Can't get enough of cats? Lapa (The Paw) and Tofycatspace, two recently opened cat cafes in Kyiv, give you the chance to get your fix of feline company while eating out. Both eateries purr-fectly combine the attraction of their furry hosts with a relaxing atmosphere, good service, cleanliness, and tasty snacks.
Lapa
The quiet cat café Lapa (The Paw), located on the top level of a 17-floor apartment building in Poznyaky district, offers splendid views of Kyiv’s cityscape in addition to eight playful moggies. Lapa’s three spacious rooms are decked out with plush sofas, books and cat toys, and it actually looks more like an ordinary city apartment than an eatery. You pay to spend time with the cats – the tea, coffee, cookies and Wi-Fi are free.
All of the café’s animals have been rescued from cat shelters, and if after a visit you can’t bear to be parted from a newly found furry friend, you can take it home from Lapa.
Entering the café, you have to put on shoe covers and wash your hands. You’re not allowed to handle the animals, but the cats are so sociable that they will most likely jump up onto your knees anyway. Their purring, along with quiet music and the woolen blankets covering the sofas make for a very cozy and homely atmosphere. An hour of cat time costs Hr 60, but cat lovers beware – the time flies by here.
1a Drahomanova St., second entrance, 17th floor. Open daily 1 p.m. – 9 p.m. Hr 60 per first hour, Hr 40 for each following hour
Tofycatspace
Cat statuettes on the windowsill, cat pictures on the walls, and even cat postcards – the cat theme can’t be missed at the small cat café Tofycatspace, which is located in the basement of an up-scale apartment building in Vozdvyzhenka, Kyiv’s newest and least-populated district. Tofycatspace consists of two areas separated by a glass wall. The café is in the smaller space, and decorated in a trendy loft style complete with small throw pillows that add coziness to the place. The menu is small, but the prices are very reasonable: a salmon pie goes for Hr 55, and a slice of apple pie is Hr 35. A smoothie costs Hr 55, while the prices of various types of tea and coffee range from Hr 25 to Hr 45.
The bigger room host the main attraction – six elegant pedigree cats, acquired from cat breeders. You have to remove your footwear and wash your hands before being admitted to the cat space, and an hour of feline therapy will cost you Hr 50. The cats’ schedule is paramount – if you want to catch them when they’re active you have to come at around 11 a.m. or after 5 p.m. The rest of the time they’re likely to be napping.
The cat space also functions as a small gallery and a co-working space – you can bring your laptop. Whether you work or play is up to you, but as French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette pointed out, “Time spent with a cat is never wasted.”
20v Kozhemyatska St. Open daily from 11 a.m. till 9 p.m. Hr 50 for the first hour, Hr 30 for each subsequent hour.
Kyiv Post staff writer Nataliya Trach can be reached at [email protected].
