Well, Ukraine wouldn’t probably seem for many people as a paradise for digital nomads, but if you take a look at it closer you might be surprised (as I was). I decided to go to Kyiv as a beginner freelancer for one week. I was flying from Slovakia, so if you are from Europe the flight tickets won’t be that horribly expensive. Before my trip, I was checking for some reviews about cafes in Kyiv, but I couldn’t really find many of them, so that’s why I decided to write this short review of the cafes I tried to work from.
Takava Coffee – Buffet
I was excited to go and work from this cafe in Kyiv, that’s why I went there right on the first day of my working week. It’s not really in the city center, you would need to take a metro. The interior looks lovely, they have these big Turkish cafe pots hanging from the ceiling and really amazing coffee. It has two floors, the first one was too crowded so I asked for a table in a calmer part with a plug. The waiter brought me to the second floor and I got a cozy place without any distractions. Unfortunately, when I tried to connect my laptop to wi-fi, it didn’t work. The internet was running really slow just on a phone and the network wasn’t even password protected. At that time I was there (2019) they didn’t have a menu in English, but it wasn’t really a problem to talk to the staff. The whole place is really beautiful and I would definitely recommend it, but for the work, it wasn’t the best.
Price: coffe + dessert – 40 UAH + 50 UAH (1,20 EUR + 1,50 EUR)
Rating: **
One Love Coffee
The cafe was a really nice surprise for me, the internet had quite a hide speed. There weren’t many people in there a the interior was also pretty nice. The whole space is bright and some seats are right next to the large windows, so if the cafe is crowded these massive windows give you a feeling that you are actually somewhere else. There wasn’t also any problem with the plugs and on the other side of the cafe is a wide mirror where are really comfortable sofas with the accurate-size tables. I had a perfect spot right next to the window where is a bit cold during the winter, but you can’t compete for a view on a snowy street. Another big advantage, it’s a few blocks from Independence Square.
Price: fresh grapefruit juice – 100 UAH (3 EUR)
Rating: ****
Call me Cacao
This is seriously one of my favorite cafes in Kyiv. Very cozy and tiny space full of nice patterns, paintings, and stylish details in a combination with a lovely atmosphere and tasty mango tea is the ideal place to get some inspiration. Because I get there really early and I was one of the first customers that day, I had the honor to choose the best spot – next to a window (again). But this one was with a sofa right next to it and you gain the feeling that you have a bit more privacy. You just need to be comfortable with working with a laptop on your knees for some time, but for me, it was a perfect change. The cafe is situated in Podil district, one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kyiv, and it’s just a few stops by metro from the city center.
Price: Mango tea – 40 UAH (1,20 EUR)
Rating: *****
Soul Cafe
Small and pleasant cafe on the other side of the river Dnieper. They have these tall tables that are so great when you have to work on your laptop. The coffee was also great, but the other tables are quite small and too close to each other. It also seems that during the day they have many people around and if you take headphones you would be just thankful.
Price: coffee – 30 UAH (0,90 EUR)
Rating: ****
Honey
Honey cafe is one of the best-rated cafes in whole Kyiv and it’s obvious why. They have one of the best desserts and meals for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free. The interior is really spacious and when I arrived in the afternoon it has just started getting full, but don’t worry they have the basement as well which is a perfect space to work from. The waiter seated me in this other part of the cafe, which was way quieter, comfortable and internet was running really fast. Another great advantage of this place is, that there are partitions that give you a bit more privacy in case you are having a call.
Price: coffee – 45 UAH (1,35 EUR)
Rating: *****
Solomenska Browarnia
This is not a typical cafe bar for freelancers or digital nomads, but since I’m a big fan of craft beers and delicious food, I couldn’t miss a local brewery. It has also a great location, really close to St. Andrew’s Church. According to the reviews, their beers are one of the best in the city and prices are reasonable. So on the last day of working days, a good beer instead of coffee could just cheer you up.
Price: craft beer – 40 UAH (1,20 EUR)
Rating: ****
Conclusion
If you like places with excellent coffee and stylish cafeterias, Kyiv won’t disappoint you. I was pleasantly surprised. When I was planning my trip to Kyiv I wasn’t expecting a large number of cafes with a nice atmosphere. There wasn’t a problem when I stayed in a cafe even for the whole afternoon. Internet was also working really well in most of the places and the waitresses would always be willing to find a table for me with a plug. So if you are wondering about visiting Kyiv and you are worried about a place to work from, I highly recommend going to one of these cafes or look for some in Podil.
In case you would like to know more details about Kyiv, there is a Nomad List page with a lot of useful info and also a list of co-working places.
