Pancakes, hot dogs, burgers, steaks, coffee in large “bottomless” cups — you don’t have to cross the Atlantic to experience all these U.S. foodie goodies: Kyiv offers a plethora of options for an American-style dining experience.
Zheltok
This is a place known for its all-American breakfast, including Eggs Benedict and pancakes with a variety of flavored toppings. Add some jelly or banana slices to the peanut butter pancakes to re-create a peanut butter and jelly sandwich experience — an iconic American food combination. For a savory option, it is worth ordering the spinach and feta pancakes.
Breakfast starting at Hr 45; main dishes from Hr 95.
11/61 Lva Tolstogo St.; 1/37 Bulvarno-Kudriavska St.; 2/1 Kostyantinivska St.; 8 Rusanivska Embarkment
Walker Street Food
Want to feel like a New Yorker? Get off the “subway” at Khreshchatyk Street and grab a hot dog from a vendor on the way to work. A thick, hot dog sausage, a variety of toppings and dressings, and just the right amount of grilled, soak-proof bread — that’s what Walker Street Food hot dogs are all about.
This venue offers a variety of hot dog combos such as an American one with a milk sausage, a German one with a Bavarian sausage, and an Indian one with a turkey and pork sausage mix, fresh and pickled veggies, and garlic sauce. Combos include a hot dog of choice, fries and a drink. For something different, one can grab a to-go container of flavorful Asian stir-fry or Italian carbonara noodles, cooked fresh on the spot.
Hot dogs from Hr 25; Combos and noodles from Hr 50.
21 Khreshchatyk St.
Vesuvio Pizza
Despite this 25-year-old Kyiv fast food favorite being opened by a Canadian of Ukrainian descent, and serving food that originated in Italy, Vesuvio reproduces an authentic U.S. pizza place experience. It’s famous for its great cheese, large terrace, and for playing popular American movies on a big screen.
A Brooklyn style, thin-crust pizza, with bursting bubbles of melted cheese and scorching pepperonis, will have one reaching for a slice before the server sets it down. A four-cheese pizza, a ham and pineapple Hawaiian pizza, a California pizza with chicken, onion and olives, and an Embassy with sausage and ham are also on the menu.
Around Hr 225 for a medium pizza.
25 Reitarska St.; 2A Honoré de Balzac St.
Come and Stay
This open and cozy café offers a chance to unwind in American-style comfort. Visitors can literally feel at home here, as the design recalls the interior of a house, with the seating areas resembling various rooms. Have a cup of coffee or breakfast while snuggling up against a window, or reminisce about a childhood home while grabbing a snack at the kitchen table, with delicious smells of home-cooked meals wafting around. And of course, dogs are welcome.
Coffee Hr 30–45.
23B Velyka Vasylkivska St.
Friends Café
This homely and non-pretentious coffee shop, offering drinks and quick-bite choices, is modeled after the Central Perk from the “Friends” TV series. For meals, choices include wholesome American dinner options, such as an Uncle Sam burger or a Handyman cheeseburger and fries combo, a minestrone soup and salad, or pasta Tribbiani, which is named after one of the series’ characters, Joey Tribbiani. The place is decorated with photos and quotes from “Friends,” and the show plays non-stop on a big screen TV.
Burgers around Hr 150.
11 Obolonska Naberezhna St.
Star Burger
This place is known for its no-fuss, simply great burgers, steak-cut fries, and refillable drinks. What could be more American than taking a huge bite of an Angus beef burger, and washing it down with a large, or an extra-large thick and creamy milkshake, a la Jughead Jones from Archie Comics?
Burgers starting from Hr 149.
7/11 Khreshchatyk St.; 37 Petra Sahaidachnoho St.; 1B Pavla Tychyny Ave.
Yak na Krylah
The venue, whose name means “as if on wings,” serves Buffalo wings in a sauce that is both hot and smooth. The sauce is made from a combination of vinegar, cayenne pepper and butter, resembling zesty sriracha and smoked barbeque. Washing them down with some Buds while cheering on a favorite sports team on the big screen makes up for a true American experience. The menu includes classics, like rib-eye steak (Hr 95), strip loin (Hr 89), and Angus beef burger topped with an egg.
Buffalo wings Hr 99; Burgers Hr 139.
53A Dehtiarivska St.
Shaleniy Pes
This chain serves deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza, hot dogs, and American pies. The Chicago-style pizzas are made with delicious dough and full of flavorful pizza sauce and cheese, with a choice of toppings such as grilled chicken, bacon, salmon, or classic.
The range of hot dogs includes an El Paso hot dog with Mexican salsa and corn toppings, Conti Island with cheddar and bacon, San Francisco with caramelized onions and pesto sauce, Florida with shrimp, avocado and aioli sauce, and Chicago with pickles. Pies include American apple and cherry pies, and key lime pie.
Hot dogs from Hr 77; Pizza from Hr 299; Pies from Hr 50.
19A Institutska St. n
