Kyiv is a city that rarely misses an opportunity to remind us just how eclectic it really is. The Pechersk district, whose visual landscape boasts an abundant array of new high-end real estate and also some of the city’s most recognizable Soviet and Orthodox
cultural and historical monuments, is a great place to ease your way into the summer tourist season.
And if the mood strikes to take in some of the city’s Soviet kitsch, an evening meal at the restaurant SSSR is practically perfect – that is, if atmosphere rather than fine dining is what you have in mind.
My friend and I met after work in front of the Pecherska Lavra, a monastery complex dating back to the 11th century that is one of Kyiv’s most notable architectural landmarks, contributing to its fame as the gold-domed city. She was 20 minutes late, having mistimed just how long it takes to get out of metro Arsenalna, which, with its two sets of escalators, is the deepest station in the entire city.
On the way to SSSR, you’ll pass the Vichnoyi Slavy Park that holds not only the Great Patriotic War museum, but also the eternal flame marking the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and also a 26-meter-high obelisk dedicated to Soviet soldiers slain during the war.
After a short 10-minute walk from the Lavra, we approached the restaurant Tsarske Selo and its second cousin SSSR nestled into an inviting grassy knoll. The thatched roofs and stationary grazing horses set the whole evening in motion. SSSR is primarily an outdoor restaurant and is open seasonally. Its thatched exterior might shelter you from a light rain, but it’s really best to eat here when the weather is charming.
We arrived around 7:30 last Thursday evening and the restaurant was already packed with foreigners, older government types, businessmen, and a handful of nouveau-riche 30-somethings, so we had to settle for one of the only empty tables available, near the entrance. It wasn’t until the next patrons walked in that we realized the pink convertible “Soviet Cadillac” with the top down was actually seating, complete with pillows to make your experience in the back seat all the more enjoyable.
The interior of the restaurant can at first be overly stimulating. Photomontages capturing different eras of the Soviet experiment cover the walls. Soviet memorabilia (including ubiquitous busts of Lenin and Stalin) and also figurines, statuettes, traditional pottery and glassware with a distinct peasant flair adorn every available nook. The flat-screen TVs playing Soviet films from the 1960s-1980s remind you that you’re dining in the 21st century.
Allow yourself to slowly acclimate to your environment and take the time to look around. The live jazz band playing Soviet hits will soothe your nerves, while you peruse the lengthy though not exhaustive menu. And the tables are arranged so that, once you’ve settled in, your dining experience can be a relatively private one.
A young komsomolets reminiscent of Pavlik Morozov, the Soviet child supposedly killed by his ‘kulak’ relatives for denouncing his father to Stalin’s secret police, gazed disapprovingly at our table.
We decided to begin with the most traditional introduction to a Ukrainian meal – 50 grams (yes 50, it was a Thursday and we still had to go to work the next day) of Nemiroff Premium vodka (Hr 10), accompanied by salo (lard just isn’t an appropriate translation) and bread (Hr 11). Our attentive server asked whether or not we’d like some juice with this order and suggested a tasty glass of mors, a juice cooked from black currants (Hr 6 for a full glass). My friend ordered a pineapple juice (also Hr 6).
The vodka came perfectly chilled, although the salo was nothing to write home to Baba about – it lacked any of the smoked or seasoned flavor that we’ve come to expect, and the dark bread was not all that fresh.
My friend was hoping to satisfy her craving for Ukrainian borshch, but you won’t find any at SSSR, one of the first indicators that this is indeed a Soviet-style restaurant – although the waitress did speak Ukrainian to us. The wait staff is also very professional.
The rest of the menu had an array of Georgian dishes, probably a tribute to Dyadya Stalin, although their description impresses more than their execution. The complimentary and generous loaf of lavash bread comes with three spreads, the more memorable being a spicy Caucasian adzhika and a milder herbed cheese, and was delicious.
We decided to go with the “Kavkaz†salad (Hr 34), made of cubes of breaded and fried cheese tossed with red lettuce, avocado, red peppers, and a light dressing, and the T’bilisi appetizer (Hr 29), which sounded like a delightfully fresh tomato, cheese and basil salad. The tomatoes had been peeled so they palely resembled their more colorful siblings sold at market in late spring. The appearance of the dish was not exactly appetizing, but my friend did finish it all (I had none).
SSSR also advertises the “best shashlik in town†(Hr 48) and we were unable to resist because there’s nothing like an expertly seasoned grilled piece of pork. SSSR’s rendition is more akin to the standard lightly seasoned variety that you can get almost anywhere in Kyiv, and although it lacked the succulent juicy perfection of a well-cooked shashlik, it was good enough to eat, which we did, with a nice plate of new potatoes seasoned just right with a little butter, dill and parsley (Hr 14).
My friend ordered the Chakhokhbili for her main dish, which is a spicy Georgian stew cooked with chicken that ideally falls right off the bone. The dish was served cold, but complemented the rest of the meal well.
As dusk transitioned into the first hours of night, however, SSSR took on another feel entirely, and we recommend slowly savoring the meal and the conversation sure to be inspired by the restaurant’s interior. The wicker lamps throughout the restaurant give it a pleasant glow at night and the springtime evening breeze put just the right touch to the last hour of the meal.
Your experience doesn’t have to end with the restaurant, as the neighborhood provides ample opportunity for an evening stroll. The surrounding kiosks work until at least 11 and the view of the Dnipro and the illuminated bridge leading to the high-rises on the left bank at night is one of the best in all of Kyiv.
SSSR
Sichnevoho Povstannya, 42/1, 280-3066
Open daily 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
English-language menu: Yes
English-speaking staff: Yes
by Orysia Kulick, Kyiv Post Staff Writer
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