The Best Craft Beer Bars in Lviv

The craft beer industry in Ukraine took off in around 2014, just after we move there. There are now a huge number of craft beer breweries around the country, something you can witness at one of the many local beer festivals. Most cities have at least one, and more and more craft beer bars are springing up all over the place. There are many craft beer bars in Lviv now, as well as specific Lviv craft beer breweries.

We wrote this post before February 2022 when Russia invaded. However, we truely believe that Ukraine will be victorious and you will be wanting to visit. Also many people are going to Lviv to help out and support those involved in the conflict. We therefore want to support the Lviv craft beer scene by sharing our thoughts and experiences.

If you are heading to Lviv and you’re a fan of craft beer, we have a list of places you should check out. Most of the craft beer bars in Lviv serve local craft beers, not imported ones, so you will get the opportunity to try lots of the Ukrainian craft beer breweries.

A great thing about craft beer in Lviv, and the rest of Ukraine, is that it is cheaper than other countries. Where in the UK or USA you may pay $5 or more for a half liter of beer, in Lviv, you’ll pay just 60-90 UAH – $2-4. So, if it’s cheaper, you can drink more, right?

A word of warning before you go beer tasting of Lviv craft beers, as with craft beers in general many of them are quite strong. However, they don’t always put the strength on the menu, so it’s best to ask unless you are comfortable drinking 9% beers!

We lived in Ukraine for several years so check out our range of posts on places to visit.

Craft Beer Breweries in Lviv

Pravda at the Lviv Beer Theatre

Probably the most famous craft beer brewery in Lviv is Pravda. Starting in 2014, it was probably one of the first ‘craft’ beers in Ukraine. They make a wide range of beers, often with meaningful names, either local or political, like Kutya spiced golden ale, named after the dish Ukrainians typically eat on Orthodox Christmas Eve, Putin Huilo and Obama Hope stout.

If you visit Lviv, you can’t miss the Pravda Beer Theatre in the main square. A three floor restaurant in an old trading house, where all floors open onto a central atrium, a full brass orchestra plays a range of old and modern pop songs six nights week.

Pravda beer is something you’ll see a lot around Lviv and outside in other parts of Ukraine. The owners, iFest, own lots of the other quirky eateries in the city, including the super popular Rerbernia (which sells ribs), Lviv Coffee Manufactoring and theme resturants like Gas Lamp (has a huge collection of old gas lamps) and Masoch (sado-masochism theme cafe).

Pravda is also for sale in the big supermarkets around the country like Silpo, and you can get it delivered to you in boxes around Ukraine. They have also partnered with importers and craft beer breweries internationally, so look out for it near you.

Kumpel Craft Beer Lviv

Another craft beer brewery in Lviv in Kumpel. Kumpel branched out into craft beer after making local Ukrainian beers since 2008. They make a range of IPAs (dark and light), APAs, and Belgian style beers.

You’ll find Craft and Kumpel gastropub in Rynok Square in Lviv, which has a couple of outside tables so you can watch people go by in the square. There are also a couple of Kumpel beer halls, serving craft beer and local food.

Royal Brewery

Royal Brewery is a bit like Doctor Who’s tardis – it’s biggest on the inside than the outside. The front doesn’t look large, but it goes back and ends in a large counrtyard at the back. The decro makes it look like an old palace, which is an interesting contrast to the large tv screens showing sports and the range of football scarves on the walls. It serves its own brews, which are not really craft beers, but more like its own brews – lager, brown ale etc. They come in 1/2 liter and liter glasses and are pretty cheap.

Craft Beer bars in Lviv

Re:bro Lviv

Situated on Staroievreiska street, opposite Royal Brewery just off the main square, Re:Bro Lviv offers around 20 local craft beers and ciders from around Ukraine, such as Hoppy Hog from Odessa, Didko and Ten Men from Kharkiv region.

See our post for more on craft beer breweries in Ukraine.

There’s a large terrace in the summer in the street, tables inside or if like us, you like to sit at the bar, a bar with stools as well.

The food menu has a lot of meat, with rubs and burgers, but also healthy bowls and slightly less healthy Georgian khachapuri

If you are headed to Odessa, check out our blog on craft beer bars in Odessa.

Drunken Duck

Drunken Duck calls itself an art pub, as the walls of the small pub are full of local artwork. It’s on a square on Brativ Rohatyntsiv St, close to the ‘street with many names’. There are generally 12 local beers and ciders on tap, including some of the interesting small batch beers that the craft beer breweries in Ukraine like to make, like Ten Men Brunch Sour (with peaches and basil) and Rebrew’s Mango Chilli Sauce sour.

Kate is a big fan of these kind of sour beers, Kris thinks they taste of sick. Barstaff do tend to warn Kate when she orders them that they have an unusual taste, but if you aren’y sure, most bars will give you a taste before you order it. Anyway, Drunken Duck has other beers on tap if you aren’t a fan of sours.

Zoloty Kolos

I looked up the meaning of this and apparantly it means ‘golden ear’, like in the sense of an ear of corn. This bar is slightly away from the main square and is quite a small pub with a few tables and chairs, tall tables to stand up and seats at the bar. The walls are covered in graffiti and you should check out the toilets. I won’t spoil the surprise.

There are 16 local beers and ciders on tap, including Dnipro’s Woodstone and Mova breweries. If you go up to the bar, you can tstate them if you arent sure what to go for.

Choven

Virmenska street is an interesting place in Lviv to explore, with Dzyga art centre at the top where you can alson get food and Pravda beer, the Monument to Smile and the Stairway to Heaven (look up!).

On the left is Choven bar, on two floors and a cool looking building. Inside are various rooms with tables and chairs, and a long bar you can sit at. There’s a summer terrace at the front too.

Choven has 18 taps serving local craft beers from places such as Kyiv’s Underwood, Varvar and Rebrew. If you’re hungry, there is a nice range of beer snacks and pizzas

If you like street art as well as crfat beer, we have a craft beer and street art tour of Kyiv.

Good Friend

Good Friend is an interesting bar. From the front, it looks tiny. Going in the door there are a few tables in what appears to be a corridor, with a room at the back, but go down the stairs. Underground there is quite a sprawling pub, with a long bar you can sit at and other rooms. Big TV screens are all over showing football and other sports.

Good Friend has 24 local craft beers and ciders on tap, including beers from Rodbrau, Gonzo and Copperhead. Pizzas, burgers and other pub food come in large portions too.

Bratyska

Bratyska is also a little bit away from the main square on Sichovykh Striltsiv St, on the first floor in a large factory-like space with a terrace on a balcony. There’s a long bar with stolls and then long tables for groups. The walls have cool arty stuff on the walls.

There is a range of local craft beers on tap, and gastropub food.

Lvivarnya Beer Tour

Something not to miss if you’re a beer fan and visiting Lviv is the Lvivarnya, or the Lviv Beer Cultural Experience. Lviv Brewery originates from 18th century, although like many local beers (Beer Lao, Chang anyone..?), its now owned by Carlsberg. The Lvivarnya is a museum dedicated to the history of brewing and beer. The museum is excellent, modern and fascinating. Signs are in English, but you should take the audiotour for the full experience.

At the end of the tour, you end up in the tasting room where there’s a bar serving the range of Lviv Brewery brews. You can get a tasting flight if you want to try a selection.

There are, of course, other craft beer bars in Lviv that you can visit that we didn’t get to, but here’s a good start. Have fun exploring and if you find any other good ones, let us know

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