New in Georgia 2024: Openings, Trends & Travel Predictions
14 min readNow in its third year running, my annual ‘What’s New in Georgia’ brings together some of my favourite new openings, launches and tourism-related developments. Think fresh bars and restaurants, new projects, and infrastructure improvements.
This year, I am changing the format slightly by adding trending travel destinations plus a couple of predictions for both Georgia and the region.
If you’re a frequent traveller to Georgia, you live here, or you’re planning to visit for the first time in 2024, these are the things you might want to look out for.
Take a trip back through the archives by reading my previous posts:
Also see my personal annual review for 2023.
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What’s new in Tbilisi?
I spent a lot of time in Tbilisi last year, but I struggled to keep up with the pace of change. Here are a couple of things worth highlighting as we move into 2024.
At the start of the year, Gallery 27 moved house to Sololaki, then White Studio closed its shop in the Rustaveli Theatre basement (you can now find two branches of the ceramic house in Vera), while two of my favourite shops, Craft and Funduki, closed their doors altogether.
Bazari Orbeliani seems to be returning to its gourmet-grocer routes, adding new foodie souvenir shops downstairs including a Georgian Kalata stall and a Cheese House. The new Social Concept Store ESKI off Orbeliani Square sells items from different social enterprises around Georgia and is a welcome addition to Tbilisi’s shopping scene.
Tbilisi has a new sulfur bathhouse, the modern King Erekle’s Bath, which comes from the same team as Chreli-Abano. Queen’s Bath is closed for renovations and will, I am quite sure, relaunch this year with more lucrative private rooms.
Nearby, new stairs and walking paths have been erected on the hill leading to Tambor Monastery, making one of Tbilisi’s best viewpoints more accessible. I guess that secret is definitely out! Reportedly Narikala Fortress will also be receiving some TLC this year.
After Vake Park relaunched last year, this year it’s Vera Park’s turn for a facelift. I wonder if the concrete arms of the never-finished cable car station or the manholes used to access a network of underground tunnels under the park will be preserved?
In hotels, the Radisson Red has launched inside the former post office on Aghmashenebeli Avenue along with a nice courtyard restaurant-bar called Posta. And the Paragraph Hotel on Freedom Square finally opened, leaving Pushkin Park and the surrounding area free of construction debris. I look forward to visiting their sky bar when it opens later this year.
Will the Art Museum of Georgia adjacent to Paragraph be next? I would love to see the collection (and see inside the building where Stalin studied), but most of all I would love to be able to walk down Pushkin Street without having to weave through the scaffolding that has been there for as long as I can remember!
Also in art news, the MFA hosted a Banksy show in autumn 2023, opening the door for more international exhibitions. Meanwhile, Niko Pirosmani left Tbilisi for a five-year tour of the US, leaving the National Gallery with fewer than a dozen of his works still hanging. Is it still worth the 20 GEL entrance fee? See my museum and gallery guide for my verdict.
Several new coworking spaces have launched, including the lovely D Block at Stamba and the strangely named Old Boys in Chugureti. The trend towards marketing Tbilisi as a destination for long-stays and digital nomads continues – and I know of a few more projects of this ilk that we should be learning more about soon.
Though it remains to be seen whether these projects will launch in 2024, there are plans to remodel Freedom Square to include a garden and a pedestrian plaza, convert 10 inner-city streets to pedestrian-only zones, and even reinstate trams in the capital.
Several major streets in the city centre are currently being reconstructed, including Tsereteli Avenue (ongoing) and Rustaveli Avenue (slated to start this year). Plans for the latter include bike lanes and above-ground pedestrian crossings. The Rustaveli-Mtatsminda Cable Car, which has been closed since 1990, is still set to relaunch, and the renovation of one of the avenue’s main landmarks, Vorontsov Palace, will take place this year.
Over the river in Avlabari, the metro station is still a construction site (it remains open for now), while the nearby Armenian Drama Theatre is still fenced off following its recent reconstruction.
Avlabari Square has a new sculpture, Resistance by David Natidze, one of several new Tbilisi Public Art projects that were revealed in 2023 (you can also find a temporary sound installation work in the Rustaveli Metro and new sculptures in Gldani Park).
Tbilisi has some beautiful new murals this year thanks to the 2023 Mural Fest. My favourite is Carry On by Telmo & Miel, located near the Dezerter Bazaar. In Kutaisi, With Love by Sasha Korban – a mural depicting Dali Bebo from Agro Guest House Korena making khachapuri Imeruli (pictured in the next section below) – is the city’s new star attraction.
New restaurants, bars & cafes in Tbilisi
I have already updated my bars guide and cafes guide for 2024, and in the coming weeks I will be doing a major overhaul of my restaurant guide.
Here are a few of the new venues on the scene that I am most excited about.
Launching in late 2023, Reserve Restaurant cultivates/grows/makes the majority of its own raw ingredients – from milk and meat down to micro herbs. Chef Tomi Rissanen applies a New Nordic philosophy and classic European techniques to local ingredients – a very nice combination for a fine-dining experience. I was invited in to try the breakfast menu a couple of weeks ago and I was very impressed. I am looking forward to trying the omakase six-course tasting next.
In a similar vein, Stamba launched a new menu featuring locally produced almond labne and other nut products. A complement to SpaceFarms, their Udabno project is billed as one of Europe’s biggest regenerative farms, and supplies Adjara Group hotels (including Rooms properties) and other restaurants, as well as selling direct to the public from the new Udabno Shop on Chovelidze Street. Their almond ice cream, sold by the scoop to eat on the go, is magnificent.
I know there are big plans for the Udabno Regenerative Farm in Kakheti, and I am really looking forward to seeing how the team integrates tourism into the mix.
Often when I chat to restaurateurs or chefs in Tbilisi, they tell me that sourcing quality produce is one of their biggest challenges. Having recently been in Albania where slow food is all the rage, I think this farm-to-table trend and framework of growing your own ingredients will gain major traction in Georgia in the coming months and years.
Other new restaurant openings in Tbilisi include Khash-Khash, a casual bistro near Fabrika with delicious khinkali and unique dishes such as shila plavi; Mova Maisi, a locally owned cafe and brunch spot set in a gorgeous garden on the hill behind Rustaveli Metro; 47, a salon restaurant by Entree located above their Afkhazi Street bakery; and of course Madre (pictured below), the latest offering from The Communal Company, serving Spanish cuisine and my new go-to dessert in Tbilisi, Basque cheesecake.
Last year I was excited for the launch of Satburi, a renovated orangery-turned-dining precinct in Mushthaid Garden. I don’t know exactly what happened, but it seemed to die on the vine. Now they are kicking back into gear as a late-night venue. Iasamani, one of my favourite restaurants in Sololaki, is the first to open a street-food branch inside the new and improved Satburi. It is called Iasamani Express.
There are too many new cafes in Tbilisi to name – most of them, unfortunately, are a bit cookie-cutter in their aesthetic and offerings. A few that stand out from the crowd: OKRO Coffee Roastery in Vera (below left), which just opened a few weeks ago; Baba Bakery in Sololaki; and Dalood Cafe on Akhvlediani Street (below right).
(This street, by the way, seems to be shedding its pub-and-karaoke-bar image and moving in a far classier direction. Clothing store Samoseli Pirveli and vegan restaurant Plantastic Kitchen also opened here recently.)
Batumi favourite Bu&Khari just opened a wine bar inside the heritage Melik-Azaryants House on Rustaveli Avenue. I was there earlier this month – the wine is plentiful, the food is interesting, and the bathroom is something else.
I was devastated to find that one of my favourite local cafes, the Laghide Water at Sameba Cathedral, has closed. The nearby Moedani residential complex has finally opened, so far with four new restaurants: San Seven Bistro, Gess Beer Bar, Pasta Osteria and Vesper. Have you tried any of them yet?
Also in pizza news, Farina at Fabrika has rebranded as Popolo. Thankfully they still have their signature woodfire oven.
Later this year, the cafe next to the Rezo Gabriadze Theatre is set to open again, and a new restaurant will be unveiled in one of Sololaki’s most beautiful heritage buildings.
5 trending destinations in Georgia for 2024
Here are five underrated places in Georgia that I see gaining popularity this year.
Kutaisi
I am definitely biased because I live in Kutaisi, but I really do believe in the tourism potential of this city.
In 2023, Kutaisi was named a UNESCO Creative City of Literature in recognition of its symbolist poets, illustrious 20th century authors and printing houses. I would love to see more events and institutions created around this theme.
There are several ongoing construction projects in the city, including a new History Museum that will hopefully be finished this year, and the complete reconstruction of Central Park. Sadly, the iconic Savane Cafe located inside the park has been demolished.
2023 was a huge year for new openings in Kutaisi. Leading the way was Communal Hotel Kutaisi and Doli restaurant, which has really set a new standard for food and service in the city. Galaktion Tabidze Street is having a moment, with several new bars opening in addition to Doli, including WILD.
The popular Sapere Natural Wine Bar reopened late last year at a new address, while a few of my friends opened a new wine bar, Winetage. They are now in the process of moving into the reception area of the old Hotel Kutaisi, while the previous tenant, Tea House Foe-Foe, has relocated to the space next door.
Black Tomato Hostel also made its long-awaited comeback with a bigger and better venue in Sapichkhia. Chef Mashiko Zamtaradze heads up the adjoining Black Tomato Kitchen, serving dishes inspired by Kutaisi’s Jewish neighbourhood. I am counting down the days until Gala, a new restaurant from Lile Maglapheridze of Lilestan, opens.
Kutaisi is becoming more accessible thanks to the new Rikoti Highway that is slowly coming together stage by stage. In late 2023, a massive section of tunnels opened, reducing travel time between Tbilisi and Kutaisi by up to two hours.
Kutaisi airport is also expanding, with direct flights to/from Istanbul introduced in 2023. In December, the fourth Wizz Air plane took up residence, ushering in a new Copenhagen route. The airport has a new car park, and this March, the long-awaited airport shuttle is supposed to launch.
Abastumani
I fell in love with Abastumani when I visited in 2021. For much of 2023, the resort town was virtually inaccessible due to major road works. There is a lot of investment going into this area right now.
Rooms has already declared its intention to open a hotel in Abastumani, and I’m told it might be ready this summer. Here’s what it will look like.
With astro tourism on-trend, I see huge potential for the Astrophysical Observatory to attract guests with consistent tourism offerings. There has been a lot of controversy around the renovation of the 1932 facility – I do hope they manage to find a happy solution for all those involved, including the families of former employees who have apartments onsite.
Hopefully the entire length of the improved mountain road will be completed by summer 2024, making it easier to travel between Kutaisi, Sairme and Abastumani.
Samtskhe-Javakheti region
Outside of Abastumani, I see a bright future ahead for Samtskhe-Javakheti region in general. It has been named as one of two regions where the number of hotel beds will increase dramatically in the next three years, the other being Adjara.
Attracting visitors from across the border via the Turkgozu-Vale border and that new mountain road is probably a key priority. Remember the Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Kars train – Georgia’s first overland rail connection with Turkiye – will pass right through this region, too. That’s if passenger services ever commence. Fingers crossed for a 2024 launch.
I spent some more time in Samtskhe-Javakheti last year and was very impressed by the foodie offerings this region has. You can read about some of my experiences – including eating Georgian escargot in a convent and making tenili cheese – in this Meskhetian food guide.
I think that with the right marketing and investment, this could be Georgia’s leading food tourism destination.
Vashlovani
The Vashlovani Protected Areas have been on my mind ever since I visited last spring with my dad. This part of Georgia is astonishingly beautiful and completely underrated.
I can definitely see Vashlovani gaining popularity this year as part of the broader offroading trend. Birdwatching is another area where Georgia can excel – Vashlovani offers this too (if you haven’t been yet, Eagle Gorge outside Dedoplistskharo is remarkable) – and I can also foresee some cool agritourism projects taking root here.
Rustavi
Again, it might just be because I visited recently and it’s front of mind, but Rustavi is another place where I see many tourism possibilities. It is a growing city – overtaking Kutaisi in 2023 to become the third-biggest in Georgia – and being so close to Tbilisi is a major advantage.
As a fan of architecture, mosaics et cetera from the Soviet period, Rustavi is a sort of heaven for me. Quite unexpectedly, I had one of my best meals of the year at a cafe here (find it in my guide, linked above).
I am planning to spend more time in Rustavi in 2024, and I hope to see more tourism initiatives, Soviet-themed tours being an obvious one.
What else is new in Georgia?
On the Black Sea Coast, Rooms opened a new hotel in Batumi. The city is set to receive a new network of bicycle paths this year.
It has just been announced that the house of Chinese tea expert Lao Jin Jao at Chakvi will be renovated this year before reopening as a museum and tasting room dedicated to Georgian tea. I am very excited for that!
A Poti-Constanta ferry launched between Georgia and Romania in 2023 – though as far as I know, it is still not open to passengers (cars only). Construction of a deep-sea port at Anaklia is slated to start this spring, so I am rushing to get there before it breaks ground.
The road between Akhmeta and Zhinvali was finished, making it possible to take the scenic route between Kakheti wine region and the Georgian Military Highway with no fear of potholes. I drove it last spring – Kvetera Fortress’s Church, which has received a new walking path and car park, is one of the highlights.
Travel time from Tbilisi to Kazbegi is set to be reduced to 1 hour and 45 minutes later this year when the new Kvesheti-Kobi tunnel comes online. And in Upper Adjara, the infamous Khulo-Akhaltsikhe road is also being worked on.
There are several new adventure and ecotourism activities to keep an eye on, including a zipline on Chirukhi Mountain in Adjara, which is supposed to be the longest dual-lane zipline in Europe. Sveri Adventure Camp near Chiatura, home to Georgia’s only Via Ferrata, will be offering new activities in the 2024 season thanks to an EU grant, and a new Rioni River rafting outlet has opened in Kutaisi.
In March 2024, prices for Protected Areas around Imereti region will increase by 30%, with 20 GEL now the price tag on most canyons and caves near Kutaisi. In 2023, the popular Balda Canyon was sectioned off for development, sparking protests from local residents.
The Kukushka scenic railway in Borjomi-Bakuriani is still on pause, with no date in sight for when it might relaunch. Apparently the tracks and infrastructure now require a massive amount of investment for rehabilitation, and it is not a key priority for Georgian Railways. Work on several sanatoriums in Tskaltubo continues in-line with the new masterplan for the resort town.
Late last year I heard whispers of a massive overhaul of Georgia’s intercity marshrutka network, including promises to implement centralised timetables and ticketing. It would be a huge change to the old system and I definitely foresee a certain level of reluctance from drivers. Let’s wait and see how that one pans out.
In the final days of 2023, it was announced that a new Tbilisi airport will be built at the former Vaziani Air Base, 30 kilometres east of the city (just past the current airport). Surely many of the new arrivals they plan to attract will be coming from emerging markets. August 2023 saw the launch of the first direct Tbilisi-Delhi flights, while later in the year, Chinese citizens were added to the list of visa-exempt travellers (for stays of up to 30 days).
EU Candidacy for Georgia
I must also mention the single biggest piece of news for Georgia of late: In December, the country was granted EU candidacy status. Many of my friends and colleagues are over the moon about entering the new year as an EU candidate – and to them, I say a big congratulations!
Georgia has a lot of hard work ahead, and there are surely big changes on the horizon this election year. I have been thinking a lot about how EU candidacy will impact the tourism landscape.
One obvious implication is that Georgia will be working to align itself with EU tourism priorities, which means a big emphasis on sustainability. I see huge potential for the country’s national parks and agritourism hotspots under the EU’s EDEN initiative, which spotlights little-known destinations oriented around sustainability principles.
I think we are about to see lots of new policies and regulations come into place. Requirements around mandatory professional liability insurance for high-risk tourism providers have already been announced, and new standards have been introduced for activities such as paragliding and snowboarding.
I recently read an article that refers to 2024 as “a breakthrough year for the South Caucasus.” After a year of conflict, the normalisation of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Armenia and Turkiye – if it happens – would be a huge plus for tourism in the region.
To put a point on this, Georgia will host World Tourism Day in September 2024 with the theme ‘Tourism and Peace’.
What did I miss? What are you most excited about for 2024? If you have any other updates or news from Georgia to share with others, please leave me a comment below.
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