10 Kiev Bars to Relax — Nightlife in Ukraine
Of course, crowds can be very different — you can come with a noisy group of friends, with colleagues to enjoy work party, or go to relax with your beloved on Saturday night. And there are also those who like having rest on their own. That’s why we made a list of 10 Kiev Bars to relax and experience Nightlife in Ukraine. In the very end it does not matter who you are with; the outcome of the evening is important — a small respite in the noisy city.
Dogs & Tails bar
This bar is the brainchild of Milk Bar team — the place has opened a year earlier and has already become one of Kiev’s favorite spots. However, the concept of this bar is a completely different story. The main feature is a truly American spirit mixed with Ukrainian history. The bar is located in the former “Kinopanorama” building, which was built in 1922. Designers even preserved here parts of the stucco and fragments of the “native” ceiling. The American things in the bar are the menu and serving of meals. Only here you can try those famous American hot dogs and twists. The bar team specially designed the menu, taking as a basis not only the most famous American recipes, but also the less famous ones — regional ones. Initially, there were 11 items in the menu, but you can choose meat for each burger or hot dog: chicken, pork or beef. Also here you can try the “sunny side” — a meal that includes scrambled eggs. In addition, the names of meals will also surprise you: “interesting egg” or “blue caviar” (from eggplant)! Serving is also American. If you ordered a hot dog and whiskey or gin, they will bring you the whole bottle so you can quench your thirst properly. But keep your temper; alcohol can harm your body. However, in Dogs & Tails it is Bloody Mary that is the main cocktail and at the same time the icon; in addition to tomato juice and vodka, they also add coriander, quail egg, and Tabasco sauce. Don’t worry about your wallet — 330 ml of Bloody Mary cocktail costs 110 UAH.
I’ll Be Later Bar (Budu Pozje Bar)
You know, there are people you always have something to talk about. And there are those you have something to drink with. In our lives philosophy is everywhere — from lectures at the institute to meetings in the bar. But if you really indulge in existentialism or self-discovery, then only in a cozy “I’ll Be Later” bar. Because, no matter how intelligent your interlocutor is, one can talk about the theory of relativity or analytical psychology of Carl Jung only when drunk. This is what this bar exists for — smart talk, intellectual disputes, and simply for big and warm meet-ups. Only creative people could have opened a bar with such a concept. That’s right — the owners of the bar are Valery Neumann and Dima Gavrish, journalist and photographer in the past. The interior here is more than laconic — white walls and a rather simple cuisine. The cocktail card is same — there are 12 cocktails in the menu, 10 classic and 2 original. The most popular is Rose&Cardamon — with gin and pink liqueur, lemon and cardamom. The price for cocktails here is from 90 to 130 UAH, but the atmosphere is priceless!
Bottega Wine & Tapas
Bottega Wine & Tapas is a rather interesting place; its main concept is Spanish cuisine. In the menu there are three kinds of paella, salads, fish and seafood, desserts and more than 20 types of tapas — a Spanish snack for beer or any alcohol. You will say it is a sandwich, but no, in Bottega Wine & Tapas — it is a work of art; they offer it with fish, meat, and there are also vegetarian options. Naturally, with such delicious meals one must choose something from the cocktail card. And here comes the second benefit of this place — wine and cocktail menus are divided, and in the wine menu you will find alcohol with a price for one glass — this will not lead you astray and will not ruin your budget. In the cocktail card, there are three very popular cocktails — Continental Sour, made of the popular Jack Daniels whiskey, with lemon juice and bitter and served in a beautiful wine glass. Another cocktail is Hemingway Daiquiri, with rum, lemon mix and grapefruit juice. And the last bar masterpiece, which is very popular here is Moby Dick, which we hope is named so not in honor of the unhappy and lonely white whale. This cocktail is made of gin, dry vermouth, tabasco and sherry. The price of cocktails ranges from 125 to 170 UAH. In general, Bottega Bar is the place where you can feel like a Spaniard who came to the cool bar in summer heat for a glass of cold beer or refreshing cocktail.
Boutiquebar Biancoro
This bar is one of the oldest in Kiev (opened in 2008); it is the most Italian and the most cocktail. In addition to delicious cuisine and wine, it serves traditional Italian aperitifs, which allow you to adjust for dinner and rest. However, some argue that the main thing in Biancoro is cocktails. Almost every cocktail here is either completely original, or supplemented by a caring hand of the baristas — Irina Mashihina. However, here they serve not just cocktails, but arrange themed evenings to present separate alcoholic drink or a series of cocktails. Since 2010, sparkling festivals have been held in the Biancoro Bar, where they represent new brands of sparkling wines. In recent years, the wine houses of Taittinger, Billecart Salmon, Ferrari, Ca’del Bosco, Henriot, Bellavista, Nino Franco and Juvé y Camps have taken part in such festivals. Tha place also has a special feature of master classes on cocktail preparation, held by bar masters from abroad: Salvatore Calabrese, Dale DeGroff and other guests; the barista personally invites them to visit the Boutiquebar Biancoro Bar.
Parovoz Speak Easy Bar
Many Kievites, who are now slightly over 30, can say: “I spent my youth here”. This is true, because Parovoz bar, opened in 2002, is one of the oldest bars in Kiev. After the renovation in 2014, the bar updated the menu and cocktails, but the concept remained the same — it’s still a place where you can discuss news and problems, because the format of the bar is speakeasy; it is about the history of New York bars during the dry law. Each visitor can sit at the bar, which is the center of the place, and talk to the bartender about anything. Moreover, the bartenders here are rather keen fans of their work! All the staff here is fluent in English, as evidenced by the numerous reviews about the Bar in English. Despite the fact that Parovoz is first and foremost a bar, you can eat well here. You will find hot and cold appetizers, several types of homemade pasta, fish and meat in josper, and salads in the menu. For each dish they will help you choose a suitable drink or a cocktail. However, Mad Berry Punch cocktail made of mescal is especially popular here. The cocktail is made of Grand Marnier liquor, pineapple and lime fresh, chili syrup and berries. Foreigners especially like Old fashioned cocktail, and beer — light, wheat and dark. And if you try a cocktail here and get inspired by the art of the bartender, you should attend a course at the School of Mixology by the best Kiev bartenders.
Lost & Found Bar
Many people are waiting for tomorrow, start a new life on Monday and hope to become happy all their lives. They say: “I’ll work a little more, and I’ll open my bar.” This desire came true for the American-Ukrainian family of Adam Howell and Nina Antoshchenko — they opened their own bar, and it is rather special! Lost&Found Bar is a small cozy corner, the perfect place to hide from the city. Here you can order a cocktail and chat with the owner of the bar — Adam or sit alone on the porch. Cocktails are the main in the bar menu; their names are written directly on the wall at the bar counter. Many people advise to try Aperol Alexander cocktail, which is ideal for those who like sweets — lots of cream de cocoa, cream and, of course Italian appetizer aperol. You can also try The restraining order — a cocktail of tequila, aperol and celery bitter. The highlight of the bar, in addition to its owner, is that many cocktails are “guests” here — that is, from time to time the owner borrows their recipes from other establishments, thus updating the menu.
Hitchcook Bar
Having entered this bar, opened in July 2015, you can accidentally move in time. The Great Depression is about to happen, new cocktails are appearing, and the drinks that have become popular during the Dry Law are becoming classics. The interior of this bar is a journey to the cinema of the last century. The menu here is made in the form of a deck of cards; strange people in an Indian costume or as a nun sometimes come to the bar. The great director Alfred Hitchcock is immortalized here in cocktails, each belongs to different epoch — the roaring twenties, the “depressing thirtieth”, the “battle-fortieth” and of course the “swinging sixties”. Among other things, there are two more interesting points in the bar — take-out cocktails (and visitors of the cinema hall can even call the waiter and order anything they like) and cocktails made of sherry, which was once a favorite drink of aristocrats, and was later forgotten. Red & Stormy made of rum, ginger beer and sugar syrup is very popular here, and it is inexpensive — only 105 UAH. Also, in addition to “Bloody Mary”, “South Beach” and “Amaretto sour”, one can enjoy famous Cosmopolitan with citrus vodka, cranberry juice and lime juice; it costs 105 UAH. In general, the Hitchcook Bar can proudly bear the name of the famous director, because the idea of cinema is everywhere around there.
Pink Freud Bar
Once Sigmund Freud, philosopher, scientist and talented psychologist made a real breakthrough in science. And like every genius, he got followers, many of whom were also talented, like their idol, and most importantly — creative. And Pink Freud Bar proves that. To get to the place, you need to pass the arch its walls portraying Freud in various interpretations. It will take you to the indoor courtyard where you’ll see the fountain and bar in the center. The second bar is located inside the building, as well as the kitchen. If the atmosphere and the concept of the bar did not surprise you enough, then you should check the cocktail menu — here everything starting from the menu design and finishing with cocktail content is coming up personally by the barman of Pink Freud. Split personality cocktail is especially popular: citrus is mixed with Laphroaig whiskey; after this cocktail you gonna talk not only to other visitors but to yourself too.
The price of such a conversation is not big — only 120 UAH. Also try Tantric sex in Banniville: brandy is combined with a mix of fruits and herbs; it costs 120 UAH. We also recommend you to try the cocktail “We sat and hissed” made of tequila and strawberries. In general, be sure you will never forget Pink Freud Bar. And it does not matter if you danced, talked to yourself or maybe even hissed. Well, who cares?
BEEF bar 69
This bar is part of a large meat restaurant “Beef meat & wine” and it completely merges with its atmosphere. The main highlight of the bar is the longest bar counter in Kiev, and also 69 items in the bar menu. By the way, at the opening of the bar, the cost of cocktails also amounted to 69 UAH, but over time, the owners had to increase prices. Now all the drinks, from aperitifs to classical cocktails of the BEEF restaurant cost 169 UAH each. In addition to cocktails, you can also drink coffee, soft drinks and crafted beer in bottle for 109 UAH and beer from the famous Lowenbrau brand for 65–85 UAH, depending on the volume. Cocktails here are a real work of art, as they are cooked by barman Taras Onoshko, the best bartender of 2016 according to the Monin Cup contest. If you like classic cocktails, they offer Margarita, Cosmopolitan, Manhattan and many others. Also, twist cocktails are served here, for example — White Russian with a coffee liqueur or Maisy Dotes with Jamaican rum and apricot liqueur. It is the only one from the cocktail menu that costs 189 UAH. But it seems to us that you can give literaly anything for the Jamaican rum. In general, if you want to not relax, but relax in style, be sure to visit BEEF BAR 69.
Coyotе Ugly Bar
Contrary to the title, there is nothing ugly about this bar. Rather, on the contrary — if you are looking for a place where you can relax and have fun, you definitely need to visit this bar! This bar exists in more than 20 countries around the world. They regularly hold themed parties there — on New Year’s Eve there was Led Carnival, and on Halloween — Santa Muerte party. The trademark of the bar is their lovely (and not ugly at all) coyotes — dancers and PJs; each of them performs at various events that are organized here. The branded Body Shot is the most popular in the menu; this drink is famous for its unusual serving. These cocktails and shots are made personally by the coyotes, and then served on different parts of their bodies. You have to try it at least to become part of this riot. By the way, the price of such truly male pleasure is rather low — only 175 UAH, and they will make any cocktail and will serve it, let’s say, not only in their hands! Coyotе Ugly Bar declares — you have never been to Coyote Ugly Bar, if you did not try Body Shot.
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