Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Editor’s note: Eating out in Ukraine is a gamble. To bring you honest food reviews, Kyiv Post writers go to restaurants unannounced, pay for their own meals and never accept favors from restaurateurs.

It might seem a little weird to call a restaurant “Mafia,” but it has certainly worked in Kyiv.

A network of five such establishments has sprung up in the last year or so, the latest one opening just days ago. These pleasant, moderately priced restaurants seem to be growing in popularity with young, middle-class residents.

Despite the dubious name, first impressions are good. The interiors are stylish and modern, with little classical and kitsch elements, as well as modern art. They’re roomy and airy – a rarity in Kyiv, where many restaurants are squeezed into spaces that had not originally been intended for that purpose.

The restaurants boasti Italian and Japanese cuisines, but the Japanese element is hard to find in the interior. There are quite a few Japanese dishes on the menu, however.

You’re greeted with smiles rather than guns, and both reviewers had pleasant and fast, but not overwhelming, service in the Podil restaurant of the chain on three different occasions. There are four restaurants in the chain altogether, scattered around Kyiv, and two more in Kharkiv.


The interior of this Mafia restaurant in Podil is pleasant, spacious and well-designed. But the food can be hit and miss. (Oleksiy Boyko)


The chain’s motto is “family values,” implying not just the way mafia clans are constructed, but that children are welcome in the restaurants.

However, the eateries are obviously targeted at large companies – possibly adult groups, more than families. For example, their special meter-long pizzas that start at Hr 99 come with a complimentary half-liter carafe of wine. The pizzas will impress children, but the wine indicates they’re not the target audience.

A children’s menu is available. So are special offers. On weekends, for example, kids can make their own pizza and sushi rolls, then treat their parents to the result of the cooking experiment. It’s called “the club of young cooks,” running from 11 a.m. to 13 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.

The food in the restaurants can be hit and miss, however, and so can the drinks. On one occasion, everything that came to the table was fresh, delicious and well-presented – except the warm white wine. Leek, rucola and Parma ham soup (Hr 45) was silky and smooth, and thankfully arrived soon after ordering. The other entrée, Salvatore salad (Hr 55), came mouth-wateringly fresh and crisp.

Ravioli with shrimps and shallots were cooked to a lovely consistency, and the sauce was neither bland, nor overwhelming for the tender fishy stuffing (Hr 49). The pizza with four cheeses (Hr 65) had a nice little touch to it in the form of fresh green grapes.

Disappointingly, the Cianti Chardonnay Pinot Grigio (Hr 19 per 50 grams) came warm, and the ice requested later never materialized. But the barman served complimentary glasses of fresh lemonade to both visitors, which somewhat sweetened up the wine mishap.

On a different visit to the same restaurant in Podil, Pasta Carbonara (Hr 59) arrived flavorless and dry, and no amount of shaved parmesan or cream served on request could salvage it.

Another surprise during the third visit was breakfast made of three courses. One can choose an omelet, fried eggs, oatmeal or a chicken broth. Then a choice must be made from pancakes with cottage cheese, syrniki (curd cheese cakes) and apples stewed with honey and nuts. A dairy cocktail with a huge amount of sugar rounds off the list.

This feast comes in for just Hr 29, but the quality of it confirms that there is no such thing as a free lunch (or, indeed, breakfast). The eggs were oily and burnt at the edges. The syrniki, which Ukrainian women take pride in cooking every other morning for their loved ones, were burnt as well. And the dairy drink tasted like cheap yogurt with a ton of jam mixed in.

The menu carries all the classical items you would expect in an Italian restaurant, while the Japanese section seems to be a twin brother of another popular restaurant network, Yakitoria. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however, as it makes the menu look more familiar.

Some of the Mafia places are lounge bars as well as restaurants, meaning that if you stay after 10 p.m. you will get DJs blasting tunes at you. The experience was quite unexpected and totally unwelcome after a pleasant meal for two.
Asked if we would go again, only one of us would say “yep,” with little hesitation.

Mafia restaurants and lounge bars 76 Chervonoarmiyska (+380 67) 579 1049 24 Verkhniy Val, Podil (+380 44) 377-72-89 12 Luhova Street, Karavan shopping mall (+380 44) 207-48-38 77Artema Street 21 Marshala Tymoshenko Street (+380 44) 581-31-30 (+380 97) 911-26-26 (delivery) kiev.mafia-ua.com.ua

Kyiv Post editors Katya Gorchinskaya and Yuliya Popova can be reached at gorchinskaya@kyivpost.com and popova@kyivpost.com.