Since the spring lockdown was lifted over a month ago, dozens of new restaurants have emerged on Kyiv’s gastronomic map, allowing local foodies not only to go back to their favorite joints, but also embark on a journey of discovering new tastes.
Mexican tacos, elaborate pastry, Korean sandwiches and Crimean Tatar chebureki are all available to please the Kyiv audience, wrapped up in the best local tradition of standout concepts and designs.
The Kyiv Post has picked out some of the most exceptional recent additions to the capital’s vibrant restaurant scene.
The Sinners
Behind its dazzling lights and high-rise buildings, Kyiv hides some of its best gems, secret bars. The Sinners is the most recent entry.
This bar offers a true speakeasy experience, as the owners do not disclose its location. Those looking to visit The Sinners, have to first arrive to Octo Tower café or neighboring Blur Coffee, ask for directions and then make their way to the secret place, somewhere around Klovska metro station.
Once the destination is found, visitors will be able to enjoy an evening at a small and intimate bar with wall-sized windows and a charming view, some vintage furniture and green plants placed all around.
On the menu side, The Sinners pours wine, including the natural ones, and prepares a variety of cocktails. The drink carte offers some all-time favorites like Aviation and Paper Plane. The house specials are Zero Waste made of black rum, banana cordial and cherry bitters liquor, and many more. Though it takes a bit of an effort to find The Sinners, with its atmosphere and tempting drinks, it is definitely worth looking for.
Prices: cocktails — Hr 120–180
5 Mechnykova St. 6 p. m. — 12 a. m.
A waitress serves coffee and a dessert at Mates cafe in Kyiv downtown on June 1, 2021. Mates offers a wide range of hot and cold drinks, desserts and holds pop-up breakfasts on weekends. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
Mates
There is nothing like starting a day with a cup of hot coffee and a luscious breakfast on a sunlit summer terrace. The recently-opened Mates café has it all.
It is located on the capital’s quiet Hoholivska Street in historic center, not far from Zoloti Vorota metro station. It was founded by Olha and Anna Babentsova, the sister duo famous for running a popular bakery production. Mates attracts pedestrians with an ironic inscription on a window: “Another place with coffee and desserts, but (these are) from sisters Babentsovy.”
Their well-known desserts are surely served here, but selection varies by the day. Other options include various pies, and sandwiches with chicken, tuna, salmon, mozzarella or tofu. The coffee menu includes all classics, filter coffee and ice coffee drinks. Mates also offers Japanese green tea matcha, kombucha fermented tea and freshly-squeezed juice.
On weekends, Mates holds pop-up breakfasts from 11 a. m. till 3 p. m. offering some enticing dishes like sugarless banana bread with strawberries and whipped cream or a crispy croissant with scrambled eggs, halumi cheese and pickles. The breakfast menu, however, is different every weekend and is announced on the café’s Instagram page in advance.
Prices: coffee — Hr 35–80, sandwiches — Hr 95–115, pies — Hr 65
25 Hoholivska St. Mon-Fri. 8 a. m. — 8 p. m. Sat-Sun. 10 a. m. — 8 p. m.
Zavertailo is a new bakery that offers a great choice of pastry, including croissants and cruffins with various fillings. (Zavertailo/ Instagram)
Zavertailo
Zavertailo is a new venue opened by the founders of Kyiv’s longtime favorite, Honey café.
Named after the last name of owners Anna and Stanislav Zavertailo, the new bakery is located on a narrow street in the Podil neighborhood. It was opened only several weeks ago but has become an instant hit with Kyivans lining up to taste mouth-watering pastries.
The venue has a minimalistic interior design with big windows. It offers a great selection of breakfasts, including oatmeal with apple and cinnamon, several egg dishes and sandwiches with various fillings. Zavertailo also serves fish and meat entrees, and appetizers like beef tartare and fondue.
But pastry is still the calling card here. Zavertailo serves more than ten types of croissants and cruffins, which is a combination of a croissant and a muffin, with sweet fillings including custard, chocolate, poppy seeds and cherries. The cafe also bakes sourdough bread and serves it with various dips like avocado butter and mushroom mousse. There is also a great selection of natural wines and non-alcoholic drinks.
Prices: croissants — Hr 45–85, coconut omelet — Hr 145, beef tartare — Hr 195
7 Mezhyhirska St. 7:30 a. m. — 10 p. m.
El Gordo is a recent addition to the capital’s restaurant scene that serves Mexican food including several types of tacos, burritos and quesadillas. (El Gordo/ Facebook)
El Gordo
Kyiv can’t boast about a wide choice of Mexican food. But the recently-opened El Gordo is shifting the situation.
It is hard to imagine a better location for the Mexican street food venue: The capital’s central Velyka Vasylkivska Street, with its constant fuss and buzz, is where El Gordo settled. The joint has an eye-catching, bright sign that immediately attracts passersby from the busy street. Inside, the place is as bright as from the outside: El Gordo has green walls with some Mexican-style drawings hanging on them and chandeliers shaped as sombreros, traditional Mexican hats.
However, El Gordo’s menu is more minimalistic than its interior design. It offers eight types of tacos with chicken, beef, fish or shrimp, as well as some avant-garde options with cactus and cheese. The eatery also serves a traditional taquito, which is a rolled-up, fried tortilla with various fillings, making them two ways, with chicken or beef.
The Mexican menu wouldn’t have been complete without burritos and quesadillas, and El Gordo surely cooks both. There are also tortas (sandwiches) with chicken and beef and churros, a fried dough dessert popular in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Prices: tacos — Hr 36–56, quesadillas — Hr 99–109
16 Velyka Vasylkivska St. 10 a. m. — 10 p. m.
New Asian street food joint Stack serves Korean sandwiches with ham or tofu. (Stack/Instagram)
Stack
Traveling to Asia may not be possible this summer due to the pandemic travel restrictions but Kyiv offers several options to experience the Asian culture and the region’s authentic dishes. Stack is a recent arrival that lets you do just that.
Located in the historic area on Sichovykh Striltsiv Street, with its pink neon light and huge transparent glass-door entrance, this joint is hard to miss.
Stack does not stick to one particular Asian cuisine but offers the best street food options from different countries. It serves Korean sandwiches with ham or tofu, as well as traditional Korean rice noodles with vegetables. There is also Chinese fried rice or noodles with vegetables and traditional Indian naan bread with mushrooms and cucumber salsa. One can also add chicken, tofu or shrimps to any dish for an additional charge. On the drink side, Stack has a selection of cold-pressed juices, lemonades and coffee.
Prices: Korean sandwich — Hr 110–100, Chinese fried rice — Hr 120
57 Sichovykh Striltsiv St. Mon-Fri. 10 a. m. — 9 p. m. Sat-Sun. 12 p. m. — 9 p. m.
Tut Bude is a new cafe that has options for any taste and occasion and offers a great view of the gorgeous St. Nicholas Cathedral. (Tut Bude/ Instagram)
Tut Bude
This new café is worth visiting for the view of the gorgeous St. Nicholas Cathedral alone. Tut Bude (Here Will Be in English) is a perfect place for both a romantic dinner, a late breakfast with friends or some alone time. Although the venue has a minimalistic interior and exterior design, it still stands out with bright azure door and windows.
Tut Bude’s menu has options for any taste and occasion. The café serves eight types of breakfast meals, including eggs Benedicts, tofu omelet, syrnyky, or Ukrainian cottage cheese pancakes. There are also salads, soups, main courses and bowls. To sweeten the pot, the cafe has a vast assortment of desserts such as croissants, cakes, strudels and more. Coffee and wine are here to accompany meals.
Prices: syrnyky — Hr 129, avocado toast — Hr 158, bowls — Hr 168–189
98 Velyka Vasylkivska St. Mon-Fri. 7:30 a. m. — 10 p. m. Sat-Sun. 8:30 a. m. — 10 p. m.
The multi-cuisine menu of the new Once Upon A Time restaurant offers house variations of the world-known dishes. (Once Upon A Time/ Instagram)
Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time has started making a name for itself even before it first opened the doors on June 1, with all its tables pre-booked in advance.
The restaurant has joined the family of Podil establishments, located near Poshtova Ploscha metro station. The joint has an underground location and on-point interior design made of unusual wooden decor, dark stone walls reminiscent of a cave and unusual lamps such as the one shaped like a human heart.
The restaurant’s food choice is versatile with no focus on one particular cuisine. Instead, the guests are promised to be surprised by the house variations of the world-known dishes. They include shrimp and crab croquettes, donuts with “mushroom dust,” Crimean Tatar chebureki, or deep-fried turnovers made here with a flavor twist involving Asian soup tom yum.
Prices: donuts with mushroom dust – Hr 78, hummus – Hr 161, vegetable salad – Hr 125
8/13 Borysohlibska St. 6 p. m. — 2 a. m.
