Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This Odesa institution, perched on a plateau above Arkadia Beach inside Chkalov sanat-
orium, masterfully re-creates the atmosphere - on a slightly exaggerated scale. Food is
homey, Odesa-style, with sumptous portions. You can choose between dining in the
garden or inside the house filled with the random bric-a-brac typical of all
dachy
. House
policy: women are encouraged to dress down to their bras the way Soviet ladies did on
their
dachy
. We haven't seen anyone try it.
Drinking & Nightlife
Just about anywhere along vul Derybasivska is a good place for a drink.
Odesa's raucous club scene has two seasons: summer (June to August) and the rest of
the year. In summer the action is at Arkadia Beach, which boasts two huge, Ibiza-style
nightclubs that produce heightened levels of madness seven days a week. At other times
of the year, the action is closer to the city centre. Unless otherwise noted, the following
clubs charge 50uah to 100uah on weekends, and much less on weekdays. Discounted or
free admission for women is the norm.
Kofeynya ZheTo
COFFEE
OFFLINE MAP
(prov Mayakovskoho 1; 8.30am-11pm)
If one dessert can save the world, then it is black-
currant panna cotta from this tiny coffeeshop looking like a cramped antiques shop.
POLICE WARNING
If there is one place in Ukraine where you're likely to be singled out by the cops for
a bit of special treatment it's the pedestrian alley leading to Arkadia Beach. Of-
ficers occupy strategic sites here, cherry-picking foreigners out of the crowd for a
little shakedown. In fact we spoke to one traveller who'd been selected four nights
out of eight for the grave offence of looking foreign.
If you're heading this way of an eve, make sure you're carrying your passport
(you really should have it with you at all times anyway, but some travellers are
afraid of losing their documents while under the influence). If the police want a
bribe even after they've seen your papers, stand your ground, don't hand over any
money and ask to be taken to the police station. After a certain time the officers
will see they're onto a loser and wander off to bother someone else. US visitors
could also try calling their embassy in Kyiv, which scares the clappers out of most
Ukrainian patrols.
