Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps KYIV “In Your Pocket: A cheeky, well- written series of guidebooks.” The New York Times Winter 2011 - 2012 A weekend in Lviv Exploring and enjoying the most romantic city in Ukraine In Your Hands Updated, the only comprehensive guide to all Kyiv’s eateries, clubs, sights and much more № 47 www.inyourpocket.com CONTENTS The In Your Pocket app. with added GPS. Europe’s best city guides. The best places to eat, drink, see, sleep and experience could be metres away ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES CONTENTS 3 A weekend in Lviv 43 Exploring and enjoying the most romantic ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES city in Ukraine Sport & Leisure 46 Contents Skiing & other winter activities The Basics 5 Getting around Arriving in Kyiv, customs, visas Car rental 48 Public transport 50 Culture & Events 8 Kyiv rich culture celebrations Shopping 51 Where to find wide range of goods Where to stay 13 A fine selection of places to spend the night Lifestyle directory 52 Clinics, Dry cleaners, International schools Restaurants 22 Cafés 32 Business directory 54 Banks, accountants and lawyers Nightlife 33 Kyiv nightlife scene Adult entertainment 55 Sightseeing Maps & Index Essential Kyiv 36 City maps 57 Kyivo-Pechers’ka Lavra 39 Street register 61 Museums 40 Index 62 kyiv.inyourpocket.com Winter 2011 - 2012 4 FOREWORD ARRIVING IN KYIV Much to the Grinch’s delight, Christmas celebra- tions were officially banned during the Soviet era. The World of In Your Pocket Much to the Grinch’s dissatisfaction, contemporary Ukrainians are making up for lost Christmases by Northern Estonia celebrating twice: once on December 24 and of- Ireland Russia ficially on January 7. The good old habit of partying Ireland Latvia on New Year’s Eve is still alive and well, and if you happen to be in Kyiv, expect plenty of decorated Lithuania trees, massive firework displays and enough vodka to send Did Moroz (Grandfather Frost, a.k.a Santa Belarus Clause) to an early grave. Netherlands Poland Locals usually spend New Year’s Eve with family Germany Ukraine and friends eating massive portions of scrump- Czech tious festive dishes, exchanging presents and Republic partying until the sun comes up. Thousands are expected to join the traditional outdoor party on Austria Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), and Switzerland Slovenia Romania with hundreds of business owners already in place Croatia protesting the country’s new tax code, celebrations Bosnia Serbia at the capital’s main square should be extra special Bulgaria this year. Getting a table at a popular restaurant Montenegro Kosovo or club can be tricky - many have been booked FYR Macedonia for months - but don’t get discouraged, these Albania things have a magical way of working their way Greece out. According to local tradition, if you make a wish when the clock strikes twelve and then drink the champagne in your glass to the final drop, your wish It was a busy 2011 for In Your Pocket, with new will come true. guides published in Bulgaria (Veliko Turnovo), Christmas in Ukraine is officially celebrated on Netherlands (Tilburg, Utrecht, Amsterdam and January 7, the date designated by the Ukrainian Or- Sittard-Geelen), in Austria (Vienna), in Croatia thodox calendar. Festivities begin on Christmas Eve (Šibenik), in Switzerland (Zurich), Slovenia (Sviat Vechir) with Holy Supper (Sviata Vecheria). (Posavje) and in Belarus (Minsk); 2012 promises Family and friends come together to feast on an to deliver many more new Pockets. eye-popping, belly-busting assortment of no less The number of cities we cover has now climbed than 12 dishes including the mandatory Kuti - por- past 70, and the number of In Your Pocket guides ridge prepared with a special syrup of honey, grated published each year is approaching an amazing poppy seeds, raisins and walnuts. Enjoy! five million. To keep up to date, like In Your Po- cket on Facebook (facebook.com/inyourpocket) The In Your Pocket team would like to wish you or follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/inyourpocket). Z Novym Rokom (Happy New Year) and Z Rizdvom You can also now follow our tips on Foursquare (Merry Christmas)! (foursquare.com/inyourpocket). Editorial Copyright notice Editors & Writers Text and photos copyright Neolitas-KIS ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES 2003-2012. All rights reserved. No part Mike Voehringher, Natasha Martisova of this publication may be reproduced Publisher Research Tamara Granatkina in any form, except brief extracts for Layout & Design the purpose of review, without written Neolitas-KIS Ltd. Natasha Martisova, KIS Ltd. permission from the publisher and Nyzhnioyurkivs’ka 3, Suite 25 Photos © Kyiv In Your Pocket copyright owner. The brand name In Your Kyiv 04080, Ukraine Cover photo www.flickr.com Pocket is used under license from UAB tel./fax (+380) 44 467 78 20 In Your Pocket (Vokieciu 10-15, Vilnius, +380 67 977 44 16 Lithuania tel. (+370-5) 212 29 76. [email protected] Sales & Circulation Editor’s note Registration No. KB 7467 General Manager Andriy Chernyavsky © Neolitas-KIS Sales & Circulation The editorial content of In Your Pocket guides is independent from paid-for Printed by Litera Druk, Kyiv Kyiv advertising. Sponsored listings are Published 4 times per year Natasha Martisova, +380 67 977 44 16 clearly marked as such. We welcome all 60,000 copies annualy Lviv readers’ comments and suggestions. Julia Kaniuka, +380 67 672 44 97 We have made every effort to ensure Maps the accuracy of the information at the Odesa time of going to press and assume no © DNVP “Kartographiya”, 2012 Liubov Rogatinska, +380 95 683 82 57 responsibility for changes and errors. © Kyiv In Your Pocket, 2012 Kyiv In Your Pocket kyiv.inyourpocket.com ARRIVING IN KYIV 5 station. Telephone calls can be made by paying money By Bus at a window on the 2nd floor near the central station’s All international buses arrive at Kyiv’s central bus station escalators and then proceeding to the appropriate booth. (центральний автовокзал). The station is still waiting for its Coin-operated pay telephones are scattered throughout European renovations and sits like a hideous centrepiece on the building, while card-operated ones are mostly outside Kyiv’s most unsightly square, Moskovs’ka ploscha. A currency the central entrance. exchange office (обмін валют) is next to the main exit, and Getting to town You’re basically in it already, but short taxi just outside is an ATM (банкомат) that dispenses Ukrainian rides to Khreschatyk Street (Хрещатик) area cost 35Hr and hryvnia. If you need to stash your bags, a left-luggage office is up. The entrance to metro station Vokzal’na (Вокзальна) is available (open 06:00 - 11:00, 11:30 - 17:00, 17:30 - 22:00). to your left as you exit the central station - look for the green Getting to town Taxis are always on hand and can take you letter M. Khreschatyk is only three stops east on the red to the city centre for approximately 50Hr. A newly constructed line. Various trolleybuses, buses and minivans also depart Demiivs’ka metro station (blue line) is right near the bus sta- from the central station. Those with light bags and fresh legs tion. Just go round McDonalds’ building, pass a subway and can head down the main road and turn right at Shevchenko the metro entrance is on your right hand. Boulevard (бульв. Т.Шевченка), which runs into Khreschatyk. By Plane Taxis Boryspil State International Airport (Аеропорт Бориспiль) is where almost all international flights land and depart. The In Ukraine every car is a potential taxi - just hold your smaller Kyiv Zhulyani Airport (Аеропорт Київ Жуляни) is only arm out on any street if you don’t believe us. Metered 8km from centre and handles mostly domestic travel and Wiz- taxis don’t exist, so you’ll have to haggle over the price zAir flights from Europe. Located 34km east of Kyiv, Boryspil with your driver. Foreigners are fighting an uphill battle in is a small but modern facility. Ticketing agents, and passport getting a fair price, but be sure to settle on the amount and customs officials speak some English, so don’t worry if before getting in to avoid giving the impression of having you haven’t yet mastered Ukrainian or Russian. International bottomless pockets. Ordering a taxi by phone can help passengers now arrive and depart at two Terminals - B and you avoid surprises, as prices are usually fixed. constructed in 2010 Terminal F. Customs controls have been Express tel. (+380) 44 239 15 15, www.express- greatly relaxed in recent years, but it still makes sense to taxi.ua. travel light and pass through the green express line when arriving. If you need to connect to a local flight, a free shuttle Euro Taxi tel. (+380) 44 249 40 40. bus circulates between terminals F and A/B every 20 min. Feel Etalon tel. (+380) 44 501 55 01/502 54 54, www. like stretching your legs? Walk time to Terminal A, located 400 etalontaxi.com.ua. meters straight and to the right from Terminal F, is about 15 tel. (+380) 44 502 08 08/207 37 37, min. At Terminal A and B you’ll find currency exchange offices Limousine www.limuzintaxi.com/eng. (обмін валют), information, car rental offices, cafés, public telephones (see Mail & Phones), etc. Getting to town At the exit of the terminals you’re sure to be approached by cabbies. The 30-45 minute ride to centre assistance in ukraine assistance in ukraine assistance in ukraine assistance in ukraine assistance will set you back about 200-250Hr. Buses headed to Kyiv in ukraine leave from terminal B roughly every 30 minutes.