Kiev is a huge city with a young population. The city is rife with trendy bars, from art-centric locales to high-end cocktail lounges. Its nightlife and drinking culture can boldly compete with Berlin parties. Planning a trip to Ukraine? It’s high time to explore the ten best bars in Kiev.
Pink Freud
Cocktail Bar, Contemporary, $$$
Visit this bar to discover the wide range of the world’s famous cocktails, as well as signature ones. The interior hides interpretations of Freud in various portraits, which will give you a sign that you’ve come to the right destination – Pink Freud. The menu is divided into four chapters: sweet, sour, strong, and refreshing cocktails. Thus, it is easy to make a right decision. Inside the building, there is also a kitchen, just in case you get hungry while partying.
A place with Spanish cuisine is an interesting combination of cocktail and wine culture. The menus for both are separate, and the choice is vast. The must-try cocktails are the Hemingway Daiquiri with lemon mix and grapefruit juice, Dos Hermanos with passionfruit, and Celery Pilot with basil. Drinks are usually followed by tapas, which look like works of art, and there are vegetarian options. During the weekend the chic atmosphere is pumped up with live music or local DJs.
In 1892, Anton Chekhov wrote “Ward No.6,” a short story about an asylum, which later became the inspiration for this underground bar. Here, waitresses wear nurse outfits, and drinks are served in test tubes and syringes. It’s famous in Kiev for the “helmet” cocktail: the bartender hands out helmets to a group, sets them on fire, and then hits participants on the head as they drink. It’s not as dangerous as it sounds. Though difficult to find – its entrance is an unmarked door in an apartment block – the bar is very popular, perhaps thanks to affordable prices, even by Kiev standards.
Kiev has a lot of underground bars but also places towering above the city like b-hush bar. The view is absolutely spectacular and the place has done its utmost to enhance it by installing panoramic windows and a summer terrace. It’s worth seeing at least once, especially at sunset. Apart from that, the higher quality that sets this exquisite cocktail and hookah lounge apart from the usual Kiev bars is also thanks to its location on the roof of the Intercontinental Hotel.
Looking for a pleasant atmosphere, high-quality cocktails, and a central location? The Bar is exactly what you need. Being situated in the entertainment complex Arena City in the heart of Kiev, the spot has parties every day and welcomes customers up to six o’clock in the morning. The Bar is one venue from the chain, along with The Cake and The Burger, that occupies the ground floor. There’s also a free photo booth inside, so that you can capture the moment and bring memories with you back home.
Budu Pozzhe can be translated as “I’ll be back later.” That means that drinks are so good that customers don’t want to leave the place. The bar specializes in traditional cocktails with unchangeable ingredients. The menu consists only of 12 drinks, ten classics and two signature libations. There is no nameplate on the front door – that’s why Budu Pozzhe bar is always full of regulars or those who stumble in completely by accident.
Kiev city has a lot of secrets. One of them is Loggerhead Bar. It begins with an unnamed door in a dark courtyard. By the door, there is a bell, and behind the door, an iron pin with a ball at the end – the loggerhead – which mixologists use to dissolve sugar into the drinks. In order to get in, one needs to guess the password. Once inside, you are introduced to the world of unexpected flavor combinations and a live jazz club.
The only bar in Kiev that has been keeping the status quo for many years now, Parovoz Speak Easy is always crowded and happens to be an engine of bar culture in Ukraine. It has its own school for barmen (Parovoz Mixology Course), which promotes the idea of a harmonious conjunction of inspiring drinks and speakeasy ambience. The Chocolate Old Fashioned and Rum Zombie are first cocktails to try. Despite the emphasis on the culture of drinking, the bar also has a kitchen with various kinds of pasta, fish, and meat dishes, and hot appetizers.
A food and party place from the creators of Milk Bar in Kiev. An incredibly popular place, the name of which is decoded as hotDogs and cockTails. In contrast to most bars, there are no classic cocktails on the menu, since the barman is sure that everyone should have already tried those before. Instead, there are twists, often prepared with ingredients made in-house – including tinctures, syrups, and fruit purees.
A little outside the center, and thus very much off the beaten path, Solomyanska Brovarnya is the go-to pub for trying local beer. This spacious establishment focuses on helping patrons enjoy their beer, instead of merely ordering the same famous brand every time. Start with the dégustation set, consisting of a small assortment of six beers, and then move on to a pint or three of whichever tasted best. They also have a location in the city center, which is more touristy and a lot easier to access for travelers.
