Dinner in the Sky Tallinn 2023

The restaurant is located in the industrial area of the historical Podil neighborhood of Kyiv, in a former garage of a packaging factory in the past. The freight garage underwent a complete renovation, however, the industrial atmosphere of the place has been preserved. Thus, there is a pit at the entrance, which has been turned into a cellar for fermentation; there are high ceilings, and original concrete structures, while the facade of the restaurant is open with glass walls.

Seated at any table in the restaurant, a guest can always get a good view and observe the movement of the city through the windows as well as the process of cooking.

Fermentation holds a special place in the ecosystem of Mirali. It allows the team to implement the most outstanding experiments and achieve rarely found flavors. This year, the restaurant got expanded by an R&D kitchen, which produces umeboshi from local plums and apricots, lacto-fermented Japanese quince, katsuobushi from silver carp, and scoby, jam, mullet caviar bottarga, various garums, shoyu, and miso pastes. Mirali uses only locally sourced organically grown farmers’ produce. In line with the zero-waste ideology, all unsold bread is recycled into amazake and miso paste.

70% of the products used in the restaurant are grown organically or do not harm the environment according to the restaurant’s internal standards. There is a rule to buy cattle and poultry from small local farmers who do not restrict cattle’s movement and give them the freedom to graze. Also, the restaurant orders only dairy cattle that are at least 5 years old and receives them in whole carcasses, avoiding any waste. Fish and seafood come from tried and tested fishermen who do not use nets or from farms that adhere to international standards and give preference to tested and approved feed. The use of long-degradable consumables, such as stretch film, parchment paper, foil, and garbage bags, is being reconsidered.

Mirali Dilbazi is a chef and co-founder of Mirali restaurant. He was born in Azerbaijan but has lived most of his life in Ukraine. Before opening his own restaurant in Kyiv, he worked for 4 years as a chef at Khata Podoprihora – his own garden restaurant-hotel in the suburbs. 2019. In the autumn of 2009, he did a traineeship in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Olena Lysytska is the General Manager of Miral restaurant and is responsible for the overall guest experience, marketing and communication. 2022. In the spring of 2009, Olena, with the strong support of Billy Wagner and the involvement of Mirali Dilbaz, organised a German Mirali charity trip, which included 7 dinners at top restaurants – Nobelhart&Schmutzig , Mrs.Robinson’s, Maximilian Lorenz, Mural, 100/200, Horvath, Gustav and Weinsinn.

Anton Yatsuk is a sous chef of Mirali restaurant, who worked together with Mirali Dilbazi in Khata Podoprihora and who with no doubt supported Mirali in his own restaurant.

Maria Ovramenko is a service manager who worked in the Mirali restaurant since its opening.