Nightlife Bars & Pubs Bibique Bar H-3, Tarasa Shevchenka bul’v 2, tel. (+380)
44 383 80 86. We had the address so we knew we were close, yet even the café 10 meters away had never heard of it. It turns out – they never got around to putting up a sign. By chance, we opened a heavy metal door and there we were-like going into another dimension as the décor is “New York Loft”. There is a great limited menu with European and American dishes with such items as salads, meats, fish, burgers, and fries. The prices are very reasonable averaging from 45-65Hr per dish. They have a great bartender known for his special cocktails. Good music is played always and on Wednesdays and Fridays there is a DJ. QOpen 12:00 - 03:00. PAGS Dorothy’s Pub A-5, Saksahans’koho 16/43, ML’va Tolstoho, tel. (+380) 44 287 05 30. The sign out front read “Dorothy’s Pub”. (Cue The Twilight Zone theme song.) Have I been transported back to my native state of Utah? The scenes of Monument Valley and Arches National Park, the Osmonds glaring at me from the menu with their cheesy Colgate smiles and the sweet smell of Western American style barbecue creeping out from under the saloon doors are all eerily familiar. Or am I in Kyiv? No. It couldn’t be. The service here is far too good for Kyiv. Where am I? And who the hell is Dorothy? As it turns out, I am in Kyiv, and Rod Serling is not sitting next to me munching on ribs, nor is he sipping on a Czech beer, nor is he sampling the Turkish style calamari, but if he were still alive I’m sure he would not object to such a wonderful mishmash of sites, sounds and flavours. And who is Dorothy? No one seemed to know. (Cue more Twilight Zone theme song.) Great specials! QOpen 11:00 - 05:00. PAIEGS Fun Bar Banka A-4, L’va Tolstoho 11/61, MLva Tolstoho, tel. (+380) 44 458 25 25, www.bankabar.com. ua. As the name implies – it is a fun bar – we saw lots of students there. The décor is unique with lots of Campbell Soup posters on display. They serve great food as well! It is European menu – in English with an average meal costing about 150Hr. The Business Lunch is great for just 44Hr weekdays from 12-16. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. Golden Gate Irish Pub B-3, Zolotovorits’ka 15, MZoloti Vorota, tel. (+380) 44 235 51 88, www.karta. ua. This is a true Irish Pub with the largest selection of draught beer in Kyiv. The menu has special beer appetisers. There are darts, a billiard room, big screen TVs for sports fans, and live music every Friday and Saturday. Golden Gate offers business lunch on weekdays and breakfast at the weekend. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00. PTJAULVEGBXS Lucky Pub A-5, Chervonoarmiys’ka 13, ML’va Tolstoho, tel. (+380) 44 499 13 13, www.karta.ua. Lucky hasn’t been open for long, but it’s already proven a big hit with travellers, expats and locals alike. This is arguably the finest sports viewing venue in the city. We went on the night of a critical World Cup qualifying match and the place was booked solid. Eleven LCDs are strategically placed throughout the pub, 12 types of beer are on tap and the fare is familiar, delicious and reasonably priced. We joined a group of rowdy Brits in the football room and had a splendid time. Live music goes from 21:00 - 01:00 Thursday Saturday. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00. PALEGKX Naturlih Pub B-4, B.Khmelnyts’koho 3, MTeatral’na, tel. (+380) 44 279 79 29, www.naturlih.com.ua. The most striking feature of Naturlih is it amazing selection of draft beer - one of the grandest we’ve come across in Kyiv. Have the barman pull you a top German, Dutch, Czech, English, Belgian, Irish or local brewski, then sit back and watch the bustling hordes hike up historic Khmel’nts’koho street from the cosy view inside. The pub/restaurant offers scrumptious menu items to go with the suds including German style sausages, pasta, pizza and classy euro dinner items. The spacious halls and laid-back atmosphere are conducive for conversations. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 06:00. PJAGXW
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Kyiv Nightlife Scene Kyiv is much more of a club city than a bar town. There is a bar and club scene at the heart of the city centre, but don‘t be surprised if you encounter more of your own countrymen than Ukrainians in these establishments. It can be difficult to find an empty table on weekends, especially when many popular expatriate hangouts offer drink specials at peak hours. On weekends and holidays, the main street of Khreschatyk is closed to automobile traffic, making it Kyiv‘s most active scene for nightlife, people-watching, or a casual stroll. For something a little more active and exciting, jazz and techno dance clubs are just as busy now as any time of the year. If you are familiar with the club scene in other parts of Europe, you will feel at home with the loud atmosphere, overpriced drinks, and relatively high entrance fees of Kyiv’s nightclubs. A few differences you might note are the availability of hookah (Middle Eastern flavoured tobacco), professional dance or model shows, and it is socially acceptable for men to dance with each other. Guys, be wary of the young, attractive women some clubs hire to entice foreign men to spend money on champagne, overpriced dinners and drinks.
Pivbar Beer & Beef C-4, Globus Shopping Mall - 2nd part, MMaidan Nezalezhnosti, tel. (+380) 99 044 33 34, www.piv-bar.com.ua. This is a great beer bar right in the centre of town with room for 200. There are all sorts of beer - the specialty being beer in a jar with a dry-salted fish to accompany it. They have a great limited menu - the special is their assorted grill – unlimited meat for just 139Hr. Definitely worth it! On Friday there is a DJ, and Saturday and Sunday there is a live rock group. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. PAW Radio Bar A-5, H-3, Rustaveli 12, MPalats Sportu, tel. (+380) 44 383 21 21. It is not called Radio Bar to be cool or chic, but because it actually is used to broadcast live programs on Kyiv Europa Plus 107FM. It is located in a basement not far from Palace Sport Metro Station and holds around 180 people. There is live music most nights from 20:00. They have a great cocktail list, and lots of beer. The limited menu offers Italian type food, pasta & pizza and tasty burgers too! Burgers run about 72 Hr and a complete meal will run around 150 Hr. QOpen 10:00 - 12:00. PAEGW Sunduk C-3, I-2, Mykhailivs’ka 16, MMaidan Nezalezhnosti, tel. (+380) 44 279 14 65. The main features of this classic pub are the pleasant wooden interior and bill transactions made via a treasure chest. In spite of a noticeable attempt to copy Western styles in the interior, the music is very Eastern. The dishes and drinks listed on the menu are not necessarily present in the kitchen. Nevertheless, if you plan to arrive after 18:00, it would be better to reserve a table beforehand and prepare for being consumed by cigarette smoke even in the room for non-smokers. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. PAE Trolleybus Pub B-4, H-2, Prorizna 21, MZoloti Vorota, tel. (+380) 44 279 34 34, www.trallebus.com. It’s more than a pub-restaurant; it’s a shrine to “trolley buses”! It’s not far from the “Golden Gate” and contains memorabilia galore along with old photos of trolley buses and depicting the glorious days of the Soviet Union. There is also a display of “carpet paintings” and lots of souvenirs. There is seating for 100 which includes a covered terrace and a VIP section. The cuisine is Ukrainian and European with the speciality being their “hot pots”, lots of different beer, and a large selection of cocktails. An average meal will run around 100Hr. There is a business lunch weekdays from 12:00-15:00 for just 45Hr. QOpen 07:00 - 02:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 02:00. PGXW Winter 2013 - 2014
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