For as little as €10 a meal, you can eat like royalty in Tbilisi. Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is a beguiling blend of European, eastern, medieval and Soviet culture. The city offers up a cocktail of different characters from the faded elegance of the Chugureti neighbourhood to the late-medieval jumble of the old town and the monumental Soviet Mother of Georgia sculpture on the hillside.
With cheap, abundant food and low-cost activities, Tbilisi is the perfect destination for a budget break. Here’s what to do, where to eat and how to get around the city. One of the most wallet-friendly things you can do in Tbilisi is simply wander around, getting lost in its mosaic of cultures.
The UNESCO-designated Old Tbilisi is a tangle of brick houses with pastel-painted, wooden carved balconies threaded through with lanes that zigzag horizontally and vertically. For some low-cost relaxation, book a session at one of the Persian-style in the Abanotubani area. Characterised by their series of brick domes, they are fed by natural sulphurous waters.
Starting from €50, you can rent a palatial room with prettily tiled walls and a domed roof on an hourly basis. In complete privacy, you (or a small group) can circulate between the marble-clad hot and cold tubs and , with the use of a private changing area and bathroom too. For another roughly €7, a therapist will give you a merciless skin-peeling scrub.
Nearby, you’ll find the underground Meidan bazaar, Abkhazi Street crammed with souve.
