Arkan Restaurant, Sheshory

Sheshory, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Ukraine

The Arkan restaurant in Sheshory is one of the best-known places for Hutsul food in the Kosiv area. It sits right in the centre of the village on a ledge above the Pistynka river, next to the Sheshory (Silver) Waterfalls that draw travellers from all over Ukraine. The name is no accident: the arkan is an old Hutsul men’s dance, a symbol of mountain strength and brotherhood, and the restaurant keeps that festive, lively spirit.

You can spot the building from the road: its façade is decorated with large ceramic panels of fish, and inside it feels like a gallery of folk art — walls of painted Kosiv tiles, carved wooden columns and benches covered with striped woollen lizhnyky. Many visitors say the indoor hall feels “like a museum”. There are two halls for about 40 and 60 guests and three-tier terraces for another hundred. The upper levels look out over the ridges and the waterfall, and the sound of the river reaches every table.

What to try

The menu is built on traditional Hutsul cooking with some of the chef’s own interpretations. The restaurant itself names banosh (cornmeal porridge cooked in cream, served with cracklings and brynza) and Carpathian trout with porcini mushrooms as its signature dishes. Guests also recommend:

Hutsul borshch and white borshch, porcini mushroom soup;
potato pancakes (deruny), holubtsi and potato varenyky;
porcini in sour cream, lamb with vegetables;
for dessert — steamed cherry dumplings, crêpes and berry desserts.

Portions are generous and, according to reviews, prices are moderate for this level of cooking and presentation. No public menu with prices could be found at the time of checking, so please ask about prices on site.

Atmosphere and experiences

Arkan is a place for a long, unhurried lunch after a walk to the waterfalls. In summer the best tables are on the terraces above the river; in winter or bad weather the halls with their ceramics and carving are cosier. Live Hutsul musicians play here at times — there are plenty of videos online of folk trios playing between the tables — and on holidays such as Ivan Kupala night half the village gathers here. The restaurant also suits large groups and family celebrations.

Good to know: in high season, especially at weekends and in summer, there can be a queue at the door and dishes may take longer than usual. Weekdays or an early lunch are the most comfortable option.

Practical information

Address: 91 Shevchenka St, Sheshory village, Kosiv district, Ivano-Frankivsk region.
Opening hours: daily 11:00–22:00 (according to Google Maps; may change on holidays).
Booking: +380 98 130 1916; Instagram — @arkan.sheshory.
Parking: free, next to the restaurant.
Getting there: Sheshory lies in the Pistynka valley between Kolomyia and Kosiv. By car, take the Kolomyia–Kosiv road to the village of Pystyn, then follow the road along the river to Sheshory; the restaurant is in the village centre by the waterfalls. The nearest railway station is Kolomyia, then a bus or taxi.

The restaurant has a Google rating of 4.5 from more than 2,400 reviews, which keeps Arkan among the most popular food stops in the Hutsul region. If you are in Sheshory, it is the obvious way to end the day — with hot banosh and a cup of Carpathian herbal tea above the rushing mountain river.

Please confirm by phone before your trip.