Casual Dining � � � � � � � � � � � �

Casual dining

Retreat to Roztocze without leaving the capital: Zwierzyniec Beer & Rest (p.79).

Sometimes you just need a casual and convenient place to relax, enjoy good food, vibes and hospitality� The following venues deliver in that regard� While our listed opening hours seem self-explanatory, be aware that some venues close their doors if business is slow, while others stay open after the kitchen has closed� In such cases, the hours we list are for the kitchen�

Beef n’ Pepper

utensils Steak Hidden away in a small alleyway alongside the famous Roma Theatre, the exterior may well look like you’re about to enter a 1970’s shopping mall, but inside it’s a smart, urban steakhouse and bar� The quality of the cuts here is excellent (28 days wet-aged) and the fact that they use the finest local meat means prices are surprisingly reasonable� Seafood options and Louisiana Chicken Wings struggle for a look-in as beef rules� In addition to a fine wine list, the slick bar also has a brilliant selection of whiskies and bourbons� Live music is available every Tuesday from 19:00�QF‑9, ul. Nowogrodzka 47A, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 785 02 50 25, www.beefandpepper.pl. Open 12:00‑23:00; Sun 12:00‑ 22:00. €€€€. TUE6 Ciao Napoli

utensils Italian Located a short distance away from the Old Town Square (p�27), Ciao Napoli’s aim is to bring a little piece of Naples to the centre of Warsaw� Having originally opened on Wąski Dunaj 4/6/8 (F-4) to great success, boasting some of the city’s best pizza, imagine our delight when they opened this 2nd location with more seating, a bigger kitchen, and an expanded menu, with all the friendly atmosphere and cosiness of the first restaurant� Offering a selection of antipasti, salads, seafood, and desserts, it is the choice of Neapolitan pizzas with their fantastic thin and crispy dough which really stick out� Lunch specials of soup, an entree and water are available Mon-Fri 12:00-16:00 for 27zł� As if things couldn’t get any better, they have fresh mussels every Thursday, daily happy hours with 2-for-1 cocktails (16:00-19:00), and on weekends your 2nd bottle of prosecco is free! You leave satisfied, especially when you realise just how reasonably priced the whole experience was, despite being in a tourist hotspot�QF‑4, ul. Długa 6, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 666 32 27 33, www.ciaonapoli.pl. Open 12:00‑ 22:00; Fri, Sat 12:00‑23:00. €€. To6

utensils Polish Walking in the Old Town (p�24), you’re going to feel an air of nostalgia� The location is stunning, and the atmosphere sums up the traditional romantic image of Poland� To top it off, you’re going to want to try some traditional Polish grub, right? Gościniec has just that, with hearty food from soups, pierogi, potato pancakes and various meat offerings, all at very reasonable prices� You can’t go wrong with pierogi, but we’d personally recommend the pork chops or cabbage rolls stuffed with meat (known locally as gołąbki - go-womp-ki)! The drinks on offer are quite funky (cold/hot options), all served up by friendly staff wearing folk attire! It may feel very kitsch inside, but the food is immense� They have other locations on ul. Nowy Świat 41, and deep in the Old Town on Podwale 19 and ul. Piwna 14, should you choose to venture some more before eating�QG‑5, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 29, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 273 69 36, www.gosciniec.waw.pl. Open 11:00‑ 22:00; Fri 11:00‑23:00. €. To6 pretty much everything on the menu, and have yet to find a weak link� Consider ringing ahead for takeaway because waiting times can be torture and ask about booking their new private room for parties and meetings�QG‑8, ul. Nowogrodzka 15, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 357 09 39, www.namasteindia.pl. Open 11:00‑ 23:00; Sun 12:00‑22:00. €€. o

OTO!SUSHI

Guru Restaurant & Bar

utensils Indian Guru was borne out of the owners’ long dream to open an Indian restaurant� We’re lucky they got their wish, as they are redefining Indian cuisine with a flair for modernity� And what better location than Warsaw - a city that has been transforming at lightning pace, the redevelopment visible on the very street where Guru is located, ul� Widok, right next to Metro Centrum (as central as it gets!)� Perfect for both casual dining and business meals, the interior is a mix of traditional and modern, as is the menu with its classics (with a real Tandoori oven!), all the way to the drinks menus� Lunches served Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00 (27/21zł)� Recommended�QG‑8, ul. Widok 8, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 857 06 04, www.gururestauracja.pl. Open 12:00‑22:00; Fri, Sat 12:00‑23:00. €€. To6 utensils Japanese One of our favourite sushi spots in Warsaw, which has been going strong for over 12 years (no mean feat in Warsaw!)� Sure, the location helps – who can argue with eating on swanky Nowy Świat (p�34)? – but the helpful staff and great menu options put it squarely on top� They offer traditional sushi, but they’re not afraid to experiment with flavours too (mixing strawberries with salmon maki rolls is surprisingly delightful)! Ducking in for a lunch special will get you heaps of fresh sushi along with a free miso soup, and green tea for a reasonable price� The sushi masters engage with customers (something the regulars love!) as they ply their trade, but the interaction doesn’t end there, for they also arrange sushi training sessions on request� You can’t go wrong with this place�QG‑7, ul. Nowy Świat 46, MNowy Świat‑Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 22 828 00 88, www.oto‑sushi.pl. Open 12:00‑23:00; Fri, Sat 12:00‑24:00. €€. Uo

Namaste India

utensils Indian What began as a modest Indian-owned grocery store soon expanded into a full-on ethnic restaurant and proved so popular that a second location was needed to meet the demand for delicious Indian cuisine - that was 15 years ago! Impressive� For office workers around town, this - the expanded original location - remains one of the best, and we’ll agree that it simply doesn’t get much better for Indian food in the capital� Better still, the prices are set so low you can’t help but ask what’s the catch� There isn’t one; we’ve tried Beef n' Pepper

Paros

utensils Mediterranean Paros is the first and last place in Warsaw where a waiter helped us with our coat and even pulled out our chair - such gallantry! That attention carries over to the menu of Greek staples (we loved the bitesized Spanakopitas), which offers a true taste of the Mediterranean� Our dinner date just happened to be a Greek chef, and his delighted reactions to each dish provided ample amusement� Paros is so large it still feels spacious when its full, even with a packed white wraparound bar in the middle of the room� Drop in for live music every Friday and Saturday starting at 21:00� QF‑7, ul. Jasna 14/16A, MŚwiętokrzyska, tel. (+48) 22 828 10 67, www.paros‑restauracja.pl. Open 12:00‑24:00; Fri, Sat 12:00‑03:00. €€€. ToE

SWING Asian Fusion Restaurant & Cocktail Bar

utensils Asian High-end Asian fusion cooking and fancy cocktails are the name of the game at this elegant, modern establishment� The menu is composed of appetizing creations drawing inspiration from the whole of Asia; dishes on offer include salmon tartare with mango and avocado, crispy duck with noodles, octopus with turnips, and beef tenderloin with oyster sauce� Make sure to ‘swing by’ on a Saturday night (after 20:00) to enjoy live swing music; alternatively, Fridays at 19:00 is when a rotating cast of DJ’s start heating things up� Swing is also a perfect place for organising business meetings, formal dinners and all sorts of celebrations� QG‑7, ul. Chmielna 2, MNowy Świat‑Uniwersytet, tel. (+48) 667 98 88 88, www.swingrestauracja.pl. Open 12:00‑24:00. oE6

The Alchemist Grill & Cocktail

utensils International We already love The Alchemist for bringing the future of drinking not only to Warsaw but to the world, with their patented ‘beer wall’ (8 taps)� As impressive as their cocktails and beer selection is, however, the real reason to visit is their award-winning food (Gault & Millau 2020)� Enjoy gourmet interpretations of Polish standards and classics like burgers and fish & chips, but their specialty is juicy steaks grilled and served on hot lava plates� The presentation is as sleek and pleasing as the interior design, which is hard not to admire� Fun fact: the Warsaw Metropolitan where The Alchemist is housed was designed by British architect Norman Foster� A touch of modernity added to the Old Town area� We can stay here for hours just chilling with our beer cards and sharing platters� Top venue� QF‑5, Plac Piłsudskiego 3, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 628 00 23, www.thealchemist.pl. Open 12:00‑23:00; Fri, Sat 12:00‑00:00; Sun 12:00‑23:00. €€. o6

The Legendary Jack’s Cinema Restaurant & Bar

utensils American Mr� Jack Daniels is in town and he’s brought a projector screen?! Opened in 2015, Jack’s is a bar, restaurant and event-only cinema, found inside a renovated pre-war tenement building� The interior takes a 180 degree turn and has that American post-industrial feel, with a ceiling blotted out with hundreds of JD bottles - quite the touch! For food, the steaks, burgers, ribs in BBQ sauce and chicken wings are outstanding� For drinks at the bar, aside from the obvious choice, there are dozens of options from beers to the harder stuff! Keep an eye on their site for all the latest info on karaoke, concerts and other events in the dedicated mini cinema hall! Turn up, kick back in their deep sofas and seats, enjoy the food, the drinks, the show, and of course, the atmosphere� Cheers, Jack!QG‑8, ul. Bracka 18, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 22 400 28 23, www.jackscinema.pl. Open 12:00‑01:00; Sun 12:00‑ 22:00. €€. TUE6

utensils Italian This quaint post-industrial pizza venue borders fits in with the surrounding area filled with old warehouses, just a stone’s throw away from Westfield Arkadia shopping centre� But we’re here for the pizza� Tutti Colori’s tagline is ‘the best pizza begins with the dough’ (agreed!) and Tutti’s dough is elegantly thin� There are over 30 pizzas to choose, from rossa to bianca (our favourite being the Velutto with mascarpone), but there are also other Italian favourites like antipasti and deserts� All this accompanied with great wine, and even some beers� Second location at ul� Postępu 5�QB‑2, ul. Burakowska 15, MDworzec Gdański, tel. (+48) 692 12 60 38. Open 12:00‑21:00; Fri, Sat 12:00‑ 22:00; Sun 12:00‑20:00. €€. TUo6

U Barssa

utensils Polish The Old Town is packed with decent places to eat, but once lacked a strong line-up of truly great places� Times, they have a-changed� As you walk across the main market square and into the elegant dining room, you will discover a world of luxury, craft and privilege� The signature duck baked with beetroot, fried apples and cranberry sauce, and the Angus steak with green pepper are just two of the winning dishes on the menu, and we have to mention the outstanding wine list! They also have a huge summer garden and offer live music on Saturdays, so call ahead to reserve your space in this charming place�QF‑4, Rynek Starego Miasta 12/14, MRatusz Arsenał, tel. (+48) 22 635 24 76, www.ubarssa.pl. Open 11:00‑22:00; Fri 11:00‑23:00; Sat, Sun 10:00‑23:00. €€€. ToE

Zwierzyniec Beer & Rest

utensils Polish Right in the centre of Warsaw, this casual bar and restaurant channels the wild, natural spirit of EastCentral Poland, offering the down-home delicacies of the Roztocze region at very reasonable prices� Choose from marinated sturgeon, sorrel soup, or braised beef cheeks with rosemary dumplings, washing it all down with their own signature Zwierzyniec brand Pilsner (a steal at only 10zł per half-litre)� This being the capital, you can rest assured that you won’t be savouring the delicious dishes in a folk kitsch setting, but rather artfully-presented on beautiful flatware in a sleek, modern interior� Fresh beer, fresh ingredients and refreshingly affordable, this one’s an easy winner� QG‑8, ul. Bracka 18, MCentrum, tel. (+48) 663 925 938. Open 12:00‑23:00; Fri, Sat 12:00‑24:00; Sun 12:00‑22:00. €€. o6