You probably won’t be able to hear yourself speak over the din of Ukrainian families, groups of friends, and semi-blaring pop-music at Ruta, but you don’t come here to chat. You come here to eat some of the best potato and sauerkraut-stuffed varenyky in the capital (which makes sense—Ruta was started by one of the chefs from New York’s legendary Veselka). A wall of gold mirrors and paintings of saints look down over the closely packed tables crowded with bottles of Ukrainian beer, plates of honey cake, bowls of borscht, and the best chicken kiev we’ve ever had.