We had put this off a while back because we had heard horror stories of people being sent back despite having an evisa. After that fear passed, we were saving this for a time when we didn’t want to go all the way to Europe, but still wanted the feel of it. The border of Asia and Europe seemed perfect, and we clubbed it with Armenia for a 10 day trip. Where we stayed, what we did, where and what we ate, all below.
Fun fact to start: Georgians call their country Sakartvelo, and there are many stories on why it’s called Georgia now.
Stay
We had split our Georgia stay into three – Tbilisi, Kakheti and then Tbilisi again. In Round 1, we stayed at Tiflis Palace in Old Town. It reminded me of what the Metropol Hotel in A Gentleman in Moscow might have been. We did see an actual Metropol in Yerevan, Armenia! The rooms were old but comfortable, but…
… the killer feature was the view. D had asked for a room with a view, and they gave us one that had a 180+ view that was just fantastic. Narikala Fort (which was closed for renovations) and the Metekhi Church were all visible. Just sitting there was therapeutic.
We felt the same way the morning after too. Now if only the managerial staff would learn a bit from the housekeeping folk and improve their service levels, this would be an ideal hotel.
In Round 2, we stayed at the Mercure Old Town, which was just 200m from Tiflis Palace. It didn’t have the Tiflis view or the room size, but our agenda was mostly day trips and this room was just the right size. Also, excellent service, and a superb breakfast.
See/Do
We visited Meidan Bazar the evening we arrived, because it was anyway close to Tiflis. Your souvenir needs, including wine and food, will most likely be solved here. Having said that, do spend some time outside, specifically the shops in the streets close to this. Especially if would like some good magnets. 😀
Old Tbilisi Balconies are a thing, and you will see them a lot in the Old Town area. We even caught some in Telavi.
Queen Darejan’s Palace is a larger structure, but this was a pretty part of it
For our first full day, we had booked a guided walking tour. I’d recommend this if you don’t mind walking four hours because it gives you a good idea of Old Tbilisi, and covers a bunch of interesting places. The Metekhi Virgin Mary Assumption Church was the first stop. In the same compound is the statue of Vakhtang I Gorgasali, who laid the foundation of Tbilisi as the new capital. Interesting stories on how he decided on the place, and why he named it so. Our guide called him the High Five king thanks to his upraised hand. 😀
We were also taken on a cable car to get a fantastic view and an up close encounter with the Mother of Georgia monument. A set of interesting stories about her too.
The Bridge of Peace is a popular tourist spot, but the locals aren’t fans. In fact, its design has been heavily criticised and has a nickname “Always Ultra” for its supposed resemblance to a ladies’ maxi-pad. 😀
The Clock Tower in Tbilisi is fun. It is next to the marionette theatre, and every hour an angel comes out to ring the bell with a small hammer. There is also a small mechanical puppet theatre inside the tower and you can see the show at noon and at 7pm. We unfortunately couldn’t find time for the shows.
The tamada is a Georgian toastmaster at feasts and is supposed to connect the past, present and future. We saw at least a couple in Tbilisi and one in Sighnaghi too.
The Sulphur baths and the Juma mosque are in Abanotubani, right next to Tiflis. The smell will lead you there. And yes, you have spas here, though we weren’t too keen.
After the tour, a few drinks at a winery as part of the tour, we had lunch and then walked to Liberty Square. This is also the area where you’ll find the mall. But though we did visit that, our destination was the metro.
One of the reasons I was excited about Georgia is because it was a part of the USSR and there are tons of artefacts around. Buildings are obviously one, but the metro is what I was looking forward to. It was the fourth metro system in the former Soviet Union, and started operations in January, 1966. After the steepest escalator ride I have been on, we caught the metro from Liberty Square to Rustaveli.
We dropped by at Gabashvili House (Blue House), but could only manage a side shot of its Old Balcony.
The final destination on the first day was the Funicular ride to Mtatsminda. There is an amusement park there but we were only interested in the view. It was definitely the most expansive, but we preferred our Tiflis view.
The area around Meidan Bazar is quite buzzy late in the evening. There are, as is now usual, many Indian folks trying to get you to an Indian restaurant. We overheard one woman specifically asking for khichdi for the kid and the restaurant guy saying ‘sab kuch milega‘. Oh well.
When we got back from our Sighnaghi trip, it was the weekend when Tbilisi was celebrating its birthday. That meant that there were food stalls, music and trinkets all around. It’s a great time to walk around, because vehicles are not allowed on many roads, though it does get crowded. It was amazing how well and fast they were able to clean the place following the weekend festivities.
After walking around the stalls a bit, we decided to take a long walk before dinner. Away from the crowds, around the Gomi Street area. There are a couple of view points here but we were too lazy to climb the stairs. The roads were steep enough!
The Namaste Hotel was super cute!
See 360, where we had planned dinner.
This was around Gudiashvili Square, and probably the time we enjoyed most. There is a park and we could hear the live music. We sat down for a bit, moved on to check a couple of craft beer places for the next few days (they were tiny and we skipped) and then came back to spend more time at the park. There were kids having a picnic, dogs who didn’t bother us, a pleasant breeze and in general, a long sigh atmosphere.
Chronicles of Georgia is away from the city, and after a fun exchange with the driver who promised he would arrive despite the various traffic snarls, we got to see a fabulous structure that literally chronicles the story of Georgia. And what a view of the city.
Eat
As part of our walking tour, we also visited a traditional bakery. In addition to a cheese pie and another with vanilla inside, we also tried the Lemonade Natakhtari, and D had a tarragon version of it. Loved everything!
Our first dinner was at Khinkali Pub and is the one we enjoyed most. In addition to the Khinkali, we tried the Adjaruli Khachapuri (there are other types too) and in both cases, there are specific ways to eat them. D had already researched the first and a restaurant staff taught us the second. D started out on wine, while I tried the residue – Chacha. It’s not arrack though it is really strong. It’s a clear version of brandy made from the leftover grape residue after winemaking. This is easily the best place for your first meal – great vibe, friendly staff, and excellent food.
Restaurant Pasanauri is on the main road, and we went there after our half day walking tour because we were too tired to seek out other places. I tried the oak Chacha (closer to the brandy colour and aged in oak casks) while D continued the wine journey. We also tried the Chicken Shkmeruli – chicken fried and then slowly simmered in a rich garlic and milk sauce. Not our favourite. Pasanauri has a few grumpy people who also happen to be quite racist.
Our tour guide suggested 2 Tona when I mentioned an interest in craft beer, and that was a hit. Their Skybread (Hefeweizen) and Gustav (Munich Helles) were both smooth and splendid and though we didn’t care much for the pork barbecue and the beef stew chashushuli, the beer more than made up for it.
Fresh fruits. A great thing to munch when you’re walking around.
Next to the Khinkali Pub is Restaurant Hide. They almost share a menu. The vibe is different, but the service staff were friendly here too. We finally had Kompot – a good break from alcohol. We tried the Kharcho soup and an Ojakhuri (literally ‘family meal’) and enjoyed both.
See 360 was one of the costlier places we dined at. We hadn’t reserved so couldn’t get a table on the terrace. Indoors wasn’t too bad though. I tried the Karva beer, and it wasn’t the best I’ve had. The pork barbecue was just fine, and we really didn’t like the Chakapuli (a stew of sorts). The dessert though was quite interesting, it’s their special.
After we got back from the Chronicles of Georgia, we really were too tired to walk around. Shemomechama was nearby, and we had the place all to ourselves. The staff, as per the internet, were supposed to be friendly, but they were just cordial. We had the Badri-Jani (aubergine with a walnut paste), which even my carnivorous taste buds liked and the Chebu (seemed like huge fried momos). The cognac was smooth.
Our last meal in Georgia was at Tiflis Veranda. The meal wasn’t Georgian, but tasty enough.
That was a bonus because what we went for was the view. 🙂
I really liked Tbilisi. It had interesting places and things to see from a cultural perspective, unique food, great wine and cognac, and a lot of friendly folks.
Next up: Georgia outside Tbilisi