So our opinions on the host city’s efforts in 2005 are well known in Eurovision circles - in fact we even discussed them with the Tourist Board of Kyiv back in London when they visited. They agreed this was a missed opportunity, badly handled and showcased Kyiv in a bad light in some respects. These were mainly around the service provided by the city’s restaurants, cafes, bar and clubs. This, we have to say, was not the standard we would have expected in other areas of Europe. That said the contest itself was reasonably well handled - if a little chaotic - and the Euroclub was great fun.
So comparing to 2017???? Well to be honest we were very very pleasantly surprised last night. We met with some friends and decided to put the “Service with a Smile” promise to the test. In the very busy Khreshchatyk Street area we found upmarket stores and boutiques, plenty of choice of restaurants and a buzzing crowd of happy smiley young locals out for some Friday night entertainment. Sadly the “Dancing Girl” Bars are still everywhere but this will slowly disappear - give it time
Eventually we settled on the https://www.facebook.com/MenyaMusashiKyiv/ restaurant just off the main street. Service was perfect, with English spoken by all staff, menu was great, and food arrived really quickly and - the best bit - all at the same time. All fro less than €10 each too. With wine!….
So far so good, keep it up Kyiv you’re doing much better than we thought you would and kudos for you for that.