Kateryna Zirochka: 'Ukrainian Michelin — not a matter of a year, but of a decade'
The chef of the Kyiv fine-dining project 'Zirochka' explains why being included in the Michelin Guide is not a goal in itself but a litmus test of industry maturity.
Kateryna Zirochka — chef of the Kyiv project Zirochka (opened 2024) — was educated in Bordeaux and Lausanne, worked at Le Bristol Paris for three years. In 2024 she returned to Kyiv and opened her own 18-seat fine-dining venue. Asked about the Michelin Guide for Ukraine, Kateryna answers soberly: 'This is not a matter of a year, this is a matter of a decade. Michelin requires not only quality individual restaurants but a mature ecosystem — suppliers, sommeliers, financial stability, infrastructure.'
Kateryna assesses the potential of the Ukrainian fine-dining scene highly: 'In Kyiv right now there are 5-7 restaurants whose kitchen level matches the European Bib Gourmand. In 5 years there will be 15-20. In 10 — Ukrainian restaurants will appear in the Michelin Guide. Not as „exotica from Ukraine“ but as legitimate premium addresses.' At Zirochka the 8-course tasting menu costs 4,200 UAH, reservations a month ahead. The chef works exclusively with Ukrainian produce and exclusively seasonally. 'I do not want my kitchen to be „European“. I want my kitchen to be the best Ukrainian fine-dining in the European context.'
