Odessa always attracted the best and the worst of Russian society. People with daring, entrepreneurial skills, and high hopes for freedom flocked there to find an El Dorado, or as the Yiddish saying promised, “to live like God in Odessa”.  Others were already fugitives from the law, saw the commercial entrepot as a potential for criminal activity, and sought their fortunes dishonestly.  While many considered Odessites amoral as well as apolitical, most conceded that there were also many creative spirits in literature and the arts, sincere patriots, zealous reformers, good mothers and fathers. As Jabotinsky wrote, “Odessa was one of those few cities which created their own type of people.”Just as the city presents physical contrasts—the flatness of the steppes and the steepness of the bluffs, land and sea, sun and fog—Odessa’s history presents light and dark passages. Nature and history have conspired to create a singular, enchanting city by the sea—Odessa.

   The very name with its soli frame of vowels, its whispering sibilants, vaguely Greek, or perhaps Italian in origin, definitely not Slavic, is only the first of the city’s many mysteries. Legends, not documents, say that the empress founder, Catherine 11, gave a verbal order to name the city for the Greek epic hero Odysseus, but to render the word in the feminine gender. There are also tales that there had once been a Greek colony by that name in the vicinity, so that this was to be the second Odessa. The ancient Greek colony of Odessa, however, had been located in Bulgaria, many miles away. Odessa, easily pronounced by all tongues, was a kind of Esperanto city, or more accurately a Tower of Babel, reflecting the dozens of ethnic groups who carved out space within its capacious embrace, each speaking its own language, with Italian becoming the first lingua franca of the seaport. Only later did the Russian language predominate, but still twenty or more languages could be heard on the city’s streets. An evocative place, Odessa elicited stories, journals, histories, paintings, photographs, films, poetry, jokes, and songs across its two-hundred-year history from the famous and unknown to commemorate and even celebrate their experiences there.

Mysterious, magical, and majestic sitting on a high bluff overlooking the Black Sea, Odessa was also the scene of abject poverty, brutality, and violence. A popular Jewish song, “’Odessa Mama.” bespeaks the affection of the city’s residents, but mothers can be cruel as well as kind. The unique mix of peoples in Odessa served as a matrix for creating wealth and art, but it was also a volatile mixture that sporadically erupted in dreadful pogroms and revolutions, as its darker pages of history record.

 

Based on the book "Odessa memories" written by Nicholas V. Iljine

The beautiful city of Odessa not only has great beaches. There are restaurants for every palette, from the distinguished to the sublime. When making your dining selection, you can choose the more elegant or laid back, either will serve you a fine meal. One thing to always remember is that in many Odessa restaurants, everything is priced a la carte. This usually means that cream for your coffee or that basket of bread will result in an additional fee. Another small detail is the service charge that will appear on most guest checks. This can range from anywhere from five to ten percent of your total bill.

Many of the finer Odessa restaurants are located in the major hotels. Fine establishments such as “Le Duc” in the Hotel Arcadia Plaza boast elegant French and European cuisines with fine wine choices. With large and small dining rooms available, they offer fine dining for any size group or family. For another fine dining experience, one may frequent “Le Caprice” inside the Palace del Mar Hotel. Offering exquisite seafood dishes, fine wines and a wonderful view. If you’re looking for a lovely Asian meal, try “Shalimar” in the heart of the city. The comfortable, plush surroundings along with fantastic cuisine have patrons returning time after time.

For a more relaxed atmosphere, there are many Odessa restaurants in the pub and café categories. If you’re looking for a great pizzeria, try “Zara Pizzara” with its modern, chic furnishings. This pizzeria is considered one of the best. It is the only facility in the Ukraine to sport a television in the lavatory, which might be the curiosity factor that drives part of its business. Then there’s the “Irish Pub”, with an eclectic mix of American, Irish and Ukrainian specialties. Their menu is like reading a world atlas of food dishes.

Looking for a romantic setting? There are many Odessa restaurant options that provide intimate dining for when you want to be close and solitary. Known for its special coffee and American style menus, the “Steakhouse” also boasts catering to business dinners and romantic interludes. The menu is a bit pricey, but the food and ambiance are worth it. With its seaside village décor and a local Ukrainian menu, “Kumanets” can be especially charming. Another plus to this dining establishment is the food is served in copious quantity. Although there are other options for traditional Ukrainian cooking, “Kumanets” always rises to the top of the list.

There is no shortage of specialty Odessa restaurants something for everyone’s palette is available. If you’re looking for Mexican cuisine, try “Estrellita”. Have a craving for great fish try the “Gulf Stream”. Perhaps you require a kosher establishment, in which case there is “Rozmarin”. This is a cozy and modern café providing a traditional Jewish menu. If a Japanese atmosphere is more to your liking, try “Yokogama” where they offer stylish Japanese fair. Whether you are in the Ukraine on business or in Odessa for holiday, there is a place for every palette nearby.