Summertime and the Living is Beery
Now that summer has (at last) arrived and we are (at last) allowed to move about with more freedom, what better way to pass time than drinking a beer at an outdoor terrace and enjoying the views and sights and sounds of Kyiv? Nope, none better? OK, let’s have a look at where to do this in that case. The classic, the new pretender, and the best.
The classic is, of course, Chateau. It always has been and it always will be. Located right on Kyiv’s main drag Chateau is the ideal place for people watching and that is especially so on weekend days when there’s plenty of people to be watching. Though common practice nowadays is to be physically distanced, you will still see many families enjoying Kreshatyk and strolling about. They brew their own beer on site and offer silver gold and platinum versions, as the metal gets more expensive so the alcohol content goes up.
The newbie on the list is Balmelli, though the footflow here is not heavy the place itself is very nice and it may be the place to see and be seen by the incrowd. Located in a sun trap of a courtyard just off Rohnidynska Street, this place has a comfortable vibe helped along by mellow tunes and a very affordable menu of reasonable European eats. Try the baked camembert.
The best, you maybe have never heard of it. If that is so you may have a left bank phobia or you have just led a sheltered life, but the best outdoor beer venue in Kyiv has to be Lysopylka. And it is the best for several very good reasons. This is the home of the now famous Varvar craft beer brand, the very brewery where their variety of superb beers are created, meaning that there’s a super choice of at least 8 or 10 beers on draft to suit any palette. It is also the best place because the food is outstanding. The ribs are as good as or better than the best a US restaurant could offer. And The best because their outdoor seating and lounging area is huge. It’s also really not that far away from the centre, in a cab it’s no more than 7 minutes from the Metro Bridge. Go see what you’ve been missing out on.
