Batumi Fish Market

The newly refurbished fish market is on Gogebashvili Street, near a gas station and a big industrial oil depot. Don’t be put off by this unprepossessing location, the market is clean and jolly with lots of women hawking their seafood. If you’re hankering for fresh fish for lunch or dinner, select and buy it from the seven or eight stalls in the market. The women will gut and clean your purchases. Take them next door (on the right, if you’re facing the sea) to one of two small restaurants that offer simple cooking styles -grilling, boiling or frying - and vegetables or other dishes to complement the seafood. For a special treat, look for the legendary Black Sea turbot. It has hard ‘stones’ on its back (don’t try eating those or you’ll break your teeth) but is deliciously meaty and fine. When they are in season, small mussels are also a delicacy here.