After a long winter and a six-week lockdown, restaurants rushed to take advantage of the first warm days by setting up outside tables to welcome visitors on terraces and patios.
The seats were occupied in no time by Kyivans who missed slow, noisy dinners with friends and romantic dates with a bottle of wine.
The capital’s streets are now flooded with outdoor tables and terraces. Yet some of them stand out with their incredible concepts and breathtaking views.
Here’s the Kyiv Post’s guide to some of the capital’s best venues for outdoor dining this spring and summer.
Pure Naive
The wine bar Pure Naive gives visitors a chance to enjoy a picnic right in the heart of Kyiv. Located near the Universytet metro station, the venue offers its guests a seat on the green lawn nearby with a view of the atmospheric Ivana Franka Street. To make the experience as comfortable and pleasant as possible, Pure Naive supplies its guests with pillows to sit on and trays for food and drinks. There are also plenty of tables outside of the bar, where guests can stop by for a glass of wine on a balmy summer day.
Pure Naive serves a decent selection of wines and a great choice of appetizers, such as freshly baked baguettes with various flavors of butter, multiple cheeses, dried tomatoes, olives and more. There is also a great choice of entrées for both vegetarians and meat lovers, as well as desserts and non-alcoholic drinks like lemonades.
25/40 Ivana Franka St. 4 p. m. — 11 p. m. +38050 141 3331
Prychal
The summer terrace of Prychal restaurant is the perfect place to look at mesmerizing sunsets this summer.
The venue boasts an amazing view of the Dnipro River from its right bank, with the summer terrace set right above the water. Its modern design features wooden tables, bright blue sofas and lots of greenery, and can seat about 120 guests. The dimmed lighting adds to the romantic atmosphere when the sun goes down. There is also a little pier available for guests’ private boats.
Prychal’s versatile menu has something to offer for all gastronomy fans. The restaurant serves a decent choice of fish and seafood dishes including eight types of oysters, sushi rolls, soups, main courses and more. There is a great selection of wines and alcoholic cocktails to accompany entrées. Prychal also offers a specialty menu for children, making it a suitable place for both family dinners and romantic dates. Apart from the view and the great food, the venue also hosts music shows to entertain its guests.
11 Naberezhne Highway. 12 p. m. — 12 a. m. +38050 383 1212
1957 Coffee Bar
Hidden in the yards of Kyiv’s historic Podil district, 1957 Coffee Bar is the renovated Kachorovska Store&Cafe. The venue, a longtime favorite of the capital, has become even better this year: The team has expanded the café’s menu and renovated the summer terrace, adding greenery and new tables.
The patio here is a cozy setting in a little green lawn yard with wicker chairs, wooden tables and dimmed lights in the evening. Large white umbrellas in the middle of the yard shield the visitors from rain and sunlight.
Far from the city’s fuss and buzz, this place is perfect for some quiet time.
The café was named after the year of the founding of the Kachorovska footwear business that owns it. It now serves alcoholic cocktails and wines, as well as coffee, tea and lemonade. Its menu also includes a variety of appetizers, salads, main courses and desserts.
The 1957 Coffee Bar’s terrace is also a great place to enjoy a late breakfast, which it serves all day long. It has a wide selection of breakfast meals for all tastes, including Ukrainian cottage cheese pancakes called syrnyky, avocado toasts, eggs Benedict, salads and more.
35A Borychiv Tik St. Mon-Thu. 9 a. m. — 8 p. m. Fri. 9 a. m. — 10 p. m. Sat-Sun. 10 a. m. — 10 p. m. +38097 987 8800
Balmelli Casual Cafe
The summer terrace at Balmelli Casual Cafe might be one of the most romantic places in the capital.
Although it is located in downtown Kyiv, near the Lva Tolstoho Square metro station, its summer terrace is hidden from the capital’s bustle in a cozy little yard nearby. Balmelli’s terrace is a quiet place with comfortable sofas, lots of greenery and flowers, surrounded by old buildings that shelter it from Kyiv’s noise. Bad weather should not stop Kyivans from enjoying the venue’s terrace since it’s protected from the rain by a large canopy.
The cafe is known for its wide choice of dishes. Here, gourmets can savor a delicious breakfast, enjoy some wine with various appetizers, go with a healthy or junk meal, or try Italian and Asian cuisine. There is also a great variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
4A Rohnidynska St. 10 a. m. — 11 p. m. +38050 297 4444
Octo Tower
Those looking for a great summer terrace with a view should definitely stop by the Octo Tower, which is not only a sophisticated coffee shop but also a co-working and education space and a photo studio.
One of its minimalistic summer terraces is located on the venue’s rooftop, offering a terrific panorama of the capital’s busy Mechnykova Street with business centers crossing the horizon. Guests sipping a cup of coffee here may feel like they’ve been transported to New York City. There are two more cozy terraces on the tower’s second and fourth floors and some outdoor tables next to the entrance, surrounded by tall green trees that provide shade on hot summer days.
Along with its interior and exterior design, the Octo Tower’s menu is also minimalistic, offering a decent choice of coffee drinks, both hot and cold, as well as lemonades, teas and cocktails. The venue also serves pastry, desserts, and main courses such as sweet potato cream soup and quinoa bowl with vegetables.
5 Mechnykova St. Mon-Fri. 9 a. m. — 10 p. m. Sat-Sun. 10 a. m. — 10 p. m. +38067 490 2828
Titka Bella
Italian restaurant Titka Bella is among the busiest outdoor dining spots in Podil.
Located on the quiet Horyva Street, the venue has outdoor tables surrounded by greenery, flowers. The colorful umbrellas hanging above the tables protect guests from summer showers and sunlight.
The setting is reminiscent of a welcoming restaurant somewhere in southern Italy, as is the food. Here, visitors can taste a wide choice of “deliziosa” pizza and pasta, as well as bruschettas, salads and traditional Italian desserts such as Tiramisu and Panna Cotta. Titka Bella also has a great selection of Italian wines, all for reasonable prices.
1/2E Horyva St. 11 a. m. — 11 p. m. +38063 957 0009.
