Why are the courtyards of Sololaki in Tbilisi called Italian?

The name "Italian courtyard" dates from the Soviet era. The courtyards of the houses built by merchants and industrialists around 1900 were very noisy, and that noise was associated with Italy, partly through Italian neorealist films. The courtyards have nothing to do with Italian architecture.

Which cafés in Old Tbilisi and Sololaki are open all night?

Santino's branch at Galaktion Tabidze 3–5, in the former Mantashev apartment house, opened in 2024 and is open 24 hours. Dante serves from 08:30 to 04:00 every day, and Cafe art mone on Hovhannes Tumanyan Street stays open until 01:30.

Where can you get specialty coffee in Sololaki, Tbilisi?

Shavi Coffee Roasters has a branch at Lado Asatiani 28 with a shaded courtyard. GRIND opened in an underground space at Machabeli 14 in 2026, Daily Grind near Freedom Square brews V60 and AeroPress on a La Marzocco, and Coffee Place at Galaktion Tabidze 24 is fully plant-based.

Cafés in Old Tbilisi & Sololaki, Tbilisi: Hours and Map

Old Tbilisi spreads over both banks of the Mtkvari under Mount Mtatsminda and the Narikala fortress, and most of what stands is 19th-century: the Persian invasion of 1795 destroyed nearly all of the older city.¹ Abanotubani, the bath district at the foot of Narikala, is where legend places the discovery of the hot springs that led to the founding of the capital.²

Sololaki, on the slope west of the old town, was built up in the second half of the 19th century on a planned grid of rectangular blocks, once the Avanaantkhevi stream had been channeled into a brick culvert; an 1899 guidebook called it the best district in the city.³ Merchants and industrialists built many of its courtyard houses around 1900, and the courtyards are still called "Italian", a Soviet-era name tied to their noise and to Italian neorealist films.⁴

Local tip: Look through the gates on Sololaki's side streets, but ask before photographing: many of the courtyards are still lived in.¹⁰

At a glance

80Cafés listed

29With opening hours

07:00Earliest opening

04:00Latest closing

Opens earliest: დეილი გრაინდი, from 07:00 (Daily 07:00–16:00).

Closes latest: დანტე, until 04:00 (Daily 08:30–04:00).

Most listed streets: ბეთლემის ქუჩა (2), Kote Afkhazi St (2).

Most common features: wi-fi (30%), open late (20%), outdoor seating (18%).

Freedom Square and Galaktion Tabidze Street

Six streets branch off Freedom Square, among them Kote Afkhazi, Galaktion Tabidze and Giorgi Leonidze.⁵ Galaktion Tabidze is a pedestrian street of restaurants, and number 3–5, the former Mantashev apartment house, was counted as the largest house in Tiflis until 1917.³ Santino opened its second branch there in 2024, and it is open 24 hours.⁶

Further up, Coffee Place at number 24 was opened by Vegan Place as the city's first plant-based coffee shop; it has frescoed ceilings and a bay window over Asatiani Street.⁶ Coffee Place serves 10:00–22:00.

Machabeli and Lado Asatiani streets

On Ivane Machabeli Street, Baba at number 4 is a bakery led by the chef Eugene Tarasov, with croissants, cruffins and kouign-amann and coffee from Mamuli, a Tbilisi roaster.⁶ GRIND, at number 14, opened in an underground space in 2026 and kept a ceiling rose from the older building.⁶ Terra, next door to Grind, makes coffee from Italian beans and has just two small chairs outside.⁷ Baba opens at 08:30 and Terra at 08:00.

Shavi Coffee Roasters has a Sololaki branch at Lado Asatiani 28, with a shaded courtyard.⁶ Coffee In at Asatiani 34 stays open until 22:30 on weekdays and 23:00 on Saturdays.

Kote Afkhazi Street

Kote Afkhazi Street follows the old caravan road from the Kojori gate down to the bath district, and for centuries it was the trading heart of the old town, lined with shops and workshops.⁸ It was named after Konstantine Leselidze in 1944 and after Kote Afkhazi in 2006, and it still passes a synagogue and the Norashen church.⁸

Madam Choux at number 31 and Cobbler & More at number 34 are both bakery cafés, open until 22:00 and 23:00. Daily Grind, near Freedom Square, brews V60 and AeroPress on a La Marzocco with beans from ONYX, Koppi and OKRO; a cappuccino there cost ₾15 in 2026.⁶ It is at number 4 and serves 07:00–16:00.

Shavteli Street and late hours

On Ioane Shavteli Street, Café Gabriadze at number 13 has been serving since 1996, with interiors by Rezo Gabriadze and a terrace facing his clock tower.⁹ Cafe Leila, at number 18, a former Persian candy shop, sells Orbeliani's candy, and a cherry tree over its outdoor tables blooms in spring.⁶ Gabriadze is open 12:00–23:00.

Dante serves from 08:30 to 04:00 every day, and Cafe art mone on Hovhannes Tumanyan Street stays open until 01:30. Beanbourbon Roasters, a specialty bar, is on the same street at 6/9.

Cafés in Old Tbilisi & Sololaki

At a glance

Café Sololaki

Cobbler & more

Coffee In

Panora

აქსეს კაფე

ბაბა

ბრევიო

გაბრიაძე

გრაინდი

დეილი გრაინდი

დოფამინი

ეარი

კაფე არტ მონე

კოფი ფლეის

მადამ შუ

ნოველა

ნუშო

სალი

სთორის

ტერა

ჩადუნა

კონილი

Antique Café Nami

Black Cat Bistro

Cafe Bloom

Cafe Hilltop

Cafe Kalasi

Cafe Madeleine

Chayan

COFFEE A

Craft Coffee

Crossroads Bistro

Flowers & Lovers

Frida's Cafe

Frontline Cafe

Georgian Tea 1847

Coffee chains in Old Tbilisi & Sololaki

Entrée

Shavi Coffee Roasters

Santino

Double B

Freedom Square and Galaktion Tabidze Street

Machabeli and Lado Asatiani streets

Kote Afkhazi Street

Shavteli Street and late hours

Sources

More of Tbilisi

Rustaveli & Mtatsminda

Vera

Vake

Saburtalo

Marjanishvili & Chugureti

Avlabari

Old Tbilisi & Sololaki cafés: questions

Why are the courtyards of Sololaki in Tbilisi called Italian?

Which cafés in Old Tbilisi and Sololaki are open all night?

Where can you get specialty coffee in Sololaki, Tbilisi?

Own a café in Old Tbilisi & Sololaki?