Any suggestions for Odessa?

[Carolinian]

Does anyone have any restaurant or other suggestions for Odessa, Ukraine? I will be there for four days next week, and already have hotel covered. My previous trips to Ukraine have been to Kiev and Lviv, and the guide book I have with me is a couple of years out of date, so more up to date suggestions would be welcome.

 

[Passepartout]

Lets see here... We stopped at Odessa last fall on a cruise. After riding up the funicular beside the bazillion steps up from the port, we wandered through the State Museum. Beautiful Opera house. Closed the day we were there. Pretty forgettable. It was raining off and on so after hitting most of the public buildings around the center, we struck out for lunch. We ended up in an Irish pub (in Ukraine?!?!) that seemed to be headquarters for the local ex-pat community. Seems like it was on Deribasovskaya street or something similar. Only a couple of blocks SE of the city park. The borscht was pretty fair.

Wish I could be more help. One thing I noticed about Ukraine.... some of the most drop-dead beautiful women I've seen anywhere. That seems like a good enough reason to go back.

Jim Ricks

 

[Carolinian]

Back from Odessa

Odessa was an enjoyable city, with much ongoing restoration of its beautiful old buildings. While its beach was fine to sit sit or lie on, I was rather dubious about going in the water.

As to restaurants, the Meat and Wine Steakhouse and Kumanets, a traditional Ukrainian restaurant, both on the main pedestrianized street were great, as was an Armenian restaurant that faces the city park.

I would also recommend the Hotel Londonskaya, a charming 4* from the Czarist period located on the promenade that is at the top of the Potemkin Steps. Even though a major facelift for that promenade is underway with new granite and marble pavers, planters, and lampposts, it does not impair the guest experience at the Londonskaya.