HANGOUTS IN LVIV
Local lowdowns about places I know in Lviv that may make your evenings more interesting. They are not visited on our tours but you should definitely check them out before or after touring with In Lviv Tours. Lviv is a very fast-moving city and new places open all the time. Watch this space.
TRAVEN
Traven is a safe space for students, young punks, antifas and LGBTQs, but a very broad mix of people hang out there and not all of them agree with the Traven status quo. Traven kitchen is vegetarian and beers are mainly Brater with a few extras on the board. Music is diverse and whoever works there will decide what you listen to (you will not have a choice).
When I first visited the establishment in 2014, it was a Right Sector bar (far right political group), then it became Dante, then Kerouac. Now, as Traven, evenings spent downstairs will likely include live music, a lively debate, an art exhibition or film screening. During the day you can play table football.
Previous and current staff are generally musicians in the Lviv punk and stoner scenes, representing bands such as Breath Control Play, Planet Bit, Mauser and Suicideburg. Traven is a good spot in which to take stock before heading to Bar Deli Club or further afield in Lviv old town.
BAR DELI CLUB
The most notorious pubs have been around for a while and Deli qualifies with flying colours. It closed for a while in the COVID years when someone rented the space for massage services. Let's call that a blot on an otherwise unblemished landscape.
Bar Deli Club has always had attractive and attentive bartenders, a nostalgic mix of old school game consoles that you can play for free (Sega Megadrive, Dreamcast), vinyls that you can spin, Star Wars stuff, a room dedicated to Tottenham Hotspur (I don't know why either), and a back room that is dedicated to Beer Pong. You need to try it.
Deli kitchen stuggles to feed hungry people so eat anywhere else before visiting. Half a dozen excellent bistros and restaurants sit very close nearby, namely Kumpel, Stargorod (directly opposite), Kabinet, Meat and Justice, Traven (see above), and a Lviv Croissants. Music is YouTube and Deli will play what you want, be that Death in June, Bauhaus or Baby Metal. Beers by Brater brewery which means taste, value and variety.
BUFFALO PUB
A family pub founded in 2018 that delivers Ukrainian and British rock music to loyal locals. The kitchen is excellent, their borscht one of the best in Lviv. Beers, shots and snacks are all trusted staples.
Buffalo Pub (вул. Богдана Хмельницького, 15) is located in between what is left of two synagogues that were destroyed by Nazis and Ukrainian nationalists in 1941, on a street that was the scene of murderous pogroms during the first days of July that year. Their wheat beer is gluten concentrate, so if you suffer from gluten intolerance as I, stick to the lagers and darker beers to save yourself a high pulse rate. One of my favourite pubs in Lviv.
CANTONA PUB
Founded in 2015 by FCKL fan Andriy Markovets, Cantona has since become basecamp for Lviv Reds (Manchester United supporters). Expect an acceptable selection of beers and one of the best pub kitchens in Lviv. It gets busy and the atmosphere is always lively. Cantona is all about the match with a hefty does of Britpop and Indie music. Don't miss dropping in when you're here.
Andriy is a serving soldier and his pub has long supported the Armed Forces of Ukraine so please show your support. Cantona Pub likes stickers of football firms and football clubs (the lesser known the better, i.e. lower league teams), interesting football paraphernalia, and beers that are unavailable in Ukraine (especially white beers). If you plan on visiting, deliverance of any of those would be appreciated.
✍ by Pete Gr on May 2nd, 2026.