Updated: November 2026
Contents
- Kharkiv Food: What to Try
- The Best Restaurants and Cafes in Kharkiv
- Bars in Kharkiv
- Pubs and Craft Beer
- Coffee Shops and Breakfast
- Patisseries and Bakeries
- Where to Eat on a Budget
- Are Places Open at Night?
- Practical Tips
- FAQ
Kharkiv Food: What to Try
Kharkiv is a student and business city, so most of its restaurants cater to locals: there are plenty of coffee shops, gastropubs and cafes serving breakfast all day, and menus mix borscht, Georgian food, steaks and sushi rolls. Kharkiv has no distinctive signature cuisine like Odesa or Lviv, but the region has food traditions of its own. In 2022, the knowledge and practices of baking the Sakhnovshchyna korovai, a ceremonial bread, were added to Ukraine's National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The regional list includes "bare borscht" from the village of Lyman, three-fish soup from the Balakliia area, salo from Vilshany and Christmas gingerbread.
The local bread brand is Kulynychi: the bakery chain was founded in Kharkiv in 1995, and its shops are on almost every corner. Lunch at an inexpensive cafe costs 200–400 UAH per person, and dinner at a mid-range restaurant costs 400–1,000 UAH without drinks.
The Best Restaurants and Cafes in Kharkiv
Our selection covers different formats and price levels, from a city cafe to a restaurant with an author's menu. The average bill is per person, based on guest estimates on Google Maps or, where there are none, on the venue's menu. Prices and opening status are as of November 2026.
Trypichchia
A Ukrainian restaurant in the center, next to the Annunciation Cathedral. The average bill is 400–600 UAH per person. The name means "three stoves": dishes here are cooked in three handmade stoves. Order shpundra, pork stewed with beetroot, and borscht with salo. The restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and on other days it is best to book a table for the evening, as it is often full after 6 p.m.
Address: 10 Rizdviana Street
Dumky Vholos
A restaurant serving modern Ukrainian and European food on Pavlivskyi Maidan, a few minutes' walk from Maidan Konstytutsii. The average bill is 400–1,600 UAH per person. The dish guests talk about most in reviews is borscht with smoked cherries. In the warm season, there is a terrace. The restaurant has one of the highest ratings in the city: 4.7 on Google Maps from more than 2,300 reviews.
Address: 5/7 Pavlivskyi Maidan
Nikas
A restaurant serving author's Asian and European cuisine on Universytetska Street in the historic center. It is one of the most expensive places in the city: an open crab roll costs 400 UAH, and a ribeye steak with black teriyaki sauce costs 1,200 UAH per 100 g, so dinner with a main course starts at 1,000 UAH per person. The open kitchen cooks on a Japanese robata grill. For dessert, guests most often recommend the chocolate fondant with green tea. The restaurant is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and you can book a table online.
Address: 2 Universytetska Street
Puri Chveni
A Georgian restaurant on Myronosytska Street, the Kharkiv branch of a chain that also operates in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih. The average bill is 400–1,400 UAH per person. Order khinkali and khachapuri. The restaurant has a generator, so it stays open during power outages, and you can come with your pet. It is best to book a table for weekend evenings, and groups of six or more have separate terms.
Address: 52 Myronosytska Street
Trattoria Lombardia
A family-run Italian cafe that has been open since 2011. The average bill is 200–400 UAH per person, making it one of the most affordable Italian options in the center. Try the carbonara and tiramisu. The cafe has "sisters", the Sicilia and Sardinia cafes. The trattoria opens at 9 a.m. and closes early, at 8:30 p.m., so come early for dinner.
Address: 22B Kultury Street
Miske Kafe 1654
A city cafe on Maidan Konstytutsii, named after the year Kharkiv was founded. The average bill is 200–600 UAH per person. Breakfast is served all day here: syrnyky (cottage cheese pancakes) and a croissant with omelet and salmon, while borscht is a good choice for lunch. The cafe reopened after the start of the full-scale war and has become one of the most popular in the center, with more than 4,500 reviews and a 4.6 rating on Google Maps. It opens at 9 a.m.
Address: 2/2 Maidan Konstytutsii
Argentina Grill
A restaurant on Nauky Avenue known for steaks from its Argentine grill. Grilled dishes and sets start at 350–500 UAH: for example, a grilled chicken set costs 499 UAH, while marbled beef steaks are noticeably more expensive. Popular choices include the black burger with a grilled patty and marbled beef tartare. The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and it is best to book a table for the evening.
Address: 20 Nauky Avenue
Bars in Kharkiv
Benedict Daily Bar
A cocktail bar on Sumska Street that won the Sil award for Best Bar in Ukraine in 2019. Signature cocktails cost 280–370 UAH: try the Benedict Boulevardier (300 UAH) or the Morpheus with gin, jasmine and lychee (290 UAH). The bar is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., with last orders at 10:30 p.m.
Address: 80 Sumska Street
Reina Low & Slow Bar
A restaurant and bar on Pavlivskyi Maidan that is open from morning until late evening. Cocktails cost 350–370 UAH, such as the Memory or the Fizz Duck. It is open from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and until 11:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Address: 5/7 Pavlivskyi Maidan
CXID
A small cocktail bar that opened in a semi-basement in autumn 2024. The owners chose these premises after blast waves shattered the windows of their previous venues, and passers-by come in here during air raid alerts. The average bill is 400–1,400 UAH per person.
Address: 7/3 Nezalezhnosti Avenue
Fabrika.Space
A bar and restaurant with live music and jazz evenings in a 1933 seed factory building, restored in 2015. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9–10 p.m., and you can book a table online.
Address: 1 Blahovishchenska Street
Pubs and Craft Beer
Daf Pub
A craft beer pub on Sumska Street with more than ten taps, a constantly changing selection and a fridge full of rare beers. The average bill is 400–600 UAH per person. Order the fish and chips (310 UAH), or, if you don't like beer, a cider (130 UAH for 0.33 l). It is open daily from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Address: 22 Sumska Street
Tetcher
A gastropub in a basement in the Pavlove Pole district. The average bill is 400–600 UAH per person. The signature dish is the Tetcher cheeseburger, and among the meat dishes, guests recommend the ribeye cap steak. The pub has almost 3,600 reviews on Google Maps and a 4.5 rating.
Address: 26 23-ho Serpnia Street
BRO-BAR
A gastropub on Hryhoriia Skovorody Street serving burgers and cocktails; guests often order the Whiskey Sour. The average bill is 400–600 UAH per person.
Address: 64 Hryhoriia Skovorody Street
Coffee Shops and Breakfast
Makers | Coffee & Food
A coffee shop with food on Hryhoriia Skovorody Street. A cappuccino costs 80–100 UAH, and filter coffee costs 80–90 UAH. The signature drink is the "capuorange", a cappuccino made with orange juice (115 UAH). The menu includes vegan dishes. It is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and from 9 a.m. at weekends; the chain's second coffee shop is at 36 Skovorody Street.
Address: 66 Hryhoriia Skovorody Street
some like it hot
A cafe on Sumska Street that serves breakfast all day: waffles, burgers on brioche buns and specialty coffee. The average bill is 400–600 UAH per person. You can even come with a big dog, and it is easy to book a table online.
Address: 71 Sumska Street
Kofeiin
A cafe on Nauky Avenue that opens earlier than most places in the city, at 5 a.m., right after the curfew ends. The average bill is 200–400 UAH per person. Guests recommend the American burger and coffee with nuts.
Address: 18/9 Nauky Avenue
Kava u Shafi
A small coffee shop with inexpensive coffee and desserts, where the average bill is under 200 UAH. Have the carrot cake with your coffee, and hot chocolate for the kids.
Address: 16 Zbroiarska Street
Patisseries and Bakeries
Kava ta Prianyk
A cafe and patisserie on Sumska Street. A classic Napoleon cake costs 280 UAH, a pistachio one 285 UAH and a gingerbread cookie 80 UAH. For power outages, it has a separate "blackout menu".
Address: 36/38 Sumska Street
Franyk
A bakery cafe on Svobody Square with its own pastries and breakfast all day. Order the shakshuka and croissants; a large cappuccino costs about 115 UAH.
Address: 8 Svobody Square
Krendel
A coffee shop and patisserie on Sumska Street, open from 8 a.m. The average bill is 200–400 UAH per person; guests recommend the Napoleon cake and cinnamon rolls.
Address: 15 Sumska Street
Where to Eat on a Budget
- Pyrizhok (46 Sumska Street): a cafe with borscht and salads where you can eat for under 200 UAH.
- Pereidalnia (36/38 Sumska Street): a self-service canteen that opens at 7:30 a.m. Lunch costs about 270 UAH, and there is a children's play room.
- Kasha Maslom (21 Sumska Street): a home-style cafe with an average bill of 200–400 UAH, serving varenyky and veal goulash with mashed potatoes.
- Central (Blahovishchenskyi) Market: a covered market in a 1912 building where you can buy fruit, salo and homemade food. It opens at 6 a.m. and is closed on Mondays.
Are Places Open at Night?
There are currently no 24-hour restaurants or cafes in Kharkiv: the city and region have a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. Most places close between 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. For example, Trattoria Lombardia is open until 8:30 p.m., Argentina Grill until 9 p.m., Daf Pub and Benedict until 11 p.m., and Reina until 11:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Plan to have dinner no later than 9–10 p.m. so that you can get back to your accommodation without rushing. Kofeiin on Nauky Avenue opens earliest, at 5 a.m., and the Pereidalnia canteen opens at 7:30 a.m.
Practical Tips
- Booking. It is best to book a table at popular restaurants such as Trypichchia, Nikas, Puri Chveni and Argentina Grill for weekend evenings. Many places take bookings online, through Google Maps or their menu website.
- Tipping. It is customary to leave about 10% of the bill.
- Air raid alerts. Since 2025, Kharkiv has announced alerts separately for the city and the region. During an alert, follow the staff's instructions, and find out in advance where the nearest shelter is: in the center, it is often a metro station.
- Power outages. Some places run on generators, and Kava ta Prianyk has a separate menu for blackouts.
- Vegetarians. Vegan dishes are available at Makers, for example, and most cafes have salads, varenyky and vegetable dishes.
- Checking venues. Before you go, check a place's status and recent reviews on Google Maps: since 2022, many well-known places have closed or moved.
FAQ
Where is the best place to eat in Kharkiv?
For Ukrainian food, go to Trypichchia or Dumky Vholos; for Georgian food, to Puri Chveni; and for Italian food, to Trattoria Lombardia. Nikas, with its author's menu, is good for a special occasion, while Miske Kafe 1654 and some like it hot are convenient for breakfast.
How much does it cost to eat in Kharkiv?
Lunch at an inexpensive cafe or canteen costs 200–400 UAH per person, and dinner at a mid-range restaurant costs 400–1,000 UAH without drinks. A cappuccino costs 80–115 UAH, and a signature cocktail costs 280–400 UAH.
What food should I try in Kharkiv?
Kharkiv has no special cuisine of its own, so start with Ukrainian food: borscht, varenyky and shpundra. Among regional traditions, there is the Sakhnovshchyna korovai, which is on Ukraine's list of intangible heritage.
Are there vegetarian restaurants in Kharkiv?
There are no dedicated vegetarian restaurants in our selection, but Makers has vegan items on its menu, and most cafes serve salads, varenyky with potatoes or mushrooms and vegetable dishes.
Do I need to book a table at restaurants in Kharkiv?
At popular restaurants, yes, especially on Friday and weekend evenings: Trypichchia is often full after 6 p.m. Coffee shops and small cafes usually don't require a booking.
Are restaurants in Kharkiv open at night?
No. Because of the curfew from midnight to 5 a.m., places close at 8:30–11:30 p.m., and there are currently no 24-hour cafes in the city.
How can I avoid a bad restaurant in Kharkiv?
Before you go, check on Google Maps whether the place is open and read recent reviews: many places from older guides closed after 2022. Look for a rating of 4.4 or higher with hundreds of reviews.
