The Best Cocktail Bars in Tbilisi

Finding the best cocktail bars in Tbilisi turned out not to be an easy challenge. Georgia is all about wine, wine, wine, and it’s only recently that their craft beer scene has really gotten going. So when it came to finding a good cocktail in Tbilisi, I had a proper scavenger hunt ahead of me.

Happy to report to you guys that I did a pretty decent job.

The cocktail scene in Tbilisi is growing, but there are very few dedicated cocktail bars. Most of the places for a classy drink are restaurants or hotels, and because of the local market I think it might be that way for a while. But there are a few gems, and really that’s all you need. I tried a lot of places and here are what I have concluded to be the best cocktail bars in Tbilisi.

1. 41 Gradus

This minimalist basement cocktail bar with maximalist cocktails, 41 Gradus has such outstanding hospitality and a communal atmosphere that you feel almost like you’re at a private chef’s dinner party. Each week they handwrite their carefully designed menu in notebooks, making each visit a surprise. Ever single cocktail I’ve had here has been on point, but one of my favorites is there Bagrationi, a unique Georgian-style Negroni. They also offer unique cocktail tasting cups, so you can sample a few different concoctions without going overboard.

The guys are lovely too – I was lucky enough to still be in Tbilisi the first few months they were open, when their business was just getting started, so I got to know Roman and the team quite well.

41 Gradus is not just my favorite bar in Tbilisi, it’s one of my favorite cocktail bars in the world – no surprise considering I heard about it via the bar manager of my favorite bar in Kyiv, who worked with Roman in Moscow. We’ve got syncopated tastes.

2. Stamba Café

Stamba Café, as part of Stamba Hotel, has eye-popping interior design, Art Deco glam fusing with repurposed industrial. The hotel is an old newspaper publisher’s house, all glowed up with crystal chandeliers and lofty skylights. It opened at the start of the summer, so when I asked for a cocktail recommendation the bartender’s twist on an Aperol Spritz was the perfect suggestion.

Run by the same people who manage Rooms Hotel, you can expect both the atmosphere and the cocktails to be sublime and the facial hair of the staff to be impressive.

3. Woland’s Speakeasy

A true speakeasy, password protected and all, Woland’s was one of my favorite places to bring my out-of-town friends. The cavernous underground bar with a literary twist offers a wide range of interesting cocktails, and the bartenders are ready to help you with suggestions. They win points for presentation as well – one friend was incredibly delighted when her cocktail arrived in a ceramic red skull.

Woland’s is also a favorite watering hole for expats and caters to its community by hosting events nearly every other night of the week. Pub quizzes, live music, and stand up are all part of the fare at Woland’s.

4. Rooms Hotel

When I first arrived in Georgia in January 2018, Rooms Hotel was the place to get a good cocktail in Tbilisi. With its swank and yet understated interior design, it itself has become a tourist attraction in Tbilisi. I stopped by around 9pm on a Friday night, bending my solo female traveler drinking guidelines, and took the final spot at the bar to enjoy my cocktail and a book.

Turns out I had sat down in the middle of a visiting British rugby team.

Charming guys, but it was hard to read my book. I think that encapsulates why Rooms never became my favorite cocktail bar in Tbilisi – not because the cocktails weren’t good, they were great. But a hotel bar is always going to have a lot of visitors coming through and it will be harder for the staff to get to know you as a local. Still, stellar cocktails and great design!

5. Lolita

Lolita (also run by the masterminds behind Rooms and Stamba) was my favorite place for brunch in Tbilisi. It’s also an idyllic place to grab an afternoon cocktail. The cocktail menu is short but potent. Several of the drinks put Georgian spirits front and center, including the delicious Chacha Sour, while others take a more imaginative spin, like the Rocket “L” with its pancake infused spiced rum.

6. Art-Café HOME

Art-Café HOME gets an honorary mention as I’ve never actually had a cocktail here, but the venue is uniquely Tbilisi. Besides having an amazing rooftop, the interior is a funky vintage DIY. Their cocktail list is pretty standard, though seems solid (I normally had wine because, Georgia). However, the last time I was there I saw an interesting special on a chalkboard that the bartender said was all his own, an herbal and citrus cocktail. Unfortunately I was there to do work so I had to order a coffee instead.

Since I’ve left, there are two new Tbilisi cocktail bars. I can’t vouch for them, but if you want to do some comprehensive cocktail tasting, there are Ouroboros and Cocktail Factory. Ouroboros is typically only open for private parties, so message them on Facebook first to see if they’re having an open door night.