Arriving fresh or the cramped bus into the old Georgian town or Kutaisi, the first sign of life came with the Soviet architecture and remnants of its industrial might. Now coated in the moss from the damp climate, an orange layer of rust and decay present on most buildings as the town grows. Initial impressions showed a town that had been forgotten, having a previous strength to it that wasn't felt anymore. Dense in people, holding some similarities to the smaller towns of Armenia: more flat. More residential. A mixture of fresh produce supermarkets by the roads and clothing markets that went deep down alleyways and into the underground. Georgia's coffee culture so far hasn't been much to write home about; the coffee purchased from shops tends to be of poor quality and relatively expensive, and cafes in Tbilisi have been expensive and disappointing in quality and service. That means that any decent cafe experience in the country is something that stands out quite a bit, and it's really nice to get surprised here and there.
Arriving in Kutaisi after sitting on that uncomfortable bus for a few hours, the first thing we wanted was a good cup of coffee before we were scheduled to check into the apartment we were renting for a few days. Mini Art seemed to be something that was relatively close, within a short walking distance and quite central in the town (or city depending on how you want to see it). That was a major plus to us given we had backpacks full of clothes and various items, and the rain would then pour quite a bit. Mini Art was located down a pretty old looking street, one full of old buildings and with a cobblestone road -- single lane, that is. It was a small place, only enough to sit maybe ten or so people at a time. But I find the best cafes are the ones that are quite limited on space. It appeared as if most visiting were foreigners, those from Russia primarily. I'm not sure if Kutaisi is to be considered quite a touristic location in general, but the general feeling is that it takes pride in its appearance and caters to a more welcoming atmosphere. Tbilisi could never!
The cafe gets its name based on the mixture of Armenian and Georgian artists, some of the art looked authentic, though I wouldn't say it comes with a high price. Much of it appeared to be replicas, references to specific pieces scattered around. Some of these pieces I had actually seen in person, a few weeks back in an art gallery that I wrote about in Tbilisi. As far as generally cultural things go, this was a nice things to see, particularly given Tbilisi's cafe culture seems more Americanised and a bit lazy in its general appearance, with the best cafe places being Russian owned. With the general aesthetic of the place done quite well, the next thing, and probably the most important for some was the coffee itself. We ordered a cappuccino and the price came at a rather cheap 6.5 Georgian Lari, that's at a literal 50% difference to the prices of Tbilisi's poor cafe coffee. For 6.5 Lari which equates to about $2.31, it's a very good price to find these days. Especially given the quality of the coffee was pretty good. Sitting there, sipping away at the coffee and taking in the atmosphere, the question of whether Kutaisi would be a more suitable long-term stay came to mind. Yes, I will yet again talk negatively about Tbilisi: it isn't worth the city prices in comparison.
Steamed-up windows from the rain outside, a bit of more western music playing in the cafe but it was tolerable. The other guests had left and all that remained were us and our oversized backpacks. With it empty aside from us, the place did feel a bit less dense, though even with many other people sitting around it didn't feel like it was too busy or too loud, which was surprising for such a small room. I'd definitely recommend checking this place out if you ever end up in the small town of Kutaisi. It definitely seems to have a nice number of little cafes, and Mini Art is certainly one of them. Worth it for the artistic atmosphere, and worth it for the good coffee and pricing. This isn't to fail to mention that they also serve food there, though we didn't try anything. It does range from Georgian cuisine to general cafe food with a more western appeal. A bit of everything for everyone. Oh! And there are places to charge things if you happen to need a charger for a laptop, battery, or phone. A great place to stop if you are running around with a bit of tourism in mind.