Where to find Authentic Greek Food in Lviv City Cener: Ya Hrek (Lviv, Ukraine)

We were actually going to go somewhere else but there were no seats, so one of my friends from Florida recommended this other Greek restaurant. Some people liked the food, others thought it was “okay” but honestly, I enjoyed it!

When you go to a restaurant that advertises itself as authentic, of course you expect some country-specific decor. Maybe some photos, a general “vibe” but with Ya Hrek, they go ALL OUT! If anything, this restaurant gets a 5/5 for just purely the decoration!

Most of the seating is downstairs, down some windy staircases. You’ll get sat and like most places, there is a QR Code for the menu for convenience. I always wonder about people who may be older without a smartphone, and I’m sure they still have paper menus, but I’ve honestly come to love these QR Code menus, purely for the ease of getting it translates in any language! A huge plus, to be honest. I do my best in speaking the language, but I’m not fluent quite yet! 😉

The people were nice and we got to sit in the booths downstairs. I met a lot of people from different countries, which is always a neat thing. Some from Norway, Sweden, Romania, Poland, etc., and of course the regulars from Ukraine and America, oddly enough.

So let’s talk about the food!
I arrived a little late and when I first walked in, my friend Lynn had said, “I must warn you, the menu is a little overwhelming” and boy was she right! This is the menu and as you can see, you literally have to scroll to see all the different categories. I’m not talking the items, but the CATEGORIES!

Because Lviv is in a tourist area, they also have a Authentic Ukrainian Food section, so even if you want Ukrainian food, they will still have it here- although personally… going to a Greek Restaurant and ordering Ukrainian food… common guys!

Now, I had gone during dinner time and I don’t know why there’s a stigma of being childish if you’re eating breakfast food for dinner, but either way, I chose to be a societally acceptable adult and get an actual dinner… for dinner.

A plate of grilled meat served with flatbread, French fries, sliced onions, and cherry tomatoes.

Pork Ribs with Greek Pita Bread:
I had gotten the Pork ribs with the Greek pita bread. I found it in the “Main Greek Dishes” section of the menu. So let’s talk about it!

The pork was juicy, meaty, flavorful with a caramelized crust, the pita bread was thick and very scoop-able. The fries were… fries. They were fries lol, and the veggies were… well, also just veggies haha. The pork definitely stole the show.

Looking back, I probably could have found something more “authentic,” maybe the Skepasti with spicy pork or the traditional Kalamaki, but hey- you live and you learn!

I shared someone else’s drink and I did in fact get ONE dessert, but I had taken a picture of someone else’s because it just looked so incredible! I actually wanted a different dessert, but they didn’t have it at the time.

Someone at the table also said to go upstairs to pick out a dessert because they have specials and ones not on the standard menu, but I was happy with my choice and honestly didn’t want to ask the other 3 people in the middle of the conversation to move so I can get out of the booth LOL.

A vibrant dessert shop display featuring a variety of cakes, pastries, and ice cream, with bottles of liquor and glassware arranged on shelves above.

Raffaela Mousse Bar

I had gotten the Raffaela Mousse Bar, which is a creamy dessert bar with coconut flakes and almond pieces. Despite the heavy nut description, I could taste it, but I didn’t feel like I was eating a granola bar or anything! It was subtle and not overwhelming, which I liked. Upon looking at it, it looked dense but it was actually quite creamy and decently distributed. I wouldn’t call it “light” but not nearly as heavy or compact as it likely looks from the photo.

Portokalopita?

My FRIEND, on the other hand, got this absolute masterpiece!!

Now, I’m not 100% sure this is what it is since my friend told me he just pointed at it but didn’t actually ask the name of it #guys but upon a quick google search, I believe it’s a traditional Greek orange cake, known as Portokalopita. Portokalopita is a traditional Greek syrup cake made of dried, crumbled phyllo dough instead of flour. It has a custardy, moist texture. The dessert itself is often soaked in a sweet orange and cinnamon syrup. He let me try a bite and honestly was delicious!

Once you’re done eating, and in our case- chatting as well, you can go upstairs to pay. There was a cheerful man at the register and he would give everyone a chocolate truffle. He called it a potato, haha- so I don’t know if he doesn’t know what the word for truffle is in English or if he was trying to be funny, but either way, I gladly took the small chocolate truffle on the toothpick haha. I don’t know how else to explain the man except for just a very happy jolly fellow! If you know, you know! Just a man behind the register living his very best life!

I can’t believe I found this as I was trying to find their socials but haha “the potato” https://www.facebook.com/reel/1216129704005074/

Do I recommend Ya Hrek?

I do, yes. I think that I would rate it a 8/10. It was a great restaurant, absolutely loved the decor, but having only gone once, I think next time I go, I’ll look at the menu before I go and really look at some of the other more authentic Greek foods. I think I’d like to try it again and see what other delicacies I can find. I will re-update this post if I go again 🙂

Website | Instagram
Address: Katedralna Square, 3, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine, 79000
Hours: 9am-10pm (22:00) Daily (some sources say 11am-10pm, so make sure you’re looking at whatever is most updated at the time; 9am was on their website but their Google listing is 11am)