Gone are the days when nothing on the menu was available and the image of a good dining establishment signified a waiter in a bowtie with linen covered tablecloths; food was usually given a second thought. No longer is this the case! The Warsaw dining scene has developed in spades and offers an assortment of cuisines to suit various budgets and objectives including lounging, power-brokering, romancing or delighting in something gastronomically unique. Considering that this list features 15 eateries, it should be presumed that each has been picked especially for merits ranging from, delicious food,
intimate, casual, cool, worth the bother to dress-up, light fare, or purely Polish. They are listed alphabetically.
Tax is usually included in the price of the food and gratuity should be included at your discretion; 10-15% is considered adequate. Note that Polish cuisine is not just
kielbasy (sausages) and potatoes! Soups are typical, as well as
placki (potato pancakes),
golabki (stuffed cabbage),
pierogi (potato ravioli with various fillings) and
sledz (herring). If you need a quick bite and don’t want to sit down, try a
zapiekanka (an open-faced baguette-style bread grilled, or microwaved, with cheese, mushrooms, ketchup and mayo).
The restaurants below have been classed into four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over ZL160)
$$$ (ZL90-ZL160)
$$ (ZL40-ZL90)
$ (up to ZL40)
These prices are based on an average three-course meal for one person; they do not include drinks, tax or service charge/tip.
Gourmet Le Cedre Just over the Slasko-Dabrowski bridge,
Le Cedre is another reason to cross into Praga simply for it delicious Lebanese fare. Welcoming atmosphere in a split level space (divided only by a few steps) with table tops ready to be filled with Middle Eastern food. Belly dancing entertainment is sometimes available and hookah pipes can be arranged.
Aleja Solidarnosci 61
Tel: (022) 670 1166.
Website:
www.lecedre.pl Price: $$-$$$
Roma An intimate space with nine tables only,
Roma delights customers with fresh pasta and meat dishes. In spite of the bijou cosy space and green plants in the big window, the atmosphere is more conducive to laughter and fun than a romantic evening out. There are two other Romas in Warsaw, but this was the first and it’s the best. Reservations strongly suggested.
Ulica Grottgera 2
Tel: (022) 841 0133.
Website:
www.restauracjaroma.pl Price: $$
Ryzowe Pole Japanese food has gained a high profile in Warsaw and sushi is quite a trendy thing to enjoy. Although the menu here is not able to provide the assortment of seafood found in sushi restaurants close to a port, the food that is available is well-prepared and served in a suitably minimalist environment comprised of hard backed wooden chairs and a zen-like feel.
Ulica Zgoda 5
Tel: (022) 556 4737.
Website:
www.ryzowepole.tubywaj.pl Price: $$$
Business Akashia Usually it’s not a good sign when a restaurant features two different cuisines, but
Akashia has managed to successfully incorporate both Korean and Japanese fare on one menu without a hitch. Sushi dishes and
kimchi co-exist and the customers eat happily. Seating is on two levels, with the bulk of the tables downstairs past the sushi bar. Simple décor, popular for business meetings.
Ulica Jana Pawla II 61
Tel: (022) 636 6767.
Website:
www.akashia.pl Price: $$$
Chianti Described as a little ’bit of Tuscany’,
Chianti has been pleasing Italian food lovers for years. Walk down a few steps and you’re in a space reminiscent of a cosy Italian stone country house. The space has a few tables tucked in romantic corners, as well as more open areas, suitable for less amorous encounters. Reservations required.
Ulica Foksal 17
Tel: (022) 828 0222.
Website:
www.chianti.siesta.com.pl Price: $$$
Dom Polski Located on the other side of the Vistula in Saska Kepa, this restaurant, set in a large house, serves refined Polish food in a more formal setting, perfect for a group of visitors. The management pride themselves on offering a menu and atmosphere apt to satisfy the most picky of tastes. Lovely outdoor garden in the summer and live music often played on Sundays. Reservations suggested.
Ulica Francuska 11
Tel: (022) 616 2432.
Website:
www.restauracjadompolski.pl Price: $$$-$$$$
Trendy Café 6/12 Stylish and relaxed, this café serves delicious juice bar mixes that claim to either help a headache or increase one’s libido depending on whether you get the Aphrodisiac or the Hangover Cure. Soups, salads and tasty breakfasts available with strong coffee (lunch and dinner too). The high-ceilinged room is bright with greenery; tables with both chairs and comfortable banquettes.
Ulica Zurawia 6/12
Tel: (022) 622 5333.
Price: $$
Living Room A hip space, with muted colors and candlelight, on a stylish street, the
Living Room caters, predominantly, to a lunch and late dinner and cocktail set. The menu is varied from meats to light salads, and they also have a juice bar serving fresh fruit and vegetable drinks. Dining al fresco is available in warm weather.
Ulica Foksal 18
Tel: (022) 826 3928.
Website:
www.livingroom.pl Price: $$$
Sense Although billed as a restaurant, with an interesting fusion menu, there’s no doubt that
Sense really shines at night, even if you just come for cocktails. The food reflects influences from Malaysia, Poland and Thailand. You can watch the chefs work in an open kitchen and a visit to the somewhat disorientating toilets are a must.
Ulica Nowy Swiat 19
Tel: (022) 826 6570.
Website:
www.sensecafe.com Price: $$$-$$$$
Budget Krokiecik The tradition of ’milk bars’ (
bar mleczny) in Poland is fading slowly, as it’s no longer easy for the government to subsidise cheap food in prime locations that could make a lot more money. That said, places like
Krokiecik fill in the gap, as it’s best considered a tasty, clean, bright and modern ’milk bar’, in spite of being privately owned. Self-service allows you to choose from an array of home-cooked Polish food.
Ulica Zgoda 1
Tel: (022) 827 3037.
Price: $
Pierogarnia Located on a scenic, steep street not far from the Old Town in the Mariensztat region of the city. A modest three-room, low vaulted ceiling space allowing for shared tables. Counter service only with a menu offering various types of
pierogi with either sweet or savoury fillings ranging from blueberries to forest mushrooms and cabbage. The prices are incredibly reasonable.
Ulica Bednarska 28/30
Tel: (022) 424 1387.
Price: $
Warsaw Tortilla Factory What started as a mission to fill a gaping culinary hole in the mid-1990s, has resulted in a Tex-Mex institution, loved by both expats and locals alike. The tortillas are indeed made in Poland and the burritos are both filling and scrumptious. Informal and friendly setting. It’s likely to be the only place in Warsaw where you can choose how spicy you want your hot sauce to be.
Ulica Wilcza 46
Tel: (022) 621 8622.
Website:
www.tortillafactory.pl Price: $
Personal Recommendations Qchnia Artystyczna A firm favorite with a lovely location overlooking part of Lazienki park; a tasty and innovative menu; artistic and sometimes avant-garde décor (the design changes every few months); and reasonable prices. Staff are friendly, although sometimes service can be slow when the outside patio is filled with patrons.
Zamek Ujadowskie, aleje Ujadowskie 6
Tel: (022) 625 7627.
Website:
www.qchnia.pl Price: $$-$$$
Restauracja Polska ’Tradycja’ It’s hard not to gush when describing this beautifully appointed space, set in a refurbished villa. Two floors are filled with an array of fresh flowers and tables are set with aplomb yet without a hint of snobbery. Friendly staff serve first rate Polish cuisine. If the weather is warm, see if you can eat either in the back garden or sit at the only table in the front garden, covered by a huge, oversized umbrella. Reservations suggested.
Ulica Belwederska 18A
Tel: (022) 840 0901.
Website:
www.restauracjapolska.com.pl Price: $$$
Tam Tam An old standby that has remained fresh and fun. The space is heavily influenced by African themes, but the menu, albeit full of tasty salads, and several interesting main courses, pays just a cursory nod to a few African countries by featuring ’Algerian carrot salad’ or Mozambique style chicken. Choose between three levels of space to eat, drink and be merry; the sidewalk ’garden’ is open during the summer.
Ulica Foksal 18
Tel: (022) 828 2622.
Website:
www.tamtam.com.pl Price: $$
Nightlife:Warsaw has hosted dingy to modest bars to outrageous clubs and pubs. Some have closed as quickly as fads change and others have built enough of a reputation to weather the fickle tastes of those on the scene. It’s comforting to know that no matter what your style, Warsaw does have a night spot to suit your needs. The ’hipper’ places are either truly worth visiting or too full of bravado, velvet ropes and bouncers with no necks. Posing comes in high doses in many places, so be prepared to see lots of well (or barely) dressed women, and men in shirts and shoes. Trainers and jeans are often frowned at, but, once again, it all depends where you go. Big name DJs do make their way to Warsaw, and in the summer, many night spots offer outdoor drinking areas. Non-smokers should be aware that clubs can get particularly fumy.
There are no licensing hours and many bars and clubs stay open until the last guest leaves. The minimum age for purchasing alcohol is 18 years. A beer costs around ZL7-12, while spirits can be anything from ZL12 upwards. Admission to clubs tends to cost between ZL10-40. Door staff often insist that all coats and bags be left in club cloakrooms - for a fee of course.
A good source of information on cafés, pubs and clubs is
Warsaw Insider, which has a monthly printed version as well as a website (
www.warsawinsider.pl).
Bars: Warsaw offers everything from spit and sawdust drinking dens, right through to ultra hip lounge-style bars with a myriad of cocktails and live DJs.
Foksal 19, ulica Foksal 19, is a bit full of itself, but it attracts an appreciative late-20 and 30-something crowd, keen to see and be seen on either of the two floors that it occupies. Dance music on the second floor, cocktails and posing on the first. You can enjoy cocktails in a cool but forgiving atmosphere at
Paparazzi, ulica Mazowiecka 12, or focus on wine instead at
Vinoteka ’La Bodega’, ulica Mokotowska 64. For a little less perceived refinement and more of a focus on comraderie and beer, try
Lolek, ulica Rokitnicka 20 @Pole Mokotowskie, which features an outdoor grill and live music, or the
Cork Irish Pub, aleje Niepodleglosci 19, where the screen TV is almost as important as a pint of Guinness on a sports day.
Casinos: Warsaw’s casinos have a fairly strict dress code of jacket and tie and passports are required - over 18 years only. Many of the major hotels have some type of casino, including the
Marriott, aleje Jerozolimskie 65/69, the
Hyatt Regency, aleja Belwederska 23, and the
Sofitel Victoria, ulica Krolewska 11.
Clubs: As varied as the bar scene, the late night Warsaw clubs cater to the commercial music lovers, kitsch 70s and 80s evenings as well as hard core electronica and trance. For a decent, no-frills retro boogie try
Club 70, ulica Walicow 9 (website:
www.club70.pl). Wear a pair of flares and don an afro and you’ll be the belle of the dance floor; young, boisterous crowd. ’Mainstream’ aptly describes
Ground Zero, ulica Wspolna 62 (website:
www.groundzero.pl), a cavernous space that has hosted a variety of Warsaw club goers for years. The place to find DJs and an edge are at
Piekarnia, ulica Mlocinska 11 (website:
www.piekarnia.art.pl) and
Luztro, aleje Jerozolimskie 6 (website:
www.luztro.pl), which is best on weekends and is also gay-friendly. Finally for a mixture of absurd, hip and avant-garde music, performances and clientele, try
Le Madame, ulica Kozla 12 (website:
www.lemadame.info).
Live Music: When the big names in rock and pop hit town, they often perform at either
Gwardia Stadium, ulica Raclawicka 13 or
Tor Stegny, ulica Inspektowa 1. The big jazz names tend to be billed in the
Sala Kongresowa (bottom of
Palace of Culture and Science). For a taste of live music around town on any given night, you might get lucky at
Dekada, ulica Grojecka 19/25 (website:
www.dekada.pl). It hosts live rock/pop bands in a setting of 1960s and 50s Americana. Jazz, in a more upscale environment can be found at the new
Bojangles Club inside the refurbished
Polonia Palace Hotel, aleje Jerozolimskie 45. You might get lucky at
Harenda, ulica Krakowskie Przedmiescie 4/6 (website:
www.harenda.pl) with jazz in the basement.
Tygmont, ulica Mazowiecka 6/8 (website:
www.tygmont.com.pl) showcases new talent and experimental material and its slightly seedy, cellar bar ambience is the perfect venue for jazz. Fashionable venues for domestic rock and lesser-known foreign bands include nightclubs
Stodola, ulica Batorego 10, and the vast
Proxima, ulica Zwirki I Wigury 99A.
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