Tbilisi
Tbilisi's best speakeasies hide behind unmarked doors and ask you to whisper passwords. The speakeasies on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — Old Tbilisi, Vera, Saburtalo, Sololaki all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
OLD TBILISI · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Creative-class courtyard inside a converted Soviet-era sewing factory. Order: Chacha & honey sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
VERA · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cocktail bar with a tight rotating menu and a young engaged crowd. Order: Chacha & honey sour. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
VERA · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Hotel cafe-bar inside the Stamba Hotel. Order: Chacha & honey sour. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
VERA · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Wine bar with one of the world's deepest Georgian-wine lists. Order: Chacha & honey sour. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
VERA · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cocktail-and-restaurant bar with a tight cocktail menu and a young creative-class crowd. Order: Chacha & honey sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
OLD TBILISI · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Natural-wine bar with a tight Georgian-wine list and traditional small plates. Order: Chacha & honey sour. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Tbilisi or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten speakeasies that any serious drinker in Tbilisi would tell you to put on the list.
Creative-class courtyard inside a converted Soviet-era sewing factory. Order: Chacha & honey sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Cocktail bar with a tight rotating menu and a young engaged crowd. Order: Chacha & honey sour. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Tbilisi? See our guide to the best speakeasies worldwide, or compare speakeasies city by city.