The Best Cafés in Lviv

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In Lviv Handmade Chocolate, the chocolate is prepared according to ancient recipes. There is a huge variety of sweets, dried fruits covered in chocolate, and coffee drinks with sugary syrups. Once you get there, it is impossible to leave. The café is a true heaven for a sweet tooth. Moreover, they also sell books from the local publishing house called Vydavnytstvo Starogo Leva. So, why not combine business with pleasure and have a cup of signature hot chocolate with nuts while flipping the pages of a artsy book?

Lviv Galician Cheese Cake and Strudel Bakery, or Lvivski Plyatski, was the first place in Ukraine to specialize in syrnyky (cottage cheese pancakes) and strudels. There you can create a dish depending on your taste preferences. For breakfast or lunch, order some savoury plyatski (Galician word for homemade cakes) with salmon, meat, or vegetables. Choose smetana (sour cream) as a sauce. Meanwhile, for a dessert, there is a vast choice of sweet fillings: cherry, apple, or poppy.

This café’s mysterious ambiance and aromatic coffee are extremely popular among locals and tourists. It was opened in 2004 and since that time the place is always crowded. The peculiar feature of Zolotyy Dukat is its extraordinary interior: mirrored ceiling and muted lighting. The owners of Zolotyy Dukat claim that fresh coffee tastes differently. Therefore, visitors can watch 40 types of fresh coffee being made in the open kitchen.

Under the Golden Rose is a café of Jewish and Galician cuisines. It is located in the historical Jewish quarter of Lviv, near the destroyed synagogue called the Golden Rose. The venue creates the atmosphere of the warmth and hospitality of a traditional Jewish house. But the most interesting part is that there are no prices on the menu, which gives an opportunity to visitors to bargain with waiters about the ordered dishes after billing.

This place is the first Ukrainian museum-restaurant, which contains a large collection of kerosene lamps that were invented in Lviv in 1853. The building occupies three floors of the house, where more than 200 illumination devices are exhibited. Drinks are served in glass flasks, and instead of a “reserved” sign, waiters put a canister on the table. The Gas Lamp is a charming place for lunch or dinner, where visitors can not only eat delicious meals or have drinks but also learn more about the history of Lviv lamps.

This small café started in 1999. Nowadays, it has three rooms. The first room has a show-window, where you can choose confectionaries, while two other halls have tables for visitors. The interior is made in the local tradition of striped wallpapers, Viennese chairs with cushions, lace tablecloths, and decorations on the shelves. The name of the café speaks for itself, as the pastries and sweets (cukierky in Ukrainian) buffet is so huge that it is impossible to try everything at once. The takeaway option is a useful way around this.

This café has a remarkable interior, which differs from most venues in Lviv. There is a lot of space here—three rooms and a hall with a bar counter, as well as high ceilings. The place uses a proprietary mixture of grains, the proportions of which have been kept in secret for many years. The menu offers sandwiches, toasts, and desserts. The Glory Café has quick service, perfect to have a snack and then enjoy the architecture of the city.

Bubble Waffle in Lviv is the first franchise network that started to offer to Ukrainians. Each waffle consists of 30 balls, which are filled with delicious fillings, savory or sweet. The café specializes in freshly baked waffle dough, prepared according to the signature recipe. The dish is delicious and nourishing. Of course, the venue serves drinks: espresso and beverages based on it.

Dzyga café in Lviv is definitely a legendary place for artistic people, curious tourists, and local bohemians. Dzyga usually hosts a lot of artistic expositions. The interior fosters the atmosphere, as the venue is decorated in the style of ancient Lviv at the beginning of the 20th century. The café has four halls, a souvenir shop, and a beautiful summer terrace. Dishes are served according to the recipes of Galician and European cuisines. It’s a nice place to have breakfast or to pop in for a cup of coffee.