Watch Euro 2008 in Kyiv’s sport bars
With Euro 2008 Football Championship already on, the question comes up for many: Where to watch it? Of course, you can always do it at home, but it’s not exactly fun. The game obliges for a noisy company, appropriate atmosphere, a glass of beer, and splashes of adrenalin. A sport bar is exactly the place providing all these components. In a sport bar, actually, you don’t even need friends around you – the game unites everybody in the place and gives the feeling of unforgettable euphoria even to a non-fan.
The place, which I’m going to mention first of all – Stariy Kvartal (Old Quarter), is not actually a sport bar and neither a busy beer parlor. Yet it has a strong football atmosphere about it. It is located on Khmelnytskoho, directly opposite TSUM shopping center, and consists of two small halls decorated with photos of old Kyiv. Empty during the day, it becomes crowded by the evening and especially during big football matches. Czech and Ukrainian beer for medium prices accompanied by European dishes are a standard proposition, yet a friendly atmosphere adds it a plus.
The regular hang-out for ex-pats, O’Briens Irish Bar, is a usual field for rivalries among football enthusiasts. In addition to the Euro broadcast this two-story British pub located near Maidan Nezalezhnosti offers a wide selection of beer with the prices ranging from Hr 14 to Hr 36. For a snack you can choose from standard European menu of appetizers, salads, burgers (Hr 37 to Hr 70), sandwiches (Hr 22 to Hr 52) and steaks. The pub has a billiard table though I’m not sure that there will be enough space for a comfortable game.
Another gathering place for the English-speaking community, Golden Gate pub, is designed practically in the same style as O’Briens. The beer menu is wide enough to delight any football aficionado – there are 25 sorts of beer (Hr 17 to Hr 36) accompanied by the dishes of European cuisine – sandwiches will cost you Hr 63 to Hr 79, salads – Hr 35 to Hr 69, appetizers – Hr 23 to Hr 79, and steaks – Hr 87 to Hr 129.
The Irish pub labeled To Dublin, though not located in the center of Kyiv, nevertheless gathers lots of visitors, mainly expatriate. The only problem is it’s located on the left bank. Just go to Livoberezhna metro station, pass Joss casino and the hotel Tourist and you’ll find yourself right in front of the entrance. The place is adorned with wood and typical green colored items that make the place look really Irish. The beer prices are within medium range – Hr 16 to Hr 29, as well as the meals.
Pub Dakota decided to go farther then simply broadcasting the matches. Until June 29 “beer totalizer” is offered in the pub functions – before the beginning of any match buy a glass of Krusovice beer and fill in a special form, where you need to guess the score. In case you guess right after the match you will get the beer prize right on the spot. Among the dishes are pizzas (Hr 39 to Hr 58), “dishes for the company” (Hr 87 to Hr 148), and of course beer (Hr 11 to Hr 25).
Bochka Khmilna pub will also become large sheltering spot for Euro 2008 spectators. The same pizzas, “dishes for company,” together with Ukrainian (salo with garlic for Hr 9, varenyky for Hr 12) and Asian offerings (chebureki for Hr 16, hachapuri for Hr 25-32) stand for great additions to beer (Hr 9 to Hr 28) and a football fever. One of the advantages of Bochka is that both bar and kitchen work non-stop for 24 hours.
Bierstadt near the US embassy is one of those scanty beer parlors offering wide beer assortment. In Bierstadt there are around forty sorts of this drink (at least they claim it to be so) that will cost you from Hr 14 to Hr 28.
Hairy Lemon on Pechersk is 24-hour cafe and a sports bar. In a relatively small hall there are seven TV screens, which is a great lure for football aficionados. Though the bar is located rather far from the usual hang-out area of the city center, it offers tasty cuisine, attentive service, and original design. Besides, it is situated in a kind of a gambling district – next to it is Eldorado casino with lots of slot machines. If you’ll have a chance to call by the place your beer (Hr 11 to Hr 22) will be accompanied by European and Ukrainian cuisine – varenyky for Hr 15 or something more nutritious for Hr 35.
Though FreeDom concert hall doesn’t at all look like a sport bar or like a bar at all, it largely promotes the broadcasting of Euro 2008. For that reason the ground for football fans during the championship period will be its summer terrace, the entrance to which is free. Yet the prices for the menu will remain as high as usual – Hr 33 to Hr 380 for cold appetizers, Hr 18 to Hr 25 for beer accompanied by nuts for Hr 20 to Hr 25.
A miniature sports bar labeled Sport Crepes can be truly called a sport bar in comparison to the aforementioned bier parlors, which become football arenas during big matches only. The design is corresponding – the walls of Sport Crepes are all hanged with jerseys of Ukrainian football players with their autographs and photos of local football stars drinking at Crepes. However the very area is rather small – the bar seats around thirty visitors only. The choice of beer (around Hr 15) is also not that large but is promised to be widened. Except for the crepes, which are the hard point of the menu, there are dishes with sport-world related names – pizzas, for example, are named according to the famous sports brands like Adidas and Nike.
Stariy Kvartal(3A Khmelnytskoho, 279-7611)
O’Brien’s Irish Bar (17 Mykhailivska, 279-1584)
Golden Gate(15 Zolotovorotska, 235-5188)
To Dublin(4 Raisy Okipnoyi, 569-5531)
Dakota (14G Heroiv Stalinhradu, 468-7410)
Bochka Khmilna (3B-1 Khmelnitskoho, 390-6106)
Bierstadt (12 Chornovola, 592-3972)
Hairy Lemon (34 Lesi Ukrainky, 230-6017)
Freedom (134 Frunze, 468-3232)
Sport Crepes (7 Peremohy, 236-4135)
