"Chef Luka Nachkebia's modern canteen reworks Georgian comfort food in a restored Soviet-era tobacco-factory hall under a preserved fresco."
About Sasadilo at Zeche
Sasadilo at Zeche is the modern canteen chef Luka Nachkebia opened in 2024 in the restored dining hall of a former tobacco factory near Station Square in Tbilisi. Sasadilo means canteen in Georgian, and the room keeps its Soviet-era fresco and worker-cafe details while the kitchen reworks hearty Georgian comfort food. Nachkebia, a food technologist and a jury member of MasterChef Georgia, runs a pick-and-tick paper menu that nods to the canteens that once dotted the city.
This is Georgian home cooking with a few inventive turns, served in a relaxed, characterful hall. For more of the city's best tables, compare the 19th-century recipes at Barbarestan, the modern Georgian cooking at Cafe Littera and the traditional plates at Azarpesha. For an easy group night, see our team-dinner guide.
The Kitchen
Nachkebia's menu reads like the canteen meals of the Soviet era given a careful update - hearty, homemade and familiar, with a few playful turns. The pick-and-tick paper menu runs to kebabi and kofte, Georgian stews and the everyday dishes a worker's cafe once served, alongside inventive items such as bao buns filled lobiani-style with spiced beans and an Ajarian chirbuli, a walnut-rich take on shakshuka. Dishes sit at mid-range Tbilisi prices, roughly 15 to 30 lari, which keeps the room accessible and the table easy to fill out. The cooking is generous rather than precious, built for sharing a spread across the table, and it carries the memory of the canteen without the institutional edge.
The Room
The setting is the hook: the restored canteen of a former tobacco factory, the Zeche complex, where a Soviet-era relief fresco and old public-service posters have been kept as the backdrop. The multipurpose hall has an industrial feel, with a separate cafe, a bar called Brouge and a branch of the Tamtaki street-food kitchen sharing the space, so it works for a quick bite or a long, sociable spread. Service is relaxed and unfussy, in keeping with the canteen idea. It sits at 18 Tamar Mepe Avenue, about a five-minute walk from Station Square, an easy stop in a part of the city away from the tourist core. Booking ahead is wise on busy weekend evenings.
Best for a Relaxed Meal
The big hall, the easy prices and the share-friendly menu make Sasadilo at Zeche a relaxed team meal or first date, and an unfussy spot for a solo bite near Station Square.
Not for
Not for a formal, special-occasion dinner - this is a relaxed, share-friendly canteen built for an easy, affordable meal, not a polished tasting room.
Frequently Asked
What is Sasadilo at Zeche known for?
Sasadilo at Zeche is known for reworking hearty Georgian canteen cooking in a restored Soviet-era tobacco-factory dining hall, fresco and all. Chef Luka Nachkebia's pick-and-tick menu runs from kebabi and stews to lobiani-style bean bao buns and an Ajarian chirbuli, a walnut take on shakshuka.
Who is the chef at Sasadilo at Zeche?
Luka Nachkebia is the chef. A food technologist and a jury member of MasterChef Georgia, he opened the restaurant in 2024 and built a menu that nods to the worker canteens, or sasadilos, that once dotted Tbilisi, with a few inventive modern dishes.
How much does Sasadilo at Zeche cost?
Dishes sit at mid-range Tbilisi prices, roughly 15 to 30 lari, which keeps the room accessible and easy to order widely from. The pick-and-tick paper menu suits a shared spread of canteen dishes rather than a single main per person.
Where is Sasadilo at Zeche?
Sasadilo at Zeche is at 18 Tamar Mepe Avenue, about a five-minute walk from Station Square in Tbilisi, set in the restored canteen of a former tobacco factory. The Zeche complex also holds a cafe, a bar and a street-food kitchen.
Is Sasadilo at Zeche good for groups?
Yes. The multipurpose canteen hall, the share-friendly pick-and-tick menu and the mid-range prices make it an easy fit for groups. The wider Zeche complex, with its cafe, bar and street-food kitchen, also suits a longer, sociable evening.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Sasadilo at Zeche
Booking ahead is wise on busy weekend evenings; Sasadilo at Zeche is at 18 Tamar Mepe Avenue, a five-minute walk from Station Square in Tbilisi.
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Practical Information
Address18 Tamar Mepe Avenue, Tbilisi 0112, Georgia
NeighbourhoodZeche, near Station Square
CuisineGeorgian
PriceDishes roughly 15-30 lari
Dress CodeCasual
SeatingRestored canteen hall with cafe and bar
ReservationRecommended
