Take a walk with us as we show you where to find the city's best open-air wining and dining establishments. And just in time for summer!
mpiled a list of some of our favorite outdoor eating and drinking spots. The list is arranged by neighborhood, and includes those establishments that in our opinion are most worth seeking out.
Downtown
The Kyiv city center has got just about everything you need to enjoy summer in the sun, from good dining spots to simple watering holes that brew their own beer. Best of all, none are terribly expensive and only one or two really require you to reserve a table in advance, though it can’t hurt.
Stoned Baboon
39 B. Khmelnytsky, 234-1503.
This book and live-music lover’s choice is tucked away on top of the hill, and is therefore away from the traffic, noise and pollution. Their deck area is partially shaded from the sun, so the only thing that will roast is the meat on the very affordable menu. Draught beers and music, whether provided by musicians or guys with turntables, are other attractions. Service could be faster, but that’s what all the books are there for: to help pass the time.
Pantagruel Osteria
1 Lysenka,
228-8142.
Downtown’s premier outdoor seating area is by the fountain at Zoloti Vorota (Golden Gate). Pantagruel is where local politicians, ex-pat embassy staffers and in-the-know passersby hang out and sip cocktails, spritzers, or beer as the city moves past and the sun goes down. This might be the most attractive place in town to stop once the temperatures climb. It’s also a great spot to meet, given the picturesque location next to one of Kyiv’s most famous landmarks and the Italian food you can order off Pantagruel’s menu. If you want to sit not around the fountain, but on the terrace attached to the restaurant, reservations are recommended.
Le Cosmopolite
47 Volodymyrska,
228-7278.
Across the street from Kyiv’s Golden Gate, the Belgian Brasserie Le Cosmopolite has a reputation for serving up meter-long sausages, flavored beers such as Kriek and Framboise, and its extended terrace, which sits nicely above street level. Live jazz is generally the rule at Le Cosmopolite. Rub shoulders here with Kyiv’s business elites, or with anyone else who really likes great beer, whatever the occasion.
Kozak Mamay
4 Prorizna,
228-4273.
Waiters and waitresses in traditional Ukrainian garb, Ukrainian dishes like varenyki, holubtsi and borshch, a large outdoor seating area and roaming musicians to serenade you at your table are hallmarks of Kozak Mamay. Any decision to head to this Kyiv ex-pat standard is usually a good one, considering its location and reasonable prices and how fresh the beer is (it’s always pouring). The adventurous should consider cooling down with friends over some chilled vodka shots and salo.
Chateau
24 Khreshchatyk, 229-3704.
Chateau is the city’s only known brewpub, serving up ‘platinum,’ ‘silver’ and ‘gold’ varieties of Slavutych beer, all of which go down really well with the sukharyky (dried salted croutons) served free of charge with any beer order. These little morsels will have you drinking more beer for sure, but whether you do so on the street or inside (and in view of the copper beer kettles), you’ll be doing okay. Evening reservations for tables outside are recommended.
Near the Park
When we mean near the park, we’re of course referring to Taras Shevchenko Park, opposite the red university of the same name. In and around the park are a range of options if you’re looking for a place to meet up with friends after work on Friday – or anytime, for that matter. A bit of walking from the park may be required to get to some of these places, but that’s okay it’s summer.
Taras
Shevchenko Park, 235-2132.
This quaint spot right in the park is easily distinguished by its red neon signage, its resemblance inside and outside to a Ukrainian farm house and, naturally, its Ukrainian food. Whether sitting inside or outside, you’ll be able to take advantage of Taras’ quiet park setting. Taras is typically ranked as one of the city’s best Ukrainian restaurants, and is certainly one of the most spacious (the upstairs has banquet seating to accommodate groups of 50 or more).
Concord
42/4 Pushkinska (Donbas Business Center), 8th flr., 229-5512.
Concord’s reputation as one of the city’s most elite dining establishments is well-deserved; their Japanese fusion cuisine and sushi selections are breathtaking, and the service is second to none. The prices on the menu might make some a bit shy about even setting foot inside, but why not? Hit the terrace for a glass of wine or enjoy a special coffee or cocktail as the evening wanes and their in-house deejay plays down-tempo lounge music to set the perfect summer evening mood. Reservations are essential.
Belle-Vue
7 Saksahanskoho, 220-8780.
Like its sister pub near the Golden Gate, Belle-Vue is known for its great selection of Belgian beers, meter-long sausage, great service and live nightly jazz music. At once elegant and laid-back, it could pass for a cafe on the streets of Brussels.
Good food; lounge music; eclectic, minimalist furnishings; friendly staffers who never miss an opportunity to make you feel more comfortable and relaxed: all are great reasons to check out the patio at Nobel. The cool colors inside and out match the cool fusion food coming from the kitchen – food that includes an extensive a la carte sushi menu and new twists on Ukrainian standards. Take a walk a little further up the street and enjoy views of Kyiv’s gothic St. Nicholas Church.
Within Reach of the Lavra
There’s a lot of sightseeing to be done near the Pechersk Lavra: the bell tower, the catacombs, the Uspensky Cathedral, the Botanical Gardens and all the rest. Thankfully, this area is as rich in open-air wining and dining spots as it is in local history.
S.S.S.R.
42/1 Sichnevoho Povstannya,
290-3066.
Pictures and busts of Lenin commingle here with banners bearing communist slogans. The food is, as you’d expect, Russian and Ukrainian. Barbecue is emphasized (is there anything better in summer’), and there’s a new summer menu that highlights a picnic theme, offering either hot or cold meats and complimentary lavash bread.
Tsarske Selo
42/1 Sichnevoho Povstannya,
573-9775.
Like S.S.S.R., Tsarske Selo (the Czar’s Village) is located right near Ukraine’s war museum and away from all the hustle and bustle of city life. The decor takes its theme, not surprisingly, from a Ukrainian village, and the food matches it. Lots of trees and shade, plus a great setting with views of the Left Bank, make this an ideal place to disappear with friends for a while and sip on a cold one.
Shooters
22 Moskovska, 254-2024.
Get out on the covered deck and enjoy some serious barbecue action at Shooters, upstairs from which is the Italian restaurant Limoncello Grill. This restaurant and bar complex offers some of the best food around. Try the gelato, as the whole Shooters complex is one of the best places citywide for Italian food and desserts.
Yakitoria
27 Lesi Ukrainky, 296-3389.
The city’s best cheap Japanese restaurant has a large covered deck area on which to escape the rays, even as you enjoy the open air. Try the hand rolls of tuna, salmon or whatever the order of the day happens to be (the menu offers a wide range of sushi combination platters, making it easier on the sushi novice). Take a break from local beers and try some of the lighter Japanese beers on tap.
Marokana
24 Lesi Ukrainky, 254-4999.
Another of Kyiv’s fine dining spots, and an ultra-hip hangout, is Marokana. It can’t be beat downstairs for atmosphere and decor, and it was voted Kyiv’s best new restaurant last year by Post readers. All this taken together means the restaurant’s street-level patio area should be experienced first-hand. Reservations are recommended for evening dining, especially on the patio.
Down by the River
Our final stops on this whirlwind tour of Kyiv’s outdoor eating and drinking areas are Podil and along the mighty Dnipro River. There are plenty of places to sit outside, and a range of ethnic dining options.
Arizona BBQ
25 Naberezhno-Khreshchatytska, 416-2438.
Spicy Tex-Mex fare and the best burgers and nachos in town mean AZ is a great place to cool off in Podil, and we haven’t even mentioned their list of crazy cocktails and draught beers. If there’s any way AZ can rig up their big screen TV outside on their desert-themed deck while the Euro-2004 soccer championship is under way, this will be the only place in town for watching all the action.
011
18 Illinska,
416-0001.
011 takes its name from the country code for Serbia. Platters of various meats, homemade sausages, soups and stews make this place excellent for when the sun goes down. During the day, though, 011 serves excellent salads and lighter dishes, which go well with their excellent wine selection and draught beers. Serbians are known for their outdoor cafe culture, and that culture continues here in Kyiv.
Khutorok
Naberezhno-Khreshchatytska, slip #1, 416-8039.
Great Ukrainian food, a spot on the river and an easy stroll to the Pedestrian Bridge make Khutorok a must when in Podil. This barge restaurant takes its name from a country homestead, and the quaint, cozy interior makes you feel like you’re in a most comfortable, if eccentric, Carpathian cabin. The restaurant never weighs anchor, so land-lubbers needn’t feel queasy when stepping aboard.
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| The view from Caravella is as good a reason as any to venture across to the Left Bank, even if only just. (Post photo by Viktoria Barchenko) |
Caravella
Dniprovska Naberezhna (Left Bank), 553-6892.
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Tell your cab driver to make a right when he gets over the Paton Bridge and you’ll find yourself at this estimable riverside restaurant. At sunset, the outdoor terrace is a stunning place to drink Stella or one of a variety of cocktails, and to order from a menu crammed with good seafood. Ask a waiter for a blanket when night falls and a cool mist starts rising off the water. The inside bar is snug and pleasant, too.
