Batumi’s Soviet-era Octopus café granted cultural heritage status
Cafe Fantasia, known to locals as the Octopus due to its shape, was renovated in 2017-2019 by the Cartu Foundation. Photo: Cultural Heritage Preservation Agency of Adjara.
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An octopus-shaped, Soviet-era café on the waterfront of the Georgian Black Sea resort town of Batumi has been granted the status of cultural heritage, announces the Cultural Heritage Preservation Agency of Adjara.
Opened in 1981, this unique building, formally known as Cafe Fantasia, was known to locals as the Octopus due to its shape.
The cafe was a popular local spot until 2000 when the cafe was shut down and abandoned. Neglect of the building has resulted in damage to its structure and the deterioration of the surrounding area.
However, Cafe Fantasia was renovated in 2017-2019 by the Cartu Foundation - a charity fund established and financed by former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili.