Lviv is my all-time favorite city in Eastern Europe. This beautiful Ukrainian city is truly an underrated gem. These past few years I visited Lviv twice and I am sure there will be many more times in the future. After my first visit, I wrote this blog post. In 2020 I decided to update it, because I discovered new amazing places to eat in Lviv. I wanted to include them in this post. So here they are, the 5 best places to eat in Lviv. All the places I mention have vegetarian options on the menu, and a few are even 100% vegetarian or vegan.
Want to know more about the top things to do in Lviv? Read this city guide for Lviv with 12 sights and tips.
SOWA cafe: waffles with a twist
SOWA is one of my favorite lunch places in Lviv. Since my last visit in 2015 they have introduced an English menu, which makes ordering much easier. I also noticed that the prices were a bit higher, but it is still very affordable. This cafe specializes in Belgian waffles with savory toppings. First I thought this would be a weird combination, but after the first bite I was convinced. This is very tasty! Since then, I have tasted a couple of waffles here and my favorite is the one with roasted vegetables. They have four vegetarian savory waffles. Do you still want to try a sweet version? No problem. They also offer waffles with fruit, sugar, or ice cream. Prices are around 90 to 115 UAH per waffle. I also applaud that they use paper straws for drinks instead of plastic ones.
Address: Staroievreiska Street 40. Open from 11.00 am.
Burger Joint: good burger (+ a vegetarian option)
When I’m traveling I sometimes want to eat something simple. On those moments I’m done looking for fancy hotspots and I just want to eat a burger and fries. However, finding a vegetarian option can be challenging sometimes. Fortunately, I came across the Burger Joint in Lviv that offers a vegetarian burger option. All burgers here come with fries and cabbage salad. Prices have been more or less stable. In 2015 I paid 73 UAH for a vegetarian burger, in 2020 it was 75 UAH. Prices for other burgers are around 80 to 95 UAH.
Address: Staroievreiska Street 26. Open from 11.00 am.
Green, the first vegetarian cafe of Lviv
All-vegetarian restaurant Green is a veteran in Lviv. It was opened in 2014 and during my first trip in 2015 this was the only vegetarian restaurant in the city. A lot has changed since then. Today, Happy Cow has a list of 17 vegetarian restaurants in Lviv, five of them are fully vegan. So Green has some competition now, but I still recommend going here. Every time I ate at Green, the food was delicious and their menu is beautifully designed! The entrance goes through a shop with vegetarian and vegan products. Very convenient, if you want to pick up some meat substitutes on your way out. You cannot find these products in a regular Ukrainian supermarket. The only downside of Green are the portion sizes (not so big) and the prices (higher than other places). They also don’t have WiFi. Their message is: talk to each other.
Address: Brativ Rohatyntsiv 5. Open from 11.00 am. The same owner also opened a second restaurant called Little Green. Address: Petra Doroshenka Street 36. Open from 9.00 am.
OM NOM NOM, the vegan hotspot of Lviv
Over to the 100% vegan places to eat. OM NOM NOM opened in 2018 and it was the first 100% vegan restaurant in Lviv. Their slogan is: to be kind to every kind. I can fully support that. This cafe wants to show that food without any animal products can just be as delicious, diverse, and interesting. Unfortunately, the day I visited OM NOM NOM I was feeling a bit sick, so I only tried the soup of the day. But the menu looked amazing. I also heard that they have a burger with Beyond Meat. I definitely want to try that when I go back to Lviv. Practical tip: you have to order at the counter. The staff will not take your order at the table. Prices per dish are around 50 to 80 UAH.
Address: Rymlyana 10. There is a second branch on Kulparkivska Street 200a. Open from 11.00 am.
Vegan fast food at Dogs Like Ducks
Looking for a quick bite to satisfy your hunger between all the sightseeing? Head over to Dogs Like Ducks. This a fast food cafe, specialized in vegan hot-dogs. The menu is simple: there are six ‘vegan dogs’. The hot-dogs are named after popular dog breeds, such as the Husky or Jack Russell. A reference to the literal translation of ‘hot’ and ‘dog’. The cafe is kind of small, but most people come here for a quick energizer anyways. I have no clue which hot-dog we ordered, but it tasted good. The staff was also very friendly. Prices were affordable, 47 UAH per hot-dog.
Address: Kovzshyna 6. There is a second branch on Virmenska Street 30. Open from 11.00 am.
If you have more restaurant recommendations for Lviv, please let me know in the comments!
