The first thing one sees at 8/14 Velyka Zhytomyrska St., where the Cuba-themed Buena Vista restaurant and bar is located, is a tiny terrace out front, with a few tables set out on the sidewalk, the area delimited by some flower boxes. At first glance, it doesn’t promise more than ordinary pub in Kyiv.
But a neon sign reading “Latin House” on the bar frontage is a clue that there’s a lot more to this place than meets the eye. By day, Buena Vista is a bar and restaurant offering various Cuban and Mexican dishes, but by night it becomes a packed dancehall with live music: the house band perform famous Latin songs, such as Duele El Corazon by Enrique Iglesias, and covers of songs by pop stars like Adele.
Entering Buena Vista, one finds a regular bar with furniture made out of dark wood. But the real action is downstairs, where there is basement area with a small dancefloor, a bar, and a seating area.
It’s not big – the tiny dance floor between the tables takes up most of the available space. On a busy night, getting to the bar can involve being bumped into by enthusiastic salsa dancers, or inadvertently becoming involved in the dancing oneself while sliding, dodging and weaving around those on the dancefloor.
It’s small size might seem like one of Buena Vista’s flaws, but in fact the cramped space also brings this place its special atmosphere, making it seem like an underground dancing club that only a special few know about. However, the place is regularly packed and there are often no free tables on weekend nights, so be sure to order one in advance.
Buena Vista is popular among Kyiv’s Latin American expat community, and some of the staff speak fluent Spanish. A menu in English is also available, however.
The place attracts both professional and amateur salsa dancers, but even those who have never danced salsa shouldn’t worry: moving to the beat is just fine.
To get into the mood for dancing, try the bar’s most popular Cuban cocktail, the Cuba Libre (cola, lime, and rum) for Hr 75 ($3). A set of 10 Cuba Libres costs Hr 300 ($12), but the portions are smaller than those sold separately. A set of 10 tequila shots costs Hr 400 ($16).
Along with the popular Latin-style cocktails, the barmen can mix almost all of the classic European cocktails for Hr 70-100 ($3-4), which is cheaper than the average price in most of Kyiv’s bars.
The bar doesn’t have its own website, so for a schedule of upcoming parties and events check its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/buenavista.kyiv. To reserve a table, call +38-050-344-4812 or +38-067-328-3161.
