Art Club 44, opened by Kyiv’s most celebrated restaurateur Eric Aigner in the 1990s, closed in 2015 after years of slow decline.
Nestled in a yard behind building 44 on Kreshchatyk Street, the club was a popular venue for live music.
But after almost a year of lying fallow, the premises have opened again under a new name and style – Barman Dictat.
Similar to its predecessor, Barman Dictat doesn’t have a sign outside. To find the place, turn into the yard at 44 Kreshchatyk Street and look for a door on the left side of the yard that leads down to the basement bar. It’s easy to recognize the right door because there are usually people smoking outside.
Barman Dictat’s name gives a clue to its main feature: The first thing one sees on entering is a huge bar that runs along almost an entire wall for more than 10 meters. The guests can sit at it or at one of the tables. The place is usually busy in the evenings, even during the weekdays, so make sure to reserve a table by calling +38-050-346-1636.
The interior of the bar has changed from its Art Club 44 days: The only thing that left from the previous bar is the loft-style brick walls and columns. The new owners added massive wooden tables and leather sofas. The bar often hosts poetry readings and live music acts, starting from 7 p.m.
A wide selection of alcoholic drinks can be found behind the giant bar: The owners of Barman Dictat claim that the bar has the country’s biggest selection of mezcal – a distilled alcoholic beverage made in Mexico from agave plants.
Apart from mescal, the bar offers a wide range of drinks more commonly available in Ukraine – whiskey, bourbon, rum and gin. The alcoholic drink collection includes more than 400 types of tipple.
One of the Barman Dictat’s strongest points is its cocktails: The bar offers its own takes on classic cocktails, such as Old Fashioned with spices (Hr 140) or house cocktails like Berry Mule for Hr 120 (vanilla and apricot vodka, ginger beer, lime juice and sugar syrup). The price for cocktails is a bit higher than average (Hr 80 – 160), but they’re worth it.
If clients are overwhelmed by the large variety of beverages, the bar’s friendly staff will be quick to help them choose the best option.
Barman Dictat’s food menu is a fifth of the size of its drinks menu. All the same, there is an adequate range of snacks to go with the drinks (Hr 70 – 90) and some basic dishes such as pork medallions (Hr 140) and “Caesar” salad (for around Hr 100) for those who want something more substantial.
Unlike the more cozy Art Club 44, which used to be a haven for arty types, Barman Dictat is more commercially oriented. But the place retains its friendly atmosphere, which encourages visitors to strike up a conversation with strangers sitting next to them at the bar. Art Club 44 may be long gone, but its spirit remains, it seems.
