Cafe Littera

About Cafe Littera

Tekuna Gachechiladze turned a courtyard behind the Writers' House of Georgia into the restaurant that pulled Georgian cooking out of the supra and into the present. Cafe Littera sits in the garden of the 1905 Sarajashvili mansion at 13 Ivane Machabeli Street in Sololaki, under old trees strung with lights. Gachechiladze trained at the Culinary Institute in New York and came home to argue, plate by plate, that khinkali and kharcho belong in a modern kitchen. The cooking is unmistakably Georgian, lighter than the tradition it springs from.

The Kitchen

Tekuna Gachechiladze cooks the canon and then bends it. Her shrimp kharcho takes the walnut-and-spice stew Georgians know from beef and rebuilds it around seafood; the mussels chakapuli swaps lamb for shellfish in the tarragon-and-green-plum braise that usually marks Easter. Trout tartare arrives with ajika, the country's fermented chilli paste, and the meal closes on a mascarpone cream with raspberries that has stayed on the menu because nothing has bettered it.

The menu changes with the garden and the market, so a given night might bring filet mignon with wild mushrooms or sea bass in a spinach and soy-ginger reduction. Gachechiladze is widely credited as the figure who started Georgia's culinary revolution, and Cafe Littera carries a World's 50 Best Discovery listing to show for it. Read where it sits among the best fine dining worldwide, browse the full Tbilisi dining guide, or plan the evening with our top ten restaurants in Tbilisi.

The Room

The room is the garden. Tables sit under mature trees in the mansion courtyard, lantern-lit after dark, with the dining room indoors for winter and rain. Sound is easy; conversation carries without anyone raising a voice. Spacing is generous, the mood unhurried, and there is no dress code worth the name beyond what you would wear to a good dinner. In summer the courtyard seats around sixty, and the trees do more for the atmosphere than any designer could.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cafe Littera worth it?

Yes, for the cooking and the courtyard both. Tekuna Gachechiladze is the chef who modernised Georgian cuisine, and dishes like the shrimp kharcho and mussels chakapuli show why the restaurant carries a World's 50 Best Discovery listing. At around 100 to 150 GEL a head with wine it is not cheap by Tbilisi standards, but for a special dinner in the city it is the table to book.

How hard is it to book Cafe Littera?

Plan a few days ahead for a garden table in summer, longer for weekends and warm evenings when the courtyard fills. Reserve directly by phone or through the restaurant's page. Walk-ins sometimes work on weeknights, but the best tables under the trees go to people who called first. In winter the indoor room is easier.

What is the dress code at Cafe Littera?

Smart-casual, no jacket required. The garden setting is relaxed and there is no formal rule, but most diners dress as they would for a good dinner out. Evenings can cool quickly under the trees, so bring a layer if you are sitting in the courtyard after sunset.

What should I order at Cafe Littera?

Start with the trout tartare and ajika, then the shrimp kharcho, the dish that defines the kitchen's modern-Georgian style. The mussels chakapuli is the other signature worth ordering, and the mascarpone cream with raspberries is the dessert to finish on. Ask which mains are running that night, since the menu shifts with the market.