Lviv
Well-regimented serving staff dart across the polished brick floors and through the intimate courtyard of this former Armenian bank, a well-established…
Must-see restaurants in Ukraine
Lviv
One of Lviv's zanier eateries: a deep-pocketed bronze of Masoch himself, the local freak who lent his name to masochism, greets you at the door of this…
Kyiv
Foodies will love this farm-to-table restaurant for its seasonal menu and locally sourced ingredients. Classic dishes are incorporated with different but…
Kyiv
This is much more than the best wine shop in increasingly wine-happy Kyiv. On the premises you'll also find an upscale grocery store, a top pizzeria …
Kyiv
This fun if slightly hokey eatery offers a great introduction to Ukrainian food without breaking the bank. Pumpkin is not just in the name, it's all over…
Lviv
Austro-Hungary is the theme at this friendly tavern, with Emperor Franz Joseph glowering on diners, a cache of WWI weapons against the bar, and flutters…
Kyiv
This place masterfully re-creates old Kyiv (c 1900) without falling into the schmaltz trap that dogs many a Ukrainian-theme restaurant. The chefs boldly…
Lviv
There's no gimmick at one of Lviv's finest dining spots where the refined interior, peaceful music and perfectly placed patio complement food that puts…
Kyiv
Tucked away in a small lane opposite Pechersky market, the Badger set several trends when it opened in 2010 – namely, gastropub, organic food and open…
Kyiv
In addition to being the most kid-friendly restaurant in town, Vero Vero serves some of the best Italian food in Italy-obsessed Kyiv, highlighted by its…
Odesa
Tucked away in a quiet corner of the City Garden, this classy, cosy, ivy-covered place is awash with antique furniture and fine art. The menu is inspired…
Kyiv
Krym also goes by 'Qirim' and occupies several spaces around maydan Nezalezhnosti, including a well-placed summer terrace. Tasty and wildly affordable…
Odesa
A clever take on Soviet nostalgia (no Lenins or red banners in sight), this cafe recreates the ambience of a 1970s working-class eatery, complete with…
Lviv
Sweet and savoury versions of the strudel, three types of sauce and a simple selection of drinks (this being Lviv, we'd plump for the coffee) – that's the…
Kyiv
This centrally located pizzeria is entirely owned and operated by veterans of the war in the east. More than a great story, it actually has really good…
Odesa
Odesa's most celebrated restaurateur, Savely Libkin, conjured this place from his childhood memories, setting a trend for what is becoming known as Odesa…
Kyiv
For a memorable dining experience on the Dnipro River, visit this elegant restaurant in a stationary boat. The view alone is worth the visit but the menu…
Odesa
A lovingly re-created early 20th-century flat, with oak closets and rugs on the wall, this place is all about Jewish food as they made it in a shtetl…
Odesa
This Odesa mum is a worldly woman who absorbs Asian, Middle Eastern and French influences in her culinary adventures. But it's still local home food she…
Kyiv
A lively falafel embassy in the land of borshch. Lamb kapsa (shoulder with wild rice, good for two) and shashlyk (kebab) are the specialities, but its…
Central Ukraine
Pleasantly situated opposite a park in the New Town just over the New Bridge, Blomanzhe rolls out highly original seasonal specials infused with local…
Kyiv
Cupid is a great Lviv-styled cellar knaypa (pub) abutting a secondhand bookshop. The culinary highlights are the domestic sausages and the eclectic,…
Odesa
Not a rootless cosmopolitan like generic steakhouses, this place marries Odesa cuisine with American steak-and-burger culture. The home side is…
Kyiv
The food here is some kind of magic: salmon carpaccio, bistecca alla fiorentina, ravioli nero with salmon and a nice rack of New Zealand lamb – certainly…
Kyiv
This little bakery specialises in delicious pies with various fillings, all hand-rolled and freshly baked on premises – you can watch the bakers work…
Kyiv
This is Kyiv's quintessential theme restaurant, decorated in rustic 18th-century style and filled with tour groups from the nearby Lavra. Ukrainian…
Kyiv
Tucked into a vaulted cellar with green walls and Chagall-style frescoes, this place has a unique menu of Jewish dishes from all over Ukraine. The bill is…
Central Ukraine
Probably the best restaurant in the Old Town. You can dine on the comfortable outdoor terrace (warm months only) or head upstairs to eat amid intricately…
Kyiv
Wildly popular Gogi serves four varieties of khinkali (dumplings) in addition to the full complement of Georgian staples and soups, like chakapuli (lamb…
Kyiv
Owner Walter has made this simple eatery near the maydan a home-away-from-home for expats from the Apennines – a sure sign that nothing can go terribly…
Lviv
Centred on two huge copper brewing vats cooking up Krumpel's own beer, this superb round-the-clock microbrewery restaurant has a low-lit art-deco theme…
Kyiv
This veteran institution with stand-up tables serves awesome pies with a variety of fillings – from jam to meat – and coffee. There's also an adjoining…
Lviv
'The Pumpkin' is a fun, cheap, friendly Ukrainian cafe-bar-pub way off the tourist trail offering several types of beer, a simple menu of steaks, banosh,…
Kyiv
The capital's best blyny (pancakes) come from a shack in front of the otherwise unspectacular Ukrainian restaurant, O'Panas, in the heart of Shevchenka…
Kyiv
Delicious little spot for fresh-baked pyrizhky (pies), with several locations around town, including near Palats Sportu.
Lviv
Ascend to the 2nd floor and open the door of apartment 8. You'll be accosted by an unshaven bachelor type, who eventually opens the door to reveal a fancy…
Odesa
Dacha (family summer cottage) is a dreamworld of happy childhood memories for locals. This Odesa institution, perched on a plateau above Arkadia inside…
The Carpathians
A much-needed addition to Kosiv's calamitous dining scene, the funky, almost hipster Garden feels completely out of place on Kosiv's scruffy streets. The…
Western Ukraine
The idea behind Lutsk's grandest restaurant came from a recipe book – unearthed during an archaeological dig – that belonged to the cook of King Vitovta…
The Carpathians
Franko plates up some of the best gourmet Ukrainian food in the Carpathians and has the door stickers to prove it. The finely tuned varenyky (dumplings),…
