The Best Bars In Kyiv, Ukraine - Lost With Purpose Travel Blog

From Sebastiaan: a go-to guide for the best bars in Kyiv, Ukraine. Includes bars and nightlife options for every mood and every time of day, spread out across several areas of Kyiv.

In case you didn’t know, Kyiv be hoppin’.

Days are all well and good, but after a long day sightseeing and chilling in Ukraine’s capital, it’s hard to resist the call of Kyiv’s multitudinous bars and clubs.

The downside of having a million options to choose from: it can be hard to pick the right bar for the night’s mood! But never fear: here’s a list of some of the best bars in Kyiv, Ukraine to help you make a decision, compiled after months of long and hard firsthand “research”.

Live band inside Barman Dictat cocktail bar in Kyiv, Ukraine

Live tunes inside Barman Dictat cocktail bar

Some of the best cocktail bars in Kyiv for a chic night out

Feelin’ fancy? Want to mix things up… literally?

Here are some of the best cocktail bars in Kyiv. Beer and wine are available in all of these bars, of course, but if it’s cocktails you’re after in Kyiv here’s where to head:

Interior of Dictat cocktail bar in Kyiv, Ukraine

Swanky interiors at Barman Dictat

Barman Dictat

Address: Khreschatyk Street 44
Price: Cocktails start at 185 hrn
Opening times: Sunday – Thursday: 18:00 – 03:00, Friday – Saturday: 18:00 – 06:00
Website: Barman Dictat Facebook page

One of the most beautiful bars in Kyiv—and highly recommended by locals—Barman Dictat is the perfect place for a cocktail or two. It has an extensive menu, friendly staff, and sits right in the center of the city. There’s often (loud) live music on the weekends, and it’s popular with the well-heeled youth of Kyiv.

Barman Dictat is definitely one of the more expensive bars in Kyiv, but considering the quality on offer, you can hardly complain. Try their “Back to the 90s” cocktails for something special.

Interior of Parovoz bar in Kyiv, Ukraine

Speak easy peasy

Parovoz Speak Easy

Address: Velyka Vasylkivska Street 19 (underneath the cinema)
Price: Cocktails start at 150 hrn
Opening times: Monday – Sunday: 16:00 – 01:00
Website: Paravoz Speak Easy Facebook page

Parovoz is a bit hard to find, but dang, it’s amazing. To walk into Parovoz is to be transported back in time; smartly dressed waiters whip up some of Kyiv’s snazziest cocktails.

Quite possibly one of the most beautiful bars in all of Kyiv (and that’s saying something), the staff speaks great English and the cocktails are top-class.

The bar is located beneath the old cinema on Lva Tolstoho square, on the other side of the street from the McDonald’s.

Outside Alchemist Bar

Alchemist Bar

Address: Shota Rustaveli Street 12
Price: Cocktails start around 150 hrn
Opening times: Sunday – Thursday: 18:00 – 03:00, Friday – Saturday: 18:00 – 06:00
Website: Alchemist Bar Facebook page

Alchemist is one of the most famous cocktail bars in Kyiv, and for good reason.

It’s got all kinds of quality drinks. Indoor and outdoor (in summer) seating. Oh, and there’s an underground bar/club. What more could you ask for?

Alchemist’s underground bar is no-frills and gets pumping on the weekend. If you feel like partying, head to the down below come Friday and Saturday.

If, however, you want to have an evening of cocktails and chatting with friends, Alchemist is equally good for that—the outdoor seating is pleasant in the summer, and there’s an upstairs area for cooler or drearier weather.

Heading to Kyiv but not sure what to do? Check out this three-day Kyiv itinerary!

A cozy afternoon in Vagabond Cafe, Ukraine

Best cozy bars in Kyiv for a chill night out

If you’re looking for an intimate venue for a low-key romantic night out—or just to relax and have a few unpretentious drinks—here are some cozy bars in Kyiv that’ll fit your bill.

Outside Vagabond

Vagabond Cafe & Vintage Corner

Address: Hryhoriya Skovorody Street 7
Price: Cider starts at 40 hrn
Opening times: Monday – Friday: 09 – 23:00, Saturday – Sunday: 10:00 – 23:00
Website: The Living Room Facebook page

This small alternative cafe is run by a group of good friends, and you can feel it. Vagabond isn’t really a bar, so much as a great place for a wine or cider after a day of exploring Podil. They also serve tasty food.

Vagabond Cafe has a small space for indoor seating, plus several outdoor seats… even in winter! It’s a popular meeting place for locals, and it makes a good choice for dates, too.

Live music lends a touch of ambiance on the weekends, and the cafe is perfect either for a few drinks during the day, or a first stop to get your evening started.

Squat17B

Address: Vulytsya Tereshchenkivsʹka 17B
Price: Beers start at 50 hrn
Opening times: Monday – Sunday: 11:00 – 23:00
Website: Squat 17B Facebook page

Is there anything in Kyiv more hipster than Squat17B?

… no, probably not.

The bar, housed in an actual squatter building, is hip with a capital H. Semi open-air, colorful AF, with a regularly—and definitively cool—mixed crowd of locals and foreigners, it’s pretty easy to see why.

Squat 17B is a bit hard to find and closes early since people live in the attached building. Nevertheless, it’s the perfect place for day drinking (the best kind of drinking, right?).

To find the bar, enter the courtyard at number 17. Squat17B is only open during spring, summer, and fall. It usually closes by the end of September.

Wood You Like? Why yes, I do like.

Wood You Like Bar

Location: Mezhyhirska Street 24
Price: Beer starts at 33 hrn
Opening times: Sunday – Monday: 09:00 – 01:00, Friday – Saturday: 09:00 – 03:00
Website: Wood You Like Bar Facebook page

Wood You Like Bar in Kyiv is a quirky one that’s always lots of fun.

Drinks are tasty, both the crowd and the bartenders are friendly, and there’s even a hidden door to an underground kingdom for attentive visitors. Look for a big, black vitrine with small bottles inside.

Wood You Like Bar also offers food and coffee, so it’s an acceptable bar in Kyiv for any time of day. If you’re looking to make some new friends in Kyiv, visit on the weekend and challenge someone for table tennis. It’s a sure in.

Best beer bars in Kyiv to get your brew on

Unassuming, but well worth.

Solomyanska Brovarnya

Address: Andriivs’kyi descent 28A
Price: Beer starts at 38 hrn
Opening times: Monday – Sunday 12:00 – 0:00
Website: Solomyanska website

Craving a beer while walking down Andriivs’kyi Descent? You know, Kyiv’s most famous tourist street. If you are, you should pop into Solomyanska for a pick me up. Protip: try their Golden Ale or Dark Stout.

Solomyanska is part of a brewery of the same name with a small, but quality, selection of beers to sample. They do offer food, but to be honest, there are far better places to eat in the Andriivs’kyi Descent area. Grab a bite elsewhere, then come here for a brew (or vice versa).

Tsypa’s home brewed beer

Ципа Craft Pub

Location: Velyka Zhytomyrska Street 27
Price: Beer starts at 48 hrn
Opening times: Sunday – Thursday: 12:00 – 23:00. Friday – Saturday: 12:00 – 01:00
Website: Tsypa Facebook page

Tsypa, or Ципа in Cyrillic, offers its line of crafts beers in this small, funky space. This bar is popular with both locals and tourists, and offers hearty Ukrainian pub grub to boot. Do try the hutzul pizza.

Although you can pick up dinner at Tsypa, I recommend just going for the beers and snacks. The food is decent, but there are better restaurants in Kyiv. Their beer, on the other hand, is worth every hryvnia.

Best theme bars in Kyiv for a night to (hopefully) remember

Trying to craft a more… unique night on the town? You’re in luck: there are all kinds of quirky bars in Kyiv with wacky themes.

One of the more epic shots on offer at Palata No 6

Palata No 6

Address: Vorovskoho Street 31
Price: Cocktails start at around 50 hrn
Opening times: Monday – Sunday: 11:00 – 02:00
Website: No website

This bar is a bit hard to find, but undoubtedly worth it.

Themed around the short story of the same name by Russian writer Anton Chekhov, Palata No 6’s waiters and waitresses are all dressed up in hospital outfits. Many of the special shots you can take involve hospital-themed props, such as hospital gurneys.

The crowd favorite: a “helmet shot” involving fire and a whole lotta show. You can guess what happens next.

The bar is located in a back alley, and admittedly looks a tad sketchy when you first approach it. Just as you shouldn’t judge books by their covers, nor should you judge bars by their sketchy back alley entrances. Trust me, you’ll have fun.

Buena Vista

Address: Velyka Zhytomyrska Street 8/14
Price: Tequila shots start at 75 hrn
Opening times: Sunday – Thursday: 12:00 – 01:00, Friday – Saturday: 12:00 – 03:00
Website: Buena Vista Facebook page

Like salsa? You’ll love Buena Vista.

Close to the top of Andriivsky Decent, the bar hosts live music and salsa evenings several nights each week.

Though Buena Vista might just look like a regular bar when you walk by, you need to head inside for the full effect: most of the action goes on underground. Admittedly the service isn’t great, but no worries—the atmosphere makes up for it. Bring cash, and check out their Facebook page for updates on their theme nights.