The short answer: Georgians have a saying, stumari ghvtisaa, "a guest is a gift from God"[1], and visitors feel it quickly. If you are invited into a home, expect to be fed far more than you can eat, to be toasted, and to be asked a lot of friendly questions. Bring a small gift, take your shoes off if your hosts do, try a little of everything, and never offer money for a meal. Saying no is allowed; the trick is how you say it.
Why hospitality matters so much
For many Georgians, looking after a guest is a matter of honour rather than simple politeness. The old idea is that a host must receive a guest well whoever they are, with food, a place at the table and protection[2]. A full table is part of it: by tradition there should be more food than the guests can finish, as a sign of generosity[2]. You don't have to believe any of this to enjoy it, but it explains why your plate keeps being refilled.
You will meet this hospitality in family guesthouses, small wineries and village kitchens as much as in private homes. In Tbilisi restaurants life is more like any European city; in the villages the old habits are strongest.
Being invited home
- Accept if you can. An invitation to a meal is a real honour, not a formality. If you can't go, say so warmly and thank them.
- Shoes: many families take them off at the door and will hand you slippers[3]. Follow what your hosts do.
- Greetings: greet the oldest person first[3]. Friends and family often kiss once on the cheek; a handshake is fine for a first meeting.
- Time: Georgian meals are long. Plan on a whole evening rather than an hour, and don't be surprised if dinner starts later than the time you were given[3].
- Questions: you may be asked about your family, your job and whether you're married. It's meant as interest, not nosiness[3].
What to bring
A small gift is expected but it doesn't need to be expensive: a bottle of wine, chocolates, pastries or cake, or something from your own country[3]. A souvenir from home often goes down better than anything you could buy in Tbilisi. If you bring flowers, give an odd number; even numbers are for funerals[3]. What you should never do is offer cash in return for hospitality[3]. It turns a gift into a transaction and can genuinely offend.
Food: accepting, refusing and pacing yourself
This is where most visitors struggle. The host's pleasure is seeing you eat, and the dishes keep coming. Useful habits:
- Take small portions of everything. Tasting each dish matters more than finishing any of them[3]. A little food left on the plate shows you have been given plenty.
- Say no politely, and not too often. A first "no, thank you" is often treated as modesty, and the host will insist. Repeated refusals of everything can come across as distrust or dislike[3]. It is kinder to accept a small amount than to refuse outright.
- "I'm full" works eventually. After a couple of helpings, praise the food and say you really can't eat more. Pat your stomach and smile; everyone understands.
- Diets are fine if you explain early. Vegetarians do well in Georgia: pkhali, lobio, badrijani with walnuts and plenty of bread and cheese are on most tables. Tell your host at the start rather than leaving food untouched. For the dishes you'll meet, see what to eat in Georgia.
Drink and toasts
Wine and home-made chacha appear at almost any gathering, and at a proper feast, a supra, a toastmaster called the tamada leads the table through a series of toasts. Don't drink before the first toast has been made[3]; listen while someone speaks; answer with gaumarjos ("victory to you") and drink. For toasts to the departed, stand and be quiet.
You don't have to drink alcohol. Say so at the beginning, ideally to the host or tamada, and join each toast with water or juice[3]. That keeps you part of the table without an argument at every glass. If you do drink, sip: nobody minds a glass that stays half full. Our guide to the supra, the tamada and the order of toasts covers this in detail.
Useful words
- Gamarjoba: hello.
- Madloba: thank you[3].
- Gaumarjos: the reply to a toast; roughly "cheers".
- Gemrielia: "it's delicious", which your hosts will love to hear.
Even a single word of Georgian makes people smile. Our post on the Georgian language and useful phrases has more.
Other things worth knowing
- Respect for elders. Younger people often stand when an older person enters the room[3]. Letting the oldest go first, at the door or the table, is always right.
- Volume. Conversations can be loud and animated. It usually isn't an argument[3].
- Politics and history. Don't describe Georgia as part of Russia or as "former Soviet" in passing[3]. Most people will happily discuss history if you ask with interest.
- Churches. If your hosts take you to their village church, cover shoulders and knees; women usually cover their hair. See visiting Georgian churches.
- Tipping is a restaurant matter. Around 10% is normal if the bill has no service charge[3]. In someone's home, a gift and warm thanks replace payment.
How to say thank you
Thank your hosts more than once: at the table, when you leave, and ideally with a message or photo afterwards. If you are asked to make a toast, keep it short and sincere: thank the family, praise the food and wish them well, then say "gaumarjos". Three or four sentences are plenty. A promise to come back, meant honestly, is taken as a compliment.
Who this suits, and who it doesn't
If you enjoy long meals, conversation and being looked after, Georgian hospitality is one of the reasons to come. If you prefer quiet evenings, don't eat much or don't drink, it can feel overwhelming at first. Saying clearly and early what you'd like, with a smile, solves most of it. Georgians would far rather know than watch a guest be uncomfortable.
Tours for this: a seat at a Georgian table
Our trips are private, with your own car and English-speaking driver-guide for 1–8 travellers, and the driver-guide doesn't drink.
- Georgian supra and polyphonic singing, a private evening from Tbilisi: about four hours at a family house or cellar, with a tamada leading the toasts and a group of singers between them.
- Kakheti village cooking day: bake bread in a clay tone oven, shape khinkali and make churchkhela with a family, then sit down to eat together, with a winery tasting on the way back.
Tell us about diets, allergies or non-drinkers when you enquire, and see each tour page for the current price. Or build a trip around one. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- A Little Adrift, "A Guest is a Gift from God": alittleadrift.com
- Advantour, "Georgian traditions of hospitality": advantour.com
- The Georgian Guide, "Georgian culture and etiquette": thegeorgianguide.com
Last checked: September 2026. Customs vary from family to family and between town and village; when in doubt, follow your hosts.
