Café Society: Not Just a Bunch of Strangers – How a Cafe Can Build Community

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«Do you know what I liked about this place the most? You are like a big family – at least you look like that.»
Regulars and staff of Te Amo Lviv coffeehouse

Regulars and staff of Te Amo Lviv coffeehouse

The café Te Amo Lviv, Spanish for «I love you Lviv,» has become a hub for Lviv’s expats and English-speaking locals. Joe Lindsley, Lviv Now’s editor, invites Te Amo regulars to offer their perspectives on the city of Lviv.

By Maria Prokhorenko

Tell me, how often did you come back to the cafe or restaurant because of food? How often did you come back there because of a concept or idea? How often did you do it because of the interior or because this place was filmed in some popular Hollywood movies? Perhaps these are good reasons to return.

But how often did you come back to the cafe because of the people?

Yeah, me too. Never. Never – until I found Te Amo Lviv Coffee Shop. I wouldn’t even return to another cafe every week, even for the tastiest cake ever. Yet I happily come to Te Amo Lviv often, just to chat with people.

Read more: Te Amo Lviv Café Becomes English-Speaking Hub

Once, an acquaintance I invited here said to me after a language-speaking club at Te Amo Lviv: «Do you know what I liked about this place the most? You are like a big family – at least you look like that.» At that moment I thought: naaaah. Family? We are just a bunch of people who came to share their experiences.»

Do you know when I realized he was right? Once I came to Te Amo Lviv to work and was typing something, as a guy from one of the regular English-speaking clubs came up to me from behind and, smiling, kindly asked how I was doing and what I was writing (I’m a copywriter). 

Then he added: yes, I remember you’re a copywriter. So how is it going? This guy had only seen me once before! I usually don’t even remember the names and faces after the first hangout. He remembered my name, occupation, and how I looked.

Look, I am not trying to persuade you to open up to people if you feel it’s not your cup of tea. Even if you don’t want to talk about your experience or if you feel that experience isn’t enough to talk about it out loud, just come to feel this friendly, cozy atmosphere. 

Come for cozy French- and English-speaking clubs, an international meetup, a tea party, or maybe a bandura music night and an art therapy morning. Or just come here in winter, sit in a recliner by the window, and watch Lviv dress in all white...

You can see the Te Amo event schedule here; the café is located here

You can read previous Café Society columns here

By Marina Hukasian

Does your Lviv café or restaurant have an interesting group of regulars? If so, please write to us via Facebook messenger

For more information about Lviv:

Midnight in Lviv: The Story of Ukraine’s American Exiles

«The Americans in Lviv are looking for new ideas.»

Virtual Tour of Lviv: A City of Spiritual Nourishment

With a mix of Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, and Jewish temples, Lviv is a city that appeals to seeking souls. And it also gave birth to a legendary Muslim thinker.

Lviv’s Best Parks

From the swans of Stryiskyi to the views of the High Castle, Lviv is a city full of varied parks: some landscaped, some wild.

Top Ten Lviv Attractions: Like Paris in the 1920s

Here are things to see and do in a city of conversation culture.

Arriving in Lviv: Practical Tips

Here’s what to do at the airport, along with some suggestions about cash, tip etiquette, SIM cards, event schedules, and info to orient you to the city.

To receive our weekly email digest of stories, please follow us on Substack. You can follow Lviv Now on Facebook and Instagram.

Lviv Now is an English-language website for Lviv, Ukraine’s «tech-friendly cultural hub.» It is produced by Tvoe Misto («Your City») media-hub, which also hosts regular problem-solving public forums to benefit the city and its people.

 

To receive our weekly email digest of stories, please follow us on Substack.

Lviv Now is an English-language website for Lviv, Ukraine’s «tech-friendly cultural hub.» It is produced by Tvoe Misto («Your City») media-hub, which also hosts regular problem-solving public forums to benefit the city and its people.


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