’s Wine Cellar
This place is completely different to everything else we’ve brought you, and I can’t recommend it enough.
It’s not just one of the best restaurants in Kutaisi—it serves up a totally unique experience.
Here’s how it works:
You arrive at a small house on a residential street, where local man Toma and his family live. Toma welcomes you at the front of the restaurant (he might give you a mini tour, he might just show you to your table).
You’ll then get LOADS of food, all cooked by Toma’s mum (that’s what he told us anyway). There’s no menu and no choice—they just cook whatever is in season. You get two courses (both savory), made up of 3-4 dishes each. Toma will briefly explain what’s in each dish, and how they’re made.
When I was here, my favorite dishes included some sort of pickled wildflowers, the best pkhali I’ve ever had in Georgia, some chicken in a walnut sauce, and the (I think they were homemade) cheeses.
Make sure you book in advance (you can just send a quick message on Facebook).
- Price range: $$$$
- Opening hours: 3am until 11pm Wednesday to Monday. Closed on Tuesdays
- Address: 34 Sergo Kldiashvili Street
- Website
18. Restaurant Sormoni
This under-the-radar spot is actually around 5 miles (8 km) north of central Kutaisi—but it’s totally worth the trip.
I sort of accidentally found this restaurant while I was on a semi-circular hike… from the close-to-Kutaisi town of Rioni to the also-close-to-Kutaisi town of Sormoni.
At the southern end of rural little Sormoni town, there’s this restaurant, which sits on a hill overlooking a valley. When I visited, they were (seemingly) just reopening again for the warmer months.
The weather was nice, so I asked if they had an outside table. They didn’t, but they took one from inside, carried it outside for me, and plonked it on the grass. That’s the sort of place it is.
I sat in the sun, watching some horses eat, looking at distant hills and houses, and had some of the best food I’ve had in Kutaisi. Get yourself here, munch on the cheese-filled cornbread, and have a lovely time.
The food is classic Georgian stuff, but higher quality than most places.
- Price range: $$
- Opening hours: from around 1pm until around 9pm. And it’s open only in warmer months (from April to September, inclusive of those months)
- Address: 8P4Q+9X Motsameta (I know that’s not a real address… but type it into Google maps, and it’ll give you the exact location)
- Website
19. Lilestan
Another place with a big reputation, Lilestan is set back from a main road in a little stand-alone glass-fronted building. It’s much more chic and hip than most other restaurants in Kutaisi.
Some of the best meals here include the chicken with tarragon sauce, the salmon steak, and the chicken in blackberry sauce.
They also do four different tasting boards. One is a meaty special, with beef and pork, while another is packed with sweet treats. The other two are regional; one offering tastes of the mountain region of Svaneti (expect lots of cheese), and the other offering tastes of Kutaisi’s region of Imereti (with lots of herbs, salad, fresh flavors, and bready treats).
If you head here in warmer months, sit in the tiny courtyard.
This place is one my top recommendations—you’ll fall in love with it, like everyone else does.
- Price range: $$$
- Opening hours: 11am until 11pm, 7 days a week
- Address: 11 Tamar The Queen Street
- Website
20. Siam Thai
As you’ve probably noticed by now, Kutaisi’s culinary scene is a bit un-diverse.
But if you get the urge for a bit of foreign flair, you do have a handful of options (when I say ‘handful,’ I’m assuming you have very small hands. Like a child).
Of all those options, Siam Thai is the most well-known. Calling itself “the first original Thai restaurant in Kutaisi,” the owner and the chef are both from Thailand, so they knock up some pretty authentic stuff.
It’s not the best Thai food I’ve ever eaten, but it’s okay if you want something a bit different. The Pad Thai is okay, the Tom Yum is good, and I really like the cashew chicken. Don’t bother with the papaya salad.
- Price range: $$$
- Opening hours: open from 8am until 11pm, 7 days a week (they serve breakfast from 8am until midday)
- Address: 3 Joseb Grishashvili Street
- Website
21. Cafe Fleur
Cafe Fleur is one of the most laid-back places on our list.
Owned (so I’ve been told) by some Turkish guys, the menu here is a mixture of Georgian stuff, Turkish stuff, and standard classics (like burgers and sandwiches). They also offer pasta, loads of bread-based dishes, and a lot of vegetarian options.
It’s also relatively popular for breakfast, offering eggy options, toast-based stuff, and some vaguely healthy treats. That said, it doesn’t open until 9am—but early-opening places aren’t really a thing in Georgia.
The food here is nothing special, but I love the atmosphere of the place. They have friendly staff, you always feel welcome, and the terrace is big and sunny (well, it’s sunny if the weather is sunny. Obviously).
- Price range: $$
- Opening hours: 9am until 11pm, 7 days a week
- Address: 27 Tamar The Queen Street
- Website
22. Sakhlshi
If you’ve got a thing for irrelevant details, you’ll be interested in knowing I ate here last night.
If you haven’t got a thing for irrelevant details, feel free to ignore that last sentence.
Anyway, Sakhlshi (also known as ‘At Home’) is one of the best restaurants in Kutaisi if you’re looking for good-quality food. It’s not too salty, the dishes are a bit different from most other places, they have a big drinks list, the staff are super welcoming, and they have some nice outdoor seating areas.
Good dishes here include the chicken in garlic sauce, the pkhali, the green salad (it has apple in it—tasty), any of the fried cheese stuff, and the barbecued meats. Some of the portions are quite small (and affordable), so this is a good place to get lots of little plates and share them around (sort of like tapas, but in Georgia).
All in all, one of the best restaurants in Kutaisi, and an especially good choice if you want Georgian food that’s slightly better than most Georgian food (or if you’ve already tried all the classics like khinkali and khachapuri).
- Price range: $$$
- Opening hours: 10am until midnight, 7 days a week
- Address: 7 Nikitin Street
- Website
23. White Stones
From the outside, this place looks like a cafe (mainly cos the sign on its front says ‘White Stones Cafe’).
But it’s not a cafe, it’s a restaurant. And it’s one of the most underrated restaurants in Kutaisi (well, among foreigners anyway).
Alright, the food isn’t gonna blow your little tastebuds off, but it’s affordable, and it’s always full of locals who know how good the place is. I recommend the steak salad, the Greek salad, the pancakes, the pizzas, and of the cheesy pastries.
And as a nice bonus, White Stones sits on the White Bridge, one of my favorite parts of the city. So for a good view with some laid-back fayre, I massively recommend the place. It’s especially good in summer.
- Price range: $$
- Opening hours: 12pm until 2am, 7 days a week
- Address: 3 Joseb Grishashvili Street
- Website
Before You Go
Alright, that’s us done here… we’ve finally chewed our way through the 23 best restaurants in Kutaisi.
Obviously, you won’t have time to munch at them all. So my top 3 recommendations are:
- Toma’s Wine Cellar: if you want something really unique, especially for a date,
- Baraqa: if you want a tasty-but-no-frills city-center meal with a massive menu,
- and Sisters: for what most people reckon is the best restaurant in Kutaisi.
Thanks for reading, thanks for eating with us, and thanks for choosing Travelness. Bye for now!
For more, check out our guide on the 13 reasons to visit Kutaisi.
