The service at Caravella was inattentive, and that came as an oh-so-welcome surprise.
With so many new restaurants opening in Kyiv, the trend is toward achieving some measure of “world-class” service through over-attention. In days gone by, a diner might well have passed out from hunger before a scowling server moseyed over to take an order.
These days, however, customers face the opposite experience: outright harassment. Glasses are filled, ashtrays emptied and place servings are shifted hither and thither. Dishes and silverware are set and retrieved one by one in a non-stop, all-night process. Diners are tempted to beg for a just a little peace and quiet in what is no doubt an empty restaurant.
Well, Caravella happily bucked the trend on a recent Friday evening.
Caravella is an established and popular riverside restaurant. Maybe that’s why it doesn’t try too hard to please. Located on the Left Bank of the Dnipro just south of Paton Bridge, it has a bustling, two-story dining room. Despite the attraction of its air-conditioning on a muggy summer night, we joined the couples and parties seated around the 20 or so tables that make up the simple yet attractive outdoor patio.
The waiters looked impressive enough in their czarist-era frockcoat finery, but we knew something was up when we were able to enter Caravella unmolested by either security guard or hostess and find our own seats on the terrace. The patio featured dark red tiles, trellises and flower boxes separating the tables, and was a pleasant place to wait while we attempted to get the attention of the waiter for everything from the menu to the check.
Many people would find such an arrangement aggravating. I found it refreshing.
We had time to watch the Dnipro cruise boats go by, and we had ample opportunity to consider what we wanted to eat.
We opted for the Sir Francis Drake salad (Hr 29.77), a generous arrangement of olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs and soft cheese in a deliciously tangy wine vinaigrette.
We passed on the starters, which included the crab salad (Hr 89), the cold okrushka borscht (Hr 29.77), lemon mussels in white wine (Hr 49.93) and the goose liver with mushroom sauce (Hr 149.25).
Dining outside we could smell the offerings on the wood-burning grill, which piqued our appetites for our main course. The entrees included the barbecued chicken (Hr 39.67), which consisted of two large fillets served with light and flaky potatoes – like a cross between hash browns and Ukrainian potato pancakes.
We also sampled the baked trout almandine (Hr 79.99), which was on the small side, resting in the middle of a large fish-shaped glass platter. Though bony, the meat was moist and tender. The accompanying lemon sour cream sauce was a spread I’d never tasted before. It was sweet yet it neither enhanced nor overwhelmed the flavor of the fish.
Like the chicken entree, the trout came with steamed vegetables, which made our choice of side dish – brazed vegetables (Hr 7.99), including broccoli, baby carrots, zucchini and snow peas – too repetitive.
As would be expected for a Dnipro restaurant, the menu is heavy on the fish, with options such as tiger shrimp (Hr 187) and seafood shashlik (Hr 87) also on offer. It also lists simple selections, such as “meat-filled” vareneky (Hr 29.97).
For big spenders or those who have something big to celebrate there is Dom Perignon champagne for Hr 1,499.99.
Because we were left alone to enjoy our meal, we had sufficient time to enjoy the sun setting on the Dnipro and savor the well-prepared food. Sure, if I’d been able to order a second Slavutych (Hr 9.95 for a half-liter of draft), I might have been tempted to get up and join the couples dancing to the Soviet-era ballads sung by two men with surprisingly good voices.
But we remained content to watch, savor our meal and summon the strength to chase down our waiter and pay the bill.
CARAVELLA
Dniprovska Naberezhna
Tel: 553-9919.
Open noon to midnight.
