Beer at Шато

Well, it's лютий (February- the cruel frosty month) for another 10 days so to keep thoughts off the weather, here's a new edition of Out and About in Kharkov.

If you're an expat living in Kharkov or a fun-loving Ukrainian then you've probably been here several times.

If you like beer then you've probably consumed several of these.

Behold, the (partially-emptied) BEER GIRAFFE! There is a hollow core filled with ice to keep the beer chilled.

Step right up and serve yourself!

Yes, that's right, 3 liters of beer for about twelve bucks. 

They even sell "alcohol breath-control mints" for afterwards

 Aside from the beer giraffe, Шато has a couple other things going for it too. The decor is pretty cool (see below) and since they do brewing on site, you can easily snap a picture in front of the big brewery tanks. They're practically in the middle of the restaurant. And if you're a sports fan, Шато is filled with big flat-screened TVs that usually show soccer/football matches.

Must-have lighting for any beer fan. I'm talking to you, dear Dad!

If you're like me and don't care for beer, don't worry; the menu alone is still worth a visit. It's not the most fantastic food ever but it's well-prepared and there's a wide variety of items. The menu is cutely organized by countries: there's the Ukrainian kitchen (salo, pickles, herring, salads), the German kitchen (various sausages), the Mexican kitchen (amigo salad, chimichanga), and the Italian kitchen (carpaccio, tiramisu). It reminds me of #29 on You Know You've Been in Ukraine Too Long When.... you go into an Italian restaurant and expect to be able to order Japanese food. 

An extensive Кальян menu is available from 6 PM to 11:30 PM. If you're not a fan of кальян or cigarette smoke, there is a non-smoking section. Ahem, okay, back to the food:

a selection from the "German kitchen"

dessert from the "Italian kitchen". Guess who ordered this!

And as a special gift, I'm giving you insider access to the men's bathroom. My male companions hysterically stumbled out in laughter, so I sent them back with a camera.

"This is what happens to people who drink milk instead of beer."

Activities not allowed in the men's room. I guess we ladies are much less creative, our bathrooms are boring!

Шато is located in Freedom Square, near the University metro stop. Walk towards the Lenin statue and you'll see the restaurant on your right.



I'll leave you with this, words of wisdom from the table menu.

"Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you BEER!"