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Georgia is the oldest winemaking country in the world. While I highly recommend visiting Georgia’s wine regions, you can still have a great introduction to Georgian wine in the capital city of Tbilisi. The city is filled with great wine bars & wine shops that will help you learn about the country’s unique winemaking traditions, grapes, and terroir. Here are my favorite wine bars in Tbilisi, including a variety of places such as wine shops, bars where you can gather with friends, and restaurants.
The Best Wine Bars & Shops in Tbilisi, Georgia
8000 Vintages
Tbilisi’s most omnipresent wine bars are the multiple locations of 8000 Vintages. In addition to four Tbilisi wine bars, they also have a wine bar on the other side of Georgia in Batumi. They even have a wine bar & shop in Berlin.
For those in the know, the name 8000 Vintages is clever. If you don’t know what it means, you will quickly as you begin to experience wine in Georgia. In recent years, archeologists discovered evidence that shows that winemaking in Georgia dates back to 6000 BC. If you do the math, you’ll realize that means the country has been making wine for 8000 years. Thus, 8000 Vintages.
In addition to having a huge selection of wine for sale, the wine shop also hosts tastings in the afternoons. You can also book seats and drink wine at the bar any time they’re open. They serve a variety of food boards to go with the wine. I do recommend booking ahead, as they can easily fill up on busy nights.
Address: 27 Revaz Tabukashvili St, Tbilisi 0108, Georgia (map)
Address: 60 Irakli Abashidze Street, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia (map)
Address: 26 Sulkhan Tsintsadze St, Tbilisi 0160, Georgia (map)
Address: 15 Tskneti Hwy, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia (map)
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ღvino Underground
If you’re passionate about natural wine, look no further than Vino Underground, owned by prominent winemaker John Wurdeman. He also owns Pheasant’s Tears, one of the best-known wineries and restaurants in Georgia.
The basement wine bar and shop is the best place in Tbilisi to buy natural Georgian wines. It boasts a selection of about 350 different bottles, some of which are also available by the glass.
The wine selection includes rare offerings, including some from prominent Georgian winemakers who don’t sell in other bars or shops. One example is Iago’s Winery, located just outside the city.
I visited with friends on a quiet weekday night, and the staff member there was very helpful in helping us find the right Pét-nat. We ended up drinking a lovely bottle from White Mulberry Winery while we chatted and listened to classic rock, such as Led Zeppelin and Queen.
Address: 15 Galaktion Tabidze St, Tbilisi, Georgia (map)
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St.Bunny
St. Bunny is more than just a wine bar. It’s a full restaurant serving Georgian & Ukrainian food. Their specialty menu is filled with rabbit dishes. They serve Georgian classics with updated twists. We enjoyed the khachapuri with Gorgonzola cheese, pear, and pancetta, as well as rabbit khinkali.
In addition to 300 different wines by the bottle, 30 wines are available by the glass. They also offer full wine tastings. A hookah bar is in a separate building.
St. Bunny is a classy establishment, with a piano player helping set the mood. Along with our dinner, I enjoyed a lovely Simoneti Rkatsiteli amber wine, a red dry qvevri wine called Guniava Aladasturi, and finally, a white semi-sweet Barbale Late Harvest wine.
Address: 4, T, Tamar Chovelidze St, Tbilisi 0179, Georgia (map)
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Wine Merchants
Wine Merchants is a cozy multi-room wine bar & wine shop located in Tbilisi’s Chugureti neighborhood (also known as Marjanishvili).
It’s a chill spot for a glass of wine or two in the afternoon or evening, along with some food.
The wine shop’s bottle selection is not as big as that of some other places. However, the selection is well-curated. On my trip to Tbilisi, I had identified a particular wine I enjoyed. Wine Gallery, a much larger wine shop located around the corner from Wine Merchants, didn’t have the wine in stock, but Wine Merchants did.
There is also a large selection of by-the-glass offerings. I enjoyed a glass of the Anapea Sandro Kisi-Khikhvi-Mtsvane qvevri amber wine while relaxing & listening to some fun 80s pop hits.
The shop also hosts local wine tastings & tours.
Address: 46 Ivane Javakhishvili St, Tbilisi 0102, Georgia (map)
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Wine Gallery
Wine Gallery is appropriately named. It’s a beautiful store with a massive selection of wine that’s appealingly displayed.
That said, I found it almost intimidating to walk into, like I was walking into a jewelry store.
The staff are helpful, offering free tastes from a selection of open bottles.
Despite the huge bottle selection (which also includes chacha), it’s still not quite all-encompassing. As I mentioned above, I was looking for one particular wine & they didn’t have it, while the smaller Wine Merchants did. The staff member did offer me a taste of something similar to try, which I enjoyed, but I was looking for that specific bottle.
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Full tastings are available in the wine shop’s downstairs space.
Address: 39 Mikheili Tsinamdzghvrishvili St, Tbilisi 0102, Georgia (map)
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Nino Meris Wine Selection
Nino Meris Wine Selection is a cozy wine shop & bar located in Tbilisi’s Old Town.
The passion project opened during the pandemic when space was cheap, allowing the owner to pursue her dreams of sharing her love of wine, especially from boutique Georgian wineries.
In addition to selling a well-curated selection of bottles, Nino Meris Wine Selection offers tastings, personalized recommendations, and special events.
Address: 13 Sioni St, Tbilisi, Georgia (map)
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Tbilisi Wine Museum
The Tbilisi Wine Museum is located just across the street from Nino Meris Wine Selection in a historic building from the 1600s.
It serves as a nice overview of the history of Georgian winemaking. The basement museum is housed in part of the system of underground storage houses located in Old Town & includes replicas of famous wine artifacts.
Wine tastings are conducted via the neighboring Restaurant Archive, which is part of the same complex.
We headed through the basement into a room where sommelier Jaba was waiting for us.
He took us through a wine tasting that showcased Georgia’s most prominent wine styles, including an amber qvevri wine made in the traditional Georgian method, a white wine made with the classic European style, and a red Saperavi wine.
Address: 8 Sioni St, Tbilisi, Georgia (map)
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Poliphonia Natural Wine პოლიფონია
For another Tbilisi wine bar that’s focused on natural wine, head to Poliphonia Natural Wine.
More than just a wine bar, Poliphinia is actually a natural wine restaurant that is part of John Wurdeman’s portfolio. In addition to its nice wine selection, it also has a food menu focused on wild, seasonal, and local ingredients from around Georgia.
Address: ჭონქაძის 29/29 Chonkadze str, Tbilisi, Georgia (map)
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To have the best Georgian wine experience, I recommend taking a day trip to Kakheti from Tbilisi.
If wine isn’t your thing, Tbilisi also has excellent cocktail bars & craft beer bars & breweries. Be sure to try the local spirit known as chacha!
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.
