Beyond Vodka

By Emily Manthei

Bar hopping in Warsaw reveals a city ready to take its place as one of the world’s best new cocktail destinations

When an old friend opens a cocktail bar, it’s time to pay him a visit.

Hubert Olczak knows cocktails better than anyone else I know. He fell for them while judging a nationwide best bartender contest in 2011. Since then, he has been travelling the world comparing cocktails made by master mixologists in destinations like Hong Kong and London. But those served in his hometown of Warsaw have become his favourites and he was keen to show me why.

WARSAW'S OLD TOWN

“Cocktails here are among the most surprising and creative that I’ve ever seen,” he says. “Poles are creative rule-breakers, and that’s the craziness of the Polish nature.”

With my interest piqued, I headed to Warsaw ready to bar hop to the places making it a new go-to spot for top-notch cocktails.

Leisurely sipping your liquor is a recent phenomenon in Poland, where traditional bars are focused more on serving shots of vodka. Mixed drinks played second fiddle. But in Warsaw, things started changing in 2005 with a bar called Paparazzi where bartenders learned to make classics. That’s where Paweł Rodaszyński, then a young bartender, first became inspired. Today, he is one of Poland’s leading mixologists and the co-owner of El Koktel.

EL KOKTEL BAR

© EL KOKTEL BAR

From behind the bar, Rodaszyński opens the seasonal menu and presents it to Hubert, who was keen to introduce me to this unpretentious, dimly lit spot because of its reputation for serving up some of the city’s very best cocktails. Hubert orders the mysterious sounding, Darkness, a twist on a classic, presented in a black stone cup.

Rodaszyński was an early cocktail advocate, but by 2014, Warsaw’s creative cocktail scene had really erupted. “People became more interested in quality craft breweries, third that the bartenders are also servers so they can share their expertise — usually reserved for those seated at barstools — with everyone. Our server for the night is Karol Rychlewicz, Backroom’s managing bartender, who explains his approach to cocktails. wave coffee, and cocktails,” he explains. Along with this shift, bars transitioned from pre-club stopovers to evening destinations with bar owners creating unique settings and focusing on hospitality.

BACKROOM BAR'S VINTAGE LOOK

© FILIP BONDER AND ALEKSANDER SKWERES

As Olczak and I make our way through a back alley and descend some basement steps, an underground lair opens on a wooden bar, carved with gothic motifs. Weles Bar is Olczak’s next pick, named after a Slavic god, known in Polish mythology as “lord of the night, defender of music and magic.”

WHISKY DAISY COCKTAIL

© FILIP BONDER AND ALEKSANDER SKWERES

“Our cocktail list focuses on regional, herbal flavours, and our cocktails are mostly gin and vodka based. We only serve vodkas from Poland,” says the head bartender, Maciej Chludziński.

A Warsaw native, Chludziński loves the community in the city’s hospitality industry. “If you’re going for cocktails, you know you’ll see friends. And you know where to find the cocktails you’re in the mood for because each bar delivers something specific.”

BLACKROOM'S BESTSELLER, THE PERU COCKTAIL

© FILIP BONDER AND ALEKSANDER SKWERES

We also hit up Kita Koguta, which means “cock’s tail” in Polish, for its rum-based tiki creations, as well as Woda Ognista, a bar that oozes retro charm. Finally, it’s time to see Hubert’s Backroom Bar. Although he has never worked behind a bar, he has used his expertise from the barstool and his days spent as a marketing rep for Absolut Vodka to curate a special experience.

“When I travelled, I came back to Warsaw sharing ideas and inspirations with bartenders,” he says as we come to a darkened, dead-end street. Around the corner, a few smokers stand outside an unmarked wooden door.

Inside, vintage New York jazz, funky Art Deco wallpaper and dark, velvet curtains perfectly set the mood. Groups gather around intimate tables chatting with servers. Hubert explains

INSIDER’S TIP

When in Warsaw

Whether you’re in this capital city for a few hours or several days, here’s what not to miss:

• Trakt Królewski (The Royal Route), a network of five streets connecting many cultural buildings and monuments

• The Museum of the History of Polish Jews (POLIN), located in the former Jewish ghetto of World War II

• Royal Łazienki Park, the biggest park in the city, and its Palace on the Water

• The Chopin Museum and the many venues hosting Chopin concerts

Bonus: Make sure to chase the many black benches with buttons on them throughout the city for a chance to hear the famous composer’s music.

Talk with your travel advisor for more suggestions!