Must-see restaurants in Kyiv

  • Spotykach

    Kyiv

    Spotykach shed its retro-Soviet theme in 2014 and adopted a Ukraininan revolutionary theme, with pictures of Taras Shevchenko and Bohdan Khelmytsky (and…

  • Kanapa

    Kyiv

    Sneak away from the busy uzviz into this beautiful old wooden house with sliding-glass doors overlooking a lush ravine out back. Kanapa serves modern…

  • Ostannya Barikada

    Kyiv

    Hidden in a 'secret bunker' under maidan Nezalezhnosti, this is both a nationalist shrine and one of Kyiv's best restaurants. Everything – from the…

  • Musafir

    Kyiv

    One of Bakhchysaray's best restaurants, Musafir relocated to Kyiv in May 2015. The unmistakable scent of Crimean cooking wafts from the kitchen, where a…

  • Osteria Pantagruel

    Kyiv

    Kyiv's best Italian restaurant has been around seemingly forever, churning out legendary homemade pasta and risotto in a whitewashed cellar smack next to…

  • Shoti

    Kyiv

    This is modern Georgian cuisine at its finest. Try the fork-whipped egg-and-butter khachapuri (cheese bread) and a shoulder of lamb or charcoal-grilled…

  • Kyivska Perepichka

    Kyiv

    A perpetually long queue moves with lightning speed towards a window where two women hand out pieces of fried dough enclosing a mouth-watering sausage…

  • Puzata Khata

    Kyiv

    An upscale stolovaya, 'Hut of the Pot Belly' is an excellent place for budget travellers to sample traditional Ukrainian cuisine. There are plenty of…

  • Imbir

    Kyiv

    'Ginger' is a delightfully earthy cafe filled with books, Zen-inspired music and the scent of jasmine. The Asian and European menu is all-vegetarian,…

  • Tintin

    Kyiv

    This gem enjoys a wonderfully surreal end-of-the-universe setting by the velodrome and doubles as a really cool bar. Owners seem to be positively obsessed…

  • Barvy

    Kyiv

    There are only so many quintessential Ukrainian dishes for experiment-prone chefs to play with, but it's not an obstacle for the true culinary pioneers…

  • Klyukva i Bryukva

    Kyiv

    Foodies will love this farm-to-table restaurant for its seasonal menu and locally sourced ingredients. Classic dishes are incorporated with different but…

  • Good Wine

    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 …

  • Harbuzyk

    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…

  • Pervak

    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…

  • Barsuk

    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…

  • Vero Vero

    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…

  • Krym

    Kyiv

    Krym also goes by 'Qirim' and occupies several spaces around maydan Nezalezhnosti, including a well-placed summer terrace. Tasty and wildly affordable…

  • Pizza Veterano

    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…

  • Khutorets na Dnipri

    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…

  • Linas Caffe

    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…

  • Kupidon

    Kyiv

    Cupid is a great Lviv-styled cellar knaypa (pub) abutting a secondhand bookshop. The culinary highlights are the domestic sausages and the eclectic,…

  • Under Wonder

    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…

  • Tsarske Selo

    Kyiv

    This is Kyiv's quintessential theme restaurant, decorated in rustic 18th-century style and filled with tour groups from the nearby Lavra. Ukrainian…

  • Pyrizhkova Titka Klara

    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…

  • Tsymes

    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…

  • Khinkalnya Gogi

    Kyiv

    Wildly popular Gogi serves four varieties of khinkali (dumplings) in addition to the full complement of Georgian staples and soups, like chakapuli (lamb…

  • Walter's

    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…

  • Bulochna Yaroslavna

    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…

  • O'Panas Blyny Stand

    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…

  • Pyrizhkova Titka Klara

    Kyiv

    Delicious little spot for fresh-baked pyrizhky (pies), with several locations around town, including near Palats Sportu.

  • Svitlytsya

    Kyiv

    A great snack stop occupying a supremely cosy wood house next to the Bulgakov Museum, specialising in extra-thin bliny (pancakes) topped with cheese, eggs…

  • Wolkonsky

    Kyiv

    This pricey French-owned cafe offers a chance to mingle with oligarchs, politicians and their dressed-to-kill partners. There's a full raw/vegan menu,…

  • Zheltok

    Kyiv

    The closest you'll find in Kyiv to an American diner. Think large bowls of salad, burgers, hot dogs, fluffy pancakes and full English breakfasts. The…

  • Alaverdy

    Kyiv

    This long-running basement restaurant in a courtyard off Podil's vul Sahaydachnoho does reliable khachapuri, khinkali (dumplings), chanakhi (lamb stew)…

  • Barkas

    Kyiv

    Fresh from the Black Sea is the fish and fresh from Sevastopol is this Crimean transplant. Favourites include the sterlet (a small sturgeon) and Black Sea…

  • Oliv'e

    Kyiv

    Named after the ubiquitous Russian salad, this modern stolovaya (cafeteria) is a great place in the centre of town to fill up cheaply on Slavic…

  • Arbequina

    Kyiv

    Barcelona meets Odesa in this miniature restaurant a few steps from maydan Nezalezhnosti. Food is mostly Spanish – think paella and fideua – but the chef…

  • Zheltok

    Kyiv

    A lighthearted take on an American diner – large bowls of salad, burgers, hot dogs, fluffy pancakes and full English breakfasts. The pride of the place…

  • Himalaya

    Kyiv

    In business since 1997, Himalaya is the best place to get your curry fix in Kyiv. It somehow has gotten both better and cheaper with age. The Indian food…

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