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What is Cheap but of Excellent Quality in Kiev

What is Cheap but of Excellent Quality in Kiev

Cheap Doesn’t Mean Bad in Kiev.

Each time conducting a regular Kiev tour for my dear tourists I hear their amazement at finding out the prices for certain services or goods. The reason why they are surprised is not only in the difference in price comparing to their homeland or any other Western European country, the USA, or the UK. The cheap price here, in Kiev city, doesn’t mean the bad quality. It doesn’t mean the poor service or dismissive attitude towards the customer. Moreover, it even exceeds tourists’ expectations.

Having been working as a private tour guide in Kiev for 3 years, I’ve collected most frequent things which get my tourists open-mouthed. Let me share with you some valuable information about Kiev which you will definitely like.

My Top 5 List of the things with the high quality-price ratio

  • Beer and Pubs

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Kiev is quite a beer city, and there are pubs at every step, especially in the city center. In summer you can see not only men but also women with bottles of beer in the streets or on the Kiev beaches. Kiev residents can have a mug of beer of a variety of countries production – Belgium, Britain, Germany, Czech Republic. However, there is nothing quite like drinking a gulp of fresh, just brewed beer, which can be enjoyed only at the brewery. There is a vast choice of pubs with their own brewery in Kiev. My favorites are BBQ restaurant on the left bank of Kiev “Solod Enjoy Bar”( prices $1,61 for 0,5 l), two locations’ brewery “Solomenskaya browarnya”, one of its restaurants is located in the Andrews decent, Kiev Montmartre Street ( prices $1,46 for 0,5 l).

  • Coffee and Coffee shops

Love of coffee among Kievans over the past few years has grown immensely. Kievans are in love with the exceptionally good coffee. From an invigorating morning drink, it turned into a true object for gourmets, savvy in the intricacies of the taste palette. There is a fair amount of inspirational coffee shops, posh coffee bars, eccentric, hipster and other different on the whole in Kiev. New places continue to open with an enviable constancy. We still don’t have enough coffee shops for the Kiev population.

If you walk along the city center streets, metro stations, transport interchange nodes in the morning working rush hour you will see queues near the mobile coffee shops. On weekends you will hardly find a free place at the most favorite coffee bars among the Kievans. However, baristas can brew quite different coffee at different places, and locals know the places with the most delicious coffee.

My favorites coffee shops which are all located in the city center are: “Come & Stay” (prices from $1 for 250ml cappuccino), “One Love Espresso Bar” (prices from $1,38 per espresso cup), “Coffeelactica” (prices from $1,40 per 250 ml cappuccino), “Rozumna Kava” Yaroslaviv Val Str.

  • Internet and mobile connection

kiev-travel-guide-girl

I’ve been using one and the same mobile number for 10 years. I have a prepaid tariff for which I pay 69UAH=$2,52 monthly. It includes 4GB data, unlimited minutes within the network, 200 minutes to other networks, 200 SMS. And I don’t remember I was in trouble with lacking any minutes or data until the end of the month.

As for the average speed (20.84 Mbps) and quality of Internet access, Ukraine is on the 39 place among 190 countries in the world – ahead of such countries as Greece (83th), Italy (88th) and Poland (45). If you take the price/quality ratio, Ukraine will enter the top ten countries with the best Internet connection. Almost nowhere else in the world, most of the population can get high-speed Internet from 20 up to 100 Mbit/c the equivalent to $ 5-8 per month. Free Wi-Fi connection is presented in all the entertainment places. Ask the staff to give you the password and enjoy.

  • Food. Ukrainian cuisine

ukrainian-cuisin-kiev-tour

Ukrainian cuisine is one of the richest and most interesting cuisines in the world. With a variety of excellent dishes and fine tastes, it has spread far beyond the borders of Ukraine. It should be noted that the national Ukrainian cuisine varies regionally. The recipes use a wide range of ingredients typical for the country and include fruit and vegetables, meat (especially pork), fish, mushrooms, and berries. And, of course, salo (pork raw fat). In general, Ukrainian cuisine is fairly simple, but a skillful combination of common ingredients, the addition of spices and herbs, such as garlic, horseradish, caraway, dill, parsley, creates truly delicious culinary masterpieces.

The most distinctive feature of Ukrainian food is a combined heat treatment technology of products. A raw product – it can be of animal or vegetable origin – first undergoes a light roasting and a relatively quick sautéing or frying, and only after that – a longer heat treatment, i.e. baking or stewing.

I personally adore Ukrainian cuisine, though I’m a big fan of Japan sushi, Italian pizza, and Chinese noodles. There are a lot of restaurants with reasonable prices for people who appreciate quality. Sometimes I eat at self-service restaurants like “Puzata Hata”, “Olivie”. These are chains of restaurants of national cuisine, which are located throughout the city. But the restaurants I highly recommend for tourists to try Ukrainian food are “Tsarske Selo”, “Hutorets na Dnipri”, “O’Panas”, “Spotykach”.

  • Kiev nightlife entertainment

Kiev has quite a vibrant nightlife scene with disco clubs, pubs, karaoke restaurants, lounge bars spread across the city. Nightclubs in the center are usually more popular with foreign tourists and expatriates while those found further out have a more local clientele. Kiev main street Khreschatyk, which is closed for car traffic at weekends, has the highest concentration of cafés, restaurants, pubs, clubs and in the city and makes a good starting point.

And the Conclusion Is

Kiev is a cheap city for foreign tourists. The standard in Kiev entertainment places is generally very high, the clubbing culture is quite at a high level. In fancy restaurants, you will be impressed seeing how Ukrainian wealthy men spend their time with their women. A Russian proverb says “Let’s go the whole way!” And it easily can be referred to the culture of Ukrainians as well. There is 80/20 ratio – that is 8 girls for every 2 guys in Kiev nightclubs. Every other girl looks like a model, and these are typical for Ukrainian women appearances.

Whatever your expectations are – they can be satisfied with Kiev nightlife. You won’t for sure go broke at the end of the night, even after a dozen drinks, and treating cocktails a few stunning girls. Prices are low relative to other European capitals.

So, while thousands of people rack their brains in which European city to spend weekends, cheap, tasty, for the benefit of self-development, you already know – it’s about Kiev. The city has an ancient history, rich culture, awesome architectural masterpieces, beautiful and hospitable people. On my Kiev private tours, I tell a lot about Ukraine’s culture and history. You will get my useful tips as for the perfect time spending in this amazing city.

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7 thoughts on “What is Cheap but of Excellent Quality in Kiev”

  1. That’s really great to find out such facts before visiting the country! Good news about internet speed, hope to combine rest in Kiev with my freelance job, as I’m a blogger and even during my distant trips must be available on the internet, all that mailing stuff, you know) Hope to be in Kiev this April and see Victoria!

  2. I like Kiev, the center of the city is compact enough and you can walk around the downtown and see all the amazing spots. The city has become really cheap, the war in the East and all this mess with Russia influenced the economy immensely…

    1. That’s right, Robert, the city center is very convenient to move around. The infrastructure of the city is also well built.

  3. DEAR SIR/MADAM, I AM DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY THE BEUTY OF UKRANIAN WOMEN AND GIRLS WITH GORGEOUS BODY FEATURES, SLIM AND SMART KNEES AND CREAMY SMOOTH LEGS WHICH ARE AN INSPIRATION TO THE MALE INSTINCT THE WORLD OVER. I PRAY TO ALLAH THE GREAT TO THE WOMEN OF UKRAINE!

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