As a local guide and food lover, I’ve explored the best places where both taste and value come together. Here’s your ultimate guide:

• 1. Racha Restaurant – Classic Georgian Comfort Food

  📍 Address: 4 Lermontov Street, near Freedom Square
  💰 Average meal price: 20–25 GEL
  ⏰ Hours: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM

  Racha is a Tbilisi institution. With its handwritten menus, no-frills interior, and home-style portions, this is where you go for real Georgian food made by real Georgians.

  ⭐ Must-Try Dishes:

  • Ostri – spicy beef stew in tomato-garlic sauce 

  • Apkhazura with potatoes – flavorful and spicy

  • Chikhirtma – thick chicken soup with egg and vinegar 

  • Of course Khinkali – One of the best ones in Tbilisi!

  🧠 Local Tip: Pair your meal with a cold Natakhtari lemonade or a glass of house wine.

• 🥣 2. Mapshalia – Megrelian Soul Food in a Soviet-Era Setting

  📍 Address: 137 Davit Aghmashenebeli Ave, Marjanishvili area
  💰 Average meal price: 20–25,- GEL
  ⏰ Hours: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

  Mapshalia is a local gem that feels like a time capsule from the 1980s. Originally from Zugdidi in western Georgia, this modest canteen-style eatery serves Megrelian cuisine — spicy, rich, homey and soul-warming.

  ⭐ Must-Try Dishes:

  • Kharcho – spicy beef soup with rice and walnut paste 

  • Elarji – cheesy cornmeal with Sulguni 

  • Ghomi with Kupati – cornmeal with spiced sausage

  🧠 Insider Tip: Go early — seats fill up quickly at lunchtime with locals and in-the-know travelers. Expect some time for line until they allow you seating.

• 🧀 3. Pasanauri (Multiple Locations)

  ✅ A budget-friendly chain that never disappoints with khinkali, lobio, and mtsvadi. Easy to find in the city center and always consistent.

• 🍕 4. Street Food in Tbilisi: Grab & Go Goodness

  • Khachapuri at the local bakery– starting From 5 GEL 

  • Shawarma stalls – from 12 GEL for a wrap

  • Churchkhela & snacks – Available at Deserter Market and Old City from 5,- GEL

💡 Final Tips for Eating Cheap in Tbilisi

• Avoid tourist traps and pushing “envitations” at the restaurants by the promo agents — go one block further and keep in mind that delicius local food doesn’t need that much promotion..

• Ask locals or your guide to share their favorite food spots.

• Always choose trationalal georgian food as it’s your best way as a foreigner to get to know real local food culture and flavours when travelling to Georgia.

• Any local traditional reastaurant has vegetarian options in the menu… (no need focusing on specelized vegetarian restaurants).       For cheaper, hearty vegetarian food experiences try tasting lobio, mchadi, Adjapsandali, eggplant rolls, pkhali assort with walnut sauce…

❤️ Local Flavor = Local Prices

Eating in Tbilisi doesn’t have to be expensive to be memorable… Whether you’re digging into kharcho at Mapshalia or sipping ojakhuri wine at Racha, every bite tells a story.

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