Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Ukraine

  • Lviv – Puzata Hata

    This restaurant is part of a small local chain where diners collect their food from a buffet counter which offers a wide choice of Ukrainian dishes.

    Part of the salad section. The staff spoke only a limited amount of English, so it was a matter of pointing at the food to order. The portion size is strictly measured, so it’s either a certain number of a particular food item (such as three meatballs), or they weigh some of the other dishes to ensure consistency (such as the potatoes).

    I have no idea what a lot of the items were, some looked rather more appetising than others. There were several of these counters all stocked up with food.

    I went for meatballs, potatoes and a ham salad type thing. And that Ukrainian staple of Fanta. The meatballs and potatoes could have been hotter, but the meatballs were excellent and had a real depth of flavour. The presentation clearly isn’t great, but for the money it represented good value.

    This selection cost just over £2, so it isn’t an expensive dining option. The temperature of the food does though appear to be a problem for the restaurant as it surfaces in quite a lot of reviews. Customers also have to wait in line with their food waiting to pay, which gives another opportunity for the food to cool down further.

    After the main meal, I went back once more looking for desserts….

    The apple pie, which cost 60p. Perhaps ideally this could have been served hot, but it again tasted of a good quality and the pastry was light, with lots of apple inside.

    The dining environment was comfortable and was designed to have an historic and slightly elegant feel to it. Trays were collected promptly by staff and the restaurant seemed popular with locals, although it appears that it’s even busier at lunch-times.

  • Lviv – Varka

    Centrally located is this Varka, an on-trend bar specialising in craft beer. It’s just celebrated its second birthday and is one of the better reviewed bars in Lviv.

    The menu board. I only needed to read down to imperial stout to know which I’d be having. But, an interesting selection.

    The imperial stout cost around £1.50 for the large size, which is no doubt rather high for Lviv, but it’s a premium beer and would cost a lot more in the UK. Indeed, given my experiences of Brighton last week, it certainly cost a lot more in the UK.

    Anyway, the stout was decent, a nice rich taste and it was at the appropriate slightly chilled temperature. Personally I think the head was served too high though. Although it didn’t affect the taste, it did impact a little negatively on the presentation.

    The interior of the bar which was modern, whilst still reflecting the historic nature of the building that it’s in. The environment was comfortable with the music only noticeable in the background so that it didn’t dominate the proceedings.

    The service was friendly and helpful, although the bar seemed quiet and numerous other reviews also noted that. Perhaps the bar is just a little ahead of its time, I’m sure that Lviv in a few years will have a lot of craft beer bars just like this one. Hopefully anyway….