☕ Café & Restaurant in Ukrainian

These are the 26 essential Ukrainian phrases for café & restaurant, each with an English-friendly transliteration (stressed syllable in CAPS), the English meaning, and usage notes. Order like a local, from borshch to the bill. Hear native-style audio for every phrase in the free Slava app.

Столик на одного, будь ласка

STO-lyk na od-NO-ho, bood LAS-ka

A table for one, please

Столик на двох

STO-lyk na dvokh

A table for two

Меню, будь ласка

meh-NYOO, bood LAS-ka

The menu, please

Що ви порадите? formal

shcho vy po-RA-dy-teh

What do you recommend?

вода

vo-DA

water

вода без газу

vo-DA bez HA-zoo

still water · lit. “water without gas”

💡 Sparkling is «з газом» (z HA-zom). You will be asked which.

кава

KA-va

coffee

💡 Ukraine, especially Lviv, takes coffee very seriously.

кава з молоком

KA-va z mo-lo-KOM

coffee with milk

чай

chai

tea

пиво

PY-vo

beer

вино

vy-NO

wine

сік

seek

juice

хліб

khleeb

bread

борщ

borshch

💡 Beet soup, national treasure, UNESCO-listed. Never call it Russian.

вареники

va-REH-ny-ky

varenyky (dumplings)

💡 Filled dumplings — potato, cherry, cheese. Order them with смітана (sour cream).

Я буду каву

ya BOO-doo KA-voo

I'll have a coffee · lit. “I will-be coffee”

💡 «Я буду …» is THE ordering pattern. Swap in anything from the menu.

Ще одне пиво, будь ласка

shcheh od-NEH PY-vo, bood LAS-ka

One more beer, please

Я вегетаріанець

ya veh-heh-ta-ree-A-nets

I'm a vegetarian

💡 A woman says «Я вегетаріанка» (veh-heh-ta-ree-AN-ka).

Дуже смачно

DOO-zheh SMACH-no

Very tasty

💡 Say it to the waiter and mean it. Works every time.

Смачного!

smach-NO-ho

Enjoy your meal!

💡 Like bon appétit — said to anyone about to eat, even strangers.

Рахунок, будь ласка

ra-KHOO-nok, bood LAS-ka

The bill, please

без цукру

bez TSOOK-roo

without sugar

Я голодний

ya ho-LOD-nyi

I'm hungry

💡 A woman says «Я голодна» (ho-LOD-na).

Я хочу пити

ya KHO-choo PY-ty

I'm thirsty · lit. “I want to-drink”

Можна воду, будь ласка?

MOZH-na VO-doo, bood LAS-ka

Could I have some water, please?

💡 «Можна …?» (may I / could I have) is another magic ordering word.

Дякую, було дуже смачно

DYA-koo-yoo, boo-LO DOO-zheh SMACH-no

Thanks, it was delicious

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