Food & Cooking Tours in Kyiv

I decided to spend 4-5 days in Kiev from Sweden with my daughter and we did quite a few things including the usual sight-seeing and restaurants. Kiev is a nice city but what was very unexpected are how amazing the people are there. Snzezhana and her family were absolutely top notch in their hospitality and making us feel welcome for this quite unique experience which was a good takeaway. Simple home cooked Ukrainian food which my 9 year old daughter really enjoyed hopefully more than I did. ;-)

A great thing to do with kids or a couple or just alone ;-) Snzezhana speaks good English (and Ukrainian and Russian and some Spanish ;-) so never fear.

Her parents (her mum is the one teaching) are wonderful and looking forward to meeting them for egg painting class when I come back next!

Thank you very much!

By far my favourite thing I did in Kiev! Snzezhana and her mother were so incredibly kind and sweet...it felt like being at home while away and travelling. Snzezhana picked my friend and myself up from our hostel and brought us to their apartment where we were greeted by her lovely parents. Her mom had made delicious home-made juice, I believe called kompot, which we sipped throughout our cooking class. We chatted and heard about life in Ukraine while learning to make delicious borscht and three different kinds of varenyky. I can't wait to show off my new cooking skills for my family at home! The best part was eating our creations...SO good! I can't recommend this trip enough! I promise you won't be disappointed!

My husband and I had such a great time in this cooking class. Snezhana picked us up and took us to her mother where we made borsch and varenyky. Wherever we travel we always try to find cooking classes, but this was the first time we had one in someone’s home. Thank you for a great time!

We had fun cooking borsch and varenyky in a typical Ukrainian apartment, guided by the Mom and the Daughter and supervised by Tobi.

Do not eat a couple of days before attending the class:-)

Fantastic tour. I had a great time strolling and tasting various Ukrainian cuisine. Marina and Dasha are lovely. Totally recommended!

Do you have a friend in Kiev that can take you to off the map places while tasting delicious goodies on the way? With Marina you do! She is super down to earth, open minded to new cultures and loves telling you about food and the city she lives in. She is generally the kind of person you would like to befriend not just for the tour, but for the rest of your stay in Kiev!

My husband and I are foodies. We absolutely love food, we pretty much spend all our money on eating and traveling. Doing a food tour is not new to us, we do at least one in every city we go to or else we go scouting for tasty places or things to eat. At this point, we have become quite efficient and demanding when it comes to food tours. We believe the host adds a whole lot to the overall experience. So, when we find one that goes above and beyond, we don’t doubt in giving her/him a thumbs up. That was Marina for us - which is why we recommend the tour solely because of her.

She has a very inviting personality. She is completely unbothered by intrusive questions. Instead, she seems so positive-minded that she will even find a charming way to debunk some commonly known stereotypes while you devour the one of the best (if not the best) Pirozhki with rhubarb you have ever tasted. Yes! Make sure you get that one. Your tummy will be thankful. My husband and I had to rock-paper-scissors for the last bite of it.

You’ll also get to walk around some of the oldest markets in Kyiv, try a mouth-watering forshmack and walk around a beautiful park/playground with cats and other creatures made of tiny tiles. Overall, I’d say that the food is a mix of items that have become traditionally Ukrainian either historically or due to immigration, so you really get the authentic local flavor. Also, I am a terrible navigator, but with Marina I had not to worry. I was so immersed in keeping up with the pleasant conversation that I didn’t even noticed how long or short we walked. One thing is sure, Marina will definitely go above and beyond to ensure that you are having a good time and that you are feeling at ease and welcomed.

We absolutely loved the authentic Ukrainian experience with Snezhana and her mum, Irena. We made local Authentic Borscht & Varenyky. We were picked up and dropped back to our accomodation by Snezhana. They were the most friendly and hospitable people and made us feel very welcome in their home. Irena made making Varenyky look very easy, however my husband and I were exceedingly mediorce, but we didn't mind, it was a fantastic learning experience. We made 3 different types of Varenyky- potato, sweetened cottage cheese and cherry. After we made our lunch time offering, the 4 of us sat & ate and chatted about the similarities and differences of our homelands. If you are looking for an activity that is a little different to the norm, this activity is well worth the time and money. It was my husband's bday on the day we did this activity and I had mentioned this in an email once, they remembered and had a little birthday cake- this was over and above anything I expected and was a very thoughtful touch. Snezhana even sent us recipe for what we made! This was probably the highlight of my Ukrainian visit- meeting locals who welcomed you into their home and sharing a meal together.

This tour was fantastic. Really gave me an insight into kyiv from a local's perspective, plus the food at the different places we visited was delicious.

The guides Dasha and Marina were really knowledgeable about the areas we went to and never got tired of answering questions. It never felt boring and it was more like a morning out with some friends.

They both had the best English I've heard from people I've met in Kyiv, and had a great sense of humour. So many tours guides sound like people reading a dull script but Dasha and Marina were infectious in their enthusiasm and interest in their city.

The route we took was off the beaten track, which is exactly what I wanted. We were near the regular tourist areas but in the back alleys and hidden yards that I would never have found on my own. I had no idea there were so many great restaurants and Cafes in almost secret locations.

In short, I feel like I now have an insider view on kyiv from a local's perspective, had some amazing food, fine wine, stimulating conversation, and had the pleasure of spending a wonderful morning with a couple of really interesting people. 10/10 would definitely go again :)

What a wonderful way to spend a few hours. Our 2hr class was more like 3! We were collected promptly at our hotel, driven to our guides house where her mother and father were waiting to welcome us. We then proceeded into the kitchen where we learnt the secrets of varenyky and borsch. We had a great time and although Mum did not speak a word of English our guide was there to translate for us - although cooking has a universal language of its own and we were able to understand, if not the words, then certainly the intent of them.
Waiting for recipes to be sent!!!!
Thanks,
Sherwynne and Tammy

Thanks, guys for a great experience of tasting local food and drinks!
We tried LOTS of dishes, ranging from savoury to sweet.

It was delicious and fun. I enjoyed all the unique eating and drinking places combined with walks in those amazing areas in Kyiv. The thing I liked the most, without a doubt, was !Spoiler Alert! pirozhki with rhubarb, which, I think, you won't get anywhere in the world.

I definitely recommend this tour!
Thanks so much!

This class was so much fun! We not only learned how to make traditional Ukrainian dishes, we got to chat about Ukrainian culture and ask questions, share stories! It was lovely! I especially loved how they read us a traditional story about a young mischievous ball of dough as the dough was being kneaded for the varenyky. Such a great touch!

Wonderful ! Olga and her mother made us feel very welcome in their home . Conversation was great, Olga answered lots of questions about Ukraine and enjoyed our attempts to say some phrases in the language. I would recommend this experience to other travellers . Eating the food we got to prepare was delicious as well!

We had a very special evening making borscht and varienickis with Irina and Snezhana, an adorable mother and daughter team. It was a great activity for my twin 17 year-olds and Mom to do together after all the touring. The food we made was delicious too. Highly recommended!

Snezhana and her mother are very sweet,and very entertaining.

They show us how to take simple ingredients & turn them into very delicious dishes. We will be cooking borsch and varenyky for our family and friends.

A really lovely lunchtime - I would highly recommend. Lovely apartment and anecdotes told - we learnt a lot about the food, culture and politics of Ukraine. Felt like being at a friend's home!

Thanks!

So awesome! They were so nice and welcoming, showing their kitchen and how to make the food. I totally recommend this experience!

The hostesses were very friendly and it was fun to meet locals and ask many questions. I will definitely use the recipes.

I really enjoyed myself and the hospitality I received