Atlas is an authentic European restaurant in the heart of the city center in Lviv. It rests just on the corner, being a convenient place to grab a bite to eat after exploring the cobbled stones and old churches in the area.

We had daily dinners as part of the expat Whatsapp group and I was incredibly late today. I didn’t know if people were still inside and unfortunately, I also didn’t know anyone who was going and while I walked up and down the aisles, I had no idea who was part of the group and who wasn’t! One of the expats, Ben, from Florida said, “Just look for the Asian” and thankfully, that helped haha and I met Eric, (also from Florida) for the first time. A man from Romania and a couple from Sweden and Norway was also there (and they actually met through volunteering in Ukraine!)

The Atmosphere:
The restaurant has a unique old-timey European feel. There are portraits on the walls, laden with wallpaper that looks old and slightly tainted from the sun. The wooden chairs and old furniture is comfortable to sit in, but has that “antique” feel. It’s more than just an authentic European restaurant, but it’s one with a rustic theme that leaves you forgetting what century you’re in when you step outside.

The Food:
For the food, I didn’t get a drink (we were going to the bar later on in the night) but instead I had bigos and some type of dessert, no idea what it was but it was delicious!

Bigos is a stew made of cabbage, sauerkraut and various meats. Depending on where in Ukraine you’re from, you may refer to it as different things and primarily, it is a Polish dish. It may also be referred to as “Hunter’s Stew” or simply “Stewed Cabbage with meat.” It’s a hearty stew with an explosion of flavor and for those who like healthy and hearty dishes, with less carbs, I definitely recommend it!

Sorry for the horrific photo of that dessert! The lighting wasn’t great for photos in the restaurant and it definitely came out a lot more blurry than I intended.

Today’s a short post, partly because I have a cramped day but also because through the rush of being late to Atlas, I didn’t take many photos. You may ask why I even bothered with a blog post that was so short and didn’t really provide great insights. But not all blog posts are going to have grand photos, and as a hobby blogger (not a professional blogger) sometimes that’s okay. I would much rather post something even as short as 500 words and someone see it and decide they were looking for an old-timey restaurant and go than no one see it because the blog post was never written. I’m sure that’s horrific for my algorithm, but hey! Maybe it’ll help someone.

To learn more about my volunteering, food exploration and the sites I visited in Ukraine, visit this link! https://backroadbutterflies.blog/category/ukraine/

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Cheers friends & Travelers!
~Sho, Founder of Backroad Butterflies ~

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