Restaurant Fifth Dungeon

If you want to be in the fairy tale of the Middle Ages, we advise you to visit the restaurant “The Fifth Dungeon”. Entrance from Rynok Square, 5, hence the name. But most of the restaurant is under the next sixth room, so we will talk about the townhouse and the dungeon of Rynok Square, 6.

Restaurant dungeons date back at least four and a half centuries, because the palace above them was built in 1576. It can be assumed with high probability that the dungeons are actually much older. Because basements in those days were rarely rebuilt, even when a completely new house was built over them.

The history of treats here also goes back to the XVI century. Then, the owner of the palace, Constantine Korniakt, sold expensive Greek wines during the winter fairs. Wine was often served warm, it would be easier to warm up after trading in the cold. Interestingly, in those days, the places where you could treat yourself to a delicious coffin were marked with Christmas tree branches above the entrance to the winery. Korniakt sold a lot of wines. And in order not to run constantly in the dungeons, where they were stored in large barrels, they put a mechanism for lifting them. In fact, it was the first mechanical elevator in Lviv. Korniakt didn’t just sell wines. He had the royal privilege of free trade in wine. At the same time, he set prices for it, while everyone else had to sell wines at a price set by the local governor!

Dungeons can be called royal. For the palace in the second half of the XVII century. belonged to the glorious King of Poland Jan III Sobieski. The king loved him very much and often settled in it. It was in this modest palace that he held vicarious negotiations with the Moscow kingdom on the division of Ukraine along the Dnieper between Warsaw and Moscow. Then it was time to put an end to the ongoing war for Ukraine in order to return the tip of its forces against Turkey, which had intensified on the European front.

And the palace knew moments of faithful love. The same Sobieski, then not yet king, said goodbye for almost a year to his beloved wife, whom he sweetly called Marysieńka. So she will go down in history as Marysieńka, and not by her real name Maria Casimir. Marysieńka then went to visit distant France, which she left as a young man, and has never seen since. It is said that Yang at the time of her departure took an oath of allegiance. And he emphasized the oath that he decided to wear black, mourning clothes until She returned. It will not look like a fairy tale when you realize that that love for him was not involuntary, but long-awaited. Yang had been waiting to marry her for almost ten years.

The history of the palace is also amazing. At that time, houses with a three, two, or even one window wide were built in Lviv. And here we have as many as six. This could not be bought for any money. This is all the influence of Korniakt’s position, and he was the personal secretary of the king himself. Interestingly, Korniakt was still exempt from all duties! Such a man did what no one before him – a six-window palace in the Lviv Market itself. This equaled the Catholic archbishop, who also owned a six-window palace next door (Rynok, 9).

Now let’s go back to the restaurant. In addition to the kitchen close to the Middle Ages, a “delicious” prison cell awaits you.

Petrified dragons were hidden in the nooks and crannies. Try to find them all. There is also king Arthur’s sword. And a burning fire burns in the fireplace, it really will not heat even a daredevil who will lower his hand into his flames. There is even a temporary coronation service. And all this will be accompanied by authentic ancient music and the fragrance of ancient cuisine. A delicious story for you.