Kiev - A Gastronomic Capital City

Foodies delight, despite the economic woes of the world, Kiev is seeing more and more new eateries opening up in the city centre. And far from serving up the usual stodgy fare they are specialising in cuisine from around the world.

From the city that sets the benchmarks when it comes to eating out, is Cafe de Paris on Andriyivskiy Uzviz. Two floors of Gallic charm greet patrons, and a welcome relief for some will be that one floor is completely non-smoking. The restaurant has a fresh, chic ambiance and features lots of black and white shots of Paris of yesteryear. Specialities of the house are veal steak and brut champagne cocktails. Bonn Appetite.

Bocconcino, at the Parus Business Centre, now offers three menus for diners - Italian, Japanese and Ukrainian. The restaurant is fitted out in creamy white, with typically Mediterranean style tiled floors, high chairs, round tables, curtains and chandeliers, giving the restaurant a spotlessly clean and neat look. Try the ravioli with ricotta and spinach with fresh aromatic bruschettas special biscuits dipped in sweet wine before eating. They taste even better with a glass or two of sparkling wine.

Final mention to new kid on the block, Sirtaki tavern near to Dnipro metro station, which features a mouth-watering selection of delectable Greek specialities. The eatery features an open-plan kitchen where you can watch the chefs bake their own fresh bread and lovingly prepare Saganaki fried cheese, Kinkela egg-plant rolls, and Musaka a layered dish of ground meat, egg-plants, tomatoes and white sauce - to name just a few of the house specialities.

It seems eating out in the East is on the up.