There are places in Kyiv that seem almost legendary. They are dirty, dingy, old and terrible – but are still going strong and are loved by their patrons. They pack in crowds on regular work days, and evoke the same emotions as the old teddy bear from one’s childhood – tattered, ripped, but too precious to bin. The Kyiv Post revisits some of these timeless venues.
Palata #6
This place is four years old, but it seems to get more popular with each passing year, not less. Themed as a mad house, as the eponymous ward in an Anton Chekhov novel, it features waitresses dressed as nurses (black stockings, very short gowns and head dresses), shots of hard liquor from dinky lab tubes and cocktails injected into the patients’ mouths through syringes. In other words, it’s a favorite college hangout.
Prices match this description. A Chernihivske beer here goes for Hr 10, while a shot of vodka is Hr 8. Simple snacks like salted herring go for Hr 20, while French fries are Hr 15.
This is not the cleanest of places, and it can get really busy even on regular weekdays after 7 p.m. This is quite amazing considering the location – off the beaten track, away from the metro, in the courtyard of a residential building, and with no sign. Yet the place thumps like a heaving beehive full of young drinkers and party-lovers.
Palata #6
31-A Vorovskoho Street
www.palata6.io.ua
+38-044-486-51-52
Ocheretyaniy Kit
The folksy cafe Ocheretyaniy Kit (Jungle Cat) has been sitting by the waterfront in Kyiv’s Hydropark for nearly a decade, acquiring a cult status among the city’s art crowd, and other like-minded individuals. After all, it does take an artistic, or at least an open mind to appreciate the sort of ambiance encountered at Ocheretyany Kit, as the place is literally swarmed with pets: cats, dogs, black crows and its newest addition, a she-badger. While there is at least some effort to keep the raven and badger at a distance from eating and drinking guests, the cats literally rule the place. As a result, getting a table at the establishment often requires sharing it with one or several sleeping cats, so well fed and lazy that even the smell of food cannot force them to move.
Food at the Cat can best be described as simple and homey, with the pork shashlyk (Hr 70) being a house specialty. Washing it down with Chernihivske beer (Hr 14), while enjoying the breathtaking view of the Dnipro River is a worthwhile experience definitely off the beaten track of Kyiv’s restaurant scene. The downside? Its infamous toilets and cold weather makes it nearly impossible to sit comfortably at the tables on the beach.
Ocheretyaniy Kit
Hydropark
www.jcat.com.ua
+38-044-561-83 -12
Orekh
Orekh, or The Nut, originally managed by German restaurateur Erik Aigner, has been around for more than a decade. Aigner, who has been credited with transforming Kyiv’s nightclub and bar scene in the 1990s, helping to open some 18 venues throughout the city, came back to Orekh last year as creative director, breathing new life into the place. On a given night, a DJ might be spinning records or Morrissey songs could be blaring from the bar’s sound system. But every night one can count on hip, 20- and 30-somethings gathering there, strutting in clad in their black leather jackets, boots or heels, crunching the peanut shells beneath their feet.
Here, Aigner’s influence is salient – the wait staff smiles and greets patrons as they walk in or approach the bar, the beers on offer are both domestic and European, not to mention cheap. On a chilly night, this warm basement pub is a good place to gather. Just be sure to show up early or make a reservation, as there isn’t much space in the front room, which is where everyone wants to be.
Orekh
126 Chervonoarmiiska Street
www.ef.if.ua
+38-044-529-42-32
Baraban
The Drum, or Baraban, has been a bohemian hangout for years that had an eclectic mix of journalists, diplomats, musicians and artists mixed in with NGO types and the occasional diaspora Ukrainian. Opened in early 2001, it was ground zero for civic leaders and the observers of the Orange Revolution in late 2004 because of its proximity to Independence Square. Over time management changed as did the menu, which switched from pub food to Hungarian, then to fusion as it is today. Gradually, the bar’s musically-themed interior faded, being replaced by lounge sofas. Live music is still staged as is the occasional open microphone poetry night. The famous Baraban burger (Hr 60) is still available, and now includes a fried egg. Cheese and meat plates (Hr 45 each) can be had with beer (Hr 20-30) or wine; as well as five different types of fajitas (all for Hr 60) or seven types of hotdogs (Hr 30).
Baraban
4A Prorizna St.
www.facebook.com/baraban.bar
+38-044-279-23-55
Kupidon
Despite its name, Kupidon, or Cupid, is not all about hearts or arrows. The café that calls itself “the last shelter for Ukrainian intellectuals” in fact looks like a shelter for old furniture found in the attic.
Public in Kupidon is very diverse. Twenty-something hipsters come there for a free and strong wi-fi signal and inexpensive coffee (Hr 15). Managers and office workers show up to grab a lunch (during lunch hours there is a 30 percent discount) in a relaxing atmosphere. Artsy people enjoy the coziness of the place, too. Also, Kupidon was once known as a usual meeting place for Femen protest group members, but since the bare-breasted protesters left Ukraine to seek safety in France in August, the venue has lost this special attraction.
Its cuisine features some nice snacks, including meat plates (from Hr 55), salads (from Hr 25) and especially good potato pancakes (Hr 30). The bar offers a wide range of beer (from Hr 20 for 0.5 liter), several types of wine, liquors and strong cocktails.
Kupidon
1-3/5 Pushkinska St.
+38-044-279-71-71
