7 tasty places for hearty breakfast in heart of Kyiv

Central Kyiv is home to a variety of cafes and restaurants serving breakfasts any day of the week. Many offer large portions that will last for hours. Here are our picks for the heartiest breakfast offerings.

Blue Cup

This New York-style coffee shop serves breakfast all day long. Its cozy ambiance also makes it a favorite, so it’s best to come early.

The Blue Cup has two set breakfast meals: the Big English breakfast (Hr 149) and one with scrambled eggs, salmon, avocado and green salad (Hr 173). Other options include a sweet oatmeal with pumpkin and caramel or a savory preparation served with mushrooms and cheese (Hr 63–89) as well as eggs benedict with bacon or salmon, avocado toast with linen bread (Hr 129–149) and Ukrainian cottage cheese pancakes syrnyky (Hr 93).

The coffee shop also serves specialty hot and cold sandwiches made with roast beef, chicken, salmon, tuna or tofu (Hr 147–159). And for your caffeine fix, The Blue Cup has coffee classics or alternatives. The dessert menu is rich with tarts, brownies and cheesecakes (Hr 63–93).

The Blue Cup Coffee Shop. 5 Pushkinska St. 9 a. m. — 10 p. m. All-day breakfast. +38-050- 315-6869.

Smørrebrød

Smørrebrød takes its name from the Danish open-faced sandwich, of which this café has 14 kinds. These include the classics with salmon, shrimp or herring as well as meat ones with roast beef or veal tongue and vegetarian kinds with capers, cheese or hummus (Hr 145).

The smørrebrøds are a good choice, but this Nordic cafe also has an all-day breakfast menu. The highlights are salmon brioche with a poached egg (Hr 175) or a bacon bagel with tomato and salad (175). There is also oatmeal served with baked curry apple (Hr 96) or egg and spinach (Hr 120).

For breakfasts that satisfy the sweet tooth, the cafe offers granola with yogurt (Hr 95), cinnamon rolls (Hr 65) and berry mouse poppy pancakes (Hr 110). Smørrebrød also has coffee classics.

Smørrebrød. 4 Horodetskoho St. 8 a. m. — 11 p. m. All-day breakfast. +38-044- 337-0031.

Milk Bar

This cafe has one of the most varied breakfast menus. The catch is that most of the menu is only available until 11:30 a. m. every weekday except Mondays. Still, on weekends Milk Bar is a great place to get brunch: it’s served until 5 p. m. and includes much of the same hearty breakfast food served during the week.

The heartiest of all is their Brutal Breakfast, which includes eggs, sausages, hash browns, mushrooms and salad (Hr 235). Other savory items include an omelet with beef (Hr 169) or avocado (Hr 135), scrambled eggs with tarragon (Hr 169), polenta with bacon and mushrooms (Hr 149) and even pancakes with lobster (Hr 399). For vegetarians, there is tofu with rice and vegetable sauce (Hr 135).

Sweet breakfasts at Milk Bar include standard pancakes with maple syrup (Hr 149), cream cheese syrnyky (Hr 165), a banana bowl with yogurt and granola (Hr 155), or the specialty Milk Bar Oatmeal with apple, pear and walnut crumble.

Milk Bar. 16 Shota Rustaveli. 8 a. m. — 11 p. m. Breakfast till 11:30 a. m. All day on Mondays. +38-044- 237-0907.

Kharms

Besides books, vinyl music and a welcoming cat, this “intellectual café” named after the Russian avant-garde writer Daniil Kharms offers breakfasts until 2 p. m. on weekdays and 3 p. m. on weekends. Their coffee is great too.

The largest breakfast served at Kharms can be ordered anytime: The Very Big Breakfast has Eggs Benedict with gravlax salmon, avocado and a drink of choice (Hr 259). Other options include scrambled eggs with mozzarella cheese (Hr 138) and shakshuka poached eggs in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil and vegetables (Hr 133).

Sweet options at Kharms include two Ukrainian dishes: syrnyky served with salted caramel (Hr 135) and varenyky dumplings with berries and condensed milk (Hr 135). There is also oatmeal with passion fruit (Hr 96) and granola with Greek yogurt and dried fruits (Hr 81).

Kharms. 45A Volodymyrska St. (Inside the House of Scientists). 10 a. m. — 10 p. m. Breakfast until 2 p. m., 3 p. m. on weekends. +38-093- 847-4745.

Under Wonder

This elegant Italian-themed restaurant starts at 6 a. m. and serves ample breakfast meals until 12 p. m.

The Kyiv Breakfast includes syrnyky and other types of Ukrainian pancakes with cottage cheese and cherry (Hr 152). The English breakfast has fried eggs, bacon and sausages (Hr 148), while the “Italian from New York” set has salmon, poached eggs and quinoa (Hr 210). Vegetarian breakfast takes quinoa further with avocado, peas and hummus (Hr 190).

Omelets, fried and scrambled eggs can be ordered individually (Hr 68) or with add-ons like bacon, salmon, variety of vegetables and cheeses (Hr 20–68). Oatmeal with apples and raising is also on the menu (Hr 78), as well as sweeter options such as cheesecake (Hr 128) and chia-mango pudding (Hr 90).

Under Wonder. 21 Velyka Vasylkivska St. Open 24 hours. Breakfasts from 6 a. m. to 12 p. m. +38-098- 203-4394.

Adelle

Mediterranean breakfasts are the specialty of Adelle, an Israeli cuisine restaurant in central Kyiv. Adelle serves breakfasts until 12 p. m. on weekdays and 1 p. m. on weekends, but there is always some of the Kyiv’s best hummus and pita here.

Its largest breakfast meal is “Ya Habibi, Tel Aviv,” or “My Love, Tel Aviv” — a platter of chosen eggs, salad, feta, tahini, hummus and zhug, a Yemeni hot pepper and coriander sauce (Hr 245). The restaurant’s must-try is Labneh, a kind of Greek yogurt, served with pita and za’atar herbs mixture (Hr 168).

Israeli breakfast classic shakshuka is also on the menu in two varieties: red one with bell peppers (Hr 196) and a green one with kale, spinach, basil and zhug (Hr 185). Adelle also offers the usual breakfast options like oatmeal, poached eggs, croissants and syrnyky (Hr 195–315) with many add-ons, including gravlax salmon, shrimp and guacamole (Hr 65–135).

Adelle. 29 Velyka Vasylkivska St. 10 a. m. — 10 p. m. Breakfast till 12 p. m., 1 p. m. on weekends. +38-063- 132-7890.

The Life of Wonderful People (Zh-Z-L)

Parties start at breakfast at The Life of Wonderful People (named Zh-Z-L for short) — the eclectic lively restaurant that playfully mixes Middle Eastern cuisine. Out of the three prize-winning restaurants owned by First Line group, Zh-Z-L has the est-value breakfast menu.

Zh-Z-L serves up steak, baked with seasonal vegetables and an egg (Hr 299). Poached eggs are served with grilled salmon (Hr 255) or shimeji mushrooms (Hr 189). Shakshuka is extra spicy with hummus and eggplant salad (Hr 163).

Oatmeals at Zh-Z-L are served with gouda cheese and truffle oil (Hr 109) or with strawberry jam and roasted cashew (Hr 109). An honorable spot on the menu is reserved for “lazy,” or unwrapped, varenyky with mango and pineapple (Hr 165) that can be complemented with matzoon, a type of Georgian yogurt.

The Life of Wonderful People (J-Z-L). 36 Velyka Vasylkivska St. Mon-Fri. 8 a. m. — 12 p. m. Sat-Sun 9 a. m. — 12 p. m. +38-050- 393-3636.