Ukraine‘s second biggest city popped up on our radar, showing once more that modern coffee culture is expanding at an accelerating pace across the planet, and yes, it has now reached Kharkiv. We’re talking 23A, a modern café named after its very location, situated just south of the greens of Shevchenko City Garden in the heart of town. Occupying an 86 sqm. (926 sq.ft.) unit on the ground floor of a residential building with a modernised lower facade of red bricks, it features a contrasting understated interior design by local architecture practice Ponomarenko Bureau. Upon entering the premises, visitors are met by a curved bench with a backdrop of metal panels with a colour-inducing zinc coating, a material used abundantly elsewhere on the premises. Additional seating lines the four floor-to-ceiling windows, comprising two-seat wooden benches of untreated timber and white-lacquered tables. Opposite, the concrete service counter is situated, featuring a built-in glass cabinet filled with pastries and soft drinks, and a counter top in zinc-coated metal which morphs into wall panelling that curves around an adjacent seating area with a communal table and bar seating. Numerous potted plants add a homey touch to the setting. Right in front is a terrace with additional seating when weather permits. Café 23A serves coffee blends by Russian coffee brand The Welder Katherine, and since it’s open from dawn till dusk, the menu lists breakfast and a large variety of dishes and beverages that’ll get you through the entire day and evening.