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    Old Lviv

    4.2 (158 reviews)
    InexpensiveUkrainian
    Closed 12:00 pm - 8:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Old Lviv Photos

    Business Info

    OLD LVIV ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Old Lviv

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    Menu 02/2025
    Jazz S.

    Haven't been for the buffet yet but picked up some varenyky and pelmeni the other day and it was so smooth! They helped me pick out different flavors based on what they had left and prices were reasonable. Ambiance seemed cute and homely on the inside. This seems like a great mom and pop establishment and I will be back!

    Plates of goodies
    Seth F.

    What a wondrous and wonderful place. While it may be next to impossible for a Ukrainian restaurant to outdo New York's Streecha, Old Lviv certainly comes close. This cozy restaurant houses only a handful of tables, but the buffet and its selection certainly befit a grandiose establishment. Although I am generally hesitant of buffets, I was particularly intrigued by this one as less common genre in the country at large. And no disappointment was found in the experience. The buffet offered a wide assortment of dishes: meat in mushroom sauce, stuffed cabbages, filled mlyntsi, potatoes, vegetables, beef, various salads, fruits, and more. The buffet also includes soup, where I opted for the borshch. The meats were tender, the chickens juicy, the vegetables flavorful, and the horseradishes potent. There is truly nothing more one could ask for. There is also a full bar, although I did not explore its offerings. As for the cost, the weekday buffet at the time of my visit, July 2022, was $17. In my mind's eye, this is an exceptionally reasonable price for the variety, quality, and location. The service is very good as well. I will absolutely come back, and would recommend that you visit too. A note to the vegans of the world: this place is not for you.

    a plate of food on a table
    Kristina K.

    Old Lviv is such a lovely place. It took me back home to Ukraine. The food is traditional and wonderful. Such a soul soothing and body warming selection. The service was great, and I was so happy to come here.

    Exterior
    Miriam W.

    The food at this tiny storefront restaurant did not fail to please. We arrived for lunch and were offered beverages and some borscht. We took the waiter up on the offer of borscht, and were served a good sized bowl. Ukrainian borscht differs from its Russian counterpart, as it's often vegetarian and served hot. It's a simple, warming bowl of goodness. The buffet was still being filled while we ate our soup, so we waited a bit; a warning if you're planning on arriving just as they open. They had a few cold options on the salad bar, and I sampled most of them. The shredded beets were very good, and I also liked the cucumber salad, which had lots of dill. My favorite item from the cold side was their purée of beets and horseradish. I'm not sure what this condiment is intended to go with, but I ate it with everything and went back for more. The hot buffet is comfort food central, with stick-to-the-ribs choices like stuffed cabbage, pork stew and mushroom gravy with mashed potatoes. There were also two chicken dishes, a fish dish with vegetables and a beef liver stew. The stuffed cabbage here is different from the Polish and Hungarian varieties I'm familiar with. It was stuffed with ground pork and rice and served in a delicious creamy tomato sauce. I'm fact, much of the food on the buffet had dairy in it. A vegetarian couple came in as we were eating and interviewed the waiter on the options open to them on the buffet. They ended up staying, so, while Ukrainian food is typically very meat-centric, vegetarians (not vegans) can find enough to eat here. There are only 5 tables, so the space is small. They have a full bar and some Ukrainian wines that I'll try on a future visit. Yes, I'll most definitely be back.

    Authentic Ukrainian lagers
    Brandy L.

    Absolute gem! The borscht was DEVINE ... the best borscht I have ever had. Savory and sweet with delicious potatoes and cabbage and the service was warm and attentive. The varynyky (or Ukrainian peroigies) were also delicious and were balanced with flavor and deliciousness. The decor is authentic Ukrainian cultural pieces that made the place so cozy and inviting. I highly recommend this place especially on a chilly day. Will go back every time I'm in the neighborhood. Please go and treat yourself!

    Alexander B.

    Came here for dinner and everything was delicious. Borsch was very good (I hope they can also add borsch with beans or borsch with meat to the menu), pelmeni (meat dumplings) were truly home made and tasted well. They also have a buffet with a few more meals and overall the food didn't cost much which was great. Usually, Russian food is overpriced in the U.S. based on other Russian restaurants I've been in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Indianapolis. Our server was friendly and attentive and food didn't take long to come out. Pretty simple and straightforward experience. I'd say the only wish is if they could expand their menu a little bit and add the items above and maybe draniki (potato pancakes). Everything else was perfect!

    buffet
    Livia R.

    buffet for $18 very yummy warm food clearly made earlier, so get there relatively early (we got there at 5:40p- they stop making food at 6p) borscht isnt very intensely beety (which was good for me- but to each their own)

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Pay for the buffet. Better than ordering things individually. I would go again. Wish the borscht had meat in it.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Very good family operated place with authentic Ukrainian food taste . Very recommend . They have buffet options or menu to choose

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Our first time trying Ukrainian food! Good service. Delicious food. Cute place. The borscht was tasty.

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    2 years ago

    I really enjoyed the cappuccino, the sweets, the potatoes, the cabbage roll, and the chicken!

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    1 year ago

    Super cozy and great way to try new dishes if you are unfamiliar with Ukrainian food!

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    1 year ago

    Great authentic food! Super friendly people. Seating is a little tight but worth it. I especially loved the cabbage rolls!

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Delicious freshly cooked food. Buffet is fresh and has many choices. The young man who runs the front end is friendly and accommodating.

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    7 years ago

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    Anelya - Plum Dessert

    Anelya

    4.2(78 reviews)
    3.5 miAvondale

    This was a very special experience. Chef Clark and Chef Kim know good food. They develop delightful…read moreideas, they serve you stories and memories you'll make and stories and memories you'll think of every time you take a bite, and they truly live this life. Parachute was incredible, and Anelya is just as spectacular. It had been on my list to dine for a while, and my husband and I finally had the chance to go. Imagine my delight when I saw Chef Kim on America's Culinary Cup. What a bright mind, and everything she delivered had immense talent behind it. Together, these chefs bring what you can experience in a meal to new heights. So it should come as no surprise that every bite at Anelya was just as good as expected. From the roe tart to the pampushky, to the varenyky, to the kyiv, and the honey cake, every single bite was a dream. This is a must visit, and one you'll want to make multiple times. Chef Clark and Chef Kim, thank you for bringing this special place to Chicago.

    Had dinner with friends at this spot we've been eager to try for a while! Overall, it was a solid…read moreexperience with excellent service--the staff changed our plates frequently--and a quiet atmosphere that made it very easy to catch up and talk. The Food: Marinated Mushrooms (white wine, mustard seed): Hands down my favorite dish! Packed with incredible flavor. Trout Roe Tart (chive cream cheese, fresh wasabi): Delicious! Loved the fresh pop of the trout roe paired with the tangy cream cheese. Potato Pancakes (sea buckthorn jam, feta): Really good--perfect texture with a great balance of savory and sweet. Holubtsi (short-rib stuffed cabbage rolls, pearl barley, tomato demi-glace): Tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. Varenyky (sauerkraut-filled dumplings, chanterelles, walnut-mushroom sauce): A tasty, classic dish. Crayfish Deviled Eggs: Good flavor, though the crayfish portion felt smaller than pictured online and they were a bit heavy on the filling. Pampushky (Ukrainian garlic bread): Decent, but slightly denser and less soft than expected. Salo (cured pork lardo, garlic): A bit disappointing--mostly fat without much depth of flavor. Chicken Kyiv & Pork Ribs: Both proteins were noticeably dry and relied heavily on their sauces (though the apricot glaze on the ribs was very tasty). Dessert: We tried both the Napoleon and the Medovyk (honey cake). The Napoleon was the standout winner--crisp, balanced, and delicious! One final thing I just had to say, the price of 1 small bottle of Diet Coke was $7, I think that's highway robbery!

    Photos
    Anelya - Interior

    Interior

    Anelya - Entree Potato Pancakes

    Entree Potato Pancakes

    Anelya - Dessert Pomegranate Sorbet

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    Dessert Pomegranate Sorbet

    Magic Jug - Pelmeni (Meat Dumplings)

    Magic Jug

    4.4(88 reviews)
    6.6 miDunning
    $$

    Under no circumstance whatsoever would I ever use the term "comfort food." So normie, so NPC, so…read morerevolting. At least, I thought I would never apply this opprobrious term. But what other word exists for capably made Ukranian food? It is comfort food qua comfort food. The Platonic ideal of such. Savory in the extreme with more subtle notes of sweet and tart. On a previous trip to Chicago I lodged in a neighborhood bordering Ukraine Village. The proximity allowed me to sample a few establishments from the Ukraine. Things were fine; nothing extraordinary. On this more recent trip, I braved an excursion to the western suburbs, just for the Magic Jug. A food blogger named Hammond said it's the best. He did not lie. So it's in the occidental hinterlands of the city. And yet, my fellow diners were all from the Ukraine. So Ukranian, in fact, they all spoke the mother tongue. Besides that, the surroundings were not particularly Slavic. Minimalist pinewood interior makes you think moreso of Japan and less so of the Eastern Bloc. But anyhow. The chief feature that makes it so good is that everything is seasoned and flavored perfectly. The cooks - all from the Ukraine and all women - each possess palates with sniper rifle precision. The pelmeni (stuffed dumplings of similar appearance to tortellini). So beefy. So oniony. And finished with an herbaceous garlicky seasoning. The golubtsi (stuffed cabbage) at Magic Jug is without it's usually tomato sauce, giving you breathing room to really basque in the chicken broth in which the rice and veg were cooked. The effect: think a reconstructed chicken noodle soup - only with a fat dollop of smetana (sour cream). And the stewed liver. Really like a liver Diane. Don't be a wuss, eat the liver. Get it with mashed potatoes. I had mine with buckwheat so you don't have to. They also have several selections of house made bread. I ordered the one that's like a pull-apart brioche. Too full to appreciate it from on a visceral level, I was still able to note the craft involved. Within it, there contained the balancing act of well developed gluten and pliant interior.

    This place is absolutely a must try. We've been wanting to stop by for years and finally went in…read moreand literally everything that came out of the kitchen was so flavorful and amazing. We weren't sure what to order or how to narrow down what to get and the server made some great suggestions. For salads we had the cabbage salad and the beet salad, both were really good on their own and also if you mix them together too. The large meat pie - I forgot the name of it - was incredible too, and I had to get it with a side of the mushroom gravy which went well on everything. The dumplings were really good too and the mushroom soup was probably the best soup I've had in years. We will definitely be back.

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    Magic Jug
    Magic Jug - Pelmeni (Meat Dumplings)

    Pelmeni (Meat Dumplings)

    Magic Jug - Pelmeni (Meat Dumplings)

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    Pelmeni (Meat Dumplings)

    Smetana

    Smetana

    4.9(56 reviews)
    13.7 mi

    Fantastic place. One of the best restaurants in the area and Glenview is very lucky to have it…read more It's very neat and classy inside. We ordered pierogi's on a Friday night and they were incredible. We ordered a plate of half potato and cheese and half spinach and mozzarella. They were simply just amazing. If I have to be super super picky, though, the potato and cheese pierogis tasted only a slightly bit doughy, but it was still great and I'm planning on paying Smetana multiple visits in the future.

    Service - 3/5. Can you not see that I'm dying on this date?! Why is service so slow when we're the…read moreonly ones here? Guy said chicken in stuff cabbage which was wrong (date doesn't eat other meats). Missed when we ordered chicken schwarma warp. Mistook 'hot coffee' and somehow brought out raspberry coulis alcoholic drink?! Give that kid a coffee or multivitamins! Food - 5/5 Pierogi plate - selection of different fillings, boiled or pan-fried Polish platter - sausage, perogis, stuffed cabbage roll, potato pancakes with sour cream and mustard, served with creamy tomato-based sauce or the other sauce. Chicken shwarma wrap - delicious. mostly filled with mozzerella cheese and crunchy vegetables, seared in panini press. I would not describe this as schwarma wrap whatsoever. Coffee came out with 3 sugar cubes on the side of the tea cup. The hygienic part of me is screaming. Doesn't it make more sense to use a sugar bowl?

    Photos
    Smetana
    Smetana - Beet Carpaccio

    Beet Carpaccio

    Smetana - Herring Beets Tartare

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    Herring Beets Tartare

    Staropolska Restaurant - Veal Liver with Sauteed Onions

    Staropolska Restaurant

    4.6(670 reviews)
    3.3 miAvondale
    $$

    Staropolska is a gem! The menu is affordable, the food is great and street parking was easily…read moreaffordable. We made a reservation as we were a group of 5 and it was not an issue, but it could be on a weekend. There was only one server, but she was on top of her game. The restaurant is European, so it's not designed to be the American rush to eat. We started with potato pierogi to share. They were so amazing! My entree was stuffed chick with dumplings and a lovely cucumber salad. Very good, decent portion. The only detractor could be the restroom which is down a flight of stairs, and could be a challenge for anyone with mobility issues. Def worth checking out.

    Chicago reportedly has a large Polish immigrant population, so I tried Polish food here for the…read morefirst time. It was quite unique and commendable. Sour Rye Soup: Not bad, but honestly, I wouldn't order it again... the fermented sourness was just too direct and intense. Polish Hunters Stew: Apparently a national dish of Poland. The first bite tasted like Italian meat sauce, with a rich tomato flavor and a slight smoky aroma; then I discovered the ingredients included sausage, cured beef brisket, minced meat, and sauerkraut, making it quite substantial and much more satisfying than Italian meat sauce. Overall, it was a rich, sweet and sour flavor, perfect with rice, pasta, or bread. Sauerkraut & Mushroom Pierogi: Dumplings, but the Polish version. The sauerkraut was only slightly sour, refreshing and delicious with the mushrooms, while the sour cream added a touch of creaminess and richness. Unfortunately, the skin was thick and sticky, as if it had been boiled for a long time. For better dumplings skin, please turn to a Northeastern Chinese. Half Duck: Strangely, it reminded me of confit de canard. The meat was incredibly tender, falling off the bone with a gentle pull; the melt-in-your-mouth texture was truly delightful. The cranberry sauce was perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, with a rich fruity and fermented aroma. The rosemary emerged in the aftertaste, enriching the flavors and cutting through the richness. The accompanying sauerkraut was even better than the duck, with a crunchy texture and a mild, pleasant sourness, enveloped in a rich buttery and creamy flavor. The accompanying fpotatoes were also soft and delicious, but the roasted pear was too overpowering in its softness and sweetness, not meeting my expectations for a palate cleanser. Table Bread: The bread itself was unremarkable, but the generous amount of butter was commendable. I cannot believe that there is only one server for all the tables.

    Photos
    Staropolska Restaurant - Inside Staropolska(Old Polish Area Milwaukee Ave block from Belmont Ave) Highly Recommended! Great Polish Food!Super inside Decor! Cool!

    Inside Staropolska(Old Polish Area Milwaukee Ave block from Belmont Ave) Highly Recommended! Great Polish Food!Super inside Decor! Cool!

    Staropolska Restaurant
    Staropolska Restaurant - Zywiec O.5L

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    Zywiec O.5L

    Old Lviv - ukrainian - Updated August 2026

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