Hello, Tbilisi! A look inside Georgia’s first Starbucks coffeehouse
Set on the banks of the Mtkvari River, the Georgian capital of Tbilisi is a city surrounded by hills and full of character, known for its cobblestone streets, sulphur bathhouses, magnificent churches and a thriving food and café scene.
And now there’s a new place to meet for coffee.
Starbucks has officially opened a new coffeehouse in Axis Towers, Tbilisi, in partnership with our trusted licensee partner Alshaya Group.
Walk with us through one of Tbilisi’s trendiest neighbourhoods to discover the story behind Georgia’s first ever Starbucks – and how one of the world’s oldest winemaking countries fell in love with coffee.
Tbilisi’s coffee story
Although Georgia is known for its wine production – a tradition that stretches back around 8,000 years – the country also has an interesting, if less well-known, coffee history, as Murat Buyurgan, digital and marketing director for Starbucks Eurasia explains:
“Rather than competing, coffee and wine represent two different sides of modern Georgian culture: ancient tradition and contemporary urban creativity,” he says.
“Coffee isn’t indigenous to Georgia, and unlike wine it isn’t deeply rooted in the country’s ancient culture,” Murat continues.
“Coffee arrived through trade with the Ottoman Empire and became established in the 18th and 19th centuries. In Tbilisi, a city at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, merchants, diplomats and travellers were the ones who introduced coffeehouse culture here. Unlike Italy or Turkey, Georgia never developed a distinctive national brewing method of its own.”
Drink coffee like a Tbilisian
The top three bestselling Starbucks drinks in Tbilisi right now:
1) Latte
2) Caramel Frappuccino®
3) Caramel Macchiato
“In the 20th Century, coffee became a luxury due to import restrictions,” Murat adds. “Many Georgians became accustomed to instant coffee, Turkish coffee brewed in a cezve or strong black coffee served at home.”
But in more recent times, the country’s capital city has transformed into one of the region’s most exciting coffee destinations, known for its independent roasters, single-origin coffees, espresso bars and pour-over brewing. Nowadays, Tbilisi is a place where you can easily spend a day café-hopping between beautifully designed roasteries, minimalist espresso bars and hidden courtyard coffeehouses.
The fashionable neighbourhood of Vake is where Tbilisi’s modern café culture really comes to life – making it the obvious choice for the country’s first Starbucks.
Step inside
“If you ask locals where they would most like to live or spend time, Vake is almost always near the top of the list,” says Murat. “It’s become the centre of the city’s modern café culture, known for its stylish bakeries, trendy brunch spots and speciality coffee roasters. The atmosphere is often compared to neighbourhoods like Notting Hill in London or Le Marais in Paris – urban, fashionable and relaxed. It feels like a natural home for Starbucks.”
Vake’s new coffeehouse, like the city around it, feels like a meeting place for past and present – designed to celebrate coffee’s journey across cultures and centuries, while reflecting the creative energy of Tbilisi today.
Two commissioned artworks by Tbilisi-born illustrator, author and book designer Tatia Nadareshvili are the centrepiece of the store. Known for work that is deeply rooted in childhood memory and nostalgia, Tatia’s richly layered compositions and expressive linework evoke a fluid, dreamlike quality. Created using monoprint and hand-drawn line work, the pieces are a beautiful love letter to coffee and its cultural significance across history and geography.
The artworks reflect the rituals and traditions of Georgian communities, tracing how they have transformed over time while capturing what the artist describes as the “quiet, enduring pleasure” of a simple cup of coffee.
Gamarjoba!
Whether the city is your home or you’re discovering it for the first time, we hope you’ll stop by to say hello to Tbilisi’s newest coffee destination.
