In recent years, Ukrainian society has been facing the question of what to do with the Soviet legacy. Architecture, monuments, posters, and even food establishments. In the minds of most modern Ukrainians, everything Soviet is considered to be outdated, clumsy and chimerical, in contrast to the cherished culture of the West. However, many foreign visitors to our country want to see this difference between the cultures and ideologies of the last century, and the request for the so-called ‘’Eastern Europe aesthetic‘’ is still very popular. As a result of a certain reflection and rethinking of the Soviet cultural heritage, Ukrainians are beginning to treat this heritage with more care and attention, and we offer you our selection of places where you can experience this unique post-Soviet atmosphere.
We offer you a selection of places to feel this unique post-Soviet atmosphere even in such a modern city as Lviv.
Penguin
43 Svobody Avenue | Everyday 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
In the very center of the city, near the Opera House, a Soviet-era café with the telling name "Penguin" has been preserved as a sort of relic. The name was not chosen by chance, as the place originally specialized in ice cream. It is said that the cafe has been operating since 1960. The interior is a bizarre mix of 90s and Soviet-era interiors. The floor is grey tiles with black patterns. The atmosphere inside is somewhat dark. On the shelves are boxes of sweets, chocolates, bottles of mineral water, vodka and cognac with cardboard price tags. They still sell ice cream with fruit syrup and chocolate sprinkles, and make milkshakes (whipped with a special mixer in tall metal glasses). Although the assortment and prices have changed since the Soviet era, the interior and level of service have remained pretty much the same. To experience all the “charms” of Soviet service, there is no better place to go!
Pyrizhkova
4 Slovatskoho St. | Everyday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
"Pies, coffee, tea, milk" - this is the sign that greets us on the facade of the next place. "Pyrizhkova" on Slovatskoho Street was opened in 1962. Now you can buy authentic Ukrainian street food through the window and explore the city further with a pyrizhok in hand, or sit inside the cosy restaurant and enjoy your meal at a table without hurrying. Pyrizhkova bakes over 20 types of buns and pies. Currently, there are baked goods with cabbage, potatoes and mushrooms, green onions and eggs, sweet and plum, and original cheesecakes, a little bit of everything. The place has remained quite popular for so many years, especially among students and workers who drop in for a tasty and very cheap snack.
Cafe-bar “Nadiya”
2 Slovatskoho Street | Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday - day off
We've already talked about this place in our previous selection, but the “Nadiya” cafe-bar really deserves attention. The interior is in the spirit of the 90s and 00s, good price-quality ratio and friendly service with a soul! The popular Ukrainian youth singer Palindrome even wrote a song about this place, and you can sometimes find him here, as well as other young Ukrainian performers. Stepan Palindrome was so keen to preserve the authentic interior of the cafe-bar that he even paid for the renovation with the same furniture!
Grill-bar “Express-grill”
5 Knyazya Svyatoslava Square | Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
In the 90s and until about the first half of the 2010s, grilled chickens were very popular in Ukraine. This dish was a real Ukrainian fast food, but now the demand for it has dropped significantly, and places like this one have almost disappeared. This grill bar has been open since 1991, when Ukraine became independent, and still is. The interior here hasn't changed much since then either, as if time has been conserved here. The grilled chickens here may not always be perfect, but they are real! As is the tradition of all the places we've mentioned, they also sell fairly cheap alcohol, which attracts the right kind of people to such places.
Here is a selection of the best atmospheric places of the post-Soviet era in the centre of Lviv. Similar places have been preserved in some ordinary residential areas of our city, but this is a topic for a separate publication. See you at lviv.travel!
