My 24 Hours in Kyiv

The best spot to begin your perfect 24 hours in Kyiv is the café Milk Bar. They serve the best breakfast here and, of course, milkshakes. I personally always go for avocado with poached egg, toast, tahini spread and fresh tomatoes – yum! But everything else is great too, so you may have a hard time choosing.

When you’re all finished, just head out and start discovering the city. Kyiv is crazy beautiful in every season – I swear – but my favourite time here is spring. It’s not as hot as it is in the summer and you can spend hours on end just strolling through the city.

One of my favourite places in Kyiv, and a spot where I could spend days, is the platform of contemporary art, the PinchukArtCentre. There is always something new happening here and it’s always exciting, even if you’re visiting for the thousandth time.

Inside the art centre you can find the wonderful café ONE LOVE Coffee. I really dig this place and their artistic, mainly white interior is just too cool! Go ahead and peruse the free art and culture books lying around as you sip on one of their absolutely delicious latte macchiatos.

The neighbourhood which best represents Kyiv as an old city is the charming district of Podil. When you’re done strolling through its streets and have taken enough pictures, make your way to the café Call Me Cacao. Their interior is really cool and they offer a huge variety of different types of cocoa. The staff is incredibly friendly, too. I love to lounge there by the windowsill, drinking my lavender cocoa and watching the people go by.

After all this coffee and cocoa it’s definitely time for some food. When it comes to restaurants, there is none I can speak more highly of than Vero Vero. Their summer terrace is the most beautiful in the entire city and it’s simply a gorgeous place — fountains and flowers everywhere. Whenever I’m here it feels like time just stops. My recommendation: order the delicious risotto, a glass of wine, and enjoy. On weekends, I usually visit one of the food festivals of Ulichnaya Eda, where you can taste street food from almost every part of our country – not only a culinary, but also a cultural learning experience. The themes of the festival always change, so you will never get bored.

Content and well-rested, I’m up for some shopping now. Kyiv has a lot of different shopping centres but my favourite is TSUM Kyiv. I always manage to find what I’m looking for here. A great store for checking out some local brands is Vsi.Svoi.Store. The Ukrainian brands they have in store here can compete with French, Italian and US, for sure.

When the sun goes down, cocktail hour is upon us! The bar scene is so diverse throughout the city of Kyiv that getting to know everything it has to offer would definitely take you more than 24 hours. But you have to start somewhere, so let’s begin with my favourite bar: Naïve. This place could best be described in two words: girl’s paradise. It’s stylish, it’s pink, and they have an eclectic selection of delicious cocktails. When you’re looking for a night full of gossip and champagne with your girls, you go to Naïve.

Another essential bar is the Parovoz Speak Easy. Not only do they serve great drinks, but their food is pretty awesome, too. Moreover, this place is located in the basement of a cinema, which means you can watch a movie and head downstairs to the bar afterwards – perfect! A place where a lot of locals meet and party is Closer, where you can dance to cool DJ tunes or listen to some wonderful jazz, but most of all: enjoy every moment!

Kyiv is a city of unbelievable parties and endless nights, so don’t be surprised if you make it home after sunrise.