Arbequina was discovered by chance.
A tiny Spanish restaurant in the heart of Independence square is a very welcome misfit to an otherwise tasteless lineup of cafes and food courts for tourists in the city center.
When I first saw it, I had to pinch myself. An airy, sage terrace framed by a stone banister welcomes you to a small Mediterranean world inside the 1950s Stalin apartment house. A black chalk board announcing specialties of the day and wicker chairs with blankets mark the entry to what could easily be a dining room in a Spanish home.
A large counter has a drooling selection of cheeses, olives, ham, and deserts. Spanish pig legs hangs succulently from the ceiling. Friendly service, non-smoking policy and a rare-for-Kyiv menu send positive vibes that this cafe’s owners know their craft very well. They brand it as an eco-eatery with an emphasis on organic, fresh and healthy foods.
Seasonal flowers and food in Arbequina restaurant seen on Nov. 16. (Yaroslav Debelyi)
Choosing a table for two by the window, we struggled with an order because we wanted it all. Homemade pies that looked like quiches with very thin pastry crust finally beat other entries. What I would call a quiche Lorraine is a heartfelt creamy bake with ham, eggs and cheese. A mushroom pie was filled with seasonal forest mushrooms of well-defined fleshy texture and taste.
Those were not your regular cultivated champignons but much sought after by mushroom hunters, boletes. The third option is four cheeses. A generous slice costs Hr 35, but you may want a side salad to go with it.
In the appetizers department, tapas are a treat. Goat’s cheese with beetroot (Hr 64), warm mushroom salad (Hr 62), anchovies with a tomato salad (Hr 38) and chicken liver pate (Hr 45) all sounded tantalizing. I opted for a cucumber and Pekinese cabbage salad with ham (Hr 54). It was a very light side order sprinkled with olive oil from arbequina olives, which gave name to this restaurant. For the party of four, think of ordering seafood paella for Hr 390.
A pretty simple decor in fading sage and yellow, wooden furniture, tile floors and a wall painted in the likes of a village stove – all retain the simple charms of Mediterranean eating philosophy.
Arbequina’s ham selection is one of the highlights. It has two most popular types: Serrano and Iberico. Jamon Serrano comes from the so-called white pigs, whereas Iberico meat grows on special black pigs, also known as pata negra, or a black foot. Ages ago, in the mountains of Spain, farmers have rolled fresh hams in sea salt and hung them from their rafters to cure. After a year – sometimes years, of curing, they were ready to be carved in paper-thin slices to enjoy as a snack or a proper meal with wine and cheese.
In Arbequina, ham comes in a variety of options from Hr 52. Two toasted sandwiches with a heap of Serrano slices on the bed of tomato pure and olive oil are a treat for two (Hr 70.)
Arbequina also likes its fish, which, as owners say, comes from fresh catches in Odesa. Grey mullets, plaice, anchovies and other Black Sea inhabitants come for under Hr 100. If you are used to ocean fish, beware that Ukraine’s produce has a very distinct fishy taste that only large amounts of lemon can save.
A two-page menu, sadly available only in Russian right now, also has beef and turkey steaks, lamb dishes and all kinds of homemade breads with cheeses.
For deserts, we had a carrot cake and a pumpkin pie, both very generous portions for Hr 35 each. Although succulently fresh, the pumpkin bake lacked spices, whereas the carrot cake was sweeter than expected. Nuts-and-honey bars with a cappuccino for Hr 25, however, prompted nothing but delight.
Arbequina’s format of a city cafe is new for Kyiv where hunger can be lulled to sleep either in large-scale restaurants or fast food courts. Yet, its pricing scheme can be beyond your average worker’s budget.
There are special lunches during week days, which restaurateurs refuse to call “business” despite the industry habit. Ukrainians sometimes treat these meals as a mass cooked product from leftovers. Arbequina’s on a mission to defy the trend changing menus daily with seasonal produce and charging Hr 79 for the offer.
In addition to its daily breakfasts, Arbequina is about to add brunches. For cheeses and olives from Spain, head to Arbequina’s grocery located in the Besarabka market.
ARBEQUINA RESTAURANT
Hours: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
4 Borysa Grynchenka St., metro Maidan Nezalezhnosti, tel. 223-9618
Editor’s note: Eating out in Ukraine is a gamble. To bring you honest food reviews, Kyiv Post writers go to restaurants unannounced, pay for their own meals and never accept favors from restaurateurs.
Kyiv Post Lifestyle Editor Yuliya Popova can be reached at [email protected]
