You can try Ukraine’s hippest cafés, coolest baristas and best hot chocolate in Lviv. My trip to Lviv not only got me high on caffeine, it also changed my view and altered any preconception I had about this former Soviet county.
Lviv is the largest city in Western Ukraine, barely 70km from the Polish border. Convenient train services connect Lviv with major Polish cities, making it the perfect extension of a road or rail trip around Poland.
The city escaped the biggest destructions of the Second World War. As a result, the city centre is packed with Austro-Hungarian history and beautiful architecture. Moreover, sitting in one of Lviv’s traditional cafés, sipping delicious kavy or creamy hot chocolate, feels like sitting in a posh Vienna neighbourhood.
I probably had much more caffeine in Lviv than the doctor allows. We tried out new cafés daily for breakfast, lunch and when the afternoon dip kicked in. This does mean though that I can present you with my selection of Ukraine’s hippest cafés and where to find them. Compared to Europe, the prices in all these cafés are low. As a bonus, they all have free wifi. This was very handy as roaming charges in Ukraine are steep.
Svit Kavy
Svit Kavy, next to the cathedral, is an iconic place in Lviv. The look and feel of this café takes you back to the Austro-Hungarian coffee houses of the 19th century. This café has a terrace as well as indoors seating spread over two floors. The old-fashioned, but cosy interior is decorated with old photographs, painting and coffee paraphernalia. Gorgeous, mouth-watering cakes and macaroons are on display.
The menu is varied and caters for all preferences. I had yogurt and a croissant, one friend had porridge and my other friend had eggs. Then we shared a huge waffle to finish. I didn’t appreciate this at the time, but finding a nice, plain butter croissant in Lviv is not easy as the local habit is to fill up croissants with all kinds of jam, fruits or chocolate spread. Svit Kavy is perfect for lunch too as they have soups and salads.
Mapa Café
Mapa café was right across from the entrance to our hostel and we had been eyeing up the food of the people on the terrace a few times. Mapa has got plenty of seating indoors and outdoors. The café doesn’t look very special, but the food didn’t disappoint.
We decided to pop in for lunch, having salads and soup. Of course, we had to end on a hot drink. Since I fancied something sweet, I opted for the hot chocolate instead of coffee. The hot chocolate at Mapa, was the thickest and creamiest I’ve ever had. It could easily have passed for a chocolate mousse dessert, as my spoon could literally stand up right in my cup. It was very good though. The chocolate was high on cocoa and rather bitter, so it didn’t feel like a sugar bomb. And cocoa is healthy, right?
Sowa Café
We stumbled on Sowa Café by accident when we were hungry and in desperate need of breakfast. I’m glad we did. Sowa has a very modern and sleek white interior, with green and yellow accents and lots of plants.
This café has a varied menu of sweet and savoury waffles as well as other items. I had a generous portion of yoghurt with fruits and granola followed by a waffle. The only disappointment was that they had run out of several ingredients, which limited options. The nice coffee, friendly staff and attentively prepared plates were enough to compensate for that little inconvenience.
Something Interesting (“Shos Tsikave”)
Something Interesting is in the first place a shop. A very nice shop too, selling jewellery, homeware and trinkets all made in Ukraine. We went in hoping to have breakfast, but the café offering at Something Interesting only covers drinks and seating at the bar. We returned later in the day for coffee and shopping, because the place looked so lovely. Besides a drink, I also picked up two pairs of earrings. I was so excited I didn’t even make any photos!
Lviv Coffee Mining Manufacture (“Lvivska Kopalnya Kavy”)
Lviv Coffee Mining Manufacture sits right on the main square. It’s touristy, it’s gimmicky and the staff love to sell. Also, it’s only place ever where someone put my table and my cup on fire and I was totally cool with it and savoured the result.
The layout of Lviv Coffee Mining Manufacture is complex. On the ground floor, you enter via a bookshop. Proceed to the back and you will find a nice self-service café with a light wooden interior. If you just want to sip a latte and be left alone, this is the place to sit down. If you want to see your coffee on fire, make your way down to the “mine”.
Legend has it that this mine is where Ukrainian coffee is sourced…. I will let you judge for yourself, but the collection of mining equipment and labyrinth of low tunnels is fun to explore. Follow the signs and you will eventually get to a basement room where coffee and spirits are served. Isn’t that an interesting combination? If the room is full or if you want a quieter space, walk on to more basement rooms with seating. I ordered the specialty, caramel coffee. The caramel coffee is in essence coffee with milk, alcohol, a stash of sugar and some seasoning. It only really becomes special when the waiter comes over with his blowtorch. He’ll make a show of burning the spirit and creating a nice caramelised crust on top of your coffee, leaving a brew with a smoky flavour underneath. A fun and unique experience!
Lviv Croissants
Lviv Croissants is the only chain on my list. They have outlets in all major cities in Ukraine and are mostly used by locals to buy coffee and breakfast on the go as they open very early. Seating inside is limited and there were a couple of tables outdoors.
We had breakfast at Lviv Croissants when we just arrived in Lviv off the sleeper train from Krakow. They have a good, standard selection of coffee served in take-aways cups. The best thing about Lviv Croissants though is… their croissants. You can build your croissant to your liking, with sweet or savoury toppings. The croissants are huge bombs, but they are so delicious I ate two (being starved after a long night on the sleeper train).
The countless windows & kiosks on the street
If you don’t want to spend too much of your time in Lviv sitting down in Ukraine’s hippest cafés, don’t despair. You can still enjoy the excellent coffee. On almost every corner of the street, you will find a kiosk, shop window or “coffee bike” selling brew. This is a fun and quick way to try new flavours or variations.
