Explainer: Where to order groceries, meals, more for delivery in Kyiv

Since Ukraine shut down stores and restaurants and restricted public transportation to employees of critical enterprises to stop the spread of COVID-19, delivery has become one of the best options to shop.

Demand for delivery has increased sharply, and Kyiv supermarkets, pharmacies and restaurants — which are still allowed to prepare food for takeout — are working to satisfy that demand. They are launching different options for delivery, including “non-contact” ones, when the order is left at the customer’s doorstep. In some cases, delivery is even free.

Here are some of the best delivery options available in Kyiv to shop while staying home. 

Grocery deliveries

Ordering food from supermarkets has become so popular that one has to constantly monitor the websites of delivery services to place an order.

Supermarket chains Auchan, Metro, Novus, Furshet and Megamarket said they were not prepared for such high demand. Although it’s possible to order groceries from these supermarkets online via the Zakaz website, the time slots for delivery are taken very quickly. The website opens new slots every day at 11 a.m. and at 4 p.m., so one needs to check the site regularly to place an order.  

The cost of a Zakaz delivery starts from Hr 69 ($2.50), depending on the address. Zakaz also displays promotions and discounts on goods that the chains have in their offline stores.

Ukrainian delivery service Glovo also delivers groceries from Auchan supermarkets, but limits orders to 9 kilograms. Delivering with them costs Hr 60 ($2.10).

The Fozzy Group supermarkets – Silpo, Fora, Fozzy – open free slots for delivery every day at 12 a.m. They have delivery available for Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, including the towns of Vyshneve, Boryspil and Vyshgorod, all for $2.50. Those who can’t wait for delivery can place an order on the Fozzy website and pick up their goods at one of the local supermarkets at any time.

There are also supermarkets that are only available online: Vova, Takfur and Freshmart. Takfur and Vova specialize in frozen products and household goods, while Freshmart sells mainly fruits and vegetables. These stores deliver goods across Ukraine by postal services Nova Poshta or Ukrposhta. 

Some local restaurants and upscale supermarkets have launched their own delivery. 

The Greek restaurant Papa Feta, however, went even further, offering to deliver not just prepared dishes like other restaurants, but also raw ingredients and recipes to prepare the restaurant’s signature dishes at home.

The set of products – which includes milk, cheese, fruits, vegetables, meat and more – costs Hr 800 ($28.50). According to Papa Feta, orders placed before 2 p.m. will be delivered the same day. 

For many, wine is helpful to get through the long days of quarantine. The pricier Goodwine and Wine Time stores have also started delivering wines and food in Kyiv and the surrounding oblast.

To reduce contact between people, all the services offer online payment for both orders and delivery.

Zakaz (zakaz.ua). Delivery available from Megamarket, Novus, Metro, Furshet, Auchan. Wait time – up to 5 days. Hr 69 ($2.50), additional cost for orders over 45 kilograms. +38044 232 9925

Fozzy (fozzyshop.com.ua). Food, drinks, household goods. Wait time – up to 3 days. Hr 69 ($2.50). Free for orders over Hr 1,300 ($46). +38095 081 6816

Wine Time (winetime.com.ua). Food and wine. Wait time – about 3 hours. Hr 100 ($3.50). Free delivery for orders over Hr 500 ($46). +38067 239 90 97

Takfur (takfur.com). Food and household goods. Wait time – from 1 to 5 days. Regular delivery (check available dates on the website) – Hr 60 ($2.10). Delivery within 24 hours – Hr 300 ($10). +38044 333 4896

Freshmart (freshmart.com.ua). Fruits, vegetables and groceries. Wait time – from 3 hours to 1 day. Hr 95 ($3.30). Free for orders over Hr 1,250 ($44). +38050 174 8337

Goodwine (goodwine.com.ua). Food and wine. Wait time – within 1 day. Free for orders over Hr 1,000 ($35) for Kyiv, Hr 2,000 ($70) for Kyiv Oblast. +3044 390 7961

Vova (vova.ua). Food delivery. Wait time – within 1 day. Hr 200 ($7). Free for orders over Hr 900 ($32). +38095 294 9424

Papa Feta (papafeta.com). Food delivery. Wait time – within 1 day. Cost of food sets – Hr 800 ($28.50), delivery is included in the price. +38067 506 5288

Couriers of food delivery company Glovo wait for their orders near Macdonald’s on March 23, 2020. Despite the nationwide quarantine in Ukraine, food delivery services are allowed to continue their operations. (Volodymyr Petrov)

Delivery from restaurants, cafes

Delivery from restaurants and cafes is already an established tradition for residents of Kyiv.

But after the government imposed strict quarantine measures and shut down all eateries, more restaurants launched their own delivery or continued working in cooperation with delivery platforms. 

Most Kyiv restaurants can be found on such apps as Glovo and Uber Eats – delivery services that have been available to Kyivans for over a year. These platforms have the largest databases of restaurants and regularly offer discounts.

However, not all restaurants and delivery services work at all hours of the day. Some services like Menu Ua and Royal Service, for example, finish delivery at midnight and 1 a.m. 

The minimum order from Royal Service is Hr 500 ($18), and delivery costs Hr 70 ($2.50) in Kyiv. 

Raketa, a recently launched service available as a mobile app like Uber Eats and Glovo, offers free and non-contact delivery in the capital. Menu Ua and Raketa are among the fastest services in Kyiv: They deliver food in under 45 minutes.

Glovo (glovoapp.com). Hours depend on the restaurant’s schedule. Wait time – up to 60 minutes. Price – starts from Hr 40 ($1.40) for restaurants, Hr 60 ($2.10) for supermarkets

Uber Eats (ubereats.com). Hours Depend on the restaurant’s schedule. Wait time – up to 60 minutes. Price – starts from Hr 40 ($1.40)

Menu Ua (menu.ua) Monday–Sunday – 8 a.m. – 1 a.m., Wait time – about 45 minutes. Free delivery 

Raketa (raketaapp.com). Hours depend on the restaurant’s schedule. Wait time – about 45 minutes. Free delivery 

Royal Service (rsd.com.ua). Sunday–Thursday – 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Friday–Saturday – round the clock. Wait time – 50-90 minutes. Hr 70 ($2.50). +38096 502 4949

Delivery by restaurants 

Many Kyiv restaurants, bars and cafes have launched their own delivery to satisfy Kyivans’ need for tasty food. Most even offer free delivery to places located within several kilometers from them. 

Some cafes, like Honey and Milk Bar, launched the delivery of their desserts and sweets to please Kyivans’ sweet tooth during the quarantine. One can also order coffee or coffee beans from Kyiv coffee shops. 

Others, like the restaurants of star restaurateur Dmytro Borysov, started the delivery of seafood, salads, fish, meat dishes and burgers, as well as wine, various breakfasts, sushi rolls and health food bowls. 

Kyiv’s legendary Mimosa Brooklyn Pizza has started delivering three types of pizzas, including a pie with burrata cheese, pepperoni pizza and four-cheese pizza. Delivery costs Hr 30 ($1.10) within 3 kilometers of the restaurant. 

Delivery isn’t just for food. Some Kyiv bars have started delivering alcoholic cocktails and other drinks. 

For instance, Bodler is a new platform for delivering cocktails in Kyiv.

Bodler delivers four types of alcoholic cocktails in bottles of 700 milliliters each: the classic Negroni, Daiquiri, Boulevardier and their special Basilio (a dry Martini cocktail with basil). One cocktail order costs Hr 600 ($21.50) during the quarantine. Delivery is free for the Kyiv neighborhoods of Podil, Golosiivo, Pechersk, and Shevchenko for orders placed before 3 p.m. 

Bodler. Alcoholic cocktails delivery. Order in Telegram messenger – @bodler_alcatering. Free delivery

Mushlya Café, Barsuk, Philadelphia (borysov.com.ua). Mushlya Café – Free delivery within 3 kilometers of restaurant; delivery by taxi – Free for orders over Hr 299. Barsuk – Free delivery within 2 kilometers from the restaurant; delivery by taxi. Philadelphia – Free delivery. +38063 294 8664

Chernomorka, Anchousnaya, Seledochnaya (chernomorka.ua). Fish, seafood, main courses, salads. Delivery in Kyiv Hr 70, outside Kyiv Hr 150. Free delivery for orders over Hr 500. +3097 364 0505

Très Français, Très Branché (French cuisine). Free delivery within 1 kilometer from restaurant. Free for orders over Hr 500. Delivery by taxi. +38073 526 6087

Kytaiskyi Privet, Vietnamskyi Privet, Taiskyi Privet (Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai cuisine). Free delivery within 2 kilometers from restaurant. Delivery by taxi. +380095 556 9977

Milk Bar, Good Girl, Dogs & Tails (milkbar.com.ua). Desserts, main courses, burgers, hot dogs. Delivery available within 10 kilometers from the restaurant. Free delivery. +38044 237 09 07

Honey (honeycafe.com). Desserts, ice-cream, breakfasts, main courses, salads. Hr 70, free for orders over Hr 700. +38067 352 6185

Veterano Pizza (veteranopizza.com). Pizza. Free delivery for Shevchenko, Pechersk and Poznyaky neighborhoods. +38096 725 0202

White Noise (whitenoisekyiv.com). Breakfast, lunch, main courses. Free delivery for Podil neighborhood. Free for other orders over Hr 350. +38044 537 7007

Naprosecco. Oyster & Co. Oysters, seafood, burgers. Free delivery within 2 kilometers from restaurant. +38063 372 0303 

Zigzag. Main courses, alcoholic cocktails. Free delivery within 1 kilometer from restaurant; within 5 kilometers – Hr 50; over 5 kilometers – Hr 100. +38068 385 6551

Mama Manana (mamamanana.com.ua). Georgian cuisine. Free delivery in Kyiv for orders from Hr 350. +38050 228 1155

Sam’s Steak House (usgh.com.ua). Steaks, main courses. Hr 70 in Kyiv; Hr 150 outside Kyiv. +38044 287 2000

Courier of food delivery company Raketa wearing a protective mask as a preventive measure against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) delivers his order in Kyiv on March 23, 2020. Despite the nationwide quarantine in Ukraine, food delivery services are allowed to continue their operations. (Volodymyr Petrov)

Delivery from pharmacies

There’s no need for Kyivans to leave home to buy medicine. Now, many pharmacies offer delivery. 

Some Kyiv pharmacies deliver non-medical goods only, including hygiene products, herbal medicines and medical equipment like masks and gloves due to the special storage conditions required for most drugs. Others, however, can deliver medicines in special packages to keep them safe and maintain the drug’s potency.

Zdorova Apteka, for instance, offers the cheapest delivery in Kyiv – Hr 60 ($2.10), but asks customers to wait from several hours to a day. Online pharmacy E-Apteka has the most expensive delivery – Hr 250 ($9) in Kyiv and Hr 300 ($10.70) in Kyiv Oblast, but it offers delivery every day virtually around the clock – from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. 

Another online pharmacy, Farmax, offers free delivery for orders that cost over Hr 200 ($7). Farmax also has so-called “VIP delivery,” when the order is delivered within two hours after it was made. It costs Hr 100 ($3.50) but can be also free of charge for orders of over Hr 600 ($21.40). 

The Liki 24 website offers special time slots for its daily delivery. An order has to be made at least two hours earlier than the preferred delivery time. It costs Hr 79 ($2.80). However, for those who can’t wait up to six hours to receive an order, Liki 24 offers another option – the so-called “as soon as possible” delivery for Hr 99 ($3.50).

All pharmacies on the list also deliver goods across Ukraine by Nova Poshta or Ukrposhta. The price for each medicine is available on the website of the pharmacy.

Farmax (farmax.com.ua). Medicine delivery in Kyiv. Wait time – within 1 day. Hr 100 ($3.50). Free delivery for orders over Hr 200 ($7) within one day, for orders over Hr 600 ($21.40) in one hour. +38066 176 6855

E-Apteka (e-apteka.com.ua). Medicine delivery in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast. Wait time – within 1 day. Hr 250 ($9) in Kyiv, Hr 300 ($10.70) in Kyiv Oblast. Free for orders over Hr 600 ($21.40). +3044 520 0333

Liki 24 (liki24.com). Medicine delivery from different pharmacies in Kyiv. Wait time – up to six hours. Hr 79 ($2.80) – 99 ($3.50). +38068 686 4958 

Zdorova Apteka (zdorovaapteka.ua). Medicine delivery in Kyiv. Wait time – within 1 day. Hr 60 ($2.10). Free for orders over Hr 499 ($17.80). +38099 290 0330

People wearing protective masks as a preventive measure against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) wait in a queue in front of a pharmacy in Kyiv on March 23, 2020. (Volodymyr Petrov)

Water delivery

Water delivery is another business that was well established before the quarantine. Some water companies even offer free deliver.

Clear Water offers non-contact delivery. For its frequent customers, the company tries to deliver water in under three hours. Regular delivery may take a day. This company is a great option for those who don’t have an elevator in their building – it delivers water to all floors, even if there is no lift. 

Khvylia Zdorovia has the fastest water delivery in Kyiv – within an hour. It also offers non-contact delivery and a mobile application for iOS and Android.

Aqua Svit offers free delivery of all its products if the order includes two or more bottles (each for Hr 70, or $2.50). The company delivers in Kyiv and Zhytomyr, a town 120 kilometers west of Kyiv.

Apart from water, some companies like Raiske Dzherelo and My Water Shop also sell tea, coffee, milk, napkins, water coolers and other goods. Although My Water Shop says they deliver goods the same day the order is placed, now, due to high demand, the delivery might take longer. 

Check the size of the bottles and the prices on the companies’ websites. 

Alaska (mywatershop.ua, alaska.ua). Still and sparkling water, water coolers, tea, coffee, milk, napkins. Wait time – within 1 day. Hr 36 ($1.20) in Kyiv. Free delivery for orders over Hr 200 ($7), or over two bottles of Alaska water.  0800 505 881

Aqua Svit (aquasvit.com). Still water, water coolers. Delivery in Kyiv and Zhytomyr Oblast. Wait time – one day. Free delivery. +38073 604 0440

Clear Water (clearwater.ua). Still water, water coolers. Wait time – within 1 day. Hr 50 ($1.70) for one bottle. Free for orders with over two bottles. +38044 391 3030

Raiske Dzherelo (eden.com.ua). Still, sparkling water, water coolers, tea, coffee, sugar and more. Wait time – one day. Free delivery

Khvylia Zdorovia (hz-voda.com.ua). Still water, water dispensers. Wait time – one hour. Hr 105 ($3.70) for delivery of one bottle, Hr 87 ($3.10) for two. +38095 877 0055