Eastern European restaurants in Ukraine
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Varenichnaya #1
Specialising in varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings), this mimics the homy interior of an early-20th-century private apartment. Nearly 25 different varenyky fillings are offered. Surely, though, the live piglet in the basket near the door (so cute!) must deter anyone from ordering pork? Careful – beer is obnoxiously expensive here.
reviewed
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Puzata Khata
Puzata Khata ‘Hut of the Pot Belly’ is an upscale stolova and an excellent place for budget travellers to sample traditional Ukrainian cuisine. There are cheap veggie options, delicious pastries and beer, and even hard booze. Other branches are on vul Sahaydachnoho 24 and Pasazh.
reviewed
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Kazbek
Don’t be misled by the flashing neon lights and adjoining casino – this place is quality. Our favourite Georgian restaurant.
reviewed
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C
Amadeus
The refined interior, peaceful music and patio perfectly placed in the shadow of three churches are reason enough to plop down in one of Amadeus’ stylish wicker chairs. But it’s the food that puts it on another level. The menu leans toward fancy European fare like fondue and risotto, but there are stuffed baked potatoes (10 to 20uah) and varenyky (dumplings) on offer for the price-conscious hryvnia hoarders. The pizza-sized omelettes are legendary, and the surf-and-turf ‘gypsy shashlyk ’ is quite simply the best shashlyk we’ve ever tasted.
reviewed
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Visiting the Khan
Not all Crimean Tatars are teetotal, despite being Muslim, and the sociable owner of this pleasant casual restaurant can often be seen sharing shots of vodka with her guests as she works the room. Nab a bench seat on the terrace, order plov (lamb, carrot and rice stew) or chebureky (meat or cheese turnovers/pastries) and gaze over the netting at the valley beyond. Look for a white building and a sign в гостях у хана picturing a camel caravan.
reviewed
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D
Harem
Harem is an unusual thing – an upscale Crimean Tatar restaurant. Mostly, they’re quite casual. But on the terrace or in the lovely tiled Oriental room, you can sample a wide range of the Tatar cuisine, from top-notch deniz (seafood soup), biber-sarma (sweet peppers stuffed with minced beef, rice and spices) and lampa bykadina (bulls’ testicles grilled in brandy). French, Italian, Chilean, Argentinean and Georgian wines provide libation, and there are hookah pipes.
reviewed
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Mlyn
The upscale Mlyn is a waterfront restaurant housed in an old wooden mill in Hydropark. Open year-round.
Hydropark and Trukhaniv island are both full of fun outdoor restaurants where the emphasis is on eating shashlyk, drinking vodka and dancing to synthesized Russian tunes. You can't say you've been to Kyiv until you've had a long, boozy afternoon or evening in one of the places here.
reviewed
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E
Stolova Idalonya No 1
It’s fun finding such a Soviet-style student cafeteria in forward-looking Ivano. Even more surprisingly, some of the dinner ladies dishing up simple fare like fried chicken, pork cutlets, spaghetti, salads, borshch and Crimean Tatar plov (rice and meat) also speak English. The cafeteria’s sign is virtually illegible, so look out for neighbouring Kafe Petrus.
reviewed
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Rybatsky Stan
Steeply escalating prices and popularity with wealthy Russians along with cheesy dinnertime music have slightly spoiled this one-time gem. However, come at lunch and you’ll concede its cooking is still rather good, with fresh produce and carefully sourced ingredients. There aren’t too many places in regional Ukraine where you encounter Thai basil, after all.
reviewed
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Mercury
Behind the Krym Kino Teatr, this popular Tatar restaurant is just as famous for owner Sakine’s ability to read your future in the grounds of your Turkish coffee as it is for its excellent cuisine. The basturma (pork steak) comes highly recommended and the 1kg ‘Kazan kebab’ (100uah) will feed four or five people.
reviewed
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G
Reporter
Reporter has three wings: a ground-floor coffee shop serving breakfasts and possibly the plumpest, tastiest homemade varenyky (dumplings) in the land; a chichi restaurant upstairs; and a superb basement ‘warm-up bar’ with a great in-house DJ getting the city’s hipsters fired up for a night on the town.
reviewed
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Khutorok
This wooden paddle-steamer moored on the Dnipro has a cosy Carpathian-style interior. Sit on the deck in summer, or huddle up to the fire in winter, while partaking of delicious shashlyk, green borshch,khrushchenky (beef roulades) or vegetarian options. Watch out for the wandering musicians though.
reviewed
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Concord
Concord delivers the entire package: incredible Euro-Asian fusion food, effortlessly slick interior design and impeccable service. The DJ spins tunes that everybody else will be playing three months from now. The mouth-watering salads here are like temples to the sultan of sassafras, like shrines to the Raman of radicchio.
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Panorama
The Opera Hotel’s rooftop restaurant has quality food and is high on terms of ambience. The main selling point is the view – the goblins adorning the roof of the opera house stare right at you while you chew your veal cutlet or roast duck. The heavenly couches and groovy music are perfect for chillin’.
reviewed
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K
Metropol
Exclusive and expensive Metropol has a sumptuous indoor space dedicated to quality European cuisine, and a popular outdoor terrace that brings you eye-to-eye with the Taras Shevchenko monument across the street. The terrace menu is scaled-down but you can still drive a fork into delicacies like baked salmon with asparagus.
reviewed
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Karavan Sarai Salachik
Hookah pipes replace alcohol at this round-the-clock restaurant, in which individual gazebos with low Turkish-style seating (or topchans ) are dotted across a landscaped lawn. There are all the usual Crimean Tatar dishes, including sheker keyeks (a little bit like traditional Turkish baklava) for dessert.
reviewed
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Kartoplyana Khata
Kartoplyana Khata ‘Potato Hut’ has exploded into a national chain, but this smoke-free original location remains its flagship. The ribs, dripping in grease, have attained legendary status, and burritos are its other speciality. Despite its moniker, the potato is but a minor player here.
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Delfin
Locals consider this one of the better restaurants in town. European and Ukrainian dishes are served, but it’s known for its grilled meats and rooftop terrace. It’s at the end of the pedestrian bridge on the south side of the river. You’ll have to go upstairs once you get to the building.
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Garbuzyk
This fun, if slightly hokey, eatery offers a great introduction to Ukrainian food without breaking the bank. Appetisers like deruny (potato cakes) and borshch cost less than 20uah, and even salmon shashlyk is only 45uah. Wash it down with horilka (vodka; 5uah per shot).
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Pelmennaya
This is the best workers’ caff in town because it makes your order fresh, rather than doing the usual of placing dishes in a glass display cabinet for hours. Varenyky,blyny, borshch and good, crisp salads all join the namesake dish of pelmeni (ravioli-like dumplings).
reviewed
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Tsarske Selo
This is Kyiv’s quintessential Ukrainian theme restaurant, decorated in rustic 18th-century style and filled with tour groups. Ukrainian staples are superbly done, but the most famous dish is the dessert of salo (cured pig fat) in chocolate – only for the most adventurous.
reviewed
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Alaverde
Of Kyiv’s many Georgian restaurants this unpretentious little affair is the best value. There’s no English menu; if you’re stuck order some suluguni (Georgian cheese) and anything from the ‘hot dishes; it’s all good (unless you’re vegetarian).
reviewed
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Hutsulshchyna
Quite understandably the backdrop to many souvenir photos, this ornate log cabin, with its central spire and faint sprinkling of Hutsul colour, serves pretty decent food. The menu includes river fish, forest mushrooms, polenta, pancakes and all sorts of other regional cuisine.
reviewed
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Q
Soup House
While its food is better earlier in the day, this nouveau stolova (cafeteria) gets bonus points for its stylish, cheerful décor and wide range of Ukrainian staples, from green borshch and berry-filled varenyky to cranberry juice.
reviewed
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Bashnya
You’ll find loads of eating options along the city’s pedestrian main drag, vul Suvorova, including Bashnya, which has an English menu and grills up a mean somshashlyk (catfish kebab).
reviewed