Diificult to find, just go through the archway at 44 and you’ll find the door on the left. A super venue with live music on most evenings. Usually a small entrance cover. Food is cheap and cheeful

Buddha bar

Kreschatyk

 Recently opened Kiev branch of the ever growing chain of Budhha bars. It has attracted the moneyed and poseur element in Kiev. Expensive drinks and expensive food with large minimum deposits required for tables means it has also attracted the seedier element of Kiev girls

Erics  Bierstube
Krasnoarmyiska 20a

Again like most of the chain, difficult to find. Just turn in through the archway beside McDonalds and you’ll see it on the right. It has an upstairs “terrrrace area” but the real atmosphere is downstairs in the cellar area.

The Wall
Bessarabka Square 2, Kiev

Themed on the Pink Floyd album of that name, The wall serves good food and drinks at reasonable prices. Shares the same entrance and management as the Japanese restaurant 7 Samurai

Sunduk
Mikhailivska 16, Kiev

A cool hangout close to maidan square. Pefect for casual meetings.

Dockers
Bogatyrska 9, Kiev

Although not in the centre, Dockers can really kick off with live music and dancing on tables. A small entrance cover when there’s live music happening which is most nights.

Dockers ABC
Khreshatyk 15, LG Passage

Difficult to find although bang in the centre. Walk up the road called Passage beside double coffee on Kreschatyk and it’s on the right before the archway. Downstairs and spacious, it has live music most nights with a good clientele

 
Viola’s
Shevchenko Blvd. 1

Popular among ex-Pats. Violas is another celllar style venue. Cheap but good food and drinks, it fills up most evenings at about 6pm with the after office crowd.

 
O’Briens
Mikhaylyvska 17a, Kiev, 279 1584
The original Irish bar, O’Briens fills up most evenings and especially during the rugby and football seasons. 100m from Maidan square. There’s a no-smoking area which is rare in Kiev.

Golden Gate
Volodymyrska 40/2, Kiev
Another Irish bar showing all the football and sport, Golden gate is where it says it is-Golden gate.

 
Arena Beer bar

Basseyna 2A, Kiev

Famous for visiting businessmen looking for a quiet beer, Arena is a complex with several floors. It brews it’s own beer and shows the sports on several TV’s scattered around the very large room.

Summer time means open air but there are currently very few open air cafes in the centre. Double coffee on Kreshatyk enjoys a super location and boasts 2 outdoor areas. Perfect for watching the world go buy on a lazy summers day.

Beside Arena city on Krasnoaarmisska St is Coffee time where you can sit outside on a specially built terrace or out back in their cafe garden. Prices are reasonable and the coffee is good. They also have a wide choice in teas.

The last few years has seen an explosion of quality restaurants in Kiev.