After looking at Rivne Synagogue, have a meal at Мила, це я. Indian and Israeli cuisines are on the menu at this restaurant. Eating perfectly cooked pies, tom yum and hummus is what most visitors recommend. Delicious tea, coffee or cocoa drink are waiting for you at Мила, це я. The great location of this place makes it easy to reach even in rush hours. The hospitable staff welcomes guests all year round. The fast service demonstrates a high level of quality at this spot. The fancy decor and comfortable atmosphere let clients feel relaxed here. Google users awarded this restaurant 4.7.
It is with conflicting feelings that I am writing this review. On one hand, «Honey, it’s me» is a nice establishment with GREAT music, splendid food selection (seemingly inspired by the likes of Idealist cafe in Kyiv with a plethora of interesting breakfast/vegan choices), cosy and warm interior, and (at least on the superficial level) a friendly smiling staff. First visit did not raise any flags. Tips were given, mind you So, the next day, when I had some time to kill before the train, I figured that I would visit again and try some other stuff they make. This time, alas, I made a mistake of opening my laptop to watch some Office (in headphones) whilst I was eating and drinking, and later on decided to have a video chat with a friend. To be clear, I did not order one measly americano or a cup of tea and sat there for hours and hours. As I kept sitting, I steadily kept ordering food and drinks once I was done with any of them. As I was about to order a dessert or two plus tea, the waiter came up unexpectedly and said that using laptops here is forbidden and that the maximum stay allowed here, time wise, is an hour and a half. I was taken aback by this, promptly paid and got the hell outta there. Surprisingly, one of the staff who had seen me during my first visit the previous day, caught up with me 500 meters away from the cafe (never happened to me before) and apologized profusely for not warning about this peculiar policy of theirs. That made me feel slightly better, but the more I’ve been thinking about it, the more bizarre this situation appears to be. There are no signs at the entrance that laptops aren’t allowed, and the same could be said for their menu/payment website. It’s just nowhere to be seen! Plus, I wasn’t freeloading - I ended up having a 4 cheese pasta, syrnyky, baked camembert, and 3 hot cocktails. I wasn’t making any more noise than two people talking. Actually, it was quieter than that, for my vis-a-vis was online and heard purely within my headphones. Only I was visible within the web camera, thus not making any other patrons uncomfortable. And yet they have the audacity to tell me that I shouldn’t sit with a laptop talking to a friend and hint that I had been sitting there long enough? I mean, good for this establishment that they feel free to kick out patrons after two hours, as if they were some old popular and thus constantly busy cafe in Paris downtown or some Michelin star restaurant in Manhattan. Yet we are talking a «poor man’s Idealist» cafe located in Rivne here, for Christ’s sake! Is it really wise to be miffed with clients sitting with their laptops (whilst keeping a steady stream of orders for food and drinks) in the post-covid war time? Apparently so (to them, at least). The girl who caught up with me explained that they «don’t want the place turning into an internet cafe and that they want people communicating face-to-face». What if I weren’t using your wifi and was providing my laptop with my own cell internet? Would that qualify as me "freeloading at your lovely restaurant like at an Internet cafe" too? How are phones ok? I saw people with phones and, gasp, they were talking on the damn things as well! What can I say… it simply feels weird to see such a shitty attitude, especially at a time like this when some establishments who had been doing great before the crises mentioned above, would simply kill for more patrons or for them spending more time inside. Anyway, not my business. I’ve gone back to Kyiv and will keep going to far more high-end places where sitting with a laptop is, funnily enough, not frowned upon. If I am ever back to Rivne, I will think twice before heading for this joint with such a "higher than thou" attitude. To others - I can wholeheartedly recommend this place, if you plan to stick around for less than an hour and a half, because the food is great and beyond any reproach. However, if you wanna chill with your laptop, whilst having a drink for a prolonged amount of time - do find some other places with more flexibility and adequate policies...
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Food: 5
Service: 2
Atmosphere: 3
Recommended dishes
Сирники
What a beautiful spot to stop for lunch or a snack; really loved the atmosphere & plants here, and found our meal quite relaxing. We had the 4-cheese pasta & noodles with tofu; enjoyable. Nice vegetarian options on the menu. The staff were very nice & helped us with some questions on navigating the town; thank you!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
