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If you’ve ever heard of a Georgian dish, chances are it’s khachapuri. Often referred to as a Georgian cheese boat, the most popular version of khachapuri is a photogenic combination of cheese, dough, egg, and butter. However, there’s much more to khachapuri than just that one style. When I visited Tbilisi, I enjoyed trying as many types of khachapuri as possible and even took a khachapuri-making class. Here are my favorite spots for khachapuri in Tbilisi, including traditional & modern restaurants, plus places where you can learn how to make it yourself.
What is Khachapuri?
Khachapuri is the national dish of Georgia. At its most simple, it consists of dough filled with cheese. There are several types of khachapuri, each generally combining dough and cheese differently and potentially incorporating other fillings. Each region of Georgia is known for its own variations of this national staple.
The most common type of khachapuri is Adjaruli, which you’ve probably seen on Instagram. It’s boat-shaped, with cheese in the middle, topped with butter and a bright egg yolk. You eat it by mixing all the center ingredients together, then tearing pieces of the dough to dip into it.
Another popular type of khachapuri is Imeruli khachapuri, which consists of dough filled with cheese. One of my favorite types of khachapuri, Megruli, is similar, except it has an additional layer of cheese on top. This is the khachapuri that most resembles a sauceless pizza. You can never go wrong with an additional layer of cheese.
Other variations of khachapuri can include meat, beans, beetroot leaves, boiled eggs, and more.
Book your hotel in Tbilisi now!I consider khachapuri a perfect food. The combination of cheese and dough is unbeatable, and even better with some egg & butter. Before visiting Georgia, I had only tried a couple of variations of khachapuri in restaurants, so I couldn’t wait to try more.
The Best Khachapuri in Tbilisi
It’s hard to go wrong with cheese & dough, so there’s great khachapuri everywhere you look in Tbilisi. Here are my favorite khachapuri restaurants I visited.
Puri Guliani
Puri Guliani is a cool bakery spot at the excellent Moxy Tbilisi, serving khachapuri and other baked items. The centerpiece of the open kitchen area is the stove, where you can see fresh khachapuri being baked.
We opted for an Adjarian khachapuri, along with a four-cheese Megrulian khachapuri.
The name of the restaurant reminded me of a particular American politician. While we waited, I hoped the cheese would be as melty as his hair dye.
It was! Both varieties of khachapuri we ordered had generous amounts of cheese and fantastic dough.
The dough, made from Georgian wheat, was soft and had a nice flavor, unlike some doughs that are mostly just there to be vessels for cheese. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; I just like it when the bread also brings something to the party.
The restaurant also serves pkhlovana (made with leeks and tarragon) and lobiani (made with beans) varieties. In addition to khachapuri, it offers soups, salads, burgers, desserts, and more.
Be sure to save some room for dessert. We also got the deep-fried donut. Filled with custard, it was delightfully fresh out of the fryer.
Address: Saarbrucken Square Tbilisi Tbilisi, 0102, Georgia (map)
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Cafe Daphna დაფნა
Khachapuri and khinkali are the two dishes competing to be the most famous Georgian food. Plenty of Tbilisi restaurants serve both, but most highly-regarded places are known for one or the other.
However, Cafe Daphna is not only one of the best places for khinkali in Tbilisi, but it also serves excellent khachapuri.
Cafe Daphna was the first restaurant I visited in Tbilisi, making it the perfect local introduction to these two foods.
I split a couple of orders of khinkali with a friend, along with a Megruli khachapuri that was one of the best I’ve had. It was absolutely loaded with gooey cheese.
Address: Dry bridge, 29 Atoneli St, Tbilisi, Georgia (map)
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Caravanserai Bakery
Right across the street from the Tbilisi Wine Museum is Caravanserai Bakery. Since there’s only a small sign near a non-descript door, it’s easy to miss.
That door leads into a world of baked wonders. Head down the stairs into the basement shop, and you’ll find a few women serving up an array of Georgian pastries. It is a popular spot with local food tour groups since it’s easy to pop in for a cheap snack.
Caravanserai Bakery is an especially good place to try out some less common khachapuri versions. I visited with a food tour group. In addition to Imeruli khachapuri, we also had a couple of variations that I had not yet tried.
The first was Lubiani khachapuri, which is filled with beans. I’m not usually a huge bean fan, but these beans were reminiscent of refried beans. I liked it.
I also enjoyed the crescent-shaped Guruli khachapuri. Guruli khachapuri is filled with chopped boiled eggs in addition to cheese. It’s typically served at Christmas, though you can find places that serve it year-round.
Address: 13/40 Sioni St, Tbilisi, Georgia (map)
Azarphesha
Eating at Azarphesha feels like eating at a friend’s house. Whether you’re there for a regular meal or are part of a larger group, you just might find yourself immersed in a Georgian supra experience, complete with the singing of traditional polyphonic music & toasts led by owner Luarsab Togonidze, who serves as the tamada (toastmaster).
The entire menu at Azarphesha is phenomenal. I visited for a large group lunch & the dishes kept coming, which I quickly learned is normal for such a meal. If you go home hungry in Georgia, something has gone very wrong.
Azarphesha also has an excellent selection of wine—one would hope so for a restaurant named after a silver ladle used for taking wine out of the traditional winemaking vessel known as qvevri. It was here that I first had my favorite Georgian wine, Gogushika Kisi. There’s plenty of chacha, too.
The wide variety of traditional Georgian dishes also includes khachapuri, of course. We enjoyed the beetroot khachapuri known as Pklovana.
Beyond the entertainment & food, the service at Azarphesha is also excellent. My coriander-averse friend asked if there was any in the Pklovana. There was, so she knew to avoid it. In a few minutes the server came out with a surprise: an order of Imeruli khachapuri just for her. We had no shortage of other food choices, but this was a nice touch.
Address: 0105, 2 Pavle Ingorokva St, Tbilisi, Georgia (map)
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Ethnographer
Ethnographer is more than just a restaurant. It’s a full Georgian cultural experience. In addition to serving Georgian supras, Ethnographer also has live music, dancing, & more.
We visited as part of the closing night celebration for Traverse. It was an experience I’ll never forget, filled with plenty of great food and drink.
One of the many dishes we were served was their Imeruli khachapuri. It was pillowy soft & packed with cheese.
I wanted to eat more of it, but I had to stop myself since so much more food was coming. I also contemplated taking some home to rest my head on later that night.
Address: T, 105 Akaki Beliashvili St, Tbilisi 0159, Georgia (map)
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Gunda • the Artisan Khachapuri Bakery
First things first, Gunda is currently closed. The artisan khachapuri bakery’s final day of operation was the day after I visited. However, according to their social media, they are only temporarily closed. Although the bakery may have closed, Gunda will live on as an idea. I’m not sure what this will eventually mean, but their khachapuri was so good that I’d still keep an eye on what they’re up to.
Gunda was a combination bakery and coffee shop (also serving a bit of wine and Georgian craft beer).
The bakery specializes in one thing: khachapuri. While their khachapuri might be a bit more expensive than some other places, they take care to use the best ingredients. When you have one thing that you do, you can do it well.
For my meal, I decided to have the Adjaruli khachapuri. I sat right next to the chef’s counter so I could watch my khachapuri being made while I sipped a Georgian soda (referred to locally as lemonade). Since I hadn’t had it yet, I opted for the grape flavor. Although it was tasty, pear will always be my favorite.
The made-to-order khachapuri came right out of the brick oven. Filled with cheesy goodness, it was a nice balance of soft dough and crispy edges on the very top.
Many other restaurants in Tbilisi are known for khachapuri, including Retro and Sakhachapure №1. But like pizza, there’s not really any such thing as “bad” khachapuri, so you’ll find someplace decent everywhere in the city. You can even find it in the Tbilisi airport lounge.
Khachapuri Classes in Tbilisi
If you eat enough khachapuri in Tbilisi, you’ll want to know how you can get your fix at home. While more and more Georgian restaurants are being opened worldwide, khachapuri is pretty easy to make at home. You can learn how and practice your skills with a khachapuri class.
Learn Georgian Granny’s Recipes
From that title alone on Airbnb Experiences, I was sold. Along with a few friends, I’d decided to take a khachapuri and khinkali cooking class, and this sounded like the perfect one.
We met Irinia outside her family’s place. She led us upstairs to her kitchen and introduced us to her cats. She’s been teaching Tbilisi visitors how to make khinkali and khachapuri for over six years. The class lasts about three hours.
Since it’s a more time-consuming process, we first made khinkali. You can read more about the process in my article about the Georgian dumplings.
It was then time to make khachapuri. We would be making Adjaruli style. Since the dough takes time to rise and rest, she had done this before our class.
We carefully weighed the correct amount of dough and got to work. First, we rolled the dough into a rectangle. I got a “not bad” for my effort. I’ll take any faint praise I can get.
Next, shredded Imeruli cheese is put inside the short ends, which are rolled up and then pinched.
The sides are then pulled out into the familiar boat shape. More cheese goes inside the center.
After getting an egg wash on the outside for looks, we baked our khinkali for 8-10 minutes, pulled them out, added an egg yolk, and then baked them for another couple of minutes.
While professionally made khachapuri might be a step better, there’s something to be said about making it for yourself. It was an excellent experience. Irinia was a lovely host & teacher.
Other khachapuri cooking classes are also available in Tbilisi, including some at local restaurants. For more khachapuri classes, check out these options.
Here are some other great Tbilisi tours & activities.
Need a place to stay? Check out these Tbilisi hotel options. I enjoyed my stay at the Moxy Tbilisi, and the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel is another excellent option.
