As my adventures through Ukraine continued in the city of Kyiv, I set out on another incredible food adventure! Join me as I take you with me to have Slavic Ukrainian food at a secret restaurant in Kyiv, Ukraine!
My latest adventure in Kyiv began at 7 p.m., when Margarita from Tours by Locals and I made our first stop at Kedy Mystetstvoznavtsya, a local pub on Baseina Street. Right inside the door is a gift shop with craft beer.
Downstairs is a rustic modern bar where they have 24 beers on tap and a wall of beers, as well as a screen with all the available beers on it. It’s a very artsy pub, very different from the ones in Ireland, with lots of plants and several rooms. Reserved tables are marked by a special Converse sneaker that they put on the table! They also have an old-school industrial-style kitchen with a unique sink.
Back in the bar, I ordered a flight of beer that included a Mexican pilsner, a New England IPA, a Double Trouble IPA, a Sour Beer, and a Porter. The Mexican pilsner was citrusy, light, and tangy, while the New England IPA was both crisp and smooth, and very sessionable. The Double IPA was dank and bitter, and the sour was nice and easy to drink and a nice, fruity palate cleanser.
The porter had a chocolate and caramel-like flavor and was my favorite! It’s the only one that wasn’t from Kyiv. It’s from northeastern Ukraine! Best of all, the placemat is a chart that shows the different types of beers made from top fermentation and bottom fermentation! Next was a smoky Imperial Stout and a sweet Imperial Stout. We followed that with a Sour Blackberry Black Currant IPA that was hoppy, fruity, and sour.
Kedy Mystetstvoznavtsya’s beer prices during the day start off low at a set price and get higher as the day goes on until they hit the high set price. The staff is amazing and super friendly. They gave me a bottle of their exclusive limited-edition cider to take with me!
After leaving, we headed back out down Khreshchatyk Street, the main boulevard in town, through Bessarabska Square, a popular area for parties and nightlife. This area is closed to traffic on the weekends. The boulevard is lined with historical buildings. My Airbnb was along the street, so there are also residential buildings, government buildings, and even a mall. There were even b-boys breakdancing there!
Then, we reached Maidan Nezalezhnosti Square, which is the Independence Square. It commemorates the Revolution of Glory of 2014-2015.
People ran against the former President to protect the values of democracy, freedom, self-expression, and the end of corruption. It started off peaceful but ended with violence and bloodshed. The President then fled to Russia.
Next, we headed into the largest underground passage. It’s a large, underground mall and a great place to warm up in winter. It reminded me of the underground malls I visited in Warsaw.
Then, we arrived at Ostannya Barykada, a secret restaurant in Kyiv, Ukraine. It’s an underground pub and restaurant where you need a secret password to get in! Only locals know it, so you need to visit with a local to get in. Inside at sculptures of hands on the walls, each of which symbolizes one year that Ukraine was under the control of the former Soviet Union.
The restaurant’s name translates to “The Last Barricade.” Images on the walls document the 2014-2015 revolution, as it’s both a restaurant and museum. They only serve Ukrainian drinks and food, and the seats along the bar move!
The ruins of the foundation of the thousand-year-old Old Gate are also there. They date back to the founding of the city.
In their private dining hall, we had some burrata, other cheeses, oysters, Chicken Kyiv, and banush. Everything was local except the oysters. The oysters were briny and the cheeses came with honey, which is huge in Ukraine. I loved it! I loved the spicy cheese!
Next was the burrata with tomatoes and arugula, which was super fresh. The chicken Kyiv was crispy and moist, with lots of butter and herbs inside. Meanwhile, the banush came with bacon and looked like fluffy eggs. It’s similar to creamy polenta and was very thick and cheesy.
Then, at the bar, we had the specialty of the house, The Last Barricade. The drink comes with a block of ice engraved with the restaurant’s logo. It was very fruity and the absinthe in it was strong! It was almost midnight by the time we finished!
I hope you liked coming with me to have Slavic Ukrainian food at a secret restaurant in Kyiv, Ukraine! If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment below. Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell so you don’t miss any of my travel/food adventures around the world!
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