Kiev Food and Drink Scene

Welcome to the gorgeous Kyiv (pronounced locally as Kyiv), the capital of Ukraine and one of the ten largest cities in Europe. The city boasts age-old traditions and distinctive culture with a glorious European food scene providing visitors with plenty of local and international cuisine that will set your taste buds sizzling.

When you think of the food here – what of course springs to mind is the notorious and mouth-watering Chicken Kiev! This is probably a ‘must eat’ signature dish that can be found in most restaurants and normally served with truffle mash and assortment of vegetables.

The culinary and gourmet scene in Kyiv is booming with diverse and innovative restaurants popping up all over the city offering their own amazing ambiance and good selections of specialties.

Kiev is very much an all-round foodie city. Pizza and Sushi eateries are all over the city, along with many Georgian and Asian unique dishes. However, if you really just want to try out the local food? Let’s focus on the three most popular local dishes - Borsch. This soup can be found on all menus, and there are two different types:

Red Borsch

This will be the most familiar, with its rich red colour. Essentially it will include small pieces of meat, so do ask the waiter if you’re vegetarian. It is served with sour cream and fresh bread rolls (pampushki) smothered in garlic.

Green Borsch

This is very different – it includes sorrel, which gives it the green colour. It is more or less served with hard boiled eggs, with the signature sour cream. Often, in the more up-market rsstuarants the borsch will be served in crisp cabbage that has been hollowed out, making it look quite unique.
Another traditional soup is – Okroshka. This is served cold, and maybe not to everyone’s taste. It is made with raw vegetables, boiled eggs and meats and cooked with kvass, a well-known drink made with bread.

Drinks in Kyiv

The drinking out scene in Kiev has really developed fast over the last few years- making it one of the exciting cities in Europe. There is so much diversity and a variety of bars to suit all everyone’s taste. Do be aware, The Ukrainian measures and alcohol content is generally a good deal stronger than at home!
The beer culture is also growing with lots of craft beers taking over, but the famous Ukrainian beers to try are, Chernihivske and Lvivske.

If its cocktails you are in to – then you will find lots of retro-style bars, roof-top bars and ultra-modern bars all serving amazing cocktails that includes every spirit and offering special ingredients to create stunning colourful cocktails that you will not find anywhere else. These refreshing cocktails, may seem the perfect tipple and very creative but also can be extremely potent!

However, your visit to Kiev would be incomplete without trying a shot (or more) of the famous ‘demon drink’ - Horilka Pertsivka, a vodka permeated with spicy chilies.

This Ukraine’s capital is fast becoming an amazing tourist hotspot, so book with tabl. today, and enjoy a charming mix of centuries-old atmosphere, amazing mouth-watering cuisine and a bustling energetic nightlife.