6 Best Restaurants in Ukraine

Housed in a complex with a banquet hall, a kids' club, and a karaoke area, Nairi is a homey but modern multi-room restaurant. There are several dining areas, including a pretty two-story terrace gazebo flanked by an ivy-covered wall on one side and wrought-iron railings on the other for al fresco dining in summer. The menu features a wide variety of salads and primarily meat and seafood dishes—think veal with pomegranate sauce, and pike served with spinach. There's also a great dessert menu with a heavy focus on rich cakes; don't miss the restaurant's own take on Austria's beloved Sacher Torte.

A good spot to try Ukrainian food, Pervak offers a large selection of popular local specialties in amusingly kitschy surrounds. This funkily decorated spot has a vintage theme, with a hodgepodge of old photos on the walls and child-size dolls on swings suspended from the ceilings. Waitresses garbed in traditional attire serve up Ukrainian favorites ranging from potato pancakes with pork fat to specially prepared eel, and there’s a great selection of beer and vodka to wash it all down.

Popular with the urban lunchtime crowd, Zeppelin is a reliable choice for traditional Ukrainian food. The dark interiors feel cozy, if kitschy, with a mix of wooden walls and ceilings in one section and bright-red walls and carpeting in another. The menu is solid and features a wide variety of Ukrainian specialties, including some vegetarian dishes. The extensive breakfast menu has a huge assortment of pancakes (served with toppings such as cherries and brandy with sour cream, or red caviar) and if you’re willing to wait until after 8 am to eat, you can get a 20 percent discount on your bill.

Housed in the Frederic Koklen Boutique Hotel, this café attracts plenty of people who are not hotel guests, who come for its large breakfast buffets and smaller lunch/dinner menu of meat, seafood, and wine. The ground-floor spot is classically elegant, with a dark-wood bar, wine-colored sofas, and crystal chandelier lighting, but is far from stuffy. Make sure to ask about the chef's list of seasonal specials, which often includes local dishes not easily found outside of Odessa.

This popular eatery (reputedly the best in town) offeres cheap, tasty, typical Ukrainian dishes. It's worth exploring as a true local experience, but be warned: The place can be so packed at lunchtime in summer that you need to line up just to get in.

This upscale restaurant was designed to resemble a 19th-century village. The menu features traditional country dishes such as borscht and varenyky (dumplings), as well as a selection of fish and seafood. The place is busy and sometimes may dictate some patience before your order arrives (you do get a snack and a shot of local vodka while you are waiting, though).