Best International Food In Lviv, Ukraine

Although Lviv is known as a cultural capital of Ukraine, Lviv is also a food capital of Ukraine. Lviv is famous for its restaurants that serve traditional Ukrainian food, for its bars with fantastic craft beer, and for its cafes with great desserts and delicious coffee. All of these are enough for tourists to enjoy and fall in love with this city. But if you are an expat who lives in Lviv, you might also want to visit stores, or restaurants that offer international cuisine. There are a lot of them in Lviv as well, and I made a list of the best places to find international food.

1. French

Tante Sofie

Tante Sofie is a great restaurant that serves French food. It is located in the very center of Lviv (2 minutes from Ratusha). It is a cute small place with a few tables inside. In summer they place a few tables outside as well for those who prefer to enjoy warm weather and people watching. Tante Sofie’s interior is reminiscent of authentic old cafes in Paris. Whoever was their designer did a good job.

On the menu you can find traditional french dishes such as Duck Confit, Beef Bourguignon, Confit Frog Legs, Mussels, Escargot in various sauces and more. By the way, if you are a fan of snails, Tante sofie offers the possibility to get a plate of a dozen snails, each one in different sauces. 

Every time I visit Tante Sofie I am surprised how delicious and fresh the food is. The Tante Sofie menu also includes a variety of starters, soups, salads, and desserts, so there is no way you are going home hungry. The wine card is quite big and offers some great choices. There are also a few cocktails on the menu, beer, soft drinks and hot beverages. 

Prices:

Beef Bourguignon – 260 UAH

Confit Frog Legs – 270 UAH

Mussels – 310 UAH

Snails (dozen) – 240 UAH

Location: Drukarska Street, 6А, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, 79000

2. Vietnamese

Saigon Cafe

Unfortunately Vietnamese food is not that popular in Ukraine. But luckily for people that live in Lviv there is a place that serves Vietnamese food and is owned by Vietnamese family. 

Saigon restaurant is probably the only authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Lviv (if you know other ones let me know). It is located in the center of Lviv (5 minutes walk from the Opera Theater), but due to a very not noticeable front sign, people don’t pay attention and just walk right past this place. That is actually what happened to me as well. I walked on that street so many times and I never noticed Saigon (until my friend said that apparently we have a Vietnamese restaurant in Lviv).

Saigon restaurant offers a bit of Vietnam; their food is quite authentic. The pho is particularly good and reminds me of getting a quick bowl of soup on a street corner in HCMC (Saigon). And for those who love Vietnamese coffee this place is a “must visit”. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and you definitely will enjoy your meal there. 

Prices:

Pho – 90 UAH

Rice with chicken curry – 90 UAH

Fried noodles – 90 UAH

Location: Modesta Mentsyns’koho Street, 3, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, 79000

3. Uzbek

Chaikhana Samarkanda 

Chaikhana Samarkanda was our choice for Christmas eve and boy, we weren’t disappointed. Chaikhana Samarkanda is located a bit of a walk from the center of the city, but nevertheless it is worth visiting. 

Chaikhana Samarkanda serves authentic Uzbek food. The owners of the restaurant are from Uzbekistan and they are always happy to tell you stories about this country or give you advice on which places to visit.  

The restaurant screams of Uzbekistan. There are two levels which are decorated with objects brought from Uzbekistan, and paintings of its famous places.

Chaikhana Samarkanda serves great traditional food. You must try their plow, it is incredible; and the lamb just melts in your mouth. Their menu has a great selection of Uzbek dishes including their traditional desserts. 

Prices:

Plov – 95 UAH

Samosa – 84 UAH

Lamb – 172 UAH

Location: Пекарська, 48 Вхід за кутом (зі сторони вулици, Tershakovtsiv St, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, 79000

4. Georgian

Khinkal’nya

There are a ton of Georgian restaurants in Ukraine. I don’t know why exactly, is it because there are a lot of Georgian people here, or is it because Georgian food is that great. Maybe it is just because they are geographically very close to Ukraine so people have similar taste preferences. 

Khinkal’nya is one of the Georgian restaurants that you can see around Lviv. “Khinkali” are traditional Georgian dumplings filled with meat and boullion. 

Georgian food is quite heavy, so if you are looking to have a light snack this place is not for you. Khinkal’nya has a big menu that includes soups, khinkali, main courses, Gergian bread and other things. 

Prices:

Khinkali – 11 UAH per piece

Khachapuri – 90 UAH

Charzco – 53 UAH

Location: Ivana Fedorova St, 14, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, 79000

5. Italian

Italian Bakery (Pizza)

It might sound crazy, but I am not a fan of pizza. If there is a choice I rarely choose to eat pizza, at least in Ukraine (Italy is another story). It is quite hard to find a good thin crust pizza in Ukraine, so there are not a lot of places I would recommend to visit if you are craving pizza. 

One of the places that I ranked “acceptable” is Italian Bakery. This is the place where we usually get delivery from if someone wants pizza. Italian Bakery has a big variety of pizzas and you definitely will find something for your liking. They are thin crust and have tasty, fresh toppings.

Prices:

Pizza – between 150 and 200 UAH

Location: Saksahans’koho Street, 12, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, 79005

6. Thai

Tikithai / Familia Wok & Pasta

Tikithai restaurant has actually two names, one I already mentioned, the other one is “Familia Wok & Pasta”. Confusing? Yes, I was too. This restaurant serves some variety of Thai food as well as some non-Asian dishes. Why such a mix, I don’t understand, but nevertheless, if you are looking for Thai food I recommend this restaurant. 

Tikithai has a fairly good selection of basic Thai food. There are Pad Thai, Pad Si Eew, Mango Coconut Chicken, and others. Pad Thai with chicken is particularly good (not as good as in Thailand of course, but the closet you can find in Lviv).

Prices: 

Pad Thai – 135 UAH

Pad Si Eew – 119 UAH

Mango Coconut Chicken – 149 UAH

Location: Kryva Lypa Passage, 9, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, 79000

7. Korean

K-Food

For those who like Korean food you are in luck! Around 20 minutes walk from the center of Lviv is located a small Korean family owned restaurant called “K-Food”. Here you can find some authentic Korean dishes. 

The food at K-Food is full of flavors and spices. They offer excellent Bulgogi, Bibimbap, Kim-bap, Korean fried chicken and more. The restaurant has a sitting area where you can enjoy your meal. Unfortunately, K-Food don’t serve beer or any alcohol, so if you want to enjoy their spicy chicken wings with beer, it is better to order to-go. 

Prices: 

Bulgogi – 110 UAH

Bibimbap – 100 UAH

Kim-bap – 80 UAH

Korean fried chicken – 100 UAH

Location: 28, Stepana Bandery St, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, 79000

8. Chinese

YOKI

YOKI is a fairly new place that is already very trendy. Although I am not sure it is popular because the place is great or because they did a big advertising campaign. You can read my review of YOKI to see my opinions on specific dishes.

YOKI is located just 5 minutes from the Lviv Opera Theater. The few times I went there it was packed, so better to make a reservation if you want to be sure that you will have a table. 

YOKI is an Asian fusion restaurant that collects a bit from every Asian country. The interior reminds me of restaurants and cafes you can find in Bali, and the food is a mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisines. 

As you probably guessed, YOKI has a sushi menu (read here: What is the deal with Sushi in Ukraine) plus they have a few options of ramen. On their menu you can also find a big selection of Chinese dishes including dim-sum, stir-fry, and BBQ meats. 

The cocktail menu at YOKI is quite big. They offer around 10 of their own specialty cocktails and 50 classic cocktails (if I remember correctly). I have tried a few of their special drinks and really enjoyed them. 

YOKI’s service deserves to be mentioned. The waiters were very attentive and fast. They of course speak English (at least the ones we dealt with) and I must say that it is probably the best service I ever received in Lviv.

Prices: 

California Roll – 185 UAH

Golden Dragon – 300 UAH

Shrimp dim sum – 190 UAH

Duck dim sum – 170 UAH

Duck ramen – 170 UAH

Location:  Akademika Hnatyuka Street, 12а, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, 79000

9. Burgers

Epic Cheeseburger Cafe

Epic Cheeseburger Cafe deserves its name, they really do serve Epic Cheeseburgers. This is a place to visit if you are craving comfort food or simply a great burger. 

This cafe is located in the center of Lviv Old Town (1 minute walk from Ratusha). The cafe has a few outside seats that are open in warm weather and big space on the second floor of the building they are located at. 

The menu is quite big, full of great options of burgers, but remember their portions are HUGE, and that the french fries are served with a bath of melted cheese, so do not get any other snacks until you finish your meal. 

Prices: 

Epic Cheeseburger – 196 UAH

The Special Truffle One – 193 UAH

Breakfast – between 80 UAH and 220 UAH

Location: Halytska St, 15, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, 79000