Coffee Break

By Walter Kish

I have written a number of times in the past about the passion that the citizens of Lviv have for coffee.  It is undoubtedly an inheritance of over a century of rule that Western Ukraine endured as a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

Most people who have visited Vienna come to appreciate the important role that coffee houses have played and continue to do so in that city’s cultural and social history.  As I pointed out in a previous column though, few may realize that coffee was introduced to Vienna by an enterprising Ukrainian kozak by the name of Yurij Kulchitsky subsequent to the defeat of the Turkish assault on the Austrian capital in 1683.  In that battle, Kulchitsky played a key role, and subsequently stayed on to open the first coffee house in Vienna.  Coffee soon became a craze in that city and quickly spread throughout the Austrian Empire including Western Ukraine.

Lviv has a large number of coffee houses or kaviarni as they are called here, and they are the favourite venue for informal business meetings, romantic trysts, timeouts from a hectic day, or simply for indulging in a little hedonistic luxury. 

I should note that at this point, I am not talking here of your standard cup of “Tim Horton’s double-double”, or even your pretentious “mochachino” or latte at the local Starbucks, though you can get similar such concoctions here too.  The real coffee drinkers in Lviv know their coffee, and shun such adulterated or ostentatious brews.  Good coffee is meant to be drunk straight, that is black, though a little sugar is allowable.  In addition, it must be brewed either espresso style, under pressure, or in the Turkish method, where fresh ground coffee and sugar are dissolved in water in a narrow necked copper pot called a jehzve and brought to boil until it has reached a distinctive foamy consistency.  In both cases, the coffee is served in small espresso sized (demitasse) coffee cups or filizhanky.  The coffee is much stronger than what we are used to in North America so caution is advised in having more than one or two of these potent concoctions.

The best place to experience this type of coffee in Lviv is a small kaviarna called “Svit Kavy” or “The World of Coffee”, which is located on Katedralna Street right next to the large Latin Rite Catholic Cathedral and next door to the “Amadeus” restaurant.  This coffee house, consisting of three cozy, small rooms, has one of the most extensive selections of coffees to be found in Lviv.  Here you will find premium coffees from South and Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and even Hawaii.  Prices range from six hryvni (about a dollar twenty five) to 28 hryvni (about six dollars) for its most exclusive variety - the Jamaican “Blue Mountain”.  On a recent visit, I savoured an Ethiopian “Dzhimakh”, a full bodied coffee with chocolaty overtones, and a wonderful Hawaiian “Kona”, a mellow slightly bitter brew with a hint of citric flavours.  I counted a total of 23 different “vintage” coffees on the menu.  These are freshly ground in small batches throughout the day to ensure the ultimate in freshness.  “Svit Kavy” is dedicated to the coffee purist – there are no alcoholic drinks to be had and only a small variety of excellent desserts to go with your brew.

Another one of my favourite Lviv kaviarni, though very different in style and selection is the “Dzyga” at the end of Virmenska (Armenian) Street.  This place excels in coffee creations – coffee with a variety of flavours, or mixed with various liqueurs and served in dramatic fashion, especially when lit and flaming. Supplementing their extensive list of coffees is a large selection of teas in both the standard and herbal varieties.   They also have a wonderful medley of homemade liqueurs, such as the “Medivka” - a vodka, honey and Carpathian herbs potion that is beyond words, or the “Moravyanka”, a cranberry delight that is stimulating in more ways than one.  The other distinctive aspect about the “Dzyga” is that it is also part of one of Lviv’s most eclectic art galleries that specializes in exhibiting the works of Lviv’s young up-and- coming modern artists.  Their works may not always appeal to you but it helps if you’ve had a “Medivka” or two!

The bottom line is that if you love coffee, make sure you spend some time exploring Lviv’s many kaviarni. Both your taste buds and your cultural enlightenment will be the better for it.