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"Sandwich" culture is not very popular in Ukraine. People prefer to eat the whole lunch instead. "Coffee culture" is catching on in Ukraine. Coffee shops are everywhere. Most popular cuisines are: Ukrainian, Russian, Georgian, Tatar, European, and Japanese. Somehow Chinese food/restaurants are not many/very popular. Smoking in restaurants is prohibited, although sometimes there are still indoor "smoking" areas. A limited number of restaurants may provide you a good insight in Ukraine's cuisine and eating: Wolkonsky Kyiv Address: Gorodetsky str. and Taras Shevchenko blvd. Pros: Paris feel and loOK, nice pastries, tasty but a bit pricey takeaway lunch option Cons: Used to be a new "kid on the block" a couple of years ago but, being a new thing, quickly got overcrowded, services became less than friendly "we have no tables now" Now the hype is over, and the places (a few in Kyiv) are mainly know by their co-located bread shops (boulangeries) supplying tasty but expensive pastries from their own bakery somewhere next to Kyiv. Early XX century "bourgeois"-style Parisian interiors, prime locations: one some 200 m away from the Independence Square - the capital city's centerpiece, another in the 5 star hotel, 100 m away from the city's main thoroughfare (a spacious, with a "kids' corner": a small slide, toys, etc.). Now, there are 4 or 5 bread shops throughout the town. Sandwiches are tasty and large, a bit pricey (starting from 6-7 USD up). Useful tip: call in and boOK a table for that Independence Square location if you're going to pop in on a Friday or weekend evening. Planeta Sushi Pro: A decent lunch place if you like Ukrainian-style Japanese food. Planeta Sushi chain of restaurants belongs to Kozirna Karta (Tramp Card) restaurant holding. The holding is the biggest and the most respected in Ukraine so that you can expect some decent standard of food, service and environment from its restaurant. The place is not the cheapest one, but, as a rule, co-located with Il Patio pizza places of the same holding, so you can get some Italian food afterwards (Patio also features see food on their menu). The restaurants have a "take away" menu with free delivery in Kyiv if your order is higher that 15US dollars or so. Con: Kyiv is some at least some 600 km away from any sea so don't expect much of fresh fish Useful tip: get your free copy of the Kyiv Post and other English language weeklies you'd pay about 0.5 - 1USD apiece otherwise. O'Panas restaurant Address: 10 Tereshchenkivs'ka st, Kyiv,Ukraine capital city Pros: A bit overpriced Ukrainian-food restaurant located in the city center's prominent Taras Shevchenko park. Large place, big windows, full of daylight. Very cozy in winters. Styled on an oversized Ukrainian village house. The menu is large but all dishes are of good quality. Looks like they cook to order, waiting time is about 15-20 min. Friendly staff, the place is frequented by foreigners. Very conveniently located: some 200 m away from Premier Palace (5 star hotel) and 400 m away from Khreschatik st. (the main thoroughfare) and Bessarabsky market place (main fresh fruit/vegetable) place in Kyiv city-center. Right in front of the Red Buildign of National Taras Shevchenko University and Tras Shvechenko (prominent 19 century Ukrainian poet and the "spiritual father of the nation".) Cons: Lots of a bit kitschy decor, good but a bit heavy food. Useful Tip: Take a "potato pancake test": order potato pancakes with sour cream - a regular traditional Ukrainian dish - usually available in any Ukrainian restaurant. If the pancakes are oozing fat, have lumps inside, and don't taste like there is much potato in them, finish your drink and head off for another place instead. T.G.I. Friday's Conclusion: great place to meet expat friends, have an American-style lunch. Pros: Nice expat place, probably the best well-known one in town. Mostly American expats. Real deal hamburgers, typical worldwide TGIF interiors. Local touch: you may order local beers, horilka (vodka) there. Big portions, nice background music. A business lunch option is good: selection of almost same size as from the regular menu portions at somewhat 15% discount price. Cons: not a place for vegetarians, no live music in evenings. Useful Tip: grab your free copy of "Kyiv Post" and "What's on?" at the entrance to get the most recent news, analysis and classifieds (Post) + schedule of shows, cultural contracts (What's on) Restaurant "Puzata Hata" Why? Network of "budget" restaurants of Ukrainian food Address: several restaurants in Kyiv, Dnipropetrivsk, Kharkiv, Lviv and Odessa What? a Ukraine-wide "chain" of self-service restaurants of Ukrainian cuisine. Pros: safe, tasty and inexpensive food. Usually, there is free Internet (Wi-Fi). Cons: - wide-screen TVs play non-stop "candy pop" music non-stop (muted) - cash registers in some restaurants positioned too close to "food line", thus overcrowding, risk of getting hot soup spilled on your clothes. Conclusion: a good inexpensive food to eat on a regular basis Prices: Lunch, which consists of a salad, soup, 2d course (meat), and a 0.3 Liter glass of soft drink/juice will cost, approximately, 2.5-5 EUR. Ambiance: Ukrainian or English-language music in the background. "Oliva" restaurants Address: 25 Sagaidachny st., Kyiv, Ukraine Conclusion: A bit pricey lunch place Italian style Pros: Cosy, rustic style restaurant. Mostly a "lunch place" with moderate prices. Pizzas, salads are good. I visited this located in the "old town" area: Podil. Close to a metro station, next to the river promenade area, and the River Boat station. The place was crowded at lunch time. Not the cheapest, but has that famous Italian flavour. Service was quick, restaurant staff very friendly. Restaurant "Le Cosmopolite" Address: 47 Vladimirskaya st., Kyiv, Ukraine Conclusion: European cuisine, Belgian beer pub/restaurant. A bit overpriced, lawyer/businesspeople hangout, upscale lunch place. Pros: Located meters away from Zoloty Vorota ("Golden Gates" - the entrance to medieval Kyiv-town) landmark and a metro station - reportedly - one of the deepest in the world. "Proletarian"-style metal plates, and cutlery against the backdrop of late 19 century interiors. Quick service, staff are friendly but keeping their "distance" a bit. Good food. Cons: a bit crowded in evenings; be ready to spend some money. Restaurant "Pervak" Address: 2 Rognedinska st. Kyiv Conclusion: Best moderate-price lunch place in city center of Kyiv,Ukraine's capital. Pros: Pervak is by far the best moderate-price lunch place in the Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, city center. 1-2 hour advance boOKing is preferred but you may pop in during lunch time anyway as they are quite big inside, have plenty of space: 2 and a half floors, with lots of comfy "nooks". There are 3 very reasonably priced (at below 10 USD) lunch menus of 3 courses + a desert is tasty and served quickly: a salad, a soup, a main meat course, a drink and a desert. Decor and interiors are styled for late 19th century Kyiv hangout. It offers great atmosphere of an expensive restaurant, you have their staff waiting on you with a very little delay, while their pricing policy as regards lunches is great. Cons: used to be a bit "smoky" before mid-December 2012 when anti-smoking in public places law was enforced. Useful tip: take a seat at the second floor and have more "open air" as most of the restaurant is located in the convoluted basement/lower level.
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