A 9-month old Pomeranian Bali puppy has already been to many of Kyiv's restaurants and cafes with her owner, Anastasiya Sergiyenko, a 28-year-old public relations manager.
“Together we’ve been to the Japanese cuisine restaurant Murakami, an
upscale seafood restaurant, Crab’s Burger, 3B café, and many other
places,” Sergiyenko says. In all her stops, she hasn’t had any problems
with staff or visitors because of her dog. “But before coming in I
always ask the servers whether if it is permitted to bring in a pet,”
she says.
Allowing pets into restaurants is popular in parts of
Western Europe and the practice is now spreading to Kyiv. As the number
of customers grow, so do the number who want to bring their pets –
mostly dogs. Restaurants that want to succeed need to adapt, experts
say.
Many leading restaurants allow dogs. Restaurant critic Valeriy
Polyakov, for example, points to the five-star Intercontinental
Berchtesgaden Resort restaurant located in the Bavarian Alps. “This is a
Michelin-starred restaurant, but it offers a bowl of water for any
breed of dog,” he says.
But others are not convinced. The Sushiya
Japanese cuisine chain, Il Molino pizzerias, lounge restaurant Buddha
Bar, Kyiv restaurants Bocconcino and Karavan all ban pets. Their
explanation is simple: it’s unhygienic. For starters, dogs shed, and
there is no guarantee that each dog is “house trained.” Moreover, many
people are allergic to certain kinds of animals.
It’s also an issue of safety: restaurants can’t guarantee that a dog won’t bite other customers.
But
a strict no-animal policy is not wise either, some restaurant critics
say. “Modern restaurants build on a hospitality policy and pet-friendly
approach,” Polyakov says.
Pet-friendly restaurants even offer pets
fresh water, or more. “Besides water, we can bring our visitors’ pets
some meat or meatballs,” says Yevheniya Ustenko, manager of Rybalove.
Kyiv restaurants that welcome pets
Da Vinci Fish Club (12 Volodymyrska St.), Krep De Shyn (25 Hoholivska St.), Rybalove (21-23 Vozdvyzhenska St.), Kanapa (19A Andriyivsky Uzviz St.), Oxota Na Ovets (10B Vozdvyzhenska St.), Barsuk (3A Kutizov Lane), Tampopo
(55 Saksahanskoho St.), Khinkali (4
Shota Rustaveli St.), Picasso (4
Baseyna St.), Mayami Blues (114
Velyka Vasylkivska St.), Oliva (24
Velyka Vasylkivska St.), The Burger
(5 Velyka Vasylkivska St.), Chashka
Espresso Bar (1 Velyka Vasylkivska St.), Milk Bar (16 Shota Rustaveli St.).
Kyiv Post staff writer Nataliya Trach can be reached at [email protected]
