Etno cafe offers European dishes in a stylish interior
Last Sunday evening a companion and I decided to cap off our fun-filled, four-day weekend with a dinner date at the funky-looking new eatery Etno.
It was drizzling a little as we walked briskly from metro Lva Tolstovo. The cafe is pretty easy to find, located visibly right on the street, nearby the giant intersection dominated by Premier Palace.
Descending a set of stairs and past a long, narrow room bathed in white accoutrements and window views of the street, we entered the cafe’s main, chic eating area. It was completely empty this Sunday evening, without even a server around. We chose a small table towards the back of the cafe, and waited for any sign of life to appear.
Shortly thereafter, a simply dressed waiter in a white shirt appeared beside us and handed us some menus. My companion and I were both impressed by the impeccably white sofas and chairs, and the white textured stones used like tile decorating the walls. I really liked the way they spread funky, decorative elements around the room, like leopard print candles, vases of feather plumes, and different ethnic wooden masks. Smooth ambient beats issued from the speakers, creating what I imagined to be just the right feel for a place billed in magazines as a “European cafe.”
The small menu was filled with foods I have been eagerly missing since leaving the States – salads made with lettuce, fruit and nuts and drizzled with sauces like honey-mustard and Caesar, pasta and risotto dishes made of cheese and tomato sauces with tasty ingredients like zucchini, parmesan, and mushrooms, and meat dishes that included a simply grilled large piece of meat accompanied by grilled vegetables and a tasty, zesty sauce. Nothing fancy, just simple recipes with good ingredients, combined perfectly.
Having settled on a selection of appetizers and main dishes, and after ordering ourselves two very affordably priced half-liter Stella Artois (Hr 10), my companion and I continued to discuss our main topic of the weekend – getting out of the overpriced rental market and buying ourselves a piece of real estate somewhere in the realm of Kyiv. We had just spent Saturday driving on muddy, off-road terrain, on a lively exploration ride through the wilds of new community developments that have recently popped up around Kyiv’s outskirts. It was quite an experience for me, being used to the impeccable suburban, well-paved communities so commonplace in New England.
Interrupting our real estate scheming, the waiter brought us our first courses. For me, the fabulous “Kabra” salad, made from real, leafy lettuce, walnuts and tasty goat cheese with a honey-mustard sauce (Hr 26). For my companion, a dish of rigatoni with cherry tomatoes and zucchini covered in parmesan (Hr 24). We decided to share the dishes together, each switching off forkfuls of the two.
Other patrons finally started wandering into the cafe as we savoured our first courses. The first was a pair of women in their early 30s. A trio of younger, alternative-looking rich kids arrived shortly afterwards, choosing one of the cushy sofas to occupy. I wasn’t afforded the pleasure of people watching, as I was facing the back wall. My companion chuckled when the snooty-looking girl companion started speaking Ukrainian loudly on her cell phone, explaining that normally the showy-looking money-spenders of Ukrainian society speak Russian.
Our main courses arrived at a timely pace, allowing us to enjoy ourselves and our chit-chatting. I had chosen a plate of pork medallions with mushrooms and slices of roasted potato (Hr 35), while my companion ordered the filet mignon accompanied with foie gras (Hr 59). We had by that time decided this was definitely one of the all-time best dinner outings we have had in Kyiv for a long time. Our meals were satisfying and not too filling. It was one of the rare places where I felt the food and the atmosphere more than justified the price.
Upon finishing our entrees, we opted out of desert, but stayed a while longer, continuing our evening’s conversation into the night, as I imagine people normally do in funky European cafes. It felt a bit like we could have been in a city like Brazil or Barcelona.
Etno (25 Pushkinska, 332-2888). Open daily noon till the last customer
English menu: No
English-speaking staff: Yes
Average meal: Hr 100
