Borscht with Cherries and the Capital’s Museums: A Polish Musician on His Favorite Kyiv Finds
Top spots recommended by a Polish musician
Mateusz Dobrowolski is a Polish musician and journalist for whom Kyiv has become a center of creativity. Here, he performs with friends, organizes charity events, and explores the city. However, Kyiv impressed him not only with its music community, but also with its urban culture — cafés, museums, and spaces for gathering.
In an interview for VisitKyiv.com, Mateusz shared his impressions of traveling to Kyiv and the capital’s music scene. He also named his top Kyiv places that he is always happy to return to during his visits.
Mateusz’s Picks:
Ivan Honchar Museum — a Kyiv museum that hosts a wide range of cultural and artistic exhibitions, as well as lectures, interactive events, and fairs. The museum is the main initiator of the “Christmas Star Procession,” which every year brings together hundreds of Ukrainians who walk through Kyiv’s streets singing Christmas carols.
Puzata Hata — a chain of affordable Ukrainian restaurants serving traditional homemade dishes such as Chicken Kyiv, borscht, syrnyky (cottage cheese pancakes), and varenyky. The venue operates in a bistro format, making it a great option for a quick and filling breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Taras Shevchenko National Museum — a museum dedicated to the life and work of the prominent Ukrainian writer and artist Taras Shevchenko. Due to the war, most of the main permanent exhibition has been evacuated, but the museum continues to host other art exhibitions and guided tours on its premises.
Musafir — a Crimean Tatar restaurant with democratic prices and a wide selection of classic dishes, including chebureky, yantyky, shashlik, and salads. For dessert, we recommend trying the sweet baklava and aromatic coffee prepared in sand.
Ostannya Barykada — a modern Ukrainian cuisine restaurant located on Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti). The venue resembles an underground bunker, with walls decorated with posters and artifacts connected to Ukrainian revolutions. Here, you can try creative interpretations of Ukrainian cuisine: borscht with cherries, dumplings with catfish, halushky with goat meat, and for dessert, a signature Lviv-style cheesecake with poppy seeds and cherries. The restaurant also offers a wide selection of alcoholic beverages and signature cocktails.
