Travels Abroad - Parts 2&3 Medieval Coffee and Irish Pubs

Syn'oju Flazkoju - Under the Blue Flask

Still in Lviv, we sought out a coffee house Natasha had read about online. This place was truly amazing. Located down an alley off of Ulitza Russka, this was a small, one-room place on the bottom floor of a medieval building. The whole vibe of the place with it's ambient blue lighting, brick walls and antique furniture was that of a 17th century tavern. They even have a charming custom where patrons put coins in chinks in the mortar in the walls for good luck. The place was tiny, 20 people would be packed, but that only added to the charm.

The service was typical Ukrainian, that is, inattentive and apathetic, but no worse than most places. After waiting longer than we would have liked, we placed our orders with the waitress. Natasha and I both had the same thing, though the menu offered many interesting choices, particularly in style of coffee. We had coffee with cognac and a Dominican salad. Prices were very reasonable.

The coffee was fantastic, some of the best I've ever had. Shots of cognac were poured into the coffee cups, then lit on fire. In front of us our waitress poured in a lemon, coffe and sugar mixture to extinguish the flame, a really amazing presentation. If I owned a restaurant, that would be one of my specialities. The flavor of the coffee was great too, brewed in the Turkish style and served with the grounds in the cup.

The salad was excellent. Called Dominican (like a nearby church, not the country), it was prepared while we waited. Served on a bed of fresh cabbage, it was veal tongue, smoked cheese, green onions, fresh mushrooms, and sweet gherkins with mayo and spices. It was very light and refreshing on a hot summer day, very delicious.

Scorecard

Food: 5

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 3

Menu: 4.5

Price: 5

Total: 22.5

Average: 4.5

Dublin Irish Pub

Later that same day, we were searching for yet another place to watch the Euro Cup and stumbled upon the Dublin Irish Pub on Kriva Lipa Prospect. A nice place to watch the game, it was very typical by Irish Pub standards. Hardwood floors and low wooden tables, much like Irish Pubs in any city in the world. A good place for the game, for sure...

The menu was good, lots of choices, both Irish and Ukrainian fare, though I have to admit, I was very disappointed that they didn't offer any domestic beers, only Irish and British (and Heineken). That's a pet peeve of mine, I hate to travel and drink beers I could buy at home.

Anyway, the food was great. I had the veal with mashed potatoes. The veal was pounded flat, breaded and fried. It was well seasoned and served with a delicious red wine demi-glaze. The mashed potatoes were good, just standard mash. My only issue was the veal was a little tough (though quite tender compared to that at Alpaca). Natasha had the river perch, fried in its skin. It was very fresh, and therefore, extremely tasty.

The price was a little higher than I had hoped for, but the service was impeccable, not just for Ukraine, but for the U.S. as well.


Scorecard

Food: 4.5

Atmosphere: 4.5

Service: 5

Menu: 4

Price: 3

Total: 21

Average: 4.2

http://www.dublin.com.ua/