The new LaLe combines Carte Blanche's high end service with some Eastern offerings. Yaroslav Debelyi LaLe restaurant serving Turkish cuisine has recently changed hands again.

LaLe restaurant serving Turkish cuisine has recently changed hands again. It seems that an evil eye at the front entrance could not spare the eatery from the fickle nature of the restaurant business. We already wrote about LaLe as one of few restaurants trying to bring authentic Turkish cuisine to the capital. Later, the Ukrainian Connoisseur Club, which held one of its meetings at LaLe, revealed the restaurant still had some issues to solve concerning service and organization.

When not so long ago advertisements started to appear, showing LaLe as a part of the Carte Blanche chain, it looked like a sign that all things were coming together at the restaurant to make it an ultimate Eastern experience.

Taking LaLe under its wing, the Carte Blanche chain lived up to its traditional concept of a free rein. LaLe stands in a class of its own with an Eastern style interior and a European menu with a couple of Turkish dishes. Since Turkey is spanning over two continents, Europe and Asia, don’t expect a strictly Turkish cuisine at LaLe. In fact, if you are hungry for a hearty kebab, yogurt mezze or a thin crust pide, go elsewhere.

On a Friday night, the place was so dead that waiter Andriy was more than happy to host us. His courtesy, attention and good knowledge of the menu exceeded our expectations of a good waiter in a Ukrainian restaurant. A food map with some five entries for each course resembled of an a la carte menu. With a never-ending rain pouring outside the window, we ordered a lentil soup for Hr 42 and a Mediterranean salad for Hr 54 to start with.

The drinks menu regrettably had only one position for the wines by glass, so I had no choice but Chenin Blanc from Argentina for Hr 57. Meanwhile, Andriy served us a complimentary olive “tapinad,” a smashed olive dip with herbs, crusty bread sticks and a warm airy lavash. The soup and the salad, both very light, left just enough space for the main course.

You would struggle with the menu if looking for a Turkish dish specifically. I would recommend stretching your boundaries and remembering that the Ottoman Empire was at the center of interactions between the East and West for six centuries, hence the diversity of cuisine. We opted for a salmon on a bed of cuscus under a creamy sauce for Hr 69 and seafood in garlic dressing for Hr 229.

Having tried fish in Australia and shrimp in Mexico before, I rarely order them in Kyiv. Fish lovers would probably agree with me that Ukrainian chefs often make everything in their power, it seems, to spoil its natural taste with batter, too much oil and complex mayonnaise dressings. LaLe seemed to get it right – the less sauce, the better. The seafood was also served in a proper cast iron dish.

If you feel meaty, the restaurant offers stewed veal on a bed of couscous, Turkish Lulya kebab (roast minced lamb or chicken) and pilaf rice with various kinds of meat. Since this venue has a Turkish twist, there is no pork on the menu.

The restaurant floor is one long room with an open kitchen at one end and a lounge area with five imperial chairs in a circle at another. A simple layout, however, is compensated by the decor of lavish chandeliers, gilded mirrors and Turkish murals. I still found it not elegant enough to qualify for an evening eatery. With tables pulled close to each other and an open space plan, the restaurant appeals as a lunch place. Conveniently sitting on the corner of Sofiyivska street and Mykhaylivskiy lane, it has a potential to turn into an upscale cafe for business people working in the area. There are no business lunches on offer yet but I hope it is only a matter of time.

LaLe, which means a tulip in Turkish and is considered a symbol of Turkey, has reincarnated for the third time. Hopefully, there is no bad karma after it.


LaLe (14 Sofiyivska, 278-7566). Open noon till 11 p.m.

English menu: Yes

English-speaking staff: Some

Average meal: Hr 200

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Karavella is offering a grill-menu including: “Poseidon’s Dinner” of giant shrimp, dorado and scallops (Hr 550); royal Jumbo shrimp with wild rice and vegetables (Hr 280); scallop shashlik (Hr 154); “Mermaid” – tiger shrimp shashlik with bacon (Hr 120).

Karavella (2 Dniprovska Naberezhna (Patona Bridge), 553-6892). Open 11 a.m. till the last customer


New special from Pizzeria Napule includes: pizza Verde Ruspante with chicken and green peas (Hr 99); green pea soup with ground pasta bucatini (Hr 45); spaghetti with leek-and-anchovy sauce (Hr 69); tuna fillet with spicy herbs (Hr 85); lemon granite (Ht 25).

Napule (9 Mechnikova, 461-9263). Open noon till 11 p.m.


Dorothy pub is offering a “Vacation menu” that features dishes taken from cuisines of popular tourist destinations: Crimean cheburecks (Hr 25 for one); Bulgarian salad with marinated mushrooms and veal tongue (Hr 49); Turkish shawarma (Hr 39); Egyptian-style fried shrimp (Hr 39); and “Chicken kebabs right off the fire” (Hr 36) for fans of hiking. A special offer on draught beer – it’s served in 3-liter jars for discount prices: Chernihivske Light (Hr 69); Stella Artois (Hr 89); Leffe Blonde, Hoegaarden or Krusovice – Hr 149. Special offers available till the end of September.

Dorothy (16/43 Chervonoarmiyska, 287-0530). Mon-Thur 10 a.m. till 11 p.m., Fri 11 a.m. till the last customer; Sat-Sun noon till the last customer


The special autumn menu at Tequila House Mexican restaurant features: Californian salad of sweet pepper, red onions, cheese, and vegetables dressed with balsamic sauce with coriander (Hr 57); pork with vegetables and shrimp (Hr 103); chicken in cherry sauce (Hr 127); berry sponge cake roll with cottage-cheese filling (Hr 45).

Tequila House (8A Spaska, 417-0358). Open 11 a.m. till midnight


Marokana prepared a range of dishes for autumn:carpaccio of duck fillet and plums (Hr 75); Gravlaks salmon with lettuce leaves and warm goat cheese (Hr 86); warm eel fillet with figs and mousse of avocado, mascarpone and parmesan (Hr 120); duck leg stewed in wine-and-plum sauce with vegetables (Hr 130); peach-and-plum pie with orange sorbet (Hr 55).

Marokana (24 Lesi Ukrayinky, 254-4999). Open 9 a.m. till 2 a.m.


A new grill menu was introduced at Varenichna No. 1. The list of dishes features several kinds of shashlik – pork neck (Hr 62), veal tenderloin (Hr 72), chicken brisket (Hr 42) and liver (Hr 36), as well as grilled shrimp (Hr 46) and salmon (Hr 84). The dishes are recommended with fried lavash of two kinds – stuffed with suluguni and tomatoes or salmon (Hr 28).

Varenichna No. 1 (28 Esplanadna, 287-1539). Open 24 hours


Lipskiy Osobniak is offering a range of new dishes: Celery salad with walnuts and fruit (Hr 59); classic Olivier salad with bacon (Hr 69); Francoise salad of various vegetables with cheese (Hr 77); salad with duck breast and raspberry sauce with cedar nuts (Hr 159); seafood salad with avocado (Hr 189).

Lipskiy Osobniak (15 Lipska, 254-0090). Open 11 a.m. till midnight


Bierloga pub is already celebrating Oktoberfest, by offering its beers: Warsteiner (Hr 30), Hoegaarden (Hr 30), Krusovice (Hr 24), Grolsch (Hr 24), Blanche de Bruxelles (Hr 24), Leffe (Hr 24) with a 20 percent discount. Upon ordering a liter of Grolsch, you’ll get an 0.3 glass or a bottle of the same beer as a gift.

Bierloga (14V Knyazhiy Zaton, 572-7208). Open 1 p.m. till 1 a.m.


The new oyster season has begun and Doversole seafood eatery is already offering a fresh supply, including some original kinds. Choose among Nacres des Abers (No.2, Hr 35; No.3, Hr 33), Paimpol (No.2, Hr 41); Arcachon Argiun (No.2, Hr 33), Bouzigues (No.1, Hr 33), Special Isigny (No.2, Hr 39), aristocratic Craise (No.2, Hr 33).

Doversole (81 Chervonoarmiyska, 531-1378). Open noon till midnight