Anastasia’s guidebook
The food scene
Local geniuses and drunkards (some of them also geniuses) hang out at the wine dive by Novy Bazaar, Avtorskie Vina (Author Wines), which houses an art gallery, Okno (The Window). The only things drinkable are their jerez and kvas (the ancient Slavic soft drink), but you’ll touch the glory of Odessa’s near-bottom beau monde, if you pay them a visit.
You will find the most authentic hole in the wall deep inside Novyj Bazaar, U Madonny (At Madonna’s). Just walk through the main entrance and go straight, look out for the sign «У Мадонны», or ask anywhere in the bazaar. Madonna is a Georgian woman (yes, she is actually called Madonna) who makes cutlets and salads and deep fried fish for local folk. There is no menu. Just point at things you want to try behind her counter and pay 100/150 gryvnias for a pile of your choice. As close to local home cooking as you can buy.
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Novyi Bazar
26 Торгова вулицяLocal geniuses and drunkards (some of them also geniuses) hang out at the wine dive by Novy Bazaar, Avtorskie Vina (Author Wines), which houses an art gallery, Okno (The Window). The only things drinkable are their jerez and kvas (the ancient Slavic soft drink), but you’ll touch the glory of Odessa’s near-bottom beau monde, if you pay them a visit.
You will find the most authentic hole in the wall deep inside Novyj Bazaar, U Madonny (At Madonna’s). Just walk through the main entrance and go straight, look out for the sign «У Мадонны», or ask anywhere in the bazaar. Madonna is a Georgian woman (yes, she is actually called Madonna) who makes cutlets and salads and deep fried fish for local folk. There is no menu. Just point at things you want to try behind her counter and pay 100/150 gryvnias for a pile of your choice. As close to local home cooking as you can buy.
The best “shotglass bar,” or ryumochnaya, in town is Tyulka (“Whitebait”) and it’s just two blocks away, down Lev Tolstoy Street, on Sobornaya Square. Try tsa-tsa, or whitebait, and forshmak, Odessa’s chief culinary achievement. Tyulka gas grown slightly yuppified in recent years, and if you crave even more character, cross the street to Sem’ Vetrov (Seven Winds), where the near-bottom beau monde eats. And drinks.
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Tyul’ka
46 Koblevs'ka StThe best “shotglass bar,” or ryumochnaya, in town is Tyulka (“Whitebait”) and it’s just two blocks away, down Lev Tolstoy Street, on Sobornaya Square. Try tsa-tsa, or whitebait, and forshmak, Odessa’s chief culinary achievement. Tyulka gas grown slightly yuppified in recent years, and if you crave even more character, cross the street to Sem’ Vetrov (Seven Winds), where the near-bottom beau monde eats. And drinks.
There are generous kettles of fresh mussels at Kotelok (the Kettle).
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Kotelok - Бар Мидий
17 Sadova StThere are generous kettles of fresh mussels at Kotelok (the Kettle).
A favourite winter café (think trinkets, doylies, caged canaries, spirit infusions, an eager cat), is Gogol-Mogol on a quiet corner of Gogol Street. Bonus: you can watch attempts at repairing the building where Gogol once lived, and which has very nearly collapsed, across the street.
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Hohol-Mohol
A favourite winter café (think trinkets, doylies, caged canaries, spirit infusions, an eager cat), is Gogol-Mogol on a quiet corner of Gogol Street. Bonus: you can watch attempts at repairing the building where Gogol once lived, and which has very nearly collapsed, across the street.
A terrific local joint with great lunch deals which serves an excellent selection of local wines in a cozy basement at the non-tourist end of Deribasovskaya. Great for families (high chairs etc) and solo visitors alike.
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Alkhimiya
8 Derybasivska StreetA terrific local joint with great lunch deals which serves an excellent selection of local wines in a cozy basement at the non-tourist end of Deribasovskaya. Great for families (high chairs etc) and solo visitors alike.
There is a 24-hour hipster joint with Soviet kitch design spread over four floors of nostalgic paraphernalia in Molodost (Youth). Try their creative shots, and one of the many versions of pan-friend potatoes. Get a bucket of pickles. Compare their forshmak to Tyulka’s. Have breakfast with shots there at 5am.
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Molodist Bar
19 Hrets'ka StThere is a 24-hour hipster joint with Soviet kitch design spread over four floors of nostalgic paraphernalia in Molodost (Youth). Try their creative shots, and one of the many versions of pan-friend potatoes. Get a bucket of pickles. Compare their forshmak to Tyulka’s. Have breakfast with shots there at 5am.
Head for pray, a wine and cocoa bar in the Passage, Odessa's glamorous Italianate gallery mall, and you'll think you are in Paris or Milan. But grittier. And at a fraction of the cost.
Pray Cocoa bar
33 вулиця ДерибасівськаHead for pray, a wine and cocoa bar in the Passage, Odessa's glamorous Italianate gallery mall, and you'll think you are in Paris or Milan. But grittier. And at a fraction of the cost.
The best, hyper Parisian cocktail bar (with a page-long absinthe list) is Zelda, not far from the Opera House. Try the Black Pearl.
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Zelda Bar
26 Lanzheronivs'ka StThe best, hyper Parisian cocktail bar (with a page-long absinthe list) is Zelda, not far from the Opera House. Try the Black Pearl.
At the high end of price range and romance, there is Bernardazzi, the restaurant inside Odessa’s grand orientalist Philharmonic Theatre, designed by Alexander Bernardazzi. An exquisite setting with an enormous wine list (purportedly, the longest in Ukraine).
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Bernardazzi
15 вулиця БунінаAt the high end of price range and romance, there is Bernardazzi, the restaurant inside Odessa’s grand orientalist Philharmonic Theatre, designed by Alexander Bernardazzi. An exquisite setting with an enormous wine list (purportedly, the longest in Ukraine).
For Odessa’s celebrity restauranteur, Savva Libkin’s, higher-end offerings in a lovely setting, try Dacha, a restaurant in an old party boss dacha on the French Boulevard.
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Дача
85 Frantsuz'ky BulvarFor Odessa’s celebrity restauranteur, Savva Libkin’s, higher-end offerings in a lovely setting, try Dacha, a restaurant in an old party boss dacha on the French Boulevard.
For some old-fashioned chic go to the restaurant of the Krasny Londonskaya (Hotel London), which is where every celebrity visiting Odessa would stay in the Soviet days. A charming inner courtyard with a giant plane tree and a fountain is perfect for a romantic dinner.
Londonskaya Hotel
11 Prymorskyi BlvdFor some old-fashioned chic go to the restaurant of the Krasny Londonskaya (Hotel London), which is where every celebrity visiting Odessa would stay in the Soviet days. A charming inner courtyard with a giant plane tree and a fountain is perfect for a romantic dinner.
24-hour breakfasts (from a British fry-up to Israeli shakshuka to a Belarussian breakfast, if you dare) at Benedikt. Both are on Sadovaya, by Sobornaya Square.
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Benedikt
19 Sadova St24-hour breakfasts (from a British fry-up to Israeli shakshuka to a Belarussian breakfast, if you dare) at Benedikt. Both are on Sadovaya, by Sobornaya Square.
Rozmarin (Rosemary) is Odessa’s main kosher restaurant. Indifferent food (but good bakery) in a lovely house, where Odessa’s most famous film director, Kira Muratova, used to live.
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Rozmaryn
5 Uspenska StRozmarin (Rosemary) is Odessa’s main kosher restaurant. Indifferent food (but good bakery) in a lovely house, where Odessa’s most famous film director, Kira Muratova, used to live.
Chin Chin makes the best (fast) Southeast Asian food you’ll find in town (there are four branches in the centre).
Chin Chin на Ланжероновской
30 Lanzheronivs'ka StreetChin Chin makes the best (fast) Southeast Asian food you’ll find in town (there are four branches in the centre).
A reliable, old establishment that serves European fair is Maman in the Palais-Royal Garden behind the Opera House.
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Maman
18 Lanzheronivs'ka StA reliable, old establishment that serves European fair is Maman in the Palais-Royal Garden behind the Opera House.
Best Chinese in town just 3 blocks away. Great selection of democratically priced food to be hand beneath vast acacia trees.
CHINATOWN
17 Sadova StBest Chinese in town just 3 blocks away. Great selection of democratically priced food to be hand beneath vast acacia trees.
Across from the main entrance to the (now) bombed out cathedral, and across the street from the Tyul'ka shot bar, is the Mecca of Odessa's bohemian intelligentsia, set beneath white umbrellas - The Seven Winds. Here you will dine finely, but cheaply, on anything from kebab to smoked mackerel beside local photographers, heads of the maths faculty, director of the puppet theatre, retired ballerinas and many more... Go there.
Soborna Square, Odesa, Odes'ka oblast, Ukraine, 65000
Across from the main entrance to the (now) bombed out cathedral, and across the street from the Tyul'ka shot bar, is the Mecca of Odessa's bohemian intelligentsia, set beneath white umbrellas - The Seven Winds. Here you will dine finely, but cheaply, on anything from kebab to smoked mackerel beside local photographers, heads of the maths faculty, director of the puppet theatre, retired ballerinas and many more... Go there.
Sightseeing
The Passage, Odessa’s extravagant Italianate shopping gallery – Not. To. Miss. – just the other side of Sobornaya Square, is full of various desert and watering holes. Claret has some good wines and next to it you can find excellent hot chocolate. Both to be had deep in velvet armchairs. A hipster establishment there specialises in local port and a she-she café sells expensive macaroons. In the summers a lovely family serves expertly selected local wine (most other ”local wine” places sell terrible plonk), but here you can have a well-priced good glass (or five) to good music while watching Odessa’s beauties march past.
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Pasazh
27 Derybasivska StThe Passage, Odessa’s extravagant Italianate shopping gallery – Not. To. Miss. – just the other side of Sobornaya Square, is full of various desert and watering holes. Claret has some good wines and next to it you can find excellent hot chocolate. Both to be had deep in velvet armchairs. A hipster establishment there specialises in local port and a she-she café sells expensive macaroons. In the summers a lovely family serves expertly selected local wine (most other ”local wine” places sell terrible plonk), but here you can have a well-priced good glass (or five) to good music while watching Odessa’s beauties march past.