While in Lviv, I discovered some really crazy places to eat. There's a cafe dedicated entirely to Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the original freak who gives his namesake to "masochism" (and who hails from Lviv). Another cafe sits directly underneath the Opera House situated next to an underground river. There's a twisty maze restaurant a few stories tall dedicated entirely to lanterns and the invention of electric light. Still another was a seven story eclectic museum-like place in which each room was completely dedicated to an odd aspect of the city.
Two places in particular were especially fun (and are why I must apologize for the little point-and-shoot pics and its low-light capturing abilities). The first was Криївка (or Krivjka) meaning "bunker" in Ukrainian. The door to the restaurant is completely unmarked, and is in fact located inside one of the buildings on the old town square (which is also unmarked). Upon knocking on the door, a man opens the small peep-door and asks for the password.
"Слава Україні!" (Slava Ukraini..."Praise to Ukraine!") you yell, and he promptly lets you inside...
Once in, he demands to know if you're a Commie or a Comrade and, satisfied with your allegiance to independent Ukraine, gives you a shot of honey vodka and welcomes you to the bunker:
Almost on cue, a bookcase swings open and you head downstairs into the underground cave-like restaurant which is saturated in photos and memorabilia from the Ukrainian Liberation Army (who actually used this place as a hideout during WWII):
The menu is like an old, war-time newsletter :
While sipping on your Zenuk (live beer)...
...a wandering music group leads people in songs of independence and patriotism:
It's truly a fun place to grab a beer and a bite to eat! You can even watch the "outsiders" trying to get in at the front on the security t.v. downstairs. Awesome.
The second place is actually located in the same building, but on the eerily quiet second floor. Once again, it's unmarked, but we learned through word of mouth that we needed to knock on Apartment #8 (apparently this number changes from time to time to throw people off the scent):
When the door opens, you find yourself in a shoddy apartment kitchen being confronted by a man in a housecoat. Apparently you have intruded on his evening supper, and he's sure to let you know of this:
Once you're properly confused (and slightly apologetic), he points you to a door on the other side of the kitchen. Passing through, you enter into a fancy Masonic-themed restaurant which is a world away from a working class kitchen. The entire place is dedicated to famous Free Masons (Ben Franklin, Abe Lincoln, and Ol' Washington are given props) and anything dedicated to the movement:
The place has dubbed itself as The Most Expensive Galacian Restaurant ("Galacian" being the name of this part of Ukraine) and prices have just enough extra zeros to the end of them to make you think seriously about running back and taking refuge in the old man's kitchen (the garden pumpkin salad in the starters below is the equivalent of USD $25):
But have no fear! If you've scored a handy 90% off coupon from one of the other crazy restaurants in town (or plead with your waiter for the same treatment), you're all set (and can instead be entertained with the menu's crazy cornucopia of Masonic facts and figures):
The food and wine was great and the symbolic scratchings and figures on the walls were fun, but the literal highlight of the place just might be the commode, with its raised, candle-flanked toilet-throne:
Yes, you just haven't lived until you've eaten in Lviv.
No comments:
Post a Comment