On the edge of Kyiv’s Seven Lakes restaurant and hotel complex there is a new restaurant that reads like a study in material honesty and thoughtful design. Farm Table opened recently, offering a dining experience that feels tied to its setting, its produce and its way of being present.
The building and interior were designed by Ukrainian practice YOD Group, led by Volodymyr Nepyivoda and Dmytro Bonesko with a core team that includes Mark Gorlushko, Nataliia Tymoshenko and Yana Rogozhynska. The design covers roughly 753 square metres and was completed in 2025.
The restaurant sits beside water and faces gardens, creating a frame for the meals that follow. Large floor-to-ceiling windows open upward in warm weather, bringing the outside in and softening the boundary between landscape and interior. The open kitchen is central to the room, which makes cooking part of the dining sequence rather than something unseen.
The material palette is simple and direct. Ukrainian red sandstone from Terebovlia is used on the floor, on large communal tables and at the bar. This stone is usually reserved for exterior work, but here it becomes a defining interior surface, its warm tone contrasting with light timber and linen. A sculptural wine display carved from solid sandstone stands in the lobby, giving weight to the space without feeling ornamental.
Pine trees planted in oversized tubs sit within the dining area, reinforcing the sense of continuity with the site and drawing the surrounding landscape inward. Circular skylights above bring softened light into the room and break up the otherwise linear geometry.
The menu reflects the same concern for locality. Ingredients are drawn from the property itself, including fish from the Seven Lakes and seasonal produce from nearby gardens. It creates a direct connection between what grows on the land and what arrives on your plate.
Farm Table feels calibrated to its surroundings in a way that lines up with how chefs and designers speak about authentic place-based hospitality. The architecture supports that intention in a deliberate way. It is a space that asks you to notice texture, light and origin. It is a space built with purpose and care. – Bill Tikos