PLACES TO EAT
Several examples of traditional Ukrainian
food are Varenyky (small dough pies stuffed with meat, potatoes,
cabbage or fruit), Ukrainian Borshch (beet soup) with Pampushki
(soft rolls soaked in fresh crushed garlic and oil), Deruny (potato
pancakes), Holubtsi (cabbage roll stuffed with meat), and Mlyntsi
(stuffed pancakes).
| Andriyivsky/Zamkove | Andriyivsky Uzviz 24. (Tel: 416-2269). Open 4-11 pm. |
| Apollo | Vul. Khreshchatyk 15, Passazh. (Tel: 229-0437). Open daily 12pm-11pm; break 3-5pm. Hard currency. The menu includes European cuisine and Italian favorites. Western standard of service and corresponding prices. |
| Arizona | Vul. Neberezhna Khreshchatytska 25 (Tel: 416-2438) Open daily 11:00 A.M. - 03:00 A.M. no break. Credit Cards Accepted. Opened in Dec. 95. Menus in English! Menu offers burgers, ribs, tex-mex. Pool tables for games. Kids welcome. |
| Art Cafe | Andriyivsky Uzviz 11. (Tel: 416-4279) |
| BonBon's | Indoor/Outdoor cafe, 2 locations:
1. northern side of the Passazh: as well as the original location on 2. Vul. Leontovicha *this location has sandwiches, burgers, fries! Inexpensive coffee, beer, and ice cream, as well as delicious tortes and pies |
| Boston Burger | Vul. Chervonoarmiyska 114 (Tel: 264-8489). Good burgers, no cinnamon or cardamon in the buns. |
| Cafe Montania | Vul. Volodymyrska on west side, just south of the intersection with Vul. Tolstoho. Good Lebanese food and they deliver in the downtown area. (Tel: 221-7045 M-F, 220-7277 S-S). |
| Cafe Slavuta | Vul. Horkoho 14 (Tel: 227-0391; 227-6468; 227-6484). Open daily 12pm-12am. Hard currency. Intimate restaurant and bar. Average dinner price is US$20-30. The menu offers some traditional Finnish dishes. |
| Cantina Basa Tex-Mex Restaurant | Vul. Saksaganskoho 112 (Tel: 225-4097).Live Hispanic music. Good salsa and chips (actually fritos). |
| Casino Budapest | Vul. Leontovicha 3. (Tel: 224-0347). Open daily 2pm-4am. This casino/restaurant offers European dishes and a variety show while you eat. Check out the Bon-Bon Cafe downstairs for some delectable desserts. |
| Casino Split | Next to The Italian Restaurant on Vul. Prorisna. Big-Screen TV. (Tel: 228-5877). Open 6pm-5am. |
| Chervona Ruta | Lisovyi Prospect 39. (Tel: 518-2464) Open 9 pm - 5 am, European cuisine, strip show in the evening. |
| Kyataiskiy Smak | Vul. Chkalova 55B, in the Institute of Geology. (Tel: 221-0780) Pretty good Chinese food, near Embassy, take out available: bring tupperware!. |
| Chocolate Bar | Vul. Saksaganskoho 129-A. (Tel: 224-6521) Open 11am-9pm, break 5-6pm. No chocolate bars available here, but you can find sandwiches, cocktails, and hot coffee. |
| Da Mario's | Vul. Saksaganskoho 52. (Tel: 220-8062) Open 6pm-10pm daily, break 3-5 pm. Closed Sunday. Great Italian food; however the menu is quite limited. Hard currency. |
| Dnipro Bar | Located on the fourth floor of the Dnipro Hotel. (Tel: 229-4429). Open 8am-11pm, break 4-5pm. This is the place to grab a Ukrainian or European-style snack while watching MTV videos - hardly a traditional Ukrainian atmosphere. |
| Dnipro Hotel Restaurant | At the northern end of Khreshchatyk, on the second floor of the hotel Dnipro. Newly-renovated, the restaurant now offers a $20 luncheon buffet with a reasonable selection of Ukrainian and western dishes. Dollars. |
| Ecsquisite | Vul. Khreshchatyk 2 (Ukrainian House). (Tel: 228-7192). Fine French cuisine prepared by an English chef. Pleasant atmosphere and good service. |
| Eric's Pizza | Budynok ProfSpilok, 1st floor (Tel:229-5559) Take-out or delivery- Thick crust pizza. There is a delivery charge for each pizza. |
| Four Seasons | Vul. Sichnevoho Povstannya 11-A. Open 8am-8:30pm, break 11am-2pm. Cozy atmosphere. Real hot dogs, sandwiches and snacks, a varied selection of fruit teas. Fairly inexpensive coupon prices. |
| Golden Dragon | Two Chinese restaurants/ same name, different locations
1. Vul. Saksaganskoho 129a. (Tel:224-0682) good food/OK ambience. 2. Provitroflotsky Prospect 25 (Tel: 276-1002) Considered by many to be the best Chinese food in the city. |
| Hostynnyj Dvir | Kontractova Ploshcha 4 (Tel: 416-6876). Open daily 12-11pm, break 5-7pm. Hard currency. Ukrainian and Russian dishes. Staff wears national Ukrainian dress. Live entertainment in a comfortable atmosphere. Moderate prices. Highly recommended and a favorite with the ex-pat community. Try the strawberry varenyky and Chicken Kyiv. |
| Italia | Vul. Prorizna 8 (Tel: 224-2054). Open daily 12pm-2am. Typical Italian dishes in a western atmosphere. You can pay in coupons or dollars. Next to Casino Split. |
| Kentucky Beirut Chicken | Blvd. Tarasa Shevchenka, across from Nika (south side). chicken, burgers, fries. |
| King-Do | Leipzig Cinema,Vul.50-Richchia Zhovtnia 7 (474-0867)
Vietnamese Restaurant, Great food! Far from the center in area called "Borshchahivka". Worth the trip, music, magic show and nice ambience. |
| Knyazhiy Hrad | Corner of Mikhailovska Ploshcha and Vul. Artema. Ukrainian food, coupons. Good place for less expensive lunches. |
| Kureni | Parkova Doroha 19 (Tel: 293-4062) Open 12pm -12am, no break. Summertime is the best time to visit this open air restaurant offering traditional Ukrainian cuisine. |
| Long Phuong | Vietnamese restaurant is on the waterfront in Podil diagonally across from the riverboat terminal. (Tel:416-7325) vul. Naberezhna Khreshchatytska 1. You can park on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant next to the tram tracks. Closed Mondays. |
| Lybid Hotel | Fun Ukrainian restaurant on the second floor, live band till about 11pm every night. Fantastic blast-from-the-past of real-live Soviet, pre-Independence nighttime entertainment. |
| Mario's | Vul. Khreshchatyk. Open 24 hours. Small restaurant offering drinks and good food. |
| Maxim's | Vul. Khmelnytskoho 21. (Tel: 224-7021). Open Mon-Sat, 12-11 pm. Romantic cave-like atmosphere, local cuisine, and jazz band. Located across from Kyiv's National Opera House. |
| Mercator | Ploscha Peremohy 2 (Tel: 224-2125)þ Located on the first floor of the Hotel Lybid, this is actually a great little restaurant. This is part of a Slovenian joint venture and offers a variety of Slovenian and international dishes. Nice ambience, it is an appropriate spot for a date or a business meal. There is a fixed price business lunch for $15. Open for lunch and dinner. Live music three nights a week. |
| Miami Blues Cafe | Vul. Chervonoarmiyska, south of the Catholic Church (Organ Music Hall), opposite the Ukrainian Culture House at the corner of Vul. Shchorsa. Restaurant open 24 hours, western-type dishes moderately priced. Videos on a wall-mounted TV, piped-in music, and flamingo-palm tree decor. Dollar prices. |
| Mishkolts | Prospekt Sorokorich Zhovtnya 89. (Tel: 263-9113). Open 12-11 pm, break 5-7 pm, Ukrainian and Hungarian dishes. Specialty of the house - stuffed chicken. Violin music in the evenings. |
| Miss Italia | Vul. Lenina 14, across the street from Vul. Repina (north side of Lenina). Good Pizzas, from $3-15. Live piano and violin music every night, sparse crowd. Italian wines available by the glass or bottle. Coupons or dollars. |
| Movie Club | Vul. Saksaganskoho 129-A. Open 12:30pm-10:30pm,break 2-3pm. Oriental atmosphere. Snack food. |
| Napoleon | Vul. Shota Rustaveli 16. (Tel: 221-5544). Open 1-11 pm, break 5-6 pm. Elegant Ukrainian-French cuisine. Baroque interior. Car service available. Supposed to be the most expensive in the city. |
| Napoleon Snack Bar | Next to the restaurant. |
| Nika Pizza | Blvd. Tarasa Shevchenka 2. (Tel: 224-7981) Open 10 pm-12 am. |
| Odessa | Vul. Chervonoarmiyska 114. (Tel: 269-3375). Open 10am-7pm. Simple food cocktails. Self service. |
| Parrot Bar Pool Hall | Also known as Karambul, on Vul. Zankovetskiy, just beyond the east end of the Passage, stretching between Vul. Khreshchatyk and Vul. Zankovetskiy. Best Pool Hall in town with around 10 tables, open till at least 5 am. Watered beers from $3 and each game is $2. Mostly expatriate & wealthy clientele. |
| Restaurant Ekslusiv | North side of Vul. Andriyivsky Uzviz (east off main drag, Vul. Saksaganskoho) in Podil. Finnish-Ukrainian joint venture, sister restaurant (i.e., similar menu) to Slavuta. |
| Runabar | Blvd. Tarasa Shevchenka 2. (Tel: 224-7981). Open daily 12pm-2am. Hard currency. Cold beer and snacks. Located in the "Nika" complex. |
| Sakura | Vul. Chervonoarmiyska 43. (Tel: 227-1046). Open 11am-10pm. Japanese interior. Stewed chicken, pizza and desserts. |
| Sankt-Peterburg | Blvd. Tarasa Shevchenka 6. (Tel: 229-7606). Mostly Ukrainian clientele, good Ukrainian food, live band. expensive for what you get. |
| Skhody | Vul. Borysa Hrinchenka 7. (Tel: 229-8629). Open daily 12pm-11pm, break 4-7pm. Tasty local cuisine. Try the special fish and chicken dishes. Excellent violin entertainment in the evenings. |
| Slavuta | Vul. Horkoho 14. (Tel: 227-0391/6468). Average western-style food, hard currency (somewhat pricey). |
| Slavuta Gardens | On Vul. Prorizna, this is the sister restaurant of Finnish-Ukrainian joint venture restaurant Slavuta. |
| Slavyansky | Vul. Horkoho 125. (Tel: 296-7461). Open 12 pm - 2 am; small, only seats 58. Local cuisine. Banquet facilities. |
| Studio | Muzeyniy Provulok 4. (Tel: 228-7208, 228-0050). Excellent 50's diner-style atmosphere with live background jazz music. Offers Greek food in addition to tasty hamburgers, sandwiches and an assortment of salads. Sunday Champagne Brunch: $15. |
| Taverna Pechera | Vul. Gusovskoho12/7 in Pechersk. Excellant but expensive. Seafood specialties. |
| Tenerife Cafe | Vul. Gogolevskaya, across from the Croatian Embassy (corner of Vul. Artema). Ukrainian cuisine, the coupon prices are right. |
| Trembita | Vul. Khmelnytskoho 44. (Tel: 225-5149). Open 8am-8pm, break 3-4pm. Cocktails, sandwiches, potato chips, and snack food is the fare in this open-air cafe. |
| Tziantsin Chinese Restaurant | Vul. Gorkoho 88. (Tel: 268-6210). Chinese restaurant. Reported to be good! |
| Ukraina Hotel Restaurant | Southeast corner of Repina and Blvd. Tarasa Shevchenka. Hidden in the hotel's basement, near the basement W.C. Very Ukrainian atmosphere, wood paneling, wooden booths. Low coupon prices, usually only Ukrainian patrons. Good Ukrainian food. |
| Vesuvio's Pizzeria | Prospect Peremohy 14. (Tel: 216-7460). Open 9am-8pm. Delivery or take-out only. Delicious American-style pizza. Assortment of toppings. ***Non-Ukrainian/Russian speakers:They understood when I've called and ordered in Russian! Don't be afraid... Try it! |
| Vesuvio's Pizzeria Cafe | vul. Reitarska 25 (Tel:228-3028) Between Embassy and Golden Gate Good pizza,(personal size), pizza pops (like stromboli), salad, beer, soda, wine. Nice casual atmosphere/reasonable |
| Zaporizhzhia | Vul. Sahaidachnoho 27 (Podil). (Tel: 417-4283). The most exclusive restaurant in town; offers fresh lobster and other seafood flown in weekly from Switzerland. The prices are steep. This is truly a French "fine dining" experience. A dinner for two, with wine can run up near $250! Nice for a Very Special Occasion! |
| Zodiac Restaurant/Bar | Vul. Chervonoarmiyska, next to the Diplomat Store (south of Taras Shevchenko). 24-hour English breakfast, good burgers. 15 people, however, could fill the place up.. |
*There are many other restaurants in
Kyiv. There is a new book "Dining Out In Kyiv" put
out by The Eastern Economist.