We were lucky (or smart!) that Lviv was our last stop in Ukraine.  A city with lots of history and the architecture to show for it, it is not the typical former Soviet city you would expect.  Our day started with a quick look in a 700 year old cathedral and its quirky companion chapel, and a panoramic view from the top of the Central-Square-located city hall.  It ended with a visit to a museum of beer at the brewery of one of the most popular brands in all of Ukraine (tasting included!), and a genteel trip to a stunning ballet at the magnificent Opera House.  All said, our best experience of the day may have been a simple lunch at a very unassuming restaurant.

The place sits on the main square in Lviv, but without direction you would never find it given an hour to look.  We happened to see the listing in the fabulous, tourist-office-provided In Your Pocket Lviv guide.  Even then, we almost missed it.  We found the address, looked at the building and saw nothing, checked the address and looked again; still nothing.  We went through the only door on the front of the building, across a dark passage to find another door, unmarked, next to a set of stairs.  We only realized we had found the place by someone opening the door, which yielded a quick glance of a man with a large automatic rifle in full military uniform.  We knocked and were met by the armed doorman and his expected uttering, “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine).  “Geroyam slava” (Glory to its heroes), we replied just as In Your Pocket Lviv suggested.  With a snicker at our Ukrainian pronunciation, the guard let us into the small entryway.  Our final test before allowing us entry was to down a shot of honey vodka.  With that task completed, the secret door, disguised as a bookcase, was opened and our lunch could commence.

The actual restaurant was just as fun as the entrance.  The place is an ode to the struggle of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army against the a plethora of invaders during World War II and is, in effect, the most bizarre war memorial on earth.  The menu is in the style of a war propaganda magazine, complete with yellow, worn pages and faded photos of tanks, guns and soldiers.  The “Slava Ukraini” and “Geroyam slava” don’t end at the door.  We noticed waiters exchanged the salute each and every time they passed a standing or walking customer.  The walls were adorned with kitsch photos of war heroes and the furniture was of a raw wood quality.  If we weren’t carrying American passports, we would have been convinced we were ready to enter battle, or celebrate recent conquests.  Beyond the atmosphere, the food was good Ukrainian fare at cheap prices.  We even had our first brush with pierogis, our favorite Polish delight.  Our eyes wandered around in wonder, exploring every corner in perpetual amazement.

On the day that Ukraine finally opened up to us, it was fitting that a restaurant was our favorite attraction.  We finished our meal, paid our bill, and made our way past our trusted guard to the exit.  It was great fun, and for our money one of the best restaurants in the world.  And no, we are not going to tell you its name, you’ll just have to go to Rynok 14 in Lviv, Ukraine and see for yourself.  Oh yeah, don’t forget to say “Geroyam slava”.