Adjarian khachapuri was invented on this coast: an open boat of dough holding molten cheese, a raw egg yolk and a knob of butter, stirred at the table until it becomes sauce. TasteAtlas rates Retro on the seaside boulevard the world’s number two for the dish, and since the long-time title holder Porto Franco closed its doors, the seafront terrace is the podium that remains. Around the khachapuri sit a locals’ budget institution and a literary café in the old town. Three rooms, all walkable.
How Batumi Eats
The dish to know is acharuli khachapuri, the boat-shaped one, and Batumi treats it as a civic emblem rather than a snack. The serious rooms grade it by the crust’s chew, the cheese blend and the speed of the egg-stir; Retro offers it in sizes, and a single large one defeats most pairs of diners. Beyond the boat, the table runs Georgian: khinkali dumplings, Black Sea fish, and Adjarian sinori for breakfast.
Georgian supra culture governs the evening: dishes arrive for the middle of the table, toasts run long, and wine is treated as conversation. Lists lean on Kakhetian saperavi and rkatsiteli alongside local chacha, the grape spirit poured as both aperitif and dare. Café Literaturuli covers the other register, coffee and cake among bookshelves on Memed Abashidze Avenue.
Practical notes. Prices are in lari and Batumi remains cheap by European standards; the famous khachapuri at Shemoikhede Genatsvale costs about the price of a coffee in Paris. Many rooms add a 10 per cent service charge, in which case no further tip is expected. July and August are the crush, when the city swells with Black Sea holiday traffic; book the boulevard terraces ahead in season, and expect dinner to run late, with kitchens busy past 22:00.
Best Neighbourhoods for Dinner
The Old Town. The low grid of Ottoman-era streets behind the port, at its best around Memed Abashidze Avenue, where Café Literaturuli keeps its bookshelf room, and Europe Square’s café terraces.
The Seaside Boulevard. The kilometres-long seafront park is the city’s evening promenade, and Retro serves its number-two-in-the-world khachapuri with a Black Sea sunset attached.
Gamsakhurdia Street. The workaday commercial street a block off the boulevard, home to Shemoikhede Genatsvale, where the Adjarian boat is the size of a small pillow and costs about $6.
The Batumi Top 3, Ranked
Three rooms, ranked by the cooking and the value each returns. The khachapuri decides the top spot; character decides the rest.
1. Retro
The world’s number-two Adjarian khachapuri on the most atmospheric terrace in the city. Go for a first date at sunset.
2. Shemoikhede Genatsvale
The locals’ khachapuri house where the Adjarian boat is pillow-sized and costs about $6. Bring the whole team and order one each at your peril.
Best Restaurants in Batumi by Occasion
Best for a First Date or Proposal
Romance here is the boulevard at dusk. Take the terrace at Retro for the sunset, or the bookshelf room at Literaturuli when the weather turns.
Retro Café Literaturuli · See the full Best for a First Date guide and Best for a Proposal guide.
Best for Impressing Clients and Closing a Deal
A business dinner in Batumi trades on the boulevard: Black Sea fish, a world-ranked khachapuri and a terrace that does part of the talking.
Retro · See the full Best for Impressing Clients guide and Best for Closing a Deal guide.
Best for a Birthday or Team Dinner
Georgian tables are built for groups; the supra does the work. Shemoikhede Genatsvale feeds a long table for the price of one boulevard cocktail round.
Shemoikhede Genatsvale Retro · See the full Best for a Birthday guide and Best for a Team Dinner guide.
Best for Solo Dining · and where not to bother
Solo, take a counter khachapuri at Shemoikhede Genatsvale or an afternoon among Literaturuli’s shelves. Skip the casino-hotel buffets entirely; they are the worst meal on the strip at any price.
Café Literaturuli Shemoikhede Genatsvale · See the full Best for Solo Dining guide.
Batumi Dining: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best restaurant in Batumi?
Retro ranks first for 2026 on the strength of its Adjarian khachapuri, rated number two in the world by TasteAtlas and served on the city’s best seafront terrace. Behind it sit the budget institution Shemoikhede Genatsvale and the old-town Café Literaturuli.
Where is the best khachapuri in Batumi?
Retro on the seaside boulevard holds the number-two spot in TasteAtlas’s world ranking for Adjarian khachapuri. For the local, non-touristed version, Shemoikhede Genatsvale on Gamsakhurdia Street serves a pillow-sized Adjarian boat for about $6. Order small unless you are sharing; the large defeats most tables.
What is Adjarian khachapuri?
The boat-shaped khachapuri of the Adjara region, of which Batumi is the capital: an open bread filled with molten cheese, finished with a raw egg yolk and a knob of butter, stirred together at the table until it becomes a sauce. You eat it by tearing the crust and dipping. It was built for Black Sea sailors, and one large boat is a full meal.
How much does dinner cost in Batumi?
Batumi is one of the cheapest serious-eating cities on the Black Sea. A $6 khachapuri at Shemoikhede Genatsvale is a complete dinner; Retro and Café Literaturuli sit in the $20–40 band with wine, and a full table at either rarely clears $50 a head. Many rooms add 10 per cent service, in which case no extra tip is expected.
When should you visit Batumi for food?
June through September is the season, when the boulevard terraces run full and kitchens stay loud past 22:00; book Retro ahead in July and August. Shoulder months are quieter and cheaper, and the khachapuri is identical in February. Winter visits trade the beach for empty terraces and instant tables.
Do restaurants in Batumi take cards?
The three rooms on this list all take cards, and Georgia is broadly card-friendly, but carry some lari for markets, taxis and the smaller maquis-style cellar rooms in the old town. Service charges of 10 per cent appear on many bills automatically; check before adding more. ATMs cluster along Rustaveli Avenue and the old town.
Nearby & Related
Keep exploring the region: the best restaurants in Tbilisi, where to eat in Yerevan and dining in Istanbul along the same sea. For more fish-first rooms, see our best seafood restaurants guide.
Best Restaurants in Batumi
Three essential tables between the old town and the boulevard, ranked by occasion.
$ Under $20pp$$ $20–40pp$$$ $40–90pp$$$$ Over $90pp
