Since October of this year, Moscow has been actively shelling all Ukrainian cities without exception. Their main goal is to destroy the state's energy system, so that the entire Ukrainian people find themselves without electricity, and businesses - without the opportunity to work. The field of restaurant service was no exception. Already during the first blackout in November, many catering establishments stopped working or were not working at full capacity. The authorities of Lviv have even adopted a program, the purpose of which is to support such businesses and provide partial compensation for the purchase of power generators.
Importantly, these establishments will also perform a certain social function: there you can warm up, order warm tea or coffee, recharge your phone or power bank.
The first one in our rating is the Valentino restaurant, which is located at 20 Ostapa Nyzhankivskogo street, in the very center of business Lviv. It is easiest to find it when you are on Shevchenko Avenue near the Ivasyuk monument. Looking at the monument, you can see the facade of the restaurant itself.
The menu in the restaurant is in Ukrainian, English and even in Arabic. Valentino is an Italian restaurant with traditional cuisine.
The "Valentino" menu features classic Italian dishes: crispy bruschetta, appetizers and salads, homemade pasta and bread, risotto, ravioli, seafood dishes, sauces and thin, crispy Italian pizza cooked in a real Italian wood-burning oven.
In the evenings (Fri, Sat, Sun), "Valentino" enchants guests with a particularly romantic atmosphere - the quiet playing of a violinist and burning candles.
But now the MOST IMPORTANT thing: nowadays the restaurant "Valentino" is equipped with powerful generators. Therefore, even during a complete blackout, here you can have a delicious breakfast, hold a business meeting during lunch, a romantic dinner, or simply come in to warm up, drink hot tea or coffee and recharge your gadget. The wine hall serves as a kind of shelter for guests of the establishment, so you will also be relatively safe in the restaurant. We were also informed that they are considering the purchase of Starlink, so that the guests of the establishment have uninterrupted communication.
In second place is not even one, but a whole network of Lviv "Rebereny". The main restaurant is located in the city center at 5 Pidvalna street, or popularly called "Arsenal". Another establishment is located at 24-26 Staroznesenska street, Pidzamche district, and while the newest restaurant in Lviv is located at the intersection of Stryyska-Naukova streets at 202 Stryyska street.
Ribs are, of course, the highlight of all Ribs chain establishments. The restaurants position themselves as being as democratic as possible: "we are a democratic establishment, so we don't have utensils here and eat with our hands (well, yes, it's tastier in the end). And, of course, the entrance to us is without ties. But if someone wanted his tie to be folded in public and he added to our collection, then why not?" - says the official website of the institution.
And the most important thing: all institutions are equipped with generators, which allows them to work independently of centralized power supply. Also, if necessary, and in case of a complete blackout, you will be able to warm up, charge your phone and use communication.
The third place in our ranking is taken by the Cloud no.7 Panorama restaurant, which is located on the 7th floor of the Roksolana shopping center at 14 Sobornii square. The restaurant is famous for its wonderful panoramic view of the center of Lviv. The restaurant's menu includes dishes from all over the world, and one of its features is its own cocktail laboratory.
As the staff members assured us, the restaurant has a generator, so even in the event of a complete power outage, the establishment will receive guests, but there may be some difficulties with the kitchen.
"Tsukernya" was in the fourth place of our rating. The establishment is located on Staroyevreyska Street, 3. Here, true experts in their field are restoring and multiplying the traditions of the confectionery art of Galicia. During the 18 years of the institution's existence, cheesecakes, eclairs, cakes and pastries "Tsukerni" have become famous throughout Ukraine, but they are still loved by the people of Lviv.
As we learned, the pastry shop will be able to work during a complete power outage, because the establishment has a generator. However, its capacity is limited, so it will be difficult to charge the phone, since not all sockets may work.
Our top five is rounded off by the legendary Viennese coffee shop. The institution is located in the very center of Lviv at 12 Svoboda Avenue, behind the monument to Taras Shevchenko.
The menu of one of the oldest Lviv restaurants consists of international dishes. The main emphasis is on meat and fish dishes: charcoal-grilled salmon steak, Viennese sausages, shrimp with mushrooms in a cream sauce, Viennese beefsteak. The "Vienna Coffee House" has two restaurant halls, a coffee shop and a beer bar. But, as the representatives of the institution assured us, it works without interruption and will work even when there is a complete blackout in the city, the institution is equipped with a generator.
Summing up our gastronomic journey through the center of Lviv, we must note that only about 20% of restaurants have generators. Most of the restaurants closed altogether with the start of a full-scale war and massive shelling. Others are trying to work in the conditions that have developed at the moment - some are by candlelight, and some are luckier - as they assured us, the lights are almost never turned off.
We thank the correspondents of "Cynical Lviv" who decided to take a walk in the city center and formed their TOP-5 restaurants in Lviv, which will be open even when the city is completely dark.
