Restaurant Chains

 

Restaurant chains are a relatively new phenomenon in Ukraine. They provide more flexibility, patrons are offered various discounts: they extend and improve the level of services on the whole. These are the basic ingredients of their success. In Kiev, the ratio of the population to the number of places available in all the restaurants is 35 to one, whereas in the capital of the developed European countries this ratio is 8 to one. The number of restaurants in Kiev keeps growing, particularly those that are part of restaurant chains: in fact, one new restaurant opens for business  in Kyiv almost every month.

 

Kozyrnaya Karta

 

Kozyrnaya Karta (the Royal Card) is a chain that runs over 60 restaurants which have more than 200.000 regular patrons in all parts of Ukraine. Kozyrnaya Karta offers a democratic atmosphere, excellent service and delicious dishes of many cuisines. The Restaurants Miami Blues and Non-Stop are the oldest in the chain – they were opened over ten years ago and continue to provide excellent meals, nice soft music in their stylish interior 24 hours a day. 10 Auto-grill eateries Myslyvets (“Hunter”) are located conveniently for motorists on the roadside of the major highways. Also, Kozyrna Karta is the official organizer of contests such as Miss Kyiv, Elite Model Look and Festival of Restaurant Music Déjà Vu.

 

 

This chain has 17 restaurants. The first restaurant, Uncle Sam, opened in 1996, can be described as a business venue of a medium to high level. At present, the recently opened SushiYA, is the most affordable among other restaurants of this chain. Lipsky Osobnyak is the leading restaurant of this chain; it is situated in the most prestigious section of town; the food it offers can be described as “Ukrainian high cuisine”. Lipsky Osobnyak has an excellent wine card. It is the only restaurant in the countries of the CIS, which was awarded two prestigious international Wine Spectator prizes. Also it runs the Crystal Catering Service.

 

 

The interiors of the 6 restaurants of this chain are attractively styled with every detail having been carefully chosen.

The interior of the Belle-Vue Café is styled to look like an old fashioned Belgian beer pub. Rrestaurant-bar Stena (Wall) is more low-key spreading in several rooms underground. The interior of Beck’s beer Loft Upgrade Café is minimalist and techno style. Food is delicious with beer galore: in fact, beer is a distinctive feature of these restaurants.

 

 

Rosinter runs two Planet Sushi restaurants in the center of Kyiv and one such restaurant in the city of Dnepropetrovsk. These restaurants offer a wide selection of Japanese food (there are over 450 kinds of sushi alone on their menus). The relaxed and quiet atmosphere of these venues is one of its most attractive features. There are three Italian Rosinter Il Patio restaurants that organize thematic festivals (for example Festival of Mussels or Festival of Pizza). They offer a wide selection of excellent pizzas made on the open fire, seafood, meat and vegetables dishes.

  

 

Carte Blanche runs 5 restaurants: Kureni (one of the oldest restaurants in Kiev), Concord, Fashion café Marocana, Decadence House, Mayachok and Taboo. Among the patrons of these restaurants are many representatives of the beau monde. Carte Blanche definitely tries to create an image of the most fashionable and most attractive newcomer among the restaurant chains in Kiev. There are certain easily distinguishable features which are common to all the restaurants of this chain. These include very high quality in everything they offer plus retro style interiors, dancing floors with high-tech lighting, exquisitely cooked dishes of mostly Italian and French Cuisine, great wine cards and nice bars.

 

 

This chain runs 9 restaurants with a nightclub to be shortly opened in Cherkassy. The name of the chain was borrowed from Schiller’s phrase, “There are two axes in this world- Love and Hunger”.

Lyubov I Golod organizes the regularly held Kiev beer Octoberfest and jazz concerts. This chain supports young musicians and talented people in general. Art Club 44 is one of such talent promotion places. Most of the Lyubov I Golod eateries, clubs and bars are located in basements of old houses with entrances from the courtyards. But Lyubov I Golod also runs an extravagant restaurant called Pechera (Cave) which resembles a cave with small grotto-like rooms, where animal bones and images of dinosaurs are on display. Dishes are cooked on the flat heated stones and walls are decorated with cavemen style drawings.