Borscht Tour Lviv
† Red, white, green.
With three bowls of borscht & drinks
When a soup becomes known for being a complete meal, it's time to sit up and take note. Borscht in its many forms is de facto dinner in a bowl. In Ukraine for almost 700 years, borscht is iconic. It is symbolic. It has come to define a country and people that has struggled and still struggles through wars, weather and worse. Borscht is traditionally a peasant dish, practical and packed with nutrients, still as relevant today as at any period in history. When you eat borscht, you enter into communion with Ukraine.
Borscht in Western Ukraine is different than that found in other parts of Ukraine. Not in any positive or negative way, just different as regards ingredients and flavours. On Lviv Borschtour you will sit down and savour three big bowls of borscht, paired with compot (sweet non-alcoholic beverage made from fresh fruits and berries), uzvar (similar to compot, made from dried fruits with cinnamon or cloves for a spicy sweetness), or local ale (light, dark, wheat, stout). Vodka is not unknown to borscht and we don't close any doors.
What are the main ingredients found in Lviv borscht? Like borscht anywhere else in Ukraine, beetroot, onions, cabbage and potatoes - the latter two fibrous and full of essential vitamins. They are all easy to preserve and form the backbone of every borscht. It's the meats and extra ingredients that make the colours and taste of borscht distinctive by region. One can traverse the length and breadth of Ukraine and every next bowl of borscht will be unique.
White borscht found in Lviv often has a mushroom base so expect some extra earthiness with sliced hard-boiled eggs, sour cream, potatoes and smoked sausage or chicken; green borscht blends sorrel, spinach, eggs and potatoes with chicken or pork; red borscht blends beetroot, cabbage and potatoes with beef or pork. We can't say with any degree of certainty how your bowls of borscht will be prepared, such information never leaves the kitchen. What we can say is that flavour and variety, the likes of which you have never known before, shall be. Blessed be borscht!
Borscht has been protected by UNESCO as a threatened food since 2022: "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding". When the uncertain world we live in decides to protect traditional food, it's definitely a step in the right direction. For this reason, our Borscht tour in Lviv goes beyond tasting. It's a statement of defiance against russia.
LVIV BORSCHTOUR evokes old Lviv and is led by a local souperstar. We include three servings of borscht with drinks in Lviv old town.
"Valeria accompanied me to three kitchen restaurants in Lviv, two of them underground. Borscht in Lviv is red, the classic beetroot soup with meat, the green being spinach with chicken. Our white borscht tasted distinctly Polish but we couldn't talk about that! We shared plates of salo and drank various strengths of local vodka including honey and horseradish. Valeria told me all about Lviv and this was just such a nice way to conclude my first day in the city."
07.05.2026
Lviv tour review by Dean from the U.S. who travelled with In Lviv Tours in May, 2026.