Christmas Lent is often referred to as «Great Lent» as it lasts over a month. During this time religious people of the Eastern Orthodox Church tend to avoid eating meat and drinking alcohol. Understanding the importance of national traditions, many local restaurants started to offer special «meatless» menus, for those who would like to follow traditional pre-Christmas lent traditions.
Read: Ukrainian Cuisine: Most Popular Dishes
Kanapa (19, Andrijivskyy Spusk, Kyiv) is a popular Kyiv restaurant of modern Ukrainian cuisine. For lent followers Kanapa offers great selection of varenyky with various meatless fillings: sauerkraut, mushrooms, mashed potatoes. These are Ukrainian dumplings also known as «pierogi». Other lent dishes include fried potatoes with wild mushroom sauce, chestnut soup, veggie salads.
Photo: Black Varenyky in Kapana Restaurant
Klukva&Brukva (16, Antonovycha street) located in Kyiv downtown offers an elegant lent menu, which features Jerusalem artichoke soup, sorrel sorbet, baked pumpkin salad, pickled beat root and mángold, nettle dumplings with mushroom sauce. Traditional Ukrainian dishes such as varenyky, borshch, deruny are also available in Klukva&Brukva.
Photo: Klukva&Brukva's signature mussel beat salad
Kaffa Coffeeshop (5, Skovoroda street, Kyiv) offers a variety of lent pastries. Visitors can enjoy freshly baked veggie or mushroom muffins, tofu cheese mini tarts, for those with sweet tooth Kaffa has a good selection of pies and cakes that will go perfectly well with fragrant coffee or tea.
Photo: veggie muffins from Kaffa
Bigoli (7, Klovsky Spusk, Kyiv) offers an Italian take on Ukrainian lent. Here guests will have a chance to taste veggie (no eggs or animal fat) pasta, nut purée bruschetta, veggie caponata, pickled artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes. Separate mention goes to Bigoli dessert menu, make sure to check it out after sumptuous Italian lent dinner.
Photo: Green purée bruschetta in Bigoli
Très Branché (4, Lysenko street, Kyiv) is an atmospheric French cuisine bistro, serving a variety of lent dishes. Choose from a great selection of veggie pastas (basil and tomatoes, 4 cheeses, etc), try their signature quinoa salad.
Photo: Très Branché signature pasta
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The Great Christmas lent in Ukraine will last till January 7th, 2017, so still plenty of time to taste various lent dishes in Kyiv restaurants. «Destinations» rounded up a list of city’s popular eateries with great lent menus, which guarantee to keep you away from missing meat dishes.
