Kyiv quite literally blew us away. We were so excited about visiting when the city hosted Eurovision 2017 and whilst researching our 48 Hours In… Kyiv travel guide we came across some places we couldn’t wait to try. Katyusha for the traditional vareniki dumplings, The Cake‘s designer desserts and cocktails, One Love for speciality coffee in an art gallery and the best brunch in Kyiv at Milk Bar.
Located on Shota Rustaveli Street a stone’s throw from the huge Palace of Sports and the expansive Gulliver shopping centre, Milk Bar is locally known as *the* place for brunch – and their weekend queues attest to that! You’ll spot a queue forming even quickly after it opens, but trust us: it’s worth the wait.
Great music, spot-on interiors and trendy, young, welcoming staff (wearing pyjamas too, we might add) all combine to create a little slice of Brooklyn transported to the centre of Kyiv. Not only is Americana evident in Milk Bar’s interiors, there’s also a distinct USA vibe to the menu with things like cookies, peanut butter on toast, mac ‘n’ cheese, hash browns, chicken and waffles and more. Of course, there’s also lots of other healthier and lighter options over an expensive menu, so everyone will find something to savour.
Breakfast is served daily ’til 11:30am whilst brunch is an all-day affair on weekends, running right from 9am ’til 5pm. From granola, bircher muesli and lots of egg-based dishes to sweet treats like pancakes, waffles and crepes, waking up early on a Sunday morning or standing in line for a table during a busy, bustling Saturday service is seriously worth it. One of the dishes we chose was a homemade hash brown with fried egg, tomato and spinach which was fabulous but more like a rosti than a chunky hash brown that we know.
We also seriously adored the poached eggs and smoked halibut on brown toast with spinach and hollandaise. Light, fresh and wholesomely indulgent with perfect runny poachies and a sharp sauce. Because we couldn’t decide, as always, and with the inevitable dish envy that comes each time we eat out, we resigned to the fact we’d just have to order a third dish too.
We were sold on the French toast with berries, drizzled in maple syrup and juicy fresh strawberries in their own syrup with a refreshing scattering of mint leaves – but the cream was thick and luxurious, more like mascarpone. A two-course brunch is a marvellous thing – trust us to find a way to have dessert even at brunch!
You can make brunch boozy too, with a whole host of brunch cocktails available from Bloody Mary to Aperol Spritz. We abstained from a libation as we had the Eurovision 2017 final to go to a few hours after (and lots of drinking time already in the diary!)
Milk Bar also boasts a little bakery counter just inside the door where you can choose some sweet treats to take away too – we’ve been told to order the Tres Leches/Three Milks cake featuring vanilla-soaked sponge layers with milk in three different ways – condensed, baked and cream. You’ll also find doughnuts, scones, traybakes, bars and cinnamon rolls every weekend too!
Check out their menu and choose what you’re gonna order already (though there are frequently added seasonal specials) whilst you can also use a currency converter to find out just how amazingly good value this place is. We’re talking €4 for a substantial, fresh, healthy and full of flavour brunch dish for one… it’s crazy!
