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Spotlessly white elegant interior of Amici Mi disposes well to savoring its culinary inventions. KP Media, photo by Serhiy Zavalnyuk Amici Mi offers an ideal pre-party hangout with the fine Mediterranean food

Amici Mi” is supposed to mean “My Friends.” At least that’s obviously what the owners of the restaurant had in mind when naming it that way. The problem is they spelled it wrong: it should be “miei” not “mi,” which in this case makes no sense, my Italian friend pointed out to me as we walked towards the restaurant to have a late dinner. I still wondered whether it was a mistake that no one noticed, or it was simply considered that Amici Mi sounds better, and will be easier to pronounce and remember by the locals. We entered the hallway, and were welcomed by a smiling young man.

The interior, as I previously learned, was created by one of the best Kyiv architects, and indeed I could tell that the place was expertly decorated. A minimalist elegance with prevailing white color and no extra details reigned in the place. Unusually, the toilet was placed in the middle of the hall – it was not in fact immediately evident what it was, but looking at the glass door with a man’s and a woman’s legs painted on it next to each other, I figured what it was likely to be. The walls running around the bathroom construction were decorated with many candles standing inside small square openings.

Choosing between white leather sofas along the metal wall with the restaurant’s logos printed on it and comfortable chairs by the window, we chose the latter. Soon I noticed that Amici Mi had a very relaxing lounge ambience about it, well fit for pre-partying and “Sex in the City” style friendly meetings. To confirm it, I could see a group of ladies, chatting and laughing happily away, and a big company of English speakers on our right having a full meal (they were already ordering desserts) and talking about restaurants.

The menus were also presented in a minimalist form. The actual food list was printed on one big carton, with a separate smaller carton containing desserts. Plus there was an impressive wine list and a bar menu.

The main menu did have an Italian bent but clearly with plenty of creative touches added by the chef. The list was divided into salads and appetizers which included an assortment of sashimi (but no other sushi offerings), and various vegetables mixtures with fish and meat. The truly Italian part was the pasta and risotto; soups included minestrone and "cappuccino" champignon soup, and the fish and meat dishes featured unusual sauces and garnishes, like black risotto and dressings of Pecorino and Parmesan.

While ordering, I simply couldn’t miss having the gazpacho (Hr 90), which became my favorite last summer and was served at Amici Mi with crab meat, and supplemented it with original lasagna with shrimp and salmon (Hr 145). My friend preferred a tuna salad (Hr 145) and a risotto with shrimp and spinach (Hr 90).

The black tea we ordered arrived with a slice of lemon inside of a special metal squeezer on top of each cup – a small, but truly pleasant touch, from the customer service standpoint, which overall didn’t get many complaints from us.

As for the food, it was simply a gourmet feast of harmonious taste and unusual combinations, and one of the rare cases, that the food was worth every penny, or rather kopek (the average price of a dish was Hr 100).

Gazpacho – a wonderful slush of tomatoes, which were blended not too finely, leaving some bits inside – made a great combination with crab meat, mixed with thin stripes of avocado and cucumber, and arugula placed on top of the concoction. It was true bliss.

Square bits of red tuna in my friend’s salad were fried medium rare, so that the fish retained its original flavor. The other ingredients – shitake mushrooms, asparagus, basil, with its distinct aroma, and sesame seeds – went perfectly with the tuna. The only part of the dish that he didn’t like (and I agreed with him) was the parsley, most of which he left on his plate.

As for my friend’s second course of risotto, he called it simply flawless – perfectly cooked rice and a complimentary combination of spices and ingredients – shrimp and spinach. Being a great cook and an expert of Italian cuisine, he surely knew what he was talking about.

As for my lasagna, upon first hearing it was filled with fish, my friend suggested it was really unusual and not something you would be offered in Italy. When the dish arrived, we saw it didn’t look like lasagna either.

Its round tablet shape mostly reminded me of a tartare floating in a thick green sauce. Looking at its layers of dough, my friend called it a crepe. But whatever it was, it was one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten. Thin layers of pasta sprinkled with Parmesan, big juicy pieces of salmon and the creamy sauce created the most tender and at the same time rich combination of flavors.

Indeed, the creative lasagna was another successful choice.

Oh, and one thing that I forgot to mention was the assortment of breads (Hr 14). The freshness of the bread left no doubt that it was baked in the restaurant itself and the selection was impressive – the set included ciabatta, bread with tomato and pepper, and a grain and coriander bread. We tried every kind and loved them all, so it’s hardly surprising that the bread was being offered for take-out, listed right at the bottom of the desserts menu.

Amici Mi (67 Olesia Honchara, 501-1690). Open 10 a.m. until the last customer

English menu: Yes

English-speaking staff: Yes

Average meal: Hr 250