Gay Guide to Batumi
Georgia decriminalized homosexuality in 2000, but there is no legal recognition of same-sex relationships and society remains conservative, with public displays of affection likely to draw hostility. Batumi, a Black Sea resort city, is more international and relaxed than most of the country, and its small queer scene comes alive in the summer high season.
The best-known spot is Phoenix Bar, which opens for the LGBTQ+ crowd on weekends, alongside a handful of alternative and gay-friendly clubs.
Outside the summer months the scene quiets considerably, and Tbilisi remains the country's main hub for queer life.
Discretion stays essential in public, but Batumi's holiday atmosphere gives visitors more room to relax than elsewhere in Georgia.