Glorious Gas Lamp Grub

Eastern Europe isn't exactly known for its top-notch restaurants, but there's a joint in western Ukraine that offers both an amazing atmosphere and incredible food. It's called the Gas Lamp -- or Gazova Lampa -- and it's near the main market square in Lviv.

Oddly enough, the restaurant is taller than it is wide. In fact, it's actually built with several dining squares stacked on top of each other about five stories high. Sure, you've been walking all day and would like to settle on the first floor, but it's worth making the trek to the top to see if there are any free tables on the rooftop deck. On my first visit to the restaurant, the top-floor tables were full, but I still got to check out the amazing view. Two days later I returned, and we luckily grabbed a rooftop table right as someone was vacating it. Still, the inside dining rooms are still excellent with gas lamps (as I'm sure you guessed) filling up the room with a beautiful, amber ambiance.

And then there's the food. I've been in over 20 East European cities this summer and eaten in hundreds of restaurants, and the food at Gas Lamp is the best I've had so far. The soups are amazing, but the real prize is the chicken with goat cheese. Seriously, it looks like they served me an entire chicken (one kilo's worth according to the menu) for about $12 or $15 U.S. They also have a chicken and apples dish that will be at the top of my cuisine list when I hopefully return. Everyone who joined me loved everything they ate.

Eastern Europe still has a long way to go in terms of fine dining, especially since their economies often require that prices be kept down, but Gas Lamp stands out as a shining example of a restaurant that did a lot more than make the most of it. This restaurant definitely gets two chicken legs way up!

Gas Lamp is located at Virmens'ka 20 in Lviv. The restaurant doesn't appear on many travel guides and it's not as easy to find as you'd think for a center center joint, so ask your hostel owner, hotel or locals for help. It'll be worth the effort!