Lviv
Here's how you compress your Lviv cultural studies into one evening out. Start with Jewish forschmak (herring pate), eased down by Ukrainian nalyvky …
Must-see restaurants in Ukraine
Kyiv
Spotykach shed its retro-Soviet theme in 2014 and adopted a Ukraininan revolutionary theme, with pictures of Taras Shevchenko and Bohdan Khelmytsky (and…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Lviv
For a bit of tranquil, understated elegance amid the tourist bustle of pl Rynok, head to this oh-so-central European cafe within the town hall. Order from…
Lviv
Lviv's best vegetarian eatery has a relaxing, spacious dining room where you can tuck into meat-free, vegan and raw food. In the upstairs chill-out area,…
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…
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Lviv
One of the pretourism ‘originals’, this place is designed to feel like stepping back in time – to 1938 in particular, ‘the year before civilisation ended’…
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…
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Lviv
An unmarked door behind the paper-aeroplane monument leads into the bowels of a Bernardine monastery, where this lovely local-intelligentsia fave is…
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,…
Lviv
This classy barrel cellar restaurant plates up the same menu as Amadeus (with a few additions) in a cool, tranquil atmosphere illuminated by Tiffany-style…
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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…
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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…
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Lviv
Stylishly unpretentious, with bare brick and dark wood interior (nothing to distract you from the excellent food) this little place serves juicy steaks…
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Lviv
Come to Kryva Lypa for the best breakfasts in town. This two-storey place serves an array of wonderful toast- and waffle-based concoctions with eggs,…
Lviv
Dedicated to the city of Lviv, there’s nothing dim about the ‘House of Legends’. The five floors contain a library stuffed with Lviv-themed volumes, a…
Lviv
Well-regimented serving staff dart across the polished brick floors and through the intimate courtyard of this former Armenian bank, a well-established…
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…
Kyiv
Krym also goes by 'Qirim' and occupies several spaces around maydan Nezalezhnosti, including a well-placed summer terrace. Tasty and wildly affordable…
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…
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…
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…
Kyiv
Cupid is a great Lviv-styled cellar knaypa (pub) abutting a secondhand bookshop. The culinary highlights are the domestic sausages and the eclectic,…
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 is Kyiv's quintessential theme restaurant, decorated in rustic 18th-century style and filled with tour groups from the nearby Lavra. Ukrainian…
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
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…
