Slink Café

Breakfast in an old greenhouse in Ilia Garden

Ilia Garden on David Aghmashenebeli Avenue was once called the Rose Garden and now bears the name of Ilia Chavchavadze. Deep inside it, among trees and gravel paths, stands an old greenhouse, and the café has made its home there. The glass roof lets in so much light that in winter it is cosy to sit by the wood stove, while in summer, as befits a greenhouse, it can get hot. Outside there are two small seating areas, one of them in the shade behind the building. Fabrika is a few blocks away, yet the noise of the avenue hardly reaches this place.

Breakfast is the heart of it here, and it leans savoury rather than sweet. Toasts come on focaccia: with avocado, with bacon, with tomatoes, tapenade and amaranth sprouts. The menu shows Asian touches, such as a chicken katsu sandwich and oyster mushroom tempura, and there is also grilled cheese with tomato soup. Breakfast can be ordered as a set with coffee or tea. At weekends and on warm days a free table is hard to find. The café is open Tuesday to Sunday from ten in the morning to six in the evening and closed on Mondays.