Warsaw Insider Jaunary 2016 #234

Boutique Stays

Travel: Białowieża page 18

Warsaw

Warsaw In Love page 26

Moving? page 20

February 02 price zł.10 INDEKS 334901 ISSN:1643-1723

(234)

2016

(VAT 8% included)

FEBRUARY 2016 Editor-in-chief Alex Webber

insider@warsawinsider.pl Art Director Kevin Demaria insider@warsawinsider.pl

about Warsaw at the best of times, and more so now when the air is ice blue. Granted, it’s hardly been the harshest winter in living memory, but February remains a likely candidate to be the murkiest, muckiest month of the lot. So, what about a guiding hand for some Valentine’s Day ideas? We’ve got just that – this issue we’ve headed in an easterly direction to follow the bison trail in Białowieża and, in the process, only happened upon the perfect escape for canoodling couples. Closer to home, we introduce the boutique hotels of Warsaw, talk to a few locals about their connection to the city and discover what really happens behind the scenes at your favorite restaurant on V.D. On an unrelated note, what a night our January Best of Warsaw awards proved to be (not least for the staff member who fell into the celebratory cake – no, that wasn’t me). Huge thanks to everyone involved and all who attended: of course, we’ve got the full story on that as well (minus the cake). See you next time…

INFRONT

Opener 11 News 12 Bowie’s Warsaw 14 Valentine’s Restaurants 16

FEATURES

Boutique Stays 18 Warsaw in Love 20 Travel: Białowieża 26

Alex Webber insider@warsawinsider.pl

LISTINGS

Restaurants 40 Cafes & Wine Bars 71 Nightlife 76 Shopping 86 Family 90 Health & Beauty 97 In the City 99

REVIEWS

Ę Rybę 30 The Alchemist 31 Mandala 32 Antykwariat Atticus 33

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

PARTNER NEWS

The latest marketplace news from the Warsaw Insider’s friends and advertisers… 36

INBACK

Map 102 Looking Back 104

Contributors: Gill Boelman-Burrows Stuart Dowell Maria Mileńko Michał Miszkurka Ed Wight Advertising Manager Jowita Malich jmalich@valkea.com enior Key Account Manager S A. Julita Pryzmont jpryzmont@valkea.com ey Account Manager K Agata Sicińska asicinska@valkea.com ey Account Manager K Agata Sobkiewicz asobkiewicz@valkea.com Distribution Manager Krzysztof Wiliński kwilinski@valkea.com Subscription 12 editions of the Insider zł. 99 (inc. VAT) in Poland. Orders can be placed through: insider@warsawinsider.pl Printed by Zakład Poligraficzny TECHGRAFTel. (17) 225-28-69 VALKEA MEDIA S.A., ul. Elbląska 15/17, Warszawa, Poland; tel. (48 22) 639 8567; fax (48 22) 639 8569; e-mail: insider@warsawinsider.pl Information is accurate as of press time. We apologise for any errors, but cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies. All information ©2016 Warsaw Insider.

on the cover Love is in the air - literally. This issue our cover artist sends out a Valentine’s warning to all of us in Gotham. (Illustration by Michał Miszkurka)

PHOTOGRAPH BY ED WIGHT

It’s hard to gush romantic

Publisher Morten Lindholm mlindholm@valkea.com

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN MEN GIANVITO ROSSI MEN KENZO MARC BY MARC JACOBS MONCLER RALPH LAUREN TOD’S TOM FORD TORY BURCH

BABY DIOR DOLCE&GABBANA KIDS DSQUARED2 KIDS KENZO KIDS MONCLER KIDS RALPH LAUREN KIDS TOD’S KIDS

Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3/4 tel.: +48 226221416, www.PlacTrzechKrzyzy.com

EVENTS

2015

For the 12th year on the trot, leading figures in the food and beverage industry gathered for our annual Best of Warsaw gala. Held, for the second year running, at the Sofitel Victoria Warsaw, the evening proved a glittering success. As always, thanks to everyone who made it such a memorable night â&#x20AC;&#x201C; till next year! PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAROLINA GMURCZYK

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

www.warsawinsider.pl

EVENTS

2015

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

www.warsawinsider.pl

this month...

FOOD

Targ Śniadaniowy Sat or Sun @ various locations Much more than the breakfast market it modestly bills itself as, this magical open air / covered spot is a bit of everything: a food market, a picnic, even a place to get your bike fixed. Locations include Żoliborz, Powiśle, Ursynów and Mokotów. For further info, see: targsniadaniowy.pl

CONCERT

Tricky

3 Feb @ Iskra, ul. Wawelska 5 Knowle West bad boy Tricky is celebrated for his dark sound and rasping lyrics. Formerly of Massive Attack, Tricky’s debut solo album, Maxinquaye, achieved global acclaim and a Mercury prize nomination. His latest studio album, Skilled Mechanics, was released in January. Tickets from zł. 85 @ eventim.pl

CONCERT

Angel Haze

One to Watch Nels Cline & Julian Lage Expect ‘hard sonic edges’ and ‘technical brilliance’ from a groundbreaking duo that have taken the world of jazz by storm… 17 Feb, Pardon, To Tu, pl. Grzybowski 12/16

3 Feb @ Proxima, ul. Żwirki I Wigury 99A It was the 2013 release of Dirty Gold that thrust this Detroit-born rapper into the limelight, and since then she’s added to her stock having been nominated as the Best Female Hip Hop Artist at the 2014 BET Awards and as Outstanding Music Artist at the 2015 GLAAD Media Awards. Tickets from zł. 69 @ eventim.pl

CONCERT

Ed Cherry Special Trio 12 Feb, 19:30 @ 12on14 Jazz Club, ul. Piwna 12/14 New York-based acoustic mainstream at its best courtesy of Ed Cherry, a long-time associate of Dizzy Gillespie. Find him supported by outstanding Polish jazzmen Adam Kowalewski and Arek Skolik. Tickets from zł. 80 @ ebilet.pl

CONCERT

Wishbone Ash 13 Feb, 19:00 @ Proxima, ul. Żwirki I Wigury 99A

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

Massive in the 70s, these legendary rockers have 24 studio albums under their belt and are widely recognized as being one of the first bands to use twin lead guitars. This gig looks set to roll back the years. Tickets from zł. 100 @ eventim.pl

CONCERT

Disclosure 13 Feb @ Torwar, ul. Łazienkowska 6 This English duo hit the big time when their debut album, Settle, was nominated as Best Dance/Electronica Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards. Their 2015 album Caracal was released last September and is set to feature prominently during this performance. Ticket info unknown at press time

CONCERT

Greg Dulli 18 Feb @ Stodoła, ul. Batorego 10 Celebrated for his role in The Afghan Whigs and The Twilight Singers, this evening with Greg Dulli will see the singer wheel out all of his greatest hits, as well as new material such as the single A Crime. Tickets zł. 101 @ eventim.pl

CONCERT

Parov Stelar 19 Feb @ Torwar, ul. Łazienkowska 6 The Parov Stelar Band gained world attention with their debut album Rough Cuts – a perfect example of the trip hop genre. They’ve since evolved further, developing a lounge, down-tempo style full of warm electronic sounds. Tickets from zł. 130 @ eventim.pl

CONCERT

Andy Sheppard Quartet 21 Feb, 19:30 @ 12on14 Jazz Club, ul. Piwna 12/14 One of Britain’s foremost saxophonists and jazz composers, Andy Sheppard will perform music from his new ECM album, Surrounded by Sea. He’s joined by guitarist Eivind Aarest, the Norwegian master of electronica soundscape, double bass virtuoso Michel Benita and drummer Michele Rabbia. Tickets from zł 110 @ ebilet.pl

What’s hot, what’s not: the faces and stories trending around town THE CZARNY KOT IN NUMBERS

2009 The year…

… their lease expired

1991 The year…

… Construction first began

120 Meters

The height of the tower that will replace it

Out of 115

Czarny Kot’s ranking on Trip Advisor

LOCAL

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN DEMARIA

Black Cat Runs Out Of Luck

Years of legal wrangling could finally be at an end after it was announced in January that the Czarny Kot – Black Cat – had used up the last of its lives. Originally constructed in the 1990s, the hotel has consistently been cited as one of the city’s most offensive eyesores, not to mention a classic example of Gargamelizm – a ghastly architectural style unique to post-communist, nouveau riche Poland. Low on taste but high on mysterious turrets and decorative panthers, the hotel – found sat between Powązki Cemetery and the Arkadia mall – was born out of the capitalist chaos that followed the collapse of the state-controlled system. Yet whilst the first stage of construction was conducted within the correct legal parameters, much of what followed ignored things like permits and permission. Up till now, however, authorities have been led on a merry dance through the relevant courts, and have watched on powerlessly while the Cat’s owners have added more embellishments to their hideous creation. All that changed in January when it was announced that the property had been deemed unsafe and would be seized from the owners. But while most people are celebrating the demise of the Czarny Kot, others are already mourning the imminent disappearance of a landmark that has become almost symbolic of an era. Worse, if press reports are to be believed, part of the vacated plot will be handed over for yet another characterless glass tower. (AW)

The number…

… of hotel rooms

Storeys

The height of the hotel

Out of 5

Average score on Trip Advisor

The number of times… … the Cat has survived a demolition order

www.warsawinsider.pl

inFront

bits n’ pieces LIFESTYLE

Central Perk?

Fans of the cult U.S. sitcom Friends have reacted with joy after it was announced that a café themed around the show’s Central Perk is being planned for Warsaw. Monika Adamiak, the brains behind the project, has promised to faithfully recreate both the décor and atmosphere of the café. Speaking to the news portal Naszemiasto, she also voiced hopes that members of the original cast would be present at the opening. The catch? While Adamiak claims the café would take just three months to open, so far a suitable location has yet to be found. Watch this space…

TRANSPORTATION

Taken For A Ride

LOCAL

So Long, Sam

The disassembling of Warsaw’s classic PRL architecture continues apace with the January demolition of Universam in Grochów. Opened in 1977, its modernist design was considered so fetching that it was awarded the cosmic sounding Mr. Warsaw prize for architecture. As Poland’s largest shopping center at its time of launch, the three-level megalith drew customers from across the city thanks to the sheer scope of its retail and leisure offer: juices from communist Asian countries, Bałtyk chocolate, must-have Odra jeans, a hair salon and a nightclub – this was the place that had it all. At the height of its popularity, the on-site Astoria restaurant was fully-booked for days, sometimes weeks, in advance. But time would take its toll; increasingly grotty, and with its façade obliterated by garish billboards, it fell quickly down the pecking order once Western-style shopping options began blooming in the 90s. Replacing it will be a mixed use residential complex, with the only reminder of what stood before being the ‘Virgin’ sculpture that once formed the centrepiece of Universam’s water feature.

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

POLITICS

A Turn Off

A government-funded campaign starring gay food critic Maciej Nowak has been pulled from TV screens after the new Environment Ministry announced that it did not agree with the ‘gender ideology’ presented in the clip. Critics of the PiS government have voiced their surprise at the decision, citing it as another example of Poland’s sudden lurch towards conservatism.

PHOTOGRAPHS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, SHUTTERSTOCK (2), PRESS MATERIAL, WIKICOMMONS

Figures released by City Hall claim that Warsaw now has over 11,000 taxis – more than Berlin, a city twice the size of the Polish capital. Of that number, 7-8,000 are thought to be working without the required licensing. Just as bad, results of a survey conducted in 2015 have revealed irregularities in over 37% of the officially sanctioned taxis that were inspected.

inFront

music

Bowie’s Warszawa

The death of David Bowie has led to an outpouring of recollections – and Warsaw, it turns out, has its own special memories of The Thin White Duke… BY STUART DOWELL | ILLUSTRATION BY MARIA MILEŃKO

he late David Bowie, whose studio, stage and screen creations such as the Starman, Ziggy Stardust and The Man Who Fell to Earth assured him the status of glam rock legend, once got stuck on a train in Warsaw… and made music history. One version of the story asserts that in the early 1970s Bowie had a terrible fear of flying after having a premonition of dying in a plane crash, so after finishing a concert tour in Japan in April 1973, he crossed the sea to the USSR and took the 10,000-kilometer Trans-Siberian railway to Moscow, where he bought a ticket for the Moscow-Paris express. On May 3rd, 1973, the train made a scheduled, technical stop at the attractive, modernist Warszawa Gdańska station (built in 1958-59 and destroyed in a fire in 1984). The 25-year old pop star seized the moment and set out on foot to explore the newly rebuilt socialist capital. Perhaps he

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

took a wrong turn, or perhaps the music gods intervened, but instead of heading for the Old Town he headed in the opposite direction and found himself in Paris Commune Square (earlier and later Pl. Wilsona). A second version says that a jobsworth passport officer didn’t let Bowie off the train in 1973, and it was only when he came back to Warsaw with Iggy Pop in 1976 that both of them had a chance to wander around for a few hours. Nobody knows what Bowie’s impressions were of the district that had been laid out in the 1920s, or whether he enjoyed the spring greenery in Żeromski Park. Perhaps he passed by Kino Wisła and checked out what films were being screened. What we do know is that he popped into a record store and bought a few albums, including one by the Polish folk band Śląsk. Whatever impressions he had must have resonated with him, because in 1976 after moving to Berlin to recover from a cocaine addiction he recorded the brooding hymn Warszawa that featured on the “dark” side of the album Low, the first in Bowie’s Berlin trilogy. Warszawa has been described as one of the best musical illustrations of the longing for freedom ever recorded in popular music, and Bowie performed the song as concert openers in his tours in 1978 and 2002. After London, Los Angeles and Ziggy Stardust, Warszawa is striking in its melancholy and despair. The tolling of a funeral bell gives way to the mournful harmonies of an electric orchestra; the lyrics, inspired from the Śląsk album he bought in Żoliborz, are in an invented hypnotic Slavonic Esperanto dialect. Is the song really an evocation of Warsaw’s desolation, or was it a reflection of Bowie’s psychic desolation embodied in an Eastern European landscape?

inFront

restaurants

No Love Lost

Thinking of dining out this Valentine’s? On the condition of anonymity, the Insider speaks to six Warsaw restaurateurs to listen to their tales of woe…

I’ve seen a few people propose here and I freeze every time – you don’t know how the other person will react. Usually it ends happily, but there have been times when the other person has stormed out. Most take it on the chin. You give them a drink and they soon shuffle out sheepishly. I’ll always remember one guy though who sat there with his head in his hands before letting out a long, painful howl. It’s a night for amateurs. The people we get act like they’ve never read a menu before. They don’t know our food, they don’t know what they want, they just want ‘something amazing’. You’re trying to meet impossible expecta-

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

tions from people incapable of telling you what it is they’re actually after. We’re putting out a high volume of food to once-a-year diners who know everything about nothing. Valentine’s Day? Shagging Night I call it. Guys just want to order the cheapest thing on the menu and get their date back home as soon as possible. I might as well be feeding cattle. Of course, some can’t even wait that long – I could open a lingerie store with the amount of discarded underwear we find in the toilets… We had a customer keel over with a cardiac. As it turns out, there was actually a doctor in the house but you can imagine what all that drama did for the mood that night. It was like a funeral after; we had customers in shock and waitresses in tears, all while Pavarotti is singing his lungs out in the background. A good customer of mine wanted to propose and asked if the chef could drop a ring into one of the courses. No problem… But it was. A new line chef pocketed the ring and slipped out of the door. How the hell do you explain that to the customer? I had to pull him aside halfway through the meal and tell him the news. He looked like he’d been hit by a bus. We did actually track down the chef – and the ring – later that night. We didn’t involve the police…

SHUTTERSTOCK

Valentine’s Day is a pain in the neck – splitting all your tables in two, staff who’re pissed they’re not with their own partners, customers you’ve never seen before acting like big shots… Funny stories? This happened to a friend who owns a few upmarket restaurants. One Valentine’s he saw a proposal that went wrong: the woman stamped out and the guy ran after her saying he’d be back in a minute. It happened at the end of quite a lavish meal. Of course, they never returned to pay and the phone went unanswered. Oh well. Anyhow, the following year and my friend is sitting in his other restaurant – what happens, the same couple return and the same scene plays out – only this time, my friend knew what was coming…

BOUTIQUE STAYS

Between Us B&B

Rialto

Boutique Unique

Weary of the drudge and anonymity of the chain brands? Warsaw has seen a surge in boutique accommodation for the more discerning traveler… Autor Rooms

autorrooms.pl Centered around a hip communal living space that’s bathed in light, find four rooms touting custom-made furnishings and art from Poland’s top designers. Set inside a towering 19th century building, it’s the details that count: a vinyl record library, beautiful tiling and stunning contemporary lighting – all whilst respecting the historic nature of the property.

Between Us B&B

between-us.eu An exquisite bed & breakfast owned by the same team behind the Między Nami café downstairs. Three rooms of varying size are up-for-grabs, with each decorated in pearl white colors and eclectic furnishings that muddle contemporary touches with the vintage – find the décor embossed with names of designers such as Peter Hyidt, Arne Jacobsen and George Nelson. Staying here, you feel like you’re roleplaying in a Jean-Luc Godard film.

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

H15

h15boutiqueapartments.com Furnished with pieces by Italian brands, the rooms in this onetime Soviet embassy are sophisticated and well-finished: wide spaces, slick lines and brave artwork above gleaming kitchenettes. Descending for breakfast, one dines with images of Marilyn Monroe swooning from the walls: shot at the height of her fame by the acclaimed Milton Greene, these original photographs were collected at auction for eye-watering sums by H15’s mysterious backer.

Le Regina

mamaison.com Unedited luxury awaits inside this restored 18th century palace. The majority of rooms come in earthy hues and vanilla shades, replete with Italian furnishings, rain effect showers and thoughtful little details like umbrellas in-room. Offering an atmosphere that’s serene and intimate, that one of Poland’s best chefs works in the restaurant cuts out the need to go out.

Autor Rooms

Lofthotel Sen Pszczoły

loft.pl There are catches: more pampered divas complain about street noise, cold draughts, etc. Those of a more robust nature, however, come away singing praises for one of the wittiest hotels in the city: a place that finds room for industrial pallets, dentist’s chairs, director’s lights and crazy art.

Mondrian Market Square

luxury-apartments-mondrian-market-square-i.warsawtour.net Awarded a perfect 10 on booking.com, Mondrian offers a clutch of elegant apartments staring onto the Old Town Square. Linens by Yves Delorme, toiletries from Chopard and plenty of high end appliances and upscale home clutter make this an ideal cocoon from winter Warsaw.

Rialto

rialto.pl If ever you were to stage a murder mystery weekend in Warsaw, then the Rialto would be the venue. Warsaw’s original boutique hotel draws inspiration from the jazz age, with the Art Deco rooms furnished with pieces purchased from Parisian auction houses. Evoking the spirit of the Orient Express, this little treasure features rooms that switch in theme from colonial to Viennese.

C entered around a hip communal living space that’s bathed in light, find four rooms touting custom-made furnishings and art from Poland’s top designers - Autor Rooms

Stalowa52

stalowa52.pl Set in the just-about tamed depths of old Praga, Stalowa52 makes a big deal of its creative connections: photo shoots aren’t so much a rarity as they are a regular hazard. Appealing to an arty crowd, the action heats up in rooms with titles such as Light Box and Lemon Tree. All are big on modern statements and original touches such as replenished brickwork and floorboards. www.warsawinsider.pl

VALENTINES WARSAW

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

WARSAW IN LOVE

Four insiders talk about love: their love of life, work, and, most of all, their love of Warsawâ&#x20AC;Ś Photograph by Maciej Margas

www.warsawinsider.pl

I (HEART) WARSAW

Kamal Jahid Professional blogger, life coach, serial entrepreneur and owner of Glamorous Pochette

• If Warsaw was a woman? Then she’s so much more than what first meets the eye. She played the mystery card on me, and she played it well. I was hooked. I wanted to explore more, and spending more time with her was the only option. So I waited, and waited... What does she do wrong? Not much, but she should learn to be comfortable in her own skin and stop trying to be something she’s not. • The first two weeks were rough:

I wanted to run away from it all. The weather was horrible and I got depressed thinking about the

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

sunshine back home in Marrakesh. I kept thinking I’ve made a huge mistake. But then summer came along and I fell deeply in love with what was going on. Like a Phoenix, the city rose from the ashes. From that point, day after day, I’ve felt blessed because I made it through those first hard weeks. I realize I made a good decision to give this city time and show her some patience. It was worth it.

Warsaw really is far north, and this matters because it means it sets late and comes up extremely early. Smell? Chocolate flavored donuts from the store on Chmielna. Pure goodness. And sound? The cry of the peacocks in Łazienki, the distant rumble of a passing tram, the reverential sound of a church choir, the pulsing beats of the latest super club, and the defiant cries of a marching band of protestors!

• What do Polish women want? Adventure. The Polish woman likes to travel and explore. If you manage to take her to a place she has never been to then you’ve hit the jackpot.

• There’s always that special moment when I’m returning from a business trip – landing at the airport and getting into the cab, then seeing the city’s skyline before me. My heart races because it reminds me of my beginnings here. Welcome home. What a special feeling. And it’s always the same. I can’t go longer than a week without missing this city. I’m in love. That’s a sure thing.

• Describing Warsaw using the senses I’d say taste is covered by a good soup at a milk bar – just because… Sight: that’d be the sun rising on a summer rooftop party.

Gill Boelman Burrows Author and owner of Wawa Blabla gift and street art store

• My love of street art is rooted in being from a politically engaged family. Since my school days I’ve been passionate about modern art and I was working in London when Banksy started hitting the streets with stencils, installations and provocative slogans. Since then I’ve been hooked. • When I moved to Warsaw ten years ago its highly visible street art was predominantly related to either football or war / history. Today Warsaw funds some great street art projects like the anniversary celebrations for Chopin and Marie Curie. Even so, many murals here are huge advertising campaigns that lack imagination; at least they look better than billboards. However, during those ten years I’ve found little creative treasures both off the beaten track and on my doorstep. All of which are raw, fresh and provocative yet positive and personal at the same time. • Warsaw has thousands of tags, throw-ups, murals, stencils and slogans that move me. But if I had to name one that I hold particularly close it would be of the Banksystyle girl blowing the word ‘Prawda’ (Truth) like bubbles. I wish I knew who did it and I wish they had painted it everywhere so more people could enjoy its simple yet poignant message. • Unlike Łódź, Warsaw is not giving

up huge wall space for art with free expression. Instead it’s knocking them down and replacing them with glass skyscrapers. But in light of the highly charged politically situation, I think the next few years could be rather interesting for creative street art and graffiti artists who believe in freedom of speech and democracy. Of course, personal or politically motivated street art/graffiti is illegal so it remains underground. Only the brave, crazy and dedicated individuals dare to paint on the streets of Warsaw.

• How has my relationship with the city grown? The more I remove myself from the ‘expat’ lifestyle the more in touch I become with the people of Warsaw. It’s done zero for learning the lingo but I have the attitude ‘wherever I lay my hat that’s my home’. Poland is my host country and Warsaw feels like home. My daughter has grown up here and at least she can speak Polish. I still miss having a coastline but I am content with the wild Wisła and I am pleased to see the potential of Warsaw’s river bank is being developed. • My first date with Warsaw was on

the 40th floor in a Marriott suite. It all looked so organized from that height! Obviously I was in the clouds; back on ground level and wrapped in several layers of clothing, the grey, slush-covered streets crammed full with cars parked high on the pavements were not so inviting to a prampushing new mum! Then there was the language – no comment. It would have been easy to say no thanks to the husband, you just keep on commuting and I’ll go back to Amsterdam. But then I walked in the parks, looked up at the architecture and delved into the little courtyards: I found the Warsaw for me. www.warsawinsider.pl

PHOTOGRAPH BY MACIEJ MARGAS

I (HEART) WARSAW

Aleksandra Logusz Photographer (a.k.a. Blogusz) and owner of warsawgiftstore.com

• I think Warsaw was love at first sight. I originally visited in 1996, all the way from Bielsko-Biała, for a Michael Jackson concert with my parents. I was 12 years old and very curious to see the places I’d only seen before on TV: the Sejm, Łazienki Park, etc. I remember Warsaw as a very grey and noisy place filled with buses and trams, but it was fascinating as well. I couldn’t wait until my next visit! • I moved to Warsaw in 2012, right before Poland hosted Euro2012. It was a time of changes, with lots of investment and new infrastructure. I found myself in a totally different city from the one I remembered. I was

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

proud to see how it had transformed and wanted to get to know it better. I started traveling around by tram, taking pictures, and noticed quite soon that I was finding unique places. That’s when I started to publish my pictures on facebook.com/blogusz, mostly taken from the roofs of skyscrapers.

• If Warsaw was a man I think he’d be an interesting charmer with something of a past. I’m sure he’d have bitter thoughts at times, and he’d definitely like to complain; but at the same time I think Mr. Warsaw would work hard and be open to new adventures. Definitely not a boring guy! • If there’s one photo I will always treasure it’s Sen o Warszawie – one of the first pictures I published on my fan page! It shows a winter panorama of Warsaw with the glass towers on the horizon. For me it’s almost symbolic of how the city has changed, and also of the people who move to

the city looking for a better life. In many ways, it also changed my own life – it was voted the Insider’s Picture of the Year, and I quit my day job to pursue photography fulltime and run warsawgiftshop.com. Photography became my profession not just a hobby. Thanks to that picture I found people writing to me, I made new friends, I even got engaged. People love that picture and often tell me how Warsaw looks like some city in the USA, how it shows how far Warsaw has come as a city. Last year it even represented Poland in an exhibition in Australia.

• With my photography I make a lot of effort to get onto rooftops and other inaccessible places to break stereotypes. I want to show something new and surprise locals with my perspectives. What I really love about this job is how people have responded and reacted to my photos. I love it when they send me pictures of my prints on their walls!

Aga Żabińska Champion dog trainer and owner of the esteemed canine academy dogline.pl

• I fell in love with dog training during Martial Law! My mum managed to finagle a nice piece of pork, quite a rarity then, but I cut the pork into pieces, attached it to my shoes and taught the family dog how to sniff and track. The effect was electrifying, though my mum wasn’t exactly happy! I’m still impressed how the dog managed to learn though. Years later, when we’d moved to a different city, I got lost but thanks to her we made it home. • What I really love about training dogs is seeing just how different each one is. Although the end target is similar when training, reaching that target requires an individual approach. You have to really watch the dog and learn about it; there is no set method that works every time. My hobby is sporting obedience and, along with my dog Myszsa, we’ve won the highest accolades in the country and represented Poland at World Championship level. Every detail is important in this discipline, but you won’t get far without first understanding the dog and creating that special bond. I find that beautiful. Outside of that, I love training dogs for human needs: to serve as guide dogs, search and rescue dogs, or to even detect cancer in its early stages. I don’t think we’re close to understanding the possibilities of the canine mind, and it’s something we need to research more – but, of course, with the correct respect to the animal. • Does Warsaw love dogs? Yes and no. The city itself doesn’t treat dogs badly: there are fairly liberal rules concerning them, lots of green areas, an increasing number of dog parks and, generally, high-quality veterinary care. We’ve got more and more dog salons, dog hotels and dog friendly bars, and it’s much easier for dog owners to rent a flat than it was ten years ago. But the locals are quite polarized – there’s some who would happily stick dogs in a ghetto or just ban them outright. As pet owners we’re partially responsible for this. We

have to respect the feelings of others and realize people don’t want to hear barking all night, to be stepping into dog pooh, or have dogs jumping on them in parks. People from either side of this divide need to show each other more respect.

the moment I would move out of the ring – disqualified, of course – she’d be chomping to perform. No other dog has taught me so much: not just about training techniques but also dog behavior and… humility.

• My favorite dog ever was Figa, my

it would be a terrier: ambitious, independent, imperious, fierce, stubborn. It’s indomitable, courageous, dynamic, intelligent and temperamental. It would prefer to die fighting than surrender. At the same time, it’s personality is varied and uneven, and it’ll happily accept anyone who wants or is able to adjust themselves to it. Yep, the terrier is Warsaw in dog form!

first personal dog. She introduced me to the world of dog training, sports and behavior. I made every mistake in the world with her! She’d train beautifully but the moment we’d enter the competitive arena she’d majestically wander off. I’d be running around like a wild monkey trying to get her back in the ring. Of course,

• If Warsaw was a dog then, I think,

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TRAVEL BIAŁOWIEŻA

The Call of the Wild

The Insider travels to the deepest ends of Poland’s East in search of the greatest of escapes: the primeval forests of Białowieża… BY ALEX WEBBER | PHOTOS BY ED WIGHT

love living in the city for all that it offers: action, glamor, sleaze and noise. But true happiness for me, that’d be a little place in the middle of nowhere. A wooden cottage fringed by the forest. A dog would be good, as well – a happy little dude with a thick coat of fluff. Tonight, sitting on the veranda of Sioło Budy, I have that. Snowflakes the size and softness of marshmallows tumble from the sky, while completing the picture, a Husky-looking creature emerges from the blackness to join me for a beer. The silence is total and emphatic; Warsaw is worlds away. Of course, it is not – you don’t need a space rocket to reach here, though a car would be handy. Alternatively, there’s public transport, which is the method we’ve elected. Set in the wilds of Białowieza, Sioło Budy is, in actuality, surprisingly accessible: it’s three and half hours by train or bus to Hajnówka followed by a 15-minute taxi ride down a bumpy country road. Our journey, however, hasn’t gone as planned. There’s been a missed bus (“hang on, shouldn’t we

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

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TRAVEL BIAŁOWIEŻA

be in Wschodnia and not Zachodnia?”) and a missed train connection. By the time we reach Hajnówka we’re seven hours behind schedule and the cab rank is empty. Miraculously, a good Samaritan comes to the rescue and we eventually screech into Sioło Budy in the middle of the night. Now you’ve never heard of Sioło Budy, of that I’m pretty sure. Cutting a long story short, it all began in 1998 when the owner decided to build a traditional guesthouse that would fit into the fabric of the village of Budy. Leased ten or so years ago to the Niczyporuk family, the new proprietors decided to add some bits and bobs: a restaurant, more accommodation and a skansen themed around 19th century rural life. The final outcome has been a magical complex that transpires to be a village within a village. Everything, including the restaurant, is already bolted for the night, but we’ve thought ahead and ordered a bag of beers to be left in our rooms. After the day we’ve had, that’ll do nicely. Our lodgings are full of creaks and squeaks and the rudimentary design acts as a gentle reminder that we’re staying in a cottage and not a branch of Hilton. But what it lacks in internet and general bells and whistles, Sioło Budy compensates with other valuable assets: warmth and isolation. Within just an hour we’re overcome by a wave of complete and utter peace. Sleep is deep and undisturbed.

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ell-rested, we wake the next morning to lifeless, leaden skies. Back in Warsaw, it’s weather that would have you reaching for a shotgun, but out here it doesn’t seem to matter. With breakfast ticked off, an exploration is called for, and we spend the next hour peering round doors: there’s a Russian banya, complete with an ante room for rowdy sessions on the vodka; next, the ‘Hunter’s Shelter’, a wooden rotunda with a fire pit in the center; and finally, the skansen itself. If there’s a highlight, then it’s a cabin from 1836 that’s been preserved as a snapshot of past peasant life – so we’re told, the key feature here is the only working wooden chimney in the whole of the country. As engaging as all this is, we’re not here to hang around – we’re here for wildlife. Plopped inside the Białowieża Forest, the wider region hosts one of the largest primeval forests that survive in the world. Thought to be 8,000 years old, the forest owes its continued existence, ironically perhaps, to hunting. Used for centuries as a private hunting ground by Polish and Tsarist monarchs, it’s a place where nature has flourished: wolves, lynx, moose, pygmy owls and, the area’s calling card, bison. Temporarily wiped out in 1919, Europe’s heaviest land mammal has since been successfully reintroduced, to the point that the woods are home to the largest free-roaming herd in the world. Now this, this is what we have come to see. To meet this end we recruit Aga, Sioło Budy’s PR

manager, and she kindly volunteers to drive us into the back of beyond in the hope of sighting something special. Even with transport arranged, our hopes are not high. “To see them,” she warns, “requires lots of luck and an equal amount of patience.” These are qualities neither the photographer nor I would ever list as traits. Besides, we’re only here for one more night. Amazingly, fortune is on our side. We’re barely out of Budy when, in the distance, we spot a bison grazing. Stopping the car, we make our way towards him, only to realize he’s most definitely not alone: “There’s another one behind that tree,” shouts the photographer. “And two more over there,” I reply. Cautiously, we approach them to within a distance that feels practically eyeball-to-eyeball. We’re so close I think I hear their heartbeat, but it’s actually my own. It’s a moment where time stops and joy sweeps the body. For one of the few times in my life, I’m left struggling to express myself. It’s a scene of such beauty words feel superfluous. Still panting with excitement, we return to Sioło Budy for food. Seeing we’re the only guests, the restaurant is shutting at 4 so we need to make lunch count. Noted for its connection to regional produce, the menu isn’t shy about namechecking the Warsaw chefs that have visited as research, and the food lives up to its billing. With innards insulated with heaving helpings of traditional fare we are ready for Stage II of the day: a horse-drawn sleigh ride. It begins slowly but builds to a crescendo as we tear

“ The final outcome has been a magical complex that transpires to be a village within a village” around bending forest trails. The depth and density of the woodland plus the pristine purity of the snow combine to create the illusion of traveling through some mystical ice kingdom. “Narnia,” whispers the photographer, and I nod in agreement. Returning to base, we’re struck by the awareness that there is nothing left to do. Nothing, that is, aside from ordering gallons of mulled wine to see us through the night. Retreating to a communal living space festooned with local craftwork, we wile away the evening in a state of exhausted contentment. For hours we talk about everything and nothing, venturing occasionally outside with a thermos flask of wine: the frozen ground glimmers under the moon and at one stage the sky takes on a vivid violet glow. It’s ethereal. Can tomorrow never come? Sioło Budy

Budy 41, siolobudy.pl, singles from zł. 149, doubles from zł. 198 www.warsawinsider.pl

LISTINGS RESTAURANTS 40 CAFES & WINE BARS 71 NIGHTLIFE 76 SHOPPING 86 FAMILY 90 HEALTH & BEAUTY 97 IN THE CITY 99

The Codfather

Warsaw’s has done fish and chips before, yet nowhere has managed to capture the unique taste of the British seaside as convincingly as this place. Forget the grey and greasy offerings the city has previously volunteered, here’s a spot where the chips are golden, the fish fresh and the batter crisp and light. Doused with malt vinegar, and a couple of dollops of tartar sauce, here’s food that cuddles and comforts on a grim winter’s day.

PHOTOGRAPHS KEVIN DEMARIA

Ę Rybę Al. Jana Pawła II 18, erybe.pl

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

REVIEWS BOTTLE WATCH: Bałwan

A Magic Recipe? The Alchemist searches for gold

hat bugs me most about the tap pubs of Warsaw? It’s that moment when, just as it’s approaching your turn to be served, some jackass in front decides to engage the barman in a detailed inquisition regarding the brews on offer. Pass me the knife. What about this then – a tap bar that skips that problem with a self-service ‘beer wall’ that relies on pre-paid plastic cards as a form of payment. Detractors dismiss it as gimmicky, but this beer wall not only cuts out the chances of queueing behind a bozo but also affords drinkers the opportunity to fill their glass to the level that suits them. And no worries if you’re a traditionalist – or just can’t pull a beer – the same drinks are available from behind the bar. So what are they? On our visit, a solid choice that features, among others, Weston’s cider, Black Cab Stout, La Trappe Dubbel and Radeberger Pilsner: nothing radical but decent sips that all drinkers can understand. There’s more to like about this particular Alchemist: long and narrow, the design is modern yet full of little details and eccentricities – it feels edgy enough for pre-club drinks, smart enough for business lunch and comfortable enough for all those times in between. And while the semi-open kitchen means the air can get a little fishy, the menu is not to be ignored. Taking their role as a ‘gastro-bar’ seriously, the line-up involves such winners as bangers and mash, BBQ ribs and fish and chips – which goes someway to explaining the authentic aromas. The Alchemist

Pl. Piłsudskiego 3, thealchemist.pl

The Brewery: born in 2012 – otherwise known as Year Zero in local craft beer circles – Browar Artezan have grown to become key powerbrokers in the Polish brewing industry. Originally based in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, 2015 saw them shift production to Błonie. Their mission statement pledges their commitment to beers that are ‘interesting, refined and technically impeccable’, a sentiment that clearly applies to what has become their signature brew: Pacific Pale Ale. Versatile, consistent and above all excellent, consider Artezan as the Insider’s favorite brewery. The Beer: the mid-January launch of Bałwan has met with good-to-rave reviews. Easily drinkable, the surprise with this pale ale is that it’s light, citrusy and refreshing and, despite the aroma, never feels overpowering in intensity – as such, it’s a great introductory beer to those still suspicious of the new generation of beers. www.warsawinsider.pl

REVIEWS

The Birthday Boy

Mandala celebrate their tenth year in style...

he best thing about a Polish winter? Cranking up the body’s central heating with a thick, fiery curry. That, to me, is the definition of bliss. Granted, by Polish standards it’s been a moderate winter, but on the day the Insider visits Mandala fate intervenes: snow piles down in unforgiving heaps. The streets are a whiteout. Coming in from the cold, entering Mandala is a glorious sensation: the air heavy with aromatic spices, twangy music and the general buzz and babble of a busy restaurant. Immediately, the body and soul switch to ‘defrost’. I need to be honest: Mandala has not always beeped brightly on my radar. Put bluntly, it reminded me of the kind of curries I used to scoff as a student: tasty but basic. However, change is in the air: celebrating their tenth year on the market, Mandala have had a strategic rethink that’s seen the overall quality given a boost: no more cutting corners, no more skimping on the ingredients. It’s the break a chef like Prakash Tiwari deserves. If there were doubts before, they’re dispelled the moment the starters begin landing: a steaming shrimp soup warms the bones, and is partnered up by a selection of solids – a paneer tikka masala, a leafy garden mix salad and a mountain of crisp and crunchy okra that’s steadily picked apart. Mains don’t disappoint, either. Opting

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

for an indiscriminate approach, we’ve ordered a series of curries to share: a luxuriously creamy mutton methi malai wins blanket approval, while the chicken tikka masala is declared a classic in more ways than one. But with the weather deteriorating outside, we’re conscious of the need for heat – out comes the vindaloo, a dish characterized by its blitzing big spices. It’s enough to bring the gentler ones amongst us out into a sweat. Mopping up duty is assigned to a selection of breads, all of which are perfect: a garlic naan that’s reassuringly buttery, a minty pudina parantha and a flawlessly soft missi roti. Surveying the battleground of plates and dishes it’s been a feast of almost obscene proportions. That none of us feel swollen and bloated is a testament to Mandala’s new direction – everything tastes fresh and light with none of that groaning, heavy feel so often associated with this cuisine. And yet, most importantly, it’s a meal that’s achieved exactly what we wanted: bestowing on us a warm glow in which to wallow. Polish winter? Bring it on. (AW) Mandala

ul. Emilii Plater 9/11 & ul. Etiudy Rewolucyjnej 9, mandalaklub.com

Tome Raider

You can smell the history in this old curiosity shop; set just a few meters from the gates of the university, this antiquarian bookstore has a rich stock of dusty tomes piled higgledy-piggledy on towering shelves. The tendency is to lose track of time while browsing, and that especially applies to those with a fascination for pre-war maps, manuscripts, postcards and cultural texts. Although Polish is the dominant language, English-language texts are also present and procurable in this hoarder’s heaven. Antykwariat Atticus

OPPOSITE PAGE PORTRAIT BY KEVIN DEMARIA, FOOD PHOTO BY MACIEJ STANKIEWICZ, THIS PAGE KEVIN DEMARIA

ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 12, atticus.pl

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REVIEWS

Keeping It Sweet The scintillating sweets of Saska

Deseo

ul. Angorska 27 & Nowy Świat 28, deseopatisserie.com

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

PHOTOGRAPHS KEVIN DEMARIA

f you want to know who has the best job in the world, look no further than Łukasz Smoliński. “Before we launched,” confides the co-founder of Deseo, “myself and the team visited over 70 of the best patisseries in Paris and Barcelona.” Nice. But if that was the fun part, the hard bit was yet to come: the creation of Poland’s top dessert store. In truth, actually, it wasn’t hard at all – making it look easy is Piotr Chylarecki, a pastry chef extraordinaire. Conducting operations from a glassed-off laboratory at Deseo’s mothership in Saska Kępa, watching Chylarecki at work is to witness a mix of magic and science: you’re not sure which. Calculated precision and intricate methods collide with passion and understanding for the products at hand, themselves sourced from afar afield as Madagascar and the Dominican Republic. The denouement is a selection of pralines and cakes that cause you to stop and stare at these intricate baubles. You’d almost say they’re too good to eat. Almost. The real point is, they’re too good not to eat. In a city increasingly attached to the finer things in life, there isn’t much that’s finer than such luxury desserts…

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PHOTOGRAPHS KEVIN DEMARIA

Pa N rtn ew er s

Explore The Unknown

Le Cedre’s set menus give a glimpse into the unknown…

f last month’s Best of Warsaw issue stood out on account of its surprises, then readers will be glad to hear that not all of the city’s restaurants experience such fluctuating fortunes. There is a constant, and that constant is Le Cedre. Voted Warsaw’s best Lebanese restaurant for the umpteenth year running, the paucity of competition shouldn’t be used to explain their winning streak. Even as you enter, you understand their success. There’s the original Praga location, decked out like a Sultan’s lair, and then the newer one on the left side of the river: slicker, with perhaps a more businessminded clientele in mind. But regardless of which you end up in, the outcome is the same: the magical

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

flavors of Lebanon executed inside venues that exude bonhomie. In usual instances the mere mention of the atmosphere can feel like a space-filler, but in Le Cedre it’s an integral part of the wider experience. Built around concepts of sharing, Lebanese cuisine prompts interaction among diners, encouraging long nights of table talk. There are, mind you, other reasons to opt for the set group menus that are so abundant at Le Cedre – figuring highly among them, the chance to discover thrilling new dishes you’d otherwise forego. Le Cedre’s mastery of Lebanese signatures such as hoummous and tabbouleh precedes them, so their inclusion on any set menu is a given. The excitement lies

in exploring new tastes: for instance, kebbeh meklieh, deep fried beef balls stuffed with lamb; or the fatayer, crispy pastries bursting with spinach and nuts. Cleverly set on revolving dishes, it’s a joyous pick and mix that rewards experimentation: a pinch of homemade vine leaves, and then a scoop of Mdaradara (rice and lentil crowned with thin, crispy onion rings). Even the names read like a pleasure. And that’s just dealing with the mezze. Soon, once the mains start landing, tables are deluged with platters of grilled, skewered meats (though vegetarian menus are also available). The overriding mood grows to one of celebration, something that’s invariably nudged along by copious swigs of Arak. Available for groups of two or more, and from prices of zł. 99 upwards, Le Cedre’s set menus become more than just a feast. Le Cedre

Valentine’s Menu Valentine’s weekend sees the introduction of a special menu for lovers. Priced at zł. 159 per couple, the offer includes a selection of hot and cold mezze, grilled lemon chicken and the seductive ousmallieh dessert served with vanilla and strawberry ice cream topped with rosewater sauce. And, keeping your nocturnal activities in mind, there’ll be no garlic served!

Al. Solidarności 84, tel. 22 618 8999 & Al. Soliadarności 61, tel. 22 670 1166, lecedre.pl

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Pa N rtn ew er s

The World Is Your Oyster The beautiful Belon arrives to Poland…

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAROLINA GMURCZYK

t’s been dubbed the most noble of oysters, and as with or without, try drinking it or biting it – you’ll such has spawned a host of inferior imitations – soon fall in love!” And any other Belon essentials? most notably from America. But don’t be duped. “Oh yes, a good wine or champagne!” For a genuine Belon oyster one must head to the Belon River in the north west of France. So that you L’Arc Varsovie don’t have to, L’Arc Varsovie have. Recently honored ul. Puławska 16, tel. 22 465 1358, 519 000 050, larc.pl at the Insider’s annual awards as being the home of Open from 10 a.m. till last guest. Credit cards accepted. Warsaw’s best seafood, there’s not much L’Arc won’t do to ensure a faultless evening: that includes sending out a van twice a week (sometimes, even three or four times) to collect deliveries of Belons. “It’s a unique oyster,” says Przemek Kołtko of L’Arc, “in that it’s long and flat and comes with something of a nutty taste.” More challenging than your standard oyster, it’s one that rewards both persistence and exploration. “A lot of people don’t like Belons the first time they taste them,” he says, “but then most people don’t like oysters in general on first taste.” So how do you go about the business of enjoying the Belon? “Keep the way it’s served as simple as possible,” says Przemek, “either with lime or with sauce. Sauce does kill the flavour of the oyster a bit, so those new to trying Belons should maybe try that. But I always say play around, find your level: try it

The British School, Warsaw launches an innovative music curriculum in collaboration with The Juilliard School to inspire educational excellence

The British School, Warsaw will become one of the first schools in the world to benefit from an innovative new collaboration between Nord Anglia Education and The Juilliard School in New York. From September 2016, students will benefit from an enhanced embedded arts curriculum developed by specialists from Juilliard, along with continued support from, and engagement with, Juilliard alumni and affiliated artists.

The music curriculum is designed for all students, not just those who are serious about learning an instrument or musical performance. It is based around a repertoire of 12 core works covering a wide range of cultures, genres and historical periods, each of which has been carefully chosen by Juilliard to open the door to categories of music and fundamentals essential for all young people to know and experience.

The collaboration between Juilliard, the world renowned performing arts conservatory, and Nord Anglia Education, the world’s leading premium schools organisation, is designed to enhance The British School, Warsaw’s performing arts offering with its innovative structure, design and approach.

The evidence for an education in the arts is clear – learning music can increase academic development, helping students to improve literacy, mathematics and cognitive development. It also helps young people develop cultural literacy and personal skills – from collaboration through to perseverance which are critical to the modern workplace.

Nord Anglia believes that working with such a highlyregarded institution and giving students direct access to Juilliard performers and teaching artists will help inspire them in their studies. Ultimately, the curriculum aims to nurture cultural literacy and develop key skills in students, such as discipline, creativity and confidence that will enable them to succeed anywhere in the world once they’ve left school. Nord Anglia argues that it is the duty of educators to inspire students, and facilitate their cognitive stimulation and development. As part of its commitment to inspiring students, Nord Anglia collaborates with world-leading institutions to bring their excellence directly into the classroom.

“The Juilliard School shares our vision for the value of the performing arts to society, and we strongly believe that this curriculum will equip our students with the skills needed to excel in their future careers – whether that be as a Juilliard-trained pianist or a corporate lawyer.” Drama and dance curriculums will be rolled out to all Nord Anglia schools over the coming years, and Nord Anglia and Juilliard are also launching a performing arts summer programme. The first two-week programme will be held in Switzerland in July 2016 and will include drama, dance, voice and instrumental tuition. It will be open to students from non-Nord Anglia schools.

“Excellence comes from inspiration rather than league tables. Working with the world’s best is inspirational. At Nord Anglia Education, we want it to be a daily occurrence for every student and our collaboration with The Juilliard School does just that.” (Andrew Fitzmaurice, Chief Executive Officer at Nord Anglia Education)

www.thebritishschool.pl founded in 1992

Give your child a premium education

restaurants KEY

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

$ zł. 30 (per main) $$ zł. 30-55 $$$ over zł. 55 New listings are in RED 2015 Best of Warsaw Award Winner

FALAFEL BEJRUT (ul. Nowolipki 15) It just keeps getting better for Falafel Bejrut. From modest origins as a food cart plying its trade outside Hala Mirowska came a tiny little takeout place on ul. Senatorska. That’s still going strong, only now it’s got a bigger, younger sister. Light, bright and buzzing with custom, the new venture has a good scattering of seating and an expanded menu whose talking point is Poland’s best falafel. And don’t ever think of leaving without ordering the hummus diablo.

african american asian australian balkan & russian british burgers cheap eats cooking schools cuban french georgian german greek & turkish indian international italian japanese & sushi jewish latin & mexican middle eastern polish scandinavian specialty shops steak houses thai uzbek whole foods

40 41 42 42 43 43 44 44 45 45 45 46 46 46 46 49 55 56 58 58 59 60 67 67 68 69 70 70

african KROWARZYWA (ul. Hoża 29/31) No matter how much you think about it, there’s something wrong about a burger without meat. So how could something so wrong be so right? That these vegeburgers have won carnivores over says it all. Using 100% plant-based products, here’s a place that strikes gold every time. Our favorite? The cieciorex chickpea burger. Now in new digs, the latest address is a step-up in size from the previous address. Even so, it packs out in the evening.

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

Abyssinia (B1) Rynek Nowego Miasto 2, abyssinia.pl As it transpires, there’s one way of serving the mains, and it’s truly ingenious: on injera, a spongy flatbread that’s used to scoop up the food. Basically, you eat the plate. Brilliant. And yes, the Ethiopian choices are marvelous: meat and fish dishes served in

listings / restaurants curry-like sauces with heaps of onions, garlic and ginger. The tastes are strange, alien and immediately addictive. $$ Café Baobab (H4) ul. Francuska 31, tel. 22 617 4057, cafebaobab.pl The work of former basketball player Aziz Seck, Baobab brings the tastes of Senegal to Saska Kępa. The mafe yap – beef stewed in peanut sauce – is as interesting as it sounds, and best enjoyed during their bi-monthly Saturday night concerts. $ La MaMa Africa (C1) ul. Andersa 23, tel. 22 226 3505, lamama.eu Things we like: African Star beer and the traditional stews. Things we don’t like: the goat meat. But that’s not a criticism of the cooking, rather an admission we don’t like goats in general – dead or alive. Those who don’t fancy experimenting with gizzards and heads make do with dishes like yam porridge or sweet and spicy coconut rice. It’s the very definition of casual, and something of a focal point for Warsaw’s African community. $$

american Barn Smoque (D4) ul. Zgoda 5, barnsmoque.pl Okay, so 2015 won’t be remembered as the year of the grill house, but Warsaw is getting there. From the owners of Barn Burger comes Barn Smoque, a casual eatery decorated with number plates and… portraits of pigs dressed for the office. The menu is all about meat and fire, with dishes like wings, ribs, steaks and brisket. Don’t leave without sampling the Fuck Crack Bacon: grilled bacon in beer batter with a side of jalapeno / BBQ salsa. $ Brooklyn Restaurant & Bar (C4) Al. Jana Pawła II 18 (Rondo ONZ), tel. 22 114 3434 Gone are the fancy pants culinary creations once found in the basement, ousted in favor of a menu of pimped-up soul and street food, salads and steaks. This means fresh tacos not to mention Mito’s Beef Ribs and 100% beef dogs. The ground floor burger bar is more prosaic, offering a standard line-up of burgers and wings: they’re loved by many. $$ Champions Sports Bar (D5) Marriott Hotel, al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. 22 630 5119, champions.pl While the concept and style look dated, there’s no faulting the attention to detail – wherever you look (aside from under the

table), there’s a TV. The heavy décor brings to mind the trans-Atlantic sports bars of the 90s, with glinting trophies, whirring machines, clacking pool tables and a cacophony of commentaries. Hell, there’s even a boxing ring. But you can’t fault their consistency: the food is always on-point, the staff are pro, while the generous floor plan makes it suitable for unwieldy groups of large and loud lads. $$ Hard Rock Café (C4) ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), tel. 22 222 0700, hardrockcafe.pl Instantly recognizable by the giant neon guitar outside, Hard Rock has a pierced staff of skater boys and rock girls and a menu that is, if nothing else, completely reliable. Peruse rock’n’roll swag that includes Joplin’s blouse, Prince’s guitar and Shakira’s pants. $$ Hell’s Chickens ul. Puławska 246, hellschickens.pl It’s all chicken feed here, with a menu comprised of wings, strips and chicken wraps served on paper plates alongside thick-cut fries and homemade sauces. Chow down in a budget interior that doesn’t far extend beyond tables and chairs manufactured from crates – the young crowd doesn’t mind at all. A decent comfort food option on a rainy / hungover day, the only downer is a location way out of the center. $ Jeff’s (B8) ul. Żwirki i Wigury 32 (Pole Mokotowskie

Park), tel. 22 825 1650, jeffs.pl Head to Jeff’s for supersize portions from the ribs and wings class. Servings might be big, but don’t anticipate any further fireworks with regards to the food. $ Someplace Else (E5) Sheraton Hotel, ul. Prusa 2, tel. 22 450 6710, someplace-else.pl Favoring a stark concrete look, SPE were once a legend of 90s/00s Warsaw. Things have tamed down since that ex-pat heyday, but this remains a noteworthy choice for live MOR rock and zippy Tex Mex food. $$ Sticky Fingers (E7) ul. Marszałkowska 4, tel. 880 763 617, stickyfingersbbq.pl The menu, that’s printed on some crinkly brown paper, and starts with breakfast pancakes before taking you past a tidy series of burgers and wings – amongst them an ‘Ultra Hot’ version smothered in Mad Dog sauce. We ordered the roast beef and found it fine if nothing special. While it might not be the BBQ restaurant that Warsaw’s waiting for, it’s a decent enough addition to the neighborhood. $ T.G.I. Friday’s (B3) al. Jana Pawła II 29, tel. 22 653 8360, tgifridays.pl/warszawa The steaks are a missand-miss affair, and even the burgers can’t compare to Warsaw’s armada of burgeries. And the interiors are just as you’d remember: crass, vulgar and stuck in the 90s. Why do people bother? $$

ul. Nowy Świat 36 tel. 731 001 002 beefnroll.pl facebook.com/beefnroll.burgers

BEST BURGERS /WINGS /HOT-DOGS www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / restaurants asian Bliss Restaurant (D2) Rynek Mariensztacki, tel. 22 826 3210, blissrestaurant.pl Longevity aside, Bliss (alive since ’95) boast classically cliche interiors that make dramatic use of dragons and buddhas. Inconsistent accuse some, though you’ll struggle to find better Chinesestyle ribs. $$ Canton (B2) ul. Smocza 1, tel. 22 838 3823, canton. warszawa.pl Here’s what Chinese restaurants

used to look like in the days of Bruce Lee: filled with dragons and lanterns, this place is an outright assault on your sensory system. Wokking away for over a decade, it’s actually not a bad place if you want an MSG booster. The Gong Bao chicken gets approval. $$ Cesarski Pałac (D2) ul. Senatorska 27, tel. 22 827 9707, cesarskipalac.com A rouge tinted Chinese restaurant whose design even incorporates a footbridge. Widely acclaimed, this 18-year-old restaurant combines Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine to serve a variety of dishes in an elegant backdrop. The Dim Sum are something else. $$ Choila ul. Zajączka 25, choila.pl Having made the effort to get here, disappointing doesn’t even begin to describe it. Presenting the food of Nepal and the Himalayas, gorgeous sounding dishes transpire to be gloopy offerings more reminiscent of the cut-price budget food cabins you once found around the old bulldozed stadium. $$ Du-Za Mi-Ha (D4) multiple locations, duzamiha.pl A compact Vietnamese joint noted for fresh, healthy nem filled with crunchy, perky fibers. The pho, on the other hand, is disappointing – according to one reader, “awful”. Prices begin at around zł. 10 and don’t go far north of zł. 20. You get what you pay for. $

Because Warsaw Just Got Hotter Classic Indian Cuisine With A Funky Twist ul. Zurawia 22, tel. 501 400 386, www.rain.pl

Onggi (D2) ul. Moliera 2 Onggi’s problem? That’s the food. Those expecting strong Korean flavors, big spices and plenty of bite and crunch come away disappointed by an offer that’s limited to bland and claggy dishes kept sweating in buffet containers: pay zł. 45 for all you can eat. In an area bristling with highly individual eateries, this feels little more than a merely adequate feeding trough, which is a great shame considering the considerable expense involved in the modern oriental design. $$ Pantai (G3) ul. Wybrzeże Szczecińskie 1 With its surprisingly classy tropical look, the primetime to visit the beachside Pantai is summer. Not much use knowing that now, of course. So the question is, does it work out of season? That’s a resounding yes. Beautiful cocktails play their role, but so too does a succinct menu of Asian food that includes Malaysian

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laksa soups, some dim sum options, and tempura duck. $$ Papaya (E4) ul. Foksal 16, tel. 22 826 1199, papaya. waw.pl A place of precise lines and slick finishes, Papaya has a varied menu that uses influences from all over Asia, though particularly Thailand. But the star attraction is Preecha Wongsomboon, a Thai chef who fuses cookery with cabaret from behind a teppanyaki grill – his skills draw gasps. But between the honking horns and nifty knife work it becomes clear this is no novelty show: the food is top notch. $$ Shabu Shabu Hot Pot (D6) ul. Mokotowska 27, tel. 535 685 750, shabu-shabu.pl Each table has its own set of hot pots installed and once you choose your broth and extras, you are the master of your own culinary destiny. We chose some seafood and some greens and were served a dish that was not quite a pad thai, but incredibly tasty all the same. A simple meal, but satisfying nonetheless. $$ Silk & Spicy (D5) ul. Żurawia 16/20, tel. 22 629 7012, silkandspicy.pl If you don’t benchmark Silk & Spicy against what you’d eat in Asia (and you really shouldn’t), then you might enjoy it. “The curry was on taste-wise,” said our disappointed graphic, “but the cream cheese didn’t work in the sushi and the kmichi-style salad served at the beginning was very pedestrian for such a place.” $ Toan Pho (D4) ul. Chmielna 5/7, tel. 888 147 307 Toan Pho’s bowls of soup with rice noodles come highly recommended; as does the chaos intrinsic to this type of casual Asian eatery. The short menu is in Vietnamese with Polish decoding – although you can ask for an English version. $

australian

Kalaya (D4) ul. Jasna 26, kalaya.pl Poland has had

listings / restaurants Australian restaurants before, but they’ve pretty much all been immature efforts designed to mimic an Aboriginal cave. Kalaya, in contrast, is a smart urban spot whose understated interiors direct attention onto the food: that transpires to be a meat-heavy menu that features emu, kangaroo and NZ lamb cooked inside a Josper oven. The final outcome is high on fresh flavors, interesting talking points and creative presentation.

balkan & russian Ba Adriatico (B2) Al. Jana Pawła II 50/52, ba-adriatico.pl As a starter, then the grilled peppers stuffed with creamy, regional cheese are irresistible. But then so too the octopus salad. Mains are a victory of simplicity, with dishes like skewered minced beef served with a bitey sauce and a soft, pillowy Lepinja bread. Yet ignore Thursday seafood night at your peril. Croatian-run, this neighborhood spot has an unassuming air that belies the

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general quality. $$ Banja Luka (E8) ul. Szkolna 2/4, tel. 22 828 1060, banjaluka.pl Lots of clunky timber and imported ceramics set the scene at this eatery, a Balkan stalwart that’s known for its economical pricing structure and bulky portions. Grilled meats are prominent and the food largely reliable. $$ Babooshka (E3) ul. Oboźna 9, lok. 102, tel. 22 406 3366, babooshka.pl Looking intimate and woodsy Babooshka serves up dollops of simple Russian food to a budget conscious crowd. The bacon and tomato scented solyanka soup is a thick broth best suited for Warsaw’s long, windy nights. $ U Madziara (B3) ul. Chłodna 2/18, tel. 22 620 1423, umadziara.pl U Madziara looks like it took two days to decorate. No-one goes here to marvel at the interiors though, they go in the knowledge that they’ll find great food at prices

all bank cards can support. Chef Gabor’s signature goulash is one of life’s simple pleasures. $ Yugo (B4) ul. Sienna 83 (enter from Żelazna), tel. 694 109 379 You feel alive just being here: big on Colgate white colors, vintage tourist agency posters and bright stickers, Yugo is just about the cheeriest eatery you’ll come across on a dour Warsaw day. Presenting the food of the former Yugoslavia, this Balkan bolt hole specializes in meaty dishes served in traditional bread. $

british British Bulldog (D4) ul. Krucza 51, tel. 22 827 0020, bbpub.pl The pub design is wonderful, and straight out of Midsomer Murders with its Chesterfield sofas and Cutty Sark mirrors. But it’s been a downhill disaster since they lost the original management team. What could have become

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listings / restaurants Poland’s original gastro pub now serves greasy burgers and, judging by the stench at the bar, lots of food that’s way over-fried. $$ Legends (C5) ul. Emilii Plater 25, tel. 22 622 4640, legendsbar.pl It’s a British pub first and foremost, but don’t forego the kitchen either. The all-day breakfast is a great way to stoke up your drinking powers, while other dishes of note inc. pies, sausages and mash and, of course, fish and chips. $$

burgers Barn Burger (D4) ul. Złota 9. tel. 512 157 567, barnburger.pl Retaining a loyal crowd ever since their 2012 entry on the burger circuit, Barn Burger offer a loud and lively atmosphere and much celebrated burgers with goofy names like Heart Attack and Muppet. The list by the door notes the results of their American-style eating competitions / greed-fests. $ Beef’N’Roll (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 36, tel. 531 707 070, beefnroll.pl If the wheels have fallen off the burger craze then no-one told Beef’N’Roll. Originating as a food truck, their success has been such that a fixed venue was required. Everything about the food and drink suggests quality is the main consideration. $ Burger Bar (E10) ul. Puławska 974/80 (enter from Olkuska), tel. 780 094 076, burgerbar.waw.pl Warsaw’s first legitimate burger spot was the talk of the town when it first opened up in 2012, only to have its thunder stolen when 100 copycats opened in their trail. But this lot have kept plugging away, sticking to their guns with little song and dance. Intimate and unassuming, it’s for good reason they’ve retained a loyal core of fans – if the words masterpiece can be applied to a burger, then their green chili burger is just that. $ Bydło i Powidło (A5) ul. Kolejowa 47, tel. 22 400 48 44 Set in a modern glass prism, here’s a place that’s realized you can’t get away with just serving burgers anymore (though here, they’re very good indeed). Unfortunately, the steak part of the menu just isn’t there yet. $ Fuddruckers ul. Górczewska 124 (Wola Park), tel. 22 533

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4000, fuddruckers.com Not ones to keep quiet, the American Fuddruckers chain claim to build ‘the world’s best burger!’ A big claim, but on early evidence they can certainly claim the Warsaw leg of this title. In an added plus, a buffet stand lets you throw as many add-ons (jalapenos, salsa, etc.) onto your food as possible. Full review coming up! $ Między Bułkami (D4) Al. Jerozolimskie 23, tel. 22 126 0159 You want to yell, “stop opening burger joints!” But ‘Between the Buns’ is one of those additions we really don’t mind: there’s nothing original about the menu, nor the presentation, but the quality is a solid 8/10. $ Warburger (E9) ul. Dąbrowskiego 1, warburger.pl While Warsaw has lost its appetite for burgers, you wouldn’t necessarily tell by popping in WarBurger. Set inside a diminutive cabin, join the scrum for jazzed-up burgers that use slow-food ingredients. If not the best, they’re most certainly up there. $ Warsaw Hot Dog & Burger (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 15 While it seems behind the times to be talking about a trend that curved out a couple of years back, the bottom line is people are still craving burgers. And that’s little wonder when they’re this good. The Firestarter is a game changer and even better with a pile of double-fried chips. $ Ziggi Point (B4) ul. Pańska 59, tel. 696 145 735 Diners are summoned to the counter to collect their order via a buzzer, before settling down to enjoy what has emerged as a real candidate for Warsaw’s best burger. The fiery Desperados is as perfect as a burger gets, and best twinned with a Curiosity Cola from the Fentimans brand. Steaks and wings also available inside a cool diner setup. $

Diner 55 (D5) ul. Żurawia 32/34 Young? Broke? Try Diner 55. Set in a dark, industrial basement, this spot fills with skater types showing off their first tattoo. The menu is born of an alliance between Pan Burger, Rico’s Tacos and Mr. Pancake, and is good enough for a quick fix solution. $ Fabryka Frytek (D4) ul. Złota 3, tel. 505 671 334, ul. Waryńskiego 9, tel. 505 671 334, fabrykafrytek.pl Giant portions of Belgian fries (up to 600g!), waffles, wedges and whatever else you can make out of a potato come served with an equally comprehensive range of dips and sauces. $ Falafel Bejrut (C2) ul. Senatorska 40 Originally born as a food cart outside Hala Mirowska, this venture steams with the heat of the deep fryer, not to mention all those people squashed-up trying to decipher the menu. We’re converted to their hummus falafel which comes with jalapenos and a little kick of hot sauce. The secret ingredient here is an extra pinch of cilantro and parsley, which helps this pocket of pleasure come together in a whirr of freshness. $ Justyna’s Secret Recipes (C4) ul. Marszałkowska 138, jsecretrecipes. com We’re told Justyna was inspired by the Pret-a-Manger chain. Whatever the case, you just can’t fault her sandwiches which are fixed using proper imported bacon, organic sundries, and the freshest of bread. The delivery service is highly recommended for desk-bound officebots. $

cheap eats

Manekin (C3) ul. Marszalkowska 140, tel. 22 826 0753, manekin.pl Originally founded in Toruń, this pancake house chain is a national phenomenon – there are times when queues for a table snake outside. The menu touts dozens of pancake options served in sweet and savory form (there’s even a spaghetti version…), though not everyone agrees they’re worth the often silly waiting times. $

Bar Turecki “Efes” (H4) ul. Francuska 1, ul. Aleje Niepodleglości 80, tel. 22 898 3001 So it’s a kebab shop, but when the kebabs are this good they’re well worth the listing. Either join the queue outside, or head indoors to sample the smattering of grill food and salads. $

Meat Love (D5) ul. Hoża 62, tel. 500 149 210, meatlove.pl Not ones to stagnate, Meat Love have expanded in size, meaning there’s now plenty of room to sample their artisan sandwiches – the roast beef is a best seller. While some claim it’s no longer the

listings / restaurants benchmark venue of old, it’s still a consistent performer. $ Mr. Pancake (E3) ul. Solec 50, tel. 501 237 461, mrpancake.pl You’re just going to love their pancakes, with their fun, wacky look and creative toppings (M&Ms, funny faces traced with icing sugar, and lots of chocolatey stuff). They’re the sort of pancakes you’d get if Bart Simpson got stoned and decided to make some food – brilliant. $ Okienko (D7) ul. Polna 22 Belgian-style frites served in paper cones right from out of a street-side hatch. Yes they’re good, but they’re bettered by the sauces that are written up in marker pen on the wall tiles. With money exchanged, do your eating on the upturned crates left on the side of the curb. $ Pogromcy Meatów (E6) ul. Koszykowa 1, tel. 505 703 508 Yearn no more for the elusive flavor of the backyard BBQ. Specializing in grilled meat, find exactly just that loaded into artisan buns alongside locally grown greens. The sense of homespun quality makes this the kind of comfort food that Warsaw has been missing for years. $ To Tu Dumpling Bar ul. Niekłańska 33, chinskapierogarnia.pl A shabby looking shack cabin, To Tu offer what are seriously considered some of the

best – if not the best – dim sum in town. Magic-ked up by a Manchurian exile, the experience isn’t unlike being in a sweaty back street haunt in Asia. And that’s a good thing! $ Warsaw Hot Dog Factory (B2) Al. Jana Pawła II 41A, hotdogfactory.pl There’s a general feeling that, maybe, 2016 will be The Year of the Hot Dog. With Warsaw still flirting with glammed-up street food, Hot Dog Factory could yet be onto something – find upmarket versions of the dawg served using artisan buns and proper pork meat: not, we’re told, the stuff found on the bottom of a factory floor… Wurst Kiosk (H4) ul. Zwycięzców 17, tel. 606 133 134 Imported German sausages served through a hole-in-a-wall with big dabs of mustard and fresh buns to go with them. The currywurst is just like the one you had at Berlin Hauptbahnhof. $

cooking schools Cook Up Studio ul. Racławicka 99 (Fort Mokotów), tel. 22 212 89 76, cookup.pl Workshops in a gorgeous cooking studio located in a redbrick fortress. Past themes have included Swedish cooking (led by the Swedish Embassy chef), knife skills and soup, with lessons culminating in eating all that hard work.

Joseph’s Culinary Studio ul. Duchnicka 3, tel. 663 040 800, jospehseeletso.pl A familiar face from the TV, Botswanan born chef Joseph Seeletso marks a new chapter of his career with the launch of his own culinary academy. Tailor-made courses for individuals and groups are held in a custom-designed kitchen, and include cookery classes, wine tasting, dinner and the chance to learn a stack of secrets from the man himself. Scheller Academy ul. Międzynarodowa 68, tel. 22 626 80 92, schelleracademy.pl Instantly recognizable by his beret and whiskers, Swiss-born Kurt Scheller invites guests to his Saska Kępa kitchen for lessons aimed at all skill levels.

cuban El Caribe ul. Mickiewicza 9, tel. 22 400 0994 Start with a round of daiquiris before ordering frijoles negroes (black beans). But everyone agrees, it’s the flan that gets you doing the cha cha. With the cooking left to a Cuban exile, this perky spot is worth the trip north to Żoliborz. $$

french ArtBistro Stalowa ul. Stalowa 52, tel. 22 618 2732 Part of an

• The best quality USDA Black Angus prime beef, Wagyu 9+ Kobe steaks and Scottish prime beef. • Outstanding seafood menu with oysters, mussels, octopus and calamari and seasonal, traditional Polish dishes. • The largest selections of global wine in Poland. ul. Merliniego 5 (across from the Warszawianka water park) tel. 22 646 0810/22 646 0849

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listings / restaurants ‘art hotel’, the distant Stalowa features a narrow dining chamber with vaulted walls, fresh flowers and white formica fittings. It looks good, but on a brighter day the courtyard, strewn with deckchairs and crates, is the place to be. The food is erratic – our vol au vent starter was dry and devoid of taste, while the chocolate ‘cream’ dessert was a runny, ugly looking disappointment. But there is potential: the main was a thing of excellence – duck with a carefully crisped skin, a perfect hint of fat, expertly browned potatoes and a well-executed orange and caramel sauce. $$ L’Arc (E8) ul. Puławska 16, tel. 519 000 050, larc.pl You sometimes suspect Warsaw doesn’t give seafood the respect it deserves. But the city’s shortcomings are atoned for by L’Arc. Choose from the lobsters swimming on Death Row, then settle back for a meal to die for. Likewise, the oysters and mussels never disappoint. $$ Le Bistro Rozbrat (F5) ul. Rozbrat 44, tel. 22 881 7808 This bistro has a devoted following swung by their convincing planches and classic mains full of rich, raucous flavor. A stalwart of Powiśle, the success of this bistro is rooted in basic stuff that many others fail to manage: i.e. being able to turn out food that people enjoy and understand… $$ Le Victoria Brasserie Moderne (D3) ul. Królewska 11 (Sofitel Warsaw Victoria), tel. 22 657 8332, sofitel-victoria-warsaw. com The interior of Didier Gomez whispers intimacy, yet it also embraces notions of space and light. The casual elegance that emanates from the design is accented by warm colors, low banquettes and glinting mirrors. Acting as a ballast to it all is an open kitchen, in which you’ll find Executive Chef Maciej Majewski honing his art. His is a menu that fits seamlessly with the surrounds: a fresh, modern look at French cuisine, but one that values clarity and simplicity. Always leave room for dessert, especially the ‘pear trio’ – delicate and refreshing and with the right hint of sweet. $$ Petit Appetit (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 27, tel. 22 826 44 61, petitappetit.com.pl A bit of French you say? Step in. There’s an atmosphere here that melts regulars and tourists into one. An easy coexistence that

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reveals a lot about the very soul of the place: café, hangout, bistro. Small choice but good results. $$

georgian

this veteran favorite packs in reassuringly caloric portions of pork knuckles, schnitzel and dumplings – all of a sudden, you understand why Helmut Kohl looks so large. Foaming beers served by Bavarian country maids complete the authenticity. $

Chinkali (D4) ul. Zgoda 3 Signposted by a Georgianlanguage shingle, there’s a real sense of pleasure about this place. More modern than your typical folksy ethnic outpost, Chinkali’s draw is indeed its chinkali: dough purses packed with meaty broth. There’s a genuine homemade quality to these slurpy bundles of joy, meaning that while they’re always authentic and tasty, consistency can vary. And don’t miss out on the red bean chachapuri washed down with a mouthwashcolored tarragon lemonade. $

greek & turkish

Klukovka (B2) Al. Jana Pawła II 45A, www.klukovka.pl Jana Pawła’s pavilions are the unlikely location of this culinary beacon: amid the aggressive waft of its kebab shop neighbors, Klukova presents itself as a warming winter mouse hole filled with banter, babble and rich aromas. Specializing in the foods of ‘the east’, this means a menu inspired by the tastes of Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and more. The mutton manty dumplings are great, and best appreciated with a bottle of unfiltered Lithuanian beer. That said, it’s never a surprise to find diners ordering up bottles of Georgian vodka before proceeding to share their way through the menu. $

Santorini ul. Egipska 7, tel. 22 672 0525, kregliccy.pl/ santorini/ Santorini looks scuffed and tired but there’s a bonhomie present that instantly engages. The kitchen attaches no value to things like presentation, preferring instead to simply treat diners to piles of grilled and skewered food that consistently tastes right – and the milfei dessert is magic. $$

Rusiko (E5) Al. Ujazdowskie 22, tel. 22 629 0628 Vodka shots at the ready! Rusiko finished 2015 voted Gazeta Wyborcza’s Knajpa Roku, a very public endorsement of all they’ve done right. The food is the equivalent of a warm cuddle on a cold day – it makes you feel good in the heart and soul – and when it comes to hospitality they’re in a league of their own. Live music lends the weekends a goodhumoured twist. Note: closed Monday. $$

german Adler (E5) ul. Mokotowska 69, tel. 22 628 73 84, adlerrestauracja.pl Set in a rustic rotunda,

Paros (D4) ul. Jasna 14/16, tel. 22 828 1067, parosrestauracja.pl Out of all of Warsaw’s Greek contributions Paros dazzles most with a glitzy look that’s a complete U-turn from the typical taverna look. Owned by the same team behind El Greco, the menu is identical, though a recent visit revealed a kitchen resting on its laurels – not one plate on our table was finished. $$

Sofra (C6) ul. Wilcza 71, tel. 731 847 731 Slowly but surely it seems the Turkish influence has been eroded in favor of a pedestrian menu of burgers, pasta and other things available on every corner. But this neighborhood redoubt feels cheerfully unforced, and it becomes an easy place to hang around in. $

indian Bollywood Lounge (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 58, tel. 22 827 0283, bollywoodlounge.pl Known for their raucous dusk-till-dawn parties, there is another less hedonistic roll filled by Bollywood: that of a restaurant. The menu is an uncomplicated, classic affair that’s an ideal primer for the party ahead. $$ Bombaj Masala (B3) Al. Jana Pawła II 23, tel. 606 688 777, bombajmasala.pl One of the best looking Indian restaurants in Warsaw, but the food rarely pokes above average. For a cuisine that prides itself on rich, intense tastes, Bombaj gets remembered for bland, oily

CMY

listings / restaurants dishes that only sometimes get finished. Yet business remains brisk, thanks in part to a combination of location and general culinary ignorance. $$

Buddha (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 23, tel. 22 826 3501, buddha.info.pl The days of the Raj are recreated in Buddha, a fine-looking curry house with intricate interiors and topdrawer curries. The murgh masala jhodphur is a favorite of ours though the real plus here is the consistency: it’s always a solid bet. $ Chmielarnia (B4) ul. Twarda 42 (basement level), tel. 725 010 271, chmielarnia.waw.pl Find some of the world’s greatest beers (see Nightlife) served in a murky, muggy basement. The Indian food that accompanies it is generally successful without being memorable – the beer snack menu though is great, with big points going to the spicy, chili ribs. $ Curry House ul. Żeromskiego 81, tel. 508 870 774 & al. Ken 47, tel. 22 213 0689, curryhouse.com.pl It’s not been a distinguished year for the Indian scene, with old favorites slackening and newcomers failing to make a mark. But hail Curry House for their continued, ceaseless brilliance. That includes the hottest vindaloo for hundreds of miles: really, you worry you might spontaneously combust.

With curry at this standard, no-one cares that it’s in a rather primitive cabin out in far-flung Bielany. $ Mandala ul. Emilii Plater 9/11 & ul. Etiudy Rewolucyjnej 9, tel. 22 428 44 54, mandalaklub. com or indiaexpress.pl Celebrating their 10th birthday this year, Mandala is well on its way to becoming a Warsaw institution. But rather than resting on their laurels, the management are using this landmark anniversary as an opportunity to rejig the menu and update their offer: no more skimping on ingredients, no more student-style curries. Mandala is a place on the rise, and the chicken Madras is ample proof. $ Mr India Al. KEN 47, tel. 22 213 0689, mrindia.pl Split on two levels the design is contemporary if a little characterless: leather banquettes that leave a sweaty bum print and wood paneling. No problem though, if it looks bland then the food isn’t. That means an incredible butter chicken that’s deep and immensely satisfying. Then there’s the vindaloo – could be hotter for some, but good enough for most. $$ Namaste India (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 15, tel. 22 357 0939, namasteindia.pl Responsible for first bringing quality, budget Indian food to Warsaw, Namaste found themselves losing their way somewhat. Now back on track – and with

a newly expanded upstairs section – one Insider correspondent goes so far as to claim a recent trip as his ‘favorite Indian for years!’ $$ Parivar al. Waszyngtona 75, tel. 22 393 4104, parivar.pl The squid sizzler has the taste and texture of that chewing gum you found stuck under the bus seat, whil e the vindaloo is cunningly disguised as a bowl of red water with some chicken floating about. “I get better curry on the oil rigs,” opined the Insider’s official balti boy. For all of that, the biggest disappointment is Parivar’s apparent success. $ Rain by India Curry (D5) ul. Żurawia 22, tel. 22 438 9350, rain.pl Fresh, contemporary interiors impart a chic, classy look, while the shaded courtyard garden is one of the best about town. The real credit for Rain’s resuscitation though belongs to the kitchen: our curry expert rates the starters as the best he’s had in any Indian restaurant. And the mains continue the form with a magnificent lamb tikka masala. The tiffin lunch deals are outstanding as well. $$ Rani Al. KEN 48/10, tel. 729 247 400, rani.com.pl Mere steps from Metro Natolin, this restaurant’s catchment area goes beyond just Ursynów. Owner Samir is a self-confessed foodie, and his vision includes a contemporary Indian menu that features pan-seared

Dear Guests! We invite you to experience an exotic and mysterious adventure full of seasonal aromas and the unforgettable flavours of traditional Indian cuisine. Curry, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cumin: these aromas mean it’s impossible to pass Buddha without stepping in. Enjoy the atmosphere of Indian life, food, music and happiness. Buddha Indian Restaurant ul. Nowy Swiat 23 +48 22 826 35 01 / 725 111 222

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

listings / restaurants cod with turmeric, tomato salsa and mint chutney – wonderful. Rani will also please the traditionalists, with everything from creamy kormas to vindaloo’s that leave your ears blowing smoke rings. $$ Tandoor (D7) ul. Marszałkowska 21/25, tel. 22825 2375, tandoor.com.pl After nearly 20 years at the helm, owner Charanjit Walia has sold up and moved on, leaving a spiritual hole in his life-defining work. His parting shot has been a re-haul which has seen the interior modernized and brightened. Has the food suffered? Not a jot. The chicken tikka butter masala is as formidable as ever. $$

Bibenda (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 10, tel. 502 770 303, bibenda.pl With its weathered brickwork and a long wavy bar occupying a significant chunk

international

Aioli Inspired by Mini (D6) pl. Konstytucji 5, aioliinspiredbymini.pl Fans of the original we might be, but this latest venture brings to mind one of those anonymously formulaic Times Square eateries where tourists convene for the ‘fake’ New York experience. There are moments when the scrum at the bar threatens to spill into blood sport, while the despondent staff only make matters worse. You’d think the Pilsner beer tanks would serve as a point of redemption, but here foul glasses make what should be Warsaw’s freshest beer into the capital’s worst. $$

FRESH FRESH SEASONAL SEASONAL AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALIAN AND AND NEW NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND INSPIRED FOOD AND WINE INSPIRED FOOD AND WINE

Sample MENU Sample MENU

Australian and New Zealand cuisine draws on the best Australian and New Zealand cuisine draws on the best traditions of Mediterranean, Japanese, Thai AND British traditions of Mediterranean, Japanese, Thai AND British CUISINE brought to the ANTIPODES with visitors from the CUISINE brought to the ANTIPODES with visitors from the four corners of the world. four corners of the world. KalayA cuisine IS based on fresh ingredients of the highest KalayA cuisine IS based on fresh ingredients of the highest quality - Original meats, Seafood and vegetables prepared on quality - Original meats, Seafood and vegetables prepared on OUR CHARCOAL grill, thus preserving the full flavor and OUR CHARCOAL grill, thus preserving the full flavor and nutritional value. nutritional value. OUR Menu, created by Chef PAWEł KAłUSKI, PRESENTS this light OUR Menu, created by Chef PAWEł KAłUSKI, PRESENTS this light and innovative MENU fusion cuisine in A Contemporary and innovative MENU fusion cuisine in A Contemporary “Down Under” style. “Down Under” style. This is complemented by one of the largest selection of This is complemented by one of the largest selection of unique Australian and New Zealand wines in Europe, unique Australian and New Zealand wines in Europe, as well as a selection of Australian beers. as well as a selection of Australian beers.

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A nuż widelec (E3) ul. Dobra 14/16, tel. 507 367 520 So snug is A nuż widelec, the feeling is of being round at a friend’s house. The food is nothing fancy, but fresh and made with love – and it feels even better while the owner potters about, chatting with his guests and watering the flowers in the knockout garden. Such is the atmosphere, you want to call it home. $$

Modern Modern antipodean antipodean Dining Dining

Ale Wino (F5) ul. Mokotowska 48, tel. 22 628 3830, alewino.pl Dip through an archway to discover Ale Wino, a beautiful wine bar whose menu has been well tailored to the season. Tweaked for the season is the pork belly, a Złotnicka pig adorned with apple sugar snap peas and celery mousse – gorgeous. As for the wine, put your faith in the sommelier, Oliver. BEST WAWA 2015 “Chef”

Artkitchen ul. Domaniewska 34A, artkitchen.pl

of the entrance, you don’t get much more casual than Bibenda. ‘True food’, their menu calls it, before expanding to rattle on about ‘fresh, seasonal ingredients and home-style techniques’. On our visit that involved a potato salad with red onion and parsley: basic stuff, but delicious when mushed together; next, soft duck thigh placed on top of a tangy red cabbage reduction and served with charred parsnips; and dessert, a pink beetroot cake that was gobbled in seconds. $$ BEST WAWA 2015 “Casual Dining”

Buried deep in the office blocks of white collar Mokotów Artkitchen hope to attract more than just the lunch break crowd with a busy jazz program overseen by musician Grzegorz Piotrowski. The modern international menu is composed by Michał Bassa, a man who appears to like foie gras: find it in burgers, ice cream and other combinations. $$

Business lunch – 29 Zł w WEEKEND LUNCH - FROM 75 Zł Business lunch – 29 Zł w WEEKEND LUNCH - FROM 75 Zł

TIME TIME FOR FOR A A TASTE TASTE OF OF THE THE ANTIPODES! ANTIPODES!

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listings / restaurants

Boathouse ul. Wał Miedzeszyński 389a, tel. 22 616 3223, boathouse.pl The name gives it away, doesn’t it? Situated in what is indeed a former boathouse, this venerable institution comes into its element in warmer weather when Warsaw goes riverside to dine at this restaurant. Even out of season, the Mediterranean standards have stood the test of time and keep this venue busy. $$ Brasserie Warszawska (E5) ul. Górnośląska 24, tel. 22 628 9423, brasseriewarszawska.pl Looking for classic cuisine with no daft flights of fancy? Here you have it. At a time when everyone wants to be Ferran Adrià, Brasserie has both a menu and interior that you can understand: pan-fried foie gras; elegant beef Rossini; and sinful apple tarte tatin, all served inside posh interiors of zinc-plated mirrors and chessboard floors. Their Michelin Bib Gourmand is a source of pride, but it’s the number of repeat clients that are the ultimate paean to the skills of chef Mateusz Wichrowski. $$$ Bubbles (D2) Pl. Piłsudskiego 9, tel. 512 540 913, bubbles.com.pl Occupying a small, square room, it’s intimate and relaxed: a place busy with blackboards and bottles, crates and clutter. It radiates warmth and honesty. The food is exquisite, and includes big, meaty snails farmed in Mazury, and their signature dish: Swiss-style raclette. Presented on a wooden chopping board, this cheese dish is classic melty goodness, and served alongside a pile of potatoes, onions marinated with caramel and candied pumpkin. Considering the place doubles as a champagne bar the prices are remarkably moderate. $$ Concept 13 (D4) ul. Bracka 9, tel. 22 310 7373 You’d expect a rooftop meal at Poland’s ultimate luxury department store to cost the earth, but that’s not the case. The zł. 50 lunch deal allows Joe Public to enjoy the considerable skills of Dariusz Barański. That he manages to create different pieces of art each and every afternoon is a testament to his talent – fellow chefs and foodies privately talk of him as a Michelin star in the making. $$$ The Cool Cat (F4) ul. Solec 38, tel. 787 698 700 Our visit

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

featured a musical standoff between two waiters arguing over possession of the laptop, and a genuine piece of plate art that was as delicious as it looked: beautiful deer surrounded by creative ingredients. Small menu and a fashionable crowd, but an immensely enjoyable place that adds further oomph to Powiśle. $$ Der Elefant (C3) Pl. Bankowy 1, tel. 22 890 0010, derelefant. com This leviathan restaurant unravels in a maze of wrought iron and monochrome tiles – beautiful to look at (it was created by Oscar winning set designer Allan Starski), it’s caused a stir for more than just this alone. Where once the menu looked like it was devised by throwing darts at a cookbook, the focus has now been narrowed. While some of the dishes are strictly middling, the filet mignon (zł. 69) is one of the best meat deals in town in terms of quality / price / consistency. $$ Dom ul. Mierosławskiego 12, tel. 509 165 712 Here’s the very epitome of casual dining: set on the ground floor of a suburban house, the warm corners and garden views give Dom a real sense of homey charm. In line with all that is a menu that celebrates simple, honest cooking. Everyone who visits ends up loving the place. $$

InFormal Kitchen (D3) Pl. Małachowskiego 2 (enter from Traugutta), tel. 531 918 534, informalkitchen.pl There’s plenty of fireworks over the course of a vibrant menu that sources its produce from regional eco farms: meat from within a 26 kilometer radius of Warsaw, dairy produce from Mazury and fish from Pomerania. The rump of lamb is a class act, and bettered only by the pear and thyme tart for dessert. $$ Kaskrut (D6) ul. Poznańska 5, tel. 22 622 5438, facebook. com/dwichlab This haunt has a high communal seating plan and hip, buzzy foodie crowd: fit in by taking pics of the food. The exciting menu is a temporary work that changes every two weeks. The place is known for its trial-and-error attitude: combinations that don’t work get binned before making a public debut. Those that make it through the qualifiers end up on the board. Servings are artistic, excellent and heavily influenced by French and North African cuisine, and new chef Piotr Ceranowicz already looks like he’s adapted well to Kaskrut’s high standards. $$ Kotakota (E3) ul. Bartoszewicza 3 Short of eating in a tunnel, Kotakota is pretty much the darkest place you’ll ever eat in. Filled with donated furniture and peeling plaster walls, this unique restaurant has got people talking thanks to a regularly changing menu that mixes up local ingredients with old recipes and modern techniques. People leave in a state of dumbstruck excitement. $$

Dwie Trzecie (D5) ul. Wilcza 50/52, tel. 605 589 588 Undeterred by the departure of chef Marcin Jabłonkski, the new guy in the kitchen, Grzegorz Nowakowski, has stamped his own mark with a seasonal menu that’s high on creativity: on our visit that meant guinea fowl accompanied with splotches of emulsion and smears of coffee puree. Pleasingly, you get the idea that it’ll work in all seasons: raw enough for summer, yet intimate for winter. $$

Krucza 8 i Pól (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 10 (enter from Krucza), tel. 784 461 397 Looking sparse and fashionable one expects Eight and a Half to be on-trend food-wise. No such luck. Fundamentally the food is fine, with quality ingredients cooked with technical competence. Yet while there are hints of skill in the kitchen, there’s little evidence of creativity, passion or invention: imagine the sort of modern European food you’d find in a generic five star hotel. $$

Grand Kredens (B5) Al. Jerozolimskie 111, tel. 22 629 8008, kredens.com.pl This mighty veteran continues to draw a steady custom on account of a wide-reaching menu that aims to keep everyone happy – and it usually does. The design is surreal to say the least, and is laid out in such a way as to always guarantee a lively atmosphere. $$

La Maison (B3) ul. Chłodna 15, tel. 22 652 3660, lamaison.pl Everything here feels considered, from a wine list handpicked by importer Frank Telling, right down to the desserts, prepared by award-winning French pastry chef Michel Willaume – and my, what desserts. Backing the little details up is a menu of note: fish are a particular forte. All this in a casual

listings / restaurants background that features some whimsical Alice in Wonderland touches: patchwork armchairs, pinkish booths and hanging teapot-shaped lights. $$ La Rotisserie (C1) ul. Kościelna 12 (Le Régina Hotel), tel. 22 531 6070, leregina.com A gloriously seductive dining room, Poland’s champion sommelier, and a chef that many recognize as being Michelin potential: put those three together and you have one of the finest experiences to be enjoyed in a Warsaw dining room. The cooking is ‘classic with a twist’, and in October that meant – for this diner at least - tuna with beetroot and yuzu, and a main of beef fillet: electrifyingly good. $$$ L’enfant Terrible (D8) ul. Sandomierska 13 (enter from Rejtana), tel. 22 119 5705, eterrible.pl Chef Michal Brys might look like he’s just swaggered in from a rock concert, but his flair for experimentation is second to none: expect a menu that marries local produce with the latest tricks and techniques. The tasting menu (six courses for zł. 199) is a brilliant insight into the mind of a chef who likes to experiment and push boundaries. With all the hype you expect this place to be a little up its arse, but it’s anything but. Again, credit for that goes to Brys and his front-of-house staff. $$$

Loft (D4) ul. Złota 11, tel. 668 016 964, restauracjaloft.pl Entering Loft isn’t far removed from stepping inside a pop art painting: lots of vibrant colors and weird lights inside strings of bubbles. A bi-level venture, the best spot to enjoy the menu is on the upstairs terrace, a sunny place befitting of options with names like Ding Dong Soup and Embarrassed Chicken. $$ Lokal 14 (D3) ul. Świętokrzyska 14, tel. 22 827 5480 Having served his apprenticeship at Tamka 43, you’re right to expect good things from upcoming chef Filip Kosiń. He doesn’t disappoint with his artful menu of modern European “author’s cuisine”. Topping his skills off is a pleasing environment that’s big on light, wood and metalwork. Getting used to being more than a construction site, the

opening of Lokal 14 is positive news for this stretch of Świętokrzyska. $$ Między Ustami (E5) ul. Mokotowska 33/35, tel. 530 323 325, The design joins elements of classic Prague bordello against a London Soho bar, while the international menu features a decent steak nicely enhanced by a silky drizzle of demi-glace. You get the idea both the cooking and artisan cocktails need a little fine-tuning, but fundamentally this newbie is looking in the right direction – certainly one to keep a watch for. $$

Original Indian Cuisine

MOD (D6) ul. Oleandrów 8 Chef Trisno’s menu sets his French culinary training against his Singaporean upbringing. The outcome is a card (actually, a printed sheet of paper) that makes for dangerously enjoyable reading: duck hearts with beetroot / soy emulsion and braised red cabbage; duck confit with pok choy, soy / red wine sauce and spicy cranberry chutney. Moderate prices and funky décor (a retro mirrored wall, upside down plants hanging from the ceiling) give it an ad hoc edge and plenty of character. Note: by day its Warsaw’s top donut store, so visit at night for their proper menu. $$ BEST WAWA 2015 “Newcomer” Momu.Gastrobar (D2) ul. Wierzbowa 11, tel. 506 100 001, momu.pl Tapas-style portions of experimental-looking food arrives in little glass jars (meat and fish skewers, Eton mess), or else on paper plates a la the jalapeno hot dog. Pay zł. 40 for a choice of six itsy pots served in a wire-framed basket. While the concept has taken right off, the food isn’t exactly an earthquake experience. $

N31 (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 31, n31restaurant.pl One of the original pioneers of modern Polish cooking returns with renewed vigor. That’s Robert Sowa, and his N31 restaurant has already made a massive splash with an upmarket, showbizzy crowd enjoying complex cooking amid a luxurious interior of pristine linen and glinting tableware. $$$

club

Naturel ul. Klimczaka 1, naturel7.pl Down in the www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / restaurants Royal Wilanów development, early signs suggest that Naturel could well become the restaurant the upscale Miasteczko housing compound has needed from Day 1. Overseen by Marcin Jabłoński, one of the rising stars of the Polish food scene, the menu is a celebratory observance of natural local produce: items like watercress cream soup for starters and rabbit with carrot puree for mains. The end product has left critics raving. $$

Nolita (D5) ul. Wilcza 46, tel. 22 292 0424, nolita.pl The deluxe dining scene is filling out in Warsaw, and there’s now a few restaurants that can present an equitable claim for the No. 1 spot. However, it’s Nolita that perch at the top, with a menu that sees largely classical recipes through a sharp, modern prism – chef Jacek Grochowina has created a place that’s coherent and understandable without sacrificing values of innovation. Looking chic and high end, the tastes and sensations in this restaurant are thrilling: diners are left speechless by the tuna tartar, while the aged beef fillet is an Insider mainstay. $$$

Nowa Próżna (C3) ul. Próżna 10, nowaprozna.pl Amazing to

think that a few years ago this street looked like it was about to fall down. With Próżna’s restoration nearly complete, along comes the task of filling its ground floor units – consider this venture a successful pacesetter. Founded by the owners of the recently closed R20, the European menu here is a work of flair and modernity. Like the food, the slick white interiors feel just right. $$

Oliva (D4) ul. Ordynacka 10/12, tel. 501 497 410, restauracjaoliva.pl The spirit of the Mediterranean hangs over Oliva, a place where a milk color palette is matched against potted herbs and soft wooden touches. The menu has riffs of Italy, Spain and Greece, with particular pride attached to their gourmet olive oils. At times the cooking of Łukasz Żuchowski has been described as ‘inspirational’ and his talents come paired with a wine list selected by Marek Kondrat – an actor / wine merchant with an immense reputation. $$ Platter by Karol Okrasa (C4) InterContinental Hotel, ul. Emilii Plater 49, tel. 22 328 8734, platter.pl The hotel has roped in celebrity chef Karol Okrasa to head their revamped dining room. As a temple of nouveau Polish, the new layout isn’t a dramatic change from the previous occupant, but the food is faultless. In particular, the herb garden salad with prawns comes

immaculately groomed. An already excellent experience has been raised to talking point level. $$$ Północ Poludnie (E7) ul. Bagatela 10 Besides the food being colorful and inventive there is a restaurant concept that works here. It has a visible kitchen, which at times is a little noisy, a beautifully designed interior, not to mention an attentive wait staff that are familiar with what they serve. The sliders are worth exploration: they don’t just consist of beef, but also salmon, egg and chicken. $$ Porkownia (D6) ul. Piękna 20, tel. 22 627 4151, porkownia.pl Here’s a Warsaw first: a restaurant focused on celebrating the humble pig. Suspicions that Porkownia may lack something in the sophistication department don’t bear fruit – sprouting from the ashes of Jazz Bistro Piękna, the surrounds are chic and modern, not the blood-spattered butcher’s backroom you might otherwise expect. The food is similarly well-presented and scores highly for such dishes as apple/bacon and boar/artichoke/marmite. Showing plenty of creativity, here’s a kitchen that reinvents the pig! $$ Qchnia Artystyczna (E6) Zamek Ujazdowski, Al. Jazdów 2, tel. 22 625 7627, qchnia.pl Even on a cold, ashen day, can you question a view that spills down onto a canal and park way down below? And how about when that view comes from a candle-lit

Slow food and a slow life philosophy inside an urban interior and a luxury wine and spirits list. Our kitchen uses only high quality regional and ecological produce. tel. 22 623 02 90, www.dwietrzecie.waw.pl

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listings / restaurants reconstructed castle… Endlessly romantic, this artistic eatery comes with a light look and a creative menu honed by Marta Gessler. $$ Renoma (E3) ul. Lipowa 7A, tel. 22 692 7239, bistrorenoma.pl Here’s a venue that suits all purposes at all times of day. Most of all, it’s a place that feels positive, a place where heart and mind work seamlessly together: that means breakfast to evening options – many of them gluten-free – including fab lunch deals and 60-day aged steaks. Great for afternoon ‘me time’ or a dinner date with a beautiful stranger, Renoma’s intimate style and soothingly stark interiors work with the personalized approach. $$

Salto (D5) ul. Wilcza 73 (enter from Emilii Plater), tel. 22 584 8771, saltorestauracja.pl For those who think Argentine chef Martin Gimenez-Castro is just about steak, then they haven’t been to Salto. The tasting menu is the best way to view his full oeuvre, and on our visit included ceviche with Portuguese corvina; a dainty tranche of cavala mackerel; and Porcini ice cream served in the shape of a mushroom. It’s a brilliant demonstration of the chef’s passion and personality, but most of all, it’s just bloody brilliant. $$$ BEST WAWA 2015 “Foreign Chef”

Secado (D5) ul. Marszałkowska 66, tel. 608 707 799 Casual, intimate interiors complement a menu that’s expanded from its original Latin leanings. Everything we’ve tried here has been culinary gold, and that includes the surf & turf, tortillas and roast beef. $$ Senses (C2) ul. Bielańska 12, tel. 22 331 9697, sensesrestaurant.pl The entrance alone is a thing of fancy and accessed through a long open-air corridor, one side flanked by the office block, the other by bullet grazed brickwork. Flickering flames dance on either side, the tall walls disappearing into the night sky above. Recommended is the six course tasting menu (zł. 230), which on our visit included eel, smoked at the table, duck with onion chutney and pepper mousse and swordfish served amid billowing ‘sea essence’. Comparisons to Atelier Amaro are inevitable, and speak volumes for the innovation and talents of chef Andrea Camastra. $$$ BEST WAWA 2015 “Fine Dining” Signature (D5) ul. Poznańska 15, tel. 22 55 38755, signaturerestaurant.pl You feel a millionaire just being here: we’ve heard the interiors described as a ‘Monegasque state of mind’, and that’s not a bad way to surmise a décor that’s all about friezes and reliefs dated from the time this was the Soviet Embassy, lavish 1950s Oswald chairs, lighting by Serge Mouille and original Marilyn photos shot by

the acclaimed Milton Greene. Food-wise the restaurant makes a massive splash with a menu that’s clever, creative and pretty. Count on Signature’s seasonally changing desserts providing a happy ending. $$

Soul Kitchen Bistro (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 18A, soulkitchen.pl If the previous venue was all slanted towards low-pitched business conversation then the new one is positively festive in comparison: scuffed brickwork, tall bar stools, a long communal table, etc. The seasonal menu is a pick-and-mix of small-tomedium plates, including a halibut gravlax, whose delicate taste juxtaposes well against the rougher, earthier kick of the radish, and crayfish presented in a bird’s nest of green beans, fennel and leek. For mains, look for the braised beef. $ ŚRD / PŁD (D7) ul. Marszałkowska 17 From the same lot behind Powiśle’s Mr. Pancake, so already you know you’re getting yourself into a place that makes a big deal of being zany. So it proves: Coca Cola sausages and burger soup are a couple of dishes that immediately flash up. Beyond this, and the slightly jarring baby pink and powder blue colors, it’s not

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listings / restaurants a bad detour from the culinary norm. We enjoyed the ‘chicken salsa’. $ Stółdzielnia (D9) ul. Kazimierzowska 22, tel. 22 845 00 67, stoldzielnia.pl A complete anomaly Stółdzielnia looks more like one of those one-day pop-up restaurants: unfinished looking, with odd-shaped tables and stark colors. But keep an open mind because the food scores big points. The pizza, pasta and seafood dishes incorporate imported Italian ingredients, and come close to blowing your mind. $$ Strefa (C3) ul. Próżna 9, tel. 22 255 0850, restauracjastrefa.pl Just what were they thinking ignoring the form book like that? No communal tables, no pipes and no rough-hewn bricks. Instead, there’s a swan white elegance here, with lots of pristine colors and smart, smooth-talking service. What a refreshing change. The chef favors sous-vide techniques, and his is a magic,

masterful hand – his duck is flawless, and the homemade ice cream with seasonal fruits is quite a follow-up. Even the cocktails are a thing of brilliance. $$ Szklarnia ul. Mińska 25 (Soho Factory), tel. 690 511 020, restauracjaszklarnia.pl The cuisine is influenced by the season, which means plenty of light summer dishes presented with real aplomb. Recognizable by the dazzle of neon and greenhouse outside, this is a restaurant that seamlessly fits with the Soho surrounds. $$ Tamka 43 (E3) ul. Tamka 43, tel. 22 441 6234, tamka.43.pl Located across from the Chopin Museum. Ground floor: upmarket cafe serving Chopin fans. Upstairs: a fine dining restaurant in which the seasonal menu sets the natural flavors of Poland against the culinary know-how of tomorrow. It’s easy to drop serious money here, but you’ll still feel it’s worthwhile. $$$

Wilczy Głód (D5) ul. Wilcza 29A, tel. 22 891 0285 The jaunty, impish design makes use of cartoonish wolves on the walls and tree-like installations strung with bare light bulbs. And look, there’s a furry, mouse resting on a cushion. But if the place is playful and perky, then the cooking is both serious and sincere. Matching international ideas with organic local produce from small family farmsteads, you immediately sense this is a place created out of a love and respect for food. $ Znajomi Znajomych (C5) ul. Wilcza 58A, open Mon-Thu 12:00-1:00; Fri 12:00-3:00; Sat 13:00-3:00; Sun 13:00-1:00, znajomiznajomych.waw.pl You can’t label Zna Zna a restaurant because it’s so much more than that: screenings, DJs, yard sales, book readings… there’s not a thing they don’t turn their hand to. But that’s not to say this retro-styled hangout can’t turn their hand to food – here that means light bites, pizzas, burgers and a recommended chili con carne. $$

MAGNIFIQUE VALENTINE’S DAY AT SOFITEL WARSAW VICTORIA Sofitel Warsaw Victoria invite s you for a truly romantic week end. From February 12th to 14th enjoy an exquisite 5-course dinner at La Brasserie Moderne and win a stay at a Sofitel hotel in one of Europ e’s romantic cities. On Sunday, Febru ary 14th, we invite you to Kitchen Gallery to delight yourself in our Valen tine’s Day Sunday brunch with a great selection of seafood. Sofitel Warsaw Victoria tel.: 22 657 80 11 email: H3378@sofitel.com Królewska 11, 00-065 Wars zawa www.sofitel.com/3378

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listings / restaurants Żurawina (D5) ul. Żurawia 32/34, tel. 22 521 06 66, zurawina.eu First a wine bar, second a restaurant, but the food here is such that it merit attention. There’s only seven or so mains to pick from, and the chef has them down to a tee – rib eye with shallots and truffle butter? Yes please. Certainly, the quality befits one of Warsaw’s best wine bars.

italian Ave Pizza (E3) ul. Topiel 12, tel. 22 828 8507, avepizza.pl The argument over who serves Warsaw’s best pizza goes right to the wire, but there’s no doubting that Ave Pizza are up there on the leaderboard. Set across a sparse, metropolitan area, this fashionable L-shaped joint comes endorsed by the capital’s notoriously picky Italian community. Order the pillowy calzone and you’ll soon learn why. $ Bacio (D5) ul. Wilcza 43, tel. 22 626 83 03, bacio.pl New look Bacio has been de-cluttered and simplified and now features a stripped down look and a menu that peaks with the duck in red wine risotto. Portions are huge, and are matched by a quality that’s seen this once ailing giant reinstalled as one of the top Italian eats in town. $$ Delizia (D5) ul. Hoża 58/60, tel. 22 622 6665 The sheer proliferation of Italian restaurants lends an element of chance to dining out: cut through the noise by visiting Delizia, a place that’s consistently topped polls ever since it launched in 2010. Lorenzo’s cooking is upscale Italian with a contemporary twist, and comes presented by Luca, an ebullient ball of energy who patrols the floor with sparkling good humor. In the hands of these two an unforgettable night comes guaranteed. A dimly-lit romantic atmosphere, a tasteful design and faultless food: no wonder so many rate this as their favorite Italian. $$ Dziurka od Klucza (E3) ul. Radna 13, tel. 500 150 494, dziurkaodklucza.com.pl An inviting Italian restaurant in which curious doors sit embedded into the walls, as if waiting to be opened by the keys that hang on the tree outside. Striking a lavender look, the magic of this restaurant is affirmed by its wonderful pasta and intimate style. $$

Enoteka Rynek Nowego Miasta 13/15, enotekapolska.pl It’s the wine bar New Town has been waiting for ever since… the old Enoteka closed. The eagerly awaited return brings with it a new location – right on the corner of New Town Square – and a menu by Paweł Męziński: yep, the same guy who made their kitchen great back when it all first began in 2009. Add a handpicked wine list from some of the top producers in the world and you have a place that’s definitely one to watch for. Focaccia (D2) ul. Senatorska 13/15, tel. 22 829 6969, focaccia.pl The Insider’s visit went something like this: wrist-thick octopus with an arc of yellow mousse, conversation stopping beef tenderloin alongside a glistening pool of madeira sauce and then an orange ice cream with caramel and ginger that soon merged into a big gooey brew of chocolatey mess. The only surprise is there’s no Italian in the kitchen – it appears they don’t need one. This is seriously talented cooking inside an interior that fresh and light and reflective of the food. $$ Kotłownia ul. Suzina 8, tel. 22 833 23 27, winiarnia-kotlownia.pl You’d never guess from the grey surrounds but Kotłownia is one of the emerging stars of Warsaw dining. Set in a historic disused boiler house (the Warsaw Uprising started right outside!) a generous helping of wooden touches warm the split level industrial interiors, but it’s the food that steals the show. The modern Italian menu reflects the owner’s passion for Italy, as does the handpicked wine list. The convivial atmosphere makes it perfect for a long, lazy lunch. $$

Loft is the perfect place to pause for a moment for a coffee, to meet with friends for lunch or a late dinner – most of all, it’s a chance to escape the city bustle while remaining in the heart of Warsaw. ul. Złota 11 tel. 668 016 964 restauracjaloft.pl

La Bufala (B4) ul. Sienna 86, tel. 22 654 3277 Not long back this was the go-to place for Italian expats looking for pizza. What’s gone wrong? No idea, but recent trips reveal a kitchen that hasn’t so much rested on its laurels as died on them. $ La Tomatina (D5) ul. Krucza 47A, tel. 22 625 1047 Calamitous, slapstick service and accusations pointing www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / restaurants to the overuse of readymade ingredients shouldn’t detract from good pizzas served in modern interiors of stark white walls and concrete floors. Our spicy tiger prawn spaghetti was also okay, even if the presentation looked like a student had cooked it. $ Mąka i Woda (D4) ul. Chmielna 13A, tel. 22 505 91 87 Purists applaud an approach that uses a custom-made oven from Naples and imported ingredients such as 00 Caputo flour and DOP certified San Marzano tomatoes. Scrupulously authentic, it’s no wonder that it’s packed to the gunnels every night of the week – even their Facebook page warns of 20 minute waiting times for a table alone. Learning this, some storm off in a huff – they need their heads checked, for this is Warsaw’s best pizza. $ Parmizzano’s (C5) Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel, Floor 1), tel. 22 630 6306 The prices are highly intimidating, but are offset by cooking that never falls below brilliant. Hotel restaurants get a bad rep, but in the formal surrounds of Parmiazzano’s diners can expect Italian food at its very best. $$$ Ristorante San Lorenzo (B3) Al. Jana Pawła II 36, tel. 22 652 1616, sanlorenzo.pl Adorned with crisp, starched linen and Roman frescos this space is almost magisterial in design. The Tuscan

menu is flawless and well worth the rather hefty bill. The wine bar on the ground floor features the same standards at a snip of the price, and it’s here you’ll find Italian natives cheering the Serie A football. Now also on Żurawia 6/12, only with a more modish design clearly targeted at a slightly younger audience. $$

local ingredients, with the results befitting one of Warsaw’s top hotels. $$$

The Olive (E5) Sheraton Hotel, ul. Prusa 2, tel. 22 450 6706 Bursting with seasonal fruits and veggies, it’s a fresh, fun place to eat. Hot and cold buffet for zł. 90. $$$

Benihana (C4) ul. Twarda 2/4, benihanapoland.com Fire, flash, show and sizzle: the Benihana experience merges cooking with cabaret with diners sat ringside around teppanyaki grills. These cooking stations are the stage for the Benihana crew to demonstrate their riveting range of nifty knifework and daredevil antics. Outside of the realm of the grill, the sushi is also strikes the right spot. $$

Vapiano Al. Jerozolimskie 63 (Lipinski Passage), tel. 22 356 10 50, & ul. Taśmowa 7 (Marynarska Business Park) & ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów) vapiano.de/pl Here’s one chain brand that is worth the hype. Featuring a chic look rounded out with Ferrari red colors, the thin crust pizza earns its spurs, and the pasta combinations are great. $$ Venti-tre (E8) ul. Belwederska 23 (Regent Hotel), tel. 22 558 1094 There’s a hum and a buzz to the place that goes beyond the half a million bees kept in the apiary on the rooftop, and that’s never truer than on a Sunday afternoon – swing by for one of Warsaw’s top brunches, and don’t miss the terrace – carefully shielded from the outside world by a phalanx of greenery. The Mediterranean menu has been carefully constructed using

japanese & sushi

Hana Sushi al. Jana Pawła II 82 (Arkadia), tel. 22 331 7518, hanasushi.pl Dated decor of bamboo shoots and bonsai trees is made to look good by dreadful service and irritating elevator music. But it’s hard to dislike Hana – the ‘gunkan special’ is out of this world. $$ Izumi Sushi ul. Mokotowska 17 (pl. Zbawiciela), tel. 22 825 7950, izumisushi.eu The original location never ceases to amaze with its sushi, though it’s the addition on Biały Kamień that really gets people talking. Here it’s not just the food that wows, but the interiors: a huge venue whose open plan doubles as an indoor

Still the Best after all these years! Le Cedre 61

opposite the zoo Al. Solidarności 61, Praga Tel 22 670 11 66

Le Cedre 84

opposite the court Al. Solidarności 84 Tel 22 618 89 99

www.lecedre.pl

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listings / restaurants forest – you need to see it to believe it. $$ Łuski i Ości ul. Zajączka 9A, luskiosci.pl A fun design (cool wall art and a wraparound aquarium built into the bar) is ably supported by a comprehensive range of sushi – the imaginative presentation is fitting of some of the more unconventional pieces: the Californian rolls aren’t reticent about involving ingredients such as chili, passion fruit and jalapeno. $$ Omami (D5) ul. Mokotowska 29 (enter from Krucza) Sushi has been side-lined and ramen is rising. Opened at press time, Omami promise four types of ramen, not to mention steamed buns and other budget-minded Japanese options. $ Ramen Girl (B2) Al. Jana Pawła II 61 Already a huge hit in Kraków, Ramen Girl’s Warsaw debut has been met with positive reviews. Find the core of the action downstairs, in a basement swathed in concrete and dangling LED filament bulbs. Appealing to post-hipster creative types and other 30-something go-getters, the environment is raw but never sterile nor low on comfort. The star turn belongs to the ramen, with the ‘orange’ (duck breast, orange, pickled cucumber, ginger) doing enough to convince us that RG could yet become a massive success story – full review coming soon. $$ Ryż i Ryba (D6) ul. Piękna 20, tel. 22 627 4150, ryziryba.pl The art of sushi is given a new lease of life in this Piękna newbie. The flavors are a revelation, making it more than just a stop-off for passing office workers. $$ Sakana Sushi Bar ul. Burakowska 5/7 tel. 22 636 0505, ul. Moliera 4/6, tel. 22 826 5958, & ul. Wąwozowa 6, lok.10B, tel. 22 498 8899, sakana.pl Sushi as a fashion statement? That’s what you find in Sakana, a place where the glam and the great of Warsaw peacock around with feathers on display. Ignoring the general vanity and unpleasantness, one can’t help but applaud the sushi – if there was one winner in the sushi wars of the noughties, then Sakana was it. $$ Sushi Zushi (D5) ul. Żurawia 6/12, tel. 22 420 3373,

sushizushi.pl The mania for sushi is in recess, and that’s a good thing – the rogue operators are dead or dying off, and are survived by the best. And make no mistake, Sushi Zushi continue to be the No. 1 ex-pat choice. Appreciated by a stunning crowd, the rolls are often bold, creative and always astonishingly fresh. $$ Temari (D6) ul. Mokotowska 8, temari.pl Pristine, almost holistic in ambiance, the idea here is to create a top class joint for sushi ‘to go’. No expense has been spared on the packaging, ingredients and overall look, the trouble is, sushi doesn’t naturally keep. Our Little Kyoto Box was full of bright sparkly colors, but the rolls already showed the tell-tale signs of having lost their moisture. Fingers crossed they see sense and start making sushi to order instead – if they do, we have a winner. $$ Tomo (D5) ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 22 434 2344, tomo.pl Excellent. While Warsaw’s other sushi stops gather cobwebs Tomo packs out each night – that should say enough. With the maki, sushi and sashimi bobbing past on wooden platters, this place aims for fast, maximum turnover without ever making the diner feel second best. $$

‘Simplicity, elegance and atmosphere’

Cafe • Wine Bar • Restaurant • Whisky Bar • Wine Cellar ul. Hoża 25A, tel. 515 037 001 www.hoza.warszawa.pl www.facebook.com/hoza25 Open 12:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-21:00

Uki Uki (D5) ul. Krucza 23/31, tel. 728 827 705, ukiuki.pl It’s been a magical debut year, that’s for sure. How much do the locals appreciate Warsaw’s original udon bar? Enough to queue outside the door? That’s right. Dining is a close quarters experience here, but is done so without complaint: that electric pasta maker turns out noodles of such chewy goodness that everyone leaves beaming. $$ Wabu (D5) ul. Krucza 41/43, tel. 22 628 9274, wabu.pl The food is a masterpiece: immaculate futomaki rolls that look like little artworks, exquisite butterfish and glorious tuna gunkan that flashes with freshness. Soon enough it all becomes a blur of beautiful compositions, of silky slithers of fish crowned with expert pinches of this, and little brush strokes of that. The details don’t seem to matter, what does is that Wabu blow the competition out of the water, even if it does leave the credit card streaming smoke. $$$ www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / restaurants jewish Galil (C3) ul. Zielna 36, tel. 731 492 634, galil-restaurant.pl There’s been a few Jewish restaurants opened in the last couple of years, and they’ve all quickly folded. Already though, there’s the impression Galil might last the distance, a point underlined by the rather good food. We started with a zesty tabouleh before moving on to grilled chicken breast with dates and a syrup glaze. Set inside a rambling, tiled interior, this labyrinthine space already looks like its snaring big-spending groups. Kosher certified, as well. $$ Pod Samsonem (C1) ul. Freta 3/5, tel. 22 831 1788, podsamsonem.pl Operating since the 1950s – crazy when you think about it. This is the place for an ordinary meal in an ordinary space. The menu mixes aspects of Polish and Jewish cooking, and fails to do a good job of either. Entertainment is provided by the staff:

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find them engaged in something akin to war with the people they serve. $

latin & mexican Aioli (D3) ul. Świętokrzyska 18, tel. 22 290 102, aioli-cantine.com This runaway hit has taken Warsaw by storm. It’s a jaunty space with hams hanging from hooks and long communal tables that thrive with life. Aioli’s breakfasts, sandwiches, pastas and pizzas are a lesson in clean, simple pleasure: nothing out of the world, just consistently good. This and the liberal prices mean there’s no shortage of people passing in and out the doors. $$ Blue Cactus (E8) ul. Zajączkowska 11, tel. 22 851 2323, bluecactus.pl It’s been around for so long that people had started referring to the Cactus in the past tense. Enter executive chef Patrick Hanna, a man who has revitalized

and revived the place in a way no-one could have imagined. Combining the barbecuing techniques of the southern states with the humble but potent tastes of Mexico, Hanna has reawakened this sleeping giant. Committed to local produce and fresh flavors, his finest moment has been hoiking over a wood-fired grill all the way from Nashville – the steaks will stop you in your tracks. Say it loudly: the Blue Cactus is back! $ Casa Pablo (C3) ul. Grzybowska 5A, tel. 22 324 5781, casapablo.pl “We give Spanish food a new twist,” declares chef Gonzalo de Salas, which explains why, in between pungent cheeses and acorn-fed Bellota ham, we find ourselves demolishing a variety of dishes that buck all notions of tradition: as a starter the beetroot-marinated salmon served with wasabi emulsion is a fine example of this. With de Salas performing balletic tricks in the kitchen, Casa Pablo presents a masterful menu that ripples with adventure. $$

listings / restaurants Ceviche Bar (C4) ul. Twarda 4, cevichebar.pl Created by the award-winning Martin Gimenez Castro, Warsaw’s first specialist ceviche bar serves up various interpretations of this classic raw fish dish: the corvina is an explosion of peppy, citrusy tastes and leaves you in no doubt why some are tipping ceviche to become as big as sushi. Try for yourself inside a contemporary space in which the dining area merges seamlessly with a kitchen decorated with a mural of Maradona. $$ BEST WAWA 2015 “Foreign Chef” Dos Tacos (D4) ul. Jasna 22, tel. 22 243 4618, dostacos.pl Dos Tacos finally have a venue worthy of the food. Featuring lots of Mexican lizard art and psychedelic, Day of the Dead touches, find the interiors busy with a lively crowd enjoying an exciting range of salsas and authentic Mexican recipes as cooked by Isabela Balderas. $$ Gringo Bar (E9) ul. Odolańska 15, tel. 22 848 9523 A Mexican wave is upon us, and high time too. After years of suffering frozen ingredients, timid flavors and daft Mariachi music to persuade us it’s all authentic, a raft of new cut-price eateries are showing the rest how it’s done. Cooked and folded by fist bumping lads in back-to-front caps and baggy t-shirts, the food at Gringo is by far the best of the bunch: fiery, fresh and full of zing. Newly expanded, meaning diners no longer engage in games of Twister while grappling with their burrito. $ Loco Mexicana (A6) ul. Grójecka 27, locomexicano.pl Everything looks a little second-hand, smudged and smeared. Even the menu is little more than a rumpled pile of papers. And there’s the colors: heavy purples, paintings of Mariachi men and brightly colored throws. It gives you a headache. It doesn’t improve with the food, which is stodgy, limp and generally lifeless. That their lunch deal consisted of Russian pierogi says all you need to know about this supposed Mexican. The reprieve comes in the form of 12 or so beer taps serving a decent selection of punk beers. $ La Fiesta Tequila Bar (E4) ul. Foksal 21, tel. 22 829 8560, lafiesta.pl What was once a pretty diabolical Mexican joint has, apparently, experienced a dramatic turnabout. The sombreros and crap have

been replaced by a psychedelic, Day of the Dead-style featuring skeletal Mariachi men, not to mention no shortage of tequila bottles. But the real gossip is reserved for the kitchen: gone are the fraudsters who used to work here, and in their place is Jorge Martinez – no guessing where he’s from. Is his menu up to scratch? Absolutely no idea. We left after having a run-in with the worst service experienced since the Cold War ended. $

Tapas Gastrobar (A4) ul. Grzybowska 63, tel. 22 251 1310, tapasbar.pl The engaging design features scuffed timber tables supported by rescued factory metal, open ductwork and elaborate floor tiles of Iberian persuasion. But the food is what everyone is talking about: the first class gazpacho, prepared onsite then served in a bottle, is full of refreshing zing, while the beef cheek is pure melty tenderness. Our favorite, though, are the patatas bravas, perfectly fried potatoes served in a ballsy tomato sauce. Just amazing. $$ The Mexican (D1) ul. Podwale 29, tel. 22 635 3232, mexican. pl Everything Mexican food shouldn’t be. There’s zero zing, and no matter what you order anticipate mysterious gloop with lots of mashed cabbage. It’s all such a shame, because with its burbling fountain and courtyard location The Mexican looks like it could be the real deal. Find their latest imposter hawking for custom on Zgoda 6. $$

by a choice of milder sauces that don’t require Red Cross treatment. $

middle eastern Le Cedre (E1) Al. Solidarności 61, tel. 22 670 1166, www.lecedre.pl With the decadent dazzle of a bedouin tent, nights in Le Cedre are best celebrated with blasts on a sheesha and their Friday night belly dancer. Otherwise, just settle for the best Lebanese food in CEE; of particular note, the charcoal-grilled lamb chops. $$ Le Cedre 84 (B3) Al. Solidarności 84, tel. 22 618 8999, lecedre.pl Le Cedre just keep on getting it right. Authenticity is key in this chainlette (well, there’s another across the river), as you’ll discover when talking to Tony, the Lebanese owner. To see the diversity of this cuisine, order the balbaak (six cold starters) or the byblos (six hot). And food aside, it’s the atmosphere that carries them that extra yard: the whole philosophy of this cuisine is to share and share alike, making it a uniquely engaging experience when dining with friends. $$

Restaurante Bunuel (H4) ul. Walecznych 61, tel. 798 659 554 Spanish-owned Bunuel has left the public in raptures. Simple interiors focus attention on the food, which in this case involves a crisp gazpacho that gets you missing summer, and grilled meats that leave many in a swoon. $$

Marrakesh (E5) ul. Wilcza 11 Swapping their Jerozolimskie address for a Wilcza postcode, the changes at Marrakesh haven’t just been geographical. Adding meat to their menu, keynote features of this Moroccan hangout number some of the better hummus in town – it’s miles ahead of the cement mix found in some spots. Open from 10 a.m., their breakfast (eggs, pita, hummus and tabbouleh) is as decent way as any to start the day. $

Spoco Loco (H4) ul. Francuska 8, spocoloco.pl It begins with a bead of sweat. Then a couple of tears. Then the real pain starts and doesn’t retract until you’ve rolled on the floor and died for twenty minutes. Spoco Loco’s No. 7 sauce is no laughing matter, and should be treated with respect. But this tiny eatery (it’s essentially one bench) is not founded on gimmicks. The burritos and quesadillas are decent in the comfort food kind of way, and ably supported

Meza Beirut (D4) ul. Ordynacka 13, tel. 22 692 7555, mezabeirut.pl God knows how many restaurants have chanced their luck in this location, though Meza Beirut look a better bet than most to break the hex. Lebanese-run, the menu here is comprehensive with all the requisite hot and cold mezze and grilled and skewered meats. Early feedback has been largely positive, with decent prices and fresh flavors doing their bit to stir local interest. $$ www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / restaurants Sokotra (D5) ul. Wilcza 27, tel. 22 270 2766, sokotra.pl It says a lot for Warsaw’s developing tastes that it can now house a successful Yemeni venture. Bathed in chatter and chaotic kitchen sounds, Sokotra is an informal place with Indian twists on the menu, and a card that encourages plenty of plate sharing. $$

polish

Ale Gloria (E5) Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3, tel. 22 584 7080, alegloria.pl Who said romance was dead? Here wedding white colors are fused with a strawberry motif inside this gourmet fave. Keeping patrons returning are aromatic dishes with a contemporary twist – try the duck in rose sauce. $$$

Amber Room at the Sobański Palace (E6) Al. Ujazdowskie 13, tel. 22 523 6664, amberroom.pl The Amber Room is, indeed, a bit of a treasure. You know all the chefs we bang on about in this mag? Bottom line, the good ones came through via this kitchen. But this is more than a training ground for future stars, it’s a place that remains on the cutting edge in spite of its seemingly straight look. Positioned inside a majestic villa, the food is pure contemporary Poland, and well deserving of its Michelin nod. For that, thank chef Robert Skubisz. $$$ Atelier Amaro (E6) ul. Agrykola 1, tel. 22 628 5747, atelieramaro.pl The recipient of Poland’s only Michelin star, Atelier promotes pedigree Polish produce enhanced by modern techniques, with courses interspersed by occasionally bizarre interludes (leaves,

flowers, twigs, etc.). Don’t miss the bespoke vodka menu, either. It’s an extraordinary dining experience, and one which confirms the growing cult of chef Wojciech Amaro. In the hours you’re here, the world stops and you leave feeling like James Bond. Reservations are mandatory, with a waiting list that is approximately two to three months long. $$$ Bazyliszek (D1) Rynek Starego Miasto 1/3, tel. 22 831 1841, bazyliszek.waw.pl Some parts of Bazyliszek hark to its years as a stately, stuffy restaurant. Now though it’s more earthy, with Jurassic portions of meaty, lardy food best consumed with one-liter beers. The Rynek location and festive atmosphere account for its popularity more than anything that comes from the kitchen. $ Bistro Warszawa (D1) ul. Jezuicka 1/3, tel. 22 635 3769, bistrowarszawa.pl The menu cites pre-war recipe books as its influence, and on it you’ll find such dishes as goose in thyme sauce

Krakowskie Przedmieście 64 tel. +48 22 826 4770 email. info@delicjapolska.pl www.delicjapolska.pl

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

listings / restaurants with pear and zucchini. The interiors are strictly contemporary though, with vanilla colored furnishings, wine racks and walls papered with hundreds of theater scripts and book pages. Regular jazz performances draw people city-wide. $$ Chłopskie Jadło (D6) pl. Konstytucji 1, tel. 22 339 1717 A nationwide chain enterprise designed to mimic a peasant inn, what with all the clunky pots and rustic supplements. And if it’s farmers fare you’re after then the food isn’t bad either, with thick, lumpy servings of countryside classics and soup presented in bread. Twenty-something Poles cringe at such a representation of their country, but there’s no denying it: it’s an accurate caricature of a mountain-slope karczma. $

Czerwony Wieprz (Red Hog) (B3) ul. Żelazna 68, tel. 22 850 3144, czerwonywieprz.pl Shush! Big Brother is watching in the Red Hog, but the beadyeyed tyrants who stare down from the portraits do little to impede the sense of revelry. A cheeky celebration of days of yore, this commie-themed restaurant is always great fun. The menu is a humorous affair divided between dishes for the proletariat and the dignitary. Another vodka, comrade, and the first secretary’s pork loins while you’re there! $$ Dawne Smaki (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 49, tel. 22 465 83 20, dawnesmaki.pl At last, a proper restaurant on Nowy Świat! The interiors hark to the past, while the back garden promises an oasis-like experience: if you’re new to Warsaw, it’s actually worth hanging around till summer just to see it. Chef Michał Bajerski, formerly of Regina Hotel, wraps it up nicely with a fantastic menu that modernizes traditional Polish recipes. Recommended: deer steak. $$ Delicja Polska (D6) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 64, tel. 22 826 4770, delicjapolska.pl Looking stately (pink bows, gilt touches and immaculate linen) but never stuffy, Delicja have a modern Polish menu that includes sous-vide salmon

marinated in beetroot leaves, then topped with horseradish foam and dill emulsion. Brilliant. But then so was everything else we tried, including the exquisite seasoned roast beef. $$ Dom Polski (H4) ul. Francuska 11, tel. 22 616 2432, restauracjadompolski.pl Almost like it was designed for the manor born, Dom Polski

has the rarefied atmosphere of a country retreat: bow-tied staff who click their heels, decorative antiques and a menu that’s a sumptuous anthology of posh Polish cooking. When you need to give visitors a sense of classic Warsaw, Dom Polski is the first out of the hat. $$$ Dom Polski Belwederska (F8) ul. Belwederska 18A, tel. 22 840 5060,

A PLACE IN WHICH WINE PLAYS THE FIRST CHORD IN HARMONY WITH WHAT APPEARS ON THE PLATE…

WE WELCOME YOU

www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / restaurants restauracjadompolski.pl See in Winter amid curling pathways and bursting shrubs, or sit inside in an interior that conjures images of an aristocrat’s manor. The air of privilege matches a menu that’s rich in fanciful classics such as their signature goose. Elegant and exquisite, consider it your default choice for a taste of true Poland. $$

RESTAURANT &

VODKA

AT E L I E R

Elixir by Dom Wódki (C2) ul. Wierzbowa 9/11, domwodki.pl The dashing interior causes you to stop, look and touch. On one side, a gleaming bar with twinkling bottles, and on the other, a smart series of rooms whose ash-colored tones are punctuated with dashes of copper. The menu has a traditional heart yet a contemporary style, and includes golonka to make the heart flutter: glorious slow-cooked meat alongside horse radish ice cream and a creamy cabbage mousse. The vodka pairing menu is essential! $$

Folk Gospoda (B3) ul. Waliców 13, tel. 22 890 1605, folkgospoda.pl Be honest, sometimes all you want to do is slather lard on a big hunk of bread before surrounding yourself with little

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shots of ice cold vodka. You wouldn’t call it cultivated, but there are occasions when a good knees-up around a rough wooden table is exactly what’s required. And while you’re there, why not add platters of meat to the scene, a crackling fireplace and a mountain band. Folk Gospoda do all that making them the default favorite for a traditional night out. $$ Halka Restaurcja po polsku (E9) ul. Puławska 43, tel. 509 593 305, restauracjahalka.pl Named in honor of one of Poland’s best known operas, Halka offer a glimpse of old school Warsaw. Having relocated from downtown Pańska, the new address is a cut and paste of the former location: lots of glinting surfaces, ornate crockery and pink flower arrangements. Innovation is surrendered for a menu that deals in classic interpretations of upmarket Polish food: rabbit, goose, duck and other animals shot on country estates. $$ Jaś & Małgosia (B2) Al. Jana Pawła II 57, tel. 502 033 711 Back from the dead! An institution dating from the 60s, Jaś & Małgosia have reopened after a three year hiatus. Updated they might be, but the design (concrete floors, exposed brickwork) features several nods to the past – not least a replica of the famous neon that once crowned the roof. The menu was designed in collaboration with Aleksander Baron, and while unglamorous and uncomplicated is food that represents all that’s good about the

Polish kitchen: thick soups, fresh vegetables and hefty meat. Most of all, it makes you feel good on a wet, windy day. $ Kafe Zielony Niedzwiedź (E4) ul. Smolna 4, tel. 731 996 006 Exceeding all expectations in their second year, the Green Bear has turned into the mothership for all things relating to slow food: if in doubt, check the menu, an ode to provenance that comes complete with detailed biographies of their suppliers. Using creative techniques, this restaurant modernizes Polish food and rolls it out inside a stylish building popular with people who look like they might well be famous. Incidentally, the sea buckthorn cream was our top dessert of 2015. $$ Kieliszki na Próżnej (C3) ul. Próżna 12, tel. 501 764 674, kieliszkinaproznej.pl You’ll find Kieliszki na Próżnej, the latest restaurant to mark the rehabilitation of Próżna, so named after the 1,116 wineglasses that hang tantalizingly over the bar. As an anchor feature the suspended glassware is arresting, and equaled only by a long stretch of wall art doodled by Mariusz Tarkawian. The food matches up to the interiors, with a modern Polish menu that – on our visit – involved a thick, brilliantly spreadable foie gras pate, a thick slab of brawn and a delicate piece of moist Baltic cod. It’s pure seasonal comfort. $$ Mała Polana Smaków (F9) ul. Belwederska 13/44, tel. 22 400 8048,

listings / restaurants polanasmakow.pl Put simply, it works on every level: from the service to the space – outside, a terrace featuring upcycled crates overlooking Morskie Oko, and on the inside, a cute little room with woodsy bits and big glass jars of mystery ingredients. It’s casual, but still fit for more serious roles: e.g. girlfriend night. And the food: exceptional. Lots of seasonally changing choices that on our visit meant salmon sausage matched with beetroot and horseradish sauce along with pinches of lavender and fennel. $$ Opasły Tom (E4) ul. Foksal 17, kregliccy.pl Sneaked off a lively street, guests duck down into a chain of two narrow-ish chambers that, whilst not exactly casual, feel comfortable and familiar. Agata Wojda’s cooking is sublime, and on our latest trip include a gentle goose confit rested on pumpkin puree and prune sauce and a smoked trout mousse full of unexpectedly vivid flavors. It’d be easy to write this off as just simple stuff done well, but you know that’s not the case: if it really were that straightforward, everyone would be pulling it off. $$ BEST WAWA 2015 “Modern Polish” Papu (D9) al. Niepodległości 132/136, tel. 22 856 7788, restauracjapapu.pl The elegant décor sees wood-paneled walls lined with champagne bottles, making it an experience that is at once intimate and romantic. Chef Bartek Kędra’s menu is specifically strong when it comes to white and red meats: order the beef rib. It’s a massive, brutal instrument that could be used to club someone to death. Falloff-the-bone good, this Flintstone monster is seriously memorable. Other courses are more sophisticated, and include a knee trembling, lipstick red strawberry tartar. $$ Podwale Piwna Kompania (D2) ul. Podwale 25, tel. 22 635 6314, podwale25.pl Prowling mountain bands generate a beer hall atmosphere, while the courtyard garden – designed to replicate a Mitteleuropa square – is one of the best you’ll find. But the obscene portions can’t mask what is pretty poor food. Go there for the experience, if nothing else. $ Prasowy (E7) ul. Marszałkowska 10/16 Delicate diners turn their back on milk bars, yet this canteen-style phenomenon, with its history rooted in communism, has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance and a freshly found popularity

with a new generation. Sure, the food is an acquired taste and best described using words like ‘basic’, ‘bland’ and ‘honest’, but Prasowy gets our vote for a cool design that’s seen the 1954 interiors sensitively updated. $ Przystawki (B1) ul. Stawki 3, tel. 22 299 1619, przystawki. com Welcome to Muranów: the black hole of local gastronomy. But change is in the air – first came the opening of Jaś i Małgosia, and now comes Przy Stawki. Both keep it simple, gunning for a straight forward menu that presents the kind of cooking you’d like to see at the in-laws: local ingredients cooked with care. In a nutshell, this is Polish home cooking at moderate prices. More places like this, please. $ Restauracja Pod Gigantami (E5) Al. Ujadowskie 24, tel. 22 629 2312, podgigantami.pl Despite being judged worthy of a recommendation by the scouts at Michelin, Pod Gigantami divides local opinion; it’s not just the Insider that’s found the food only satisfactory. But the wine list impresses, as do the painfully ornate turn-of-the-century interiors. $$$

Traditional Polish cuisine Best venison and lamb in Warsaw Live music Regional wine, beer and spirits Grand Kredens - 18 years full of tradition

Restauracja Polska “Różana” (E8) ul. Chocimska 7, tel. 22 848 1225, restauracjarozana.com.pl The rarified atmosphere of Różana is a pleasure indeed. Close to the frontline of Mokotów / Śródmieście, you’d never guess the proximity of the center. Seated in their garden, one feels removed from the city – a fountain burbles quietly in the background, starlings hop around the trees. From the inside, one hears the distant tinkle of the house pianist. Just being here is a thrill in itself, and the food is a Polish dining extravaganza served from the top table: farmhouse duck, saddle of venison, etc. Słoik (D4) ul. Złota 11, tel. 600 396 688, restauracjasloik.pl Jarheads will love Słoik, a place lined with glass jars brimming with colorful ingredients and bright preserves. Find natural Polish produce and traditionalsounding dishes treated with a careful and contemporary hand. The approach pits modernist against classic, and the winner is, well, you. This is traditional Polish food updated for the discerning, latter day palate – and it’s really quite something. $ Solec 44 (F4) ul. Solec 44, tel. 798 363 996, solec.waw.pl

Aleje Jerozolimskie 111 tel. +48 22 629 80 08 Mob. +48 697 900 000 kredens@kredens.com.pl www.kredens.com.pl Follow us on Facebook www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / restaurants Beaver tail one month, carp heads the next. Combing the farms and forests of Poland for his ingredients, chef Aleksander Baron’s menu is a daring exploration of his nose-totail philosophy with many of his methods reprising extinguished traditions. It’s a real experience, and one that’s enjoyed inside a spontaneous looking, cut-price interior that clacks and clatters to the sound of grown-ups playing board games. $$ Stary Dom ul. Puławska 104/106, tel. 22 646 4208, restauracjastarydom.pl A classic restaurant in style and history: back in the day it was a favorite haunt of jockeys and race goers from the horse track nearby. Pre-war recipes form the basis of the menu, with the team using seasonal produce and the latest technology to bring out its best. $$ U Fukiera (D1) Rynek Starego Miasta 27 (Old Town Market Square), tel. 22 831 1013, ufukiera.pl New arrivals looking to get a grasp of local

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

cuisine have many options in varying price brackets. U Fukiera is definitely in the big spend category, but visitors come away with a common sense of wonderment. That’s largely due to enchanting interiors that have guests exploring twinkling chambers that unravel like a fairytale. Set in a 500 year old townhouse, the beautiful backdrop is accompanied by a grand menu of duck, venison, veal and lamb. $$$

Varso Vie (D6) Pl. Konstytucji 2, varsovie.pl Despite the concrete color palette Varso Vie retains a good buzz. It helps that on one side guests are flanked by punchy bursts of modern art, and on the other, an open kitchen that’s all clamor, commotion and general rumpus. The menu is modern Polish: duck stomachs in a flaky puff pastry

with a thick smear of thyme sauce; Baltic trout served on a pinkish mush of red lentils and mint; and a coveted meringue mousse with mascarpone and passion fruit jelly. Exemplary. $$

Zapiecek Locations inc. ul. Nowy Świat 64, Al. Jerozolimskie 28, Freta 18, Freta 1 & Świętojańska 13, tel. 22 635 61 09, & ul. Wańkowicza 1, open 11:00-22:00, CH Arkadia, zapiecek. eu Seven Warsaw locales, with our favorite found in the vaulted passages of Świętojańska. The menu is highly traditional, with courses ‘cooked to grandma’s recipes’. It’s for the pierogi though for which they’re famous; find approx. fifty types delivered by servers dressed like saucy country maids. $ Zielnik (D10) ul. Odyńca 15, tel. 22 844 3500,

listings / restaurants restauracjazielnik.pl A quiet Mokotów side street is the setting for this little secret. In it, flowers, lots of them, and a warming wood interior just right for winter. And then the food arrives: dainty veal dumplings, and tender braised veal that’s good for the chills. You leave knowing you have eaten honestly and well. $$

scandinavian Nabo ul. Zakręt 8, tel. 22 842 0256, nabocafe.pl The décor is, we’re told, typical Danish cafe – bold open windows, simple lines, high shelves filled with books and games on the table. But what is Danish food? There’s Old Danish on the menu: meatballs and open face sandwiches with meat and fish in various textural configurations and then there’s New Danish: an emerging trend towards fresh, seasonal food (no microwave oven at Nabo), with locally sourced and innovatively concocted ingredients. $$

specialty food shops Bazar Olkuska (E10) ul. Olkuska 12 Once a sad little side street, Olkuska has evolved to become just about the worst kept secret in Warsaw. Home to the city’s top eco-market, trips here end with shopping bags filled with French cheeses, Italian hams, Hungarian sausages and fresh fruit and veg. And don’t miss a chat with the nation’s most celebrated butcher: Pan Grzegorz of Crazy Butcher. Befsztyk ul. Puławska 176/178, tel. 22 843 6110, befsztyk.pl The Prokopowicz family has come a long way since launching Befsztyk in 1994. Top restaurants, celebs and ex-pats are listed as clients, and all agree that this operation is indisputably ‘top of the chops’. Find steaks seasoned for three weeks, gluten-free smoked meats, Merino lamb, BBQ kits and so much more. Home delivery, internet ordering

and English-speaking staff round out this legend. Bio Bazar (B4) ul. Żelazna 51/53, tel. 22 318 8855, open Wed, Fri & Sat (see website for details), biobazar.org.pl Fruit and veg in the first warehouse, some of it imported from as far as Argentina. In the second warehouse, find organic cheese varieties from sheep and goats, as well as import brands from Italy, France and the Netherlands. British Shop (C5) ul. Emilii Plater 8, tel. 692 240 804 British food and beverages inc. cider, bacon, sausages, gluten free ready meals, confectionary etc. Run by the same team who once operated Fish & Chips on Koszykowa, the offer has now expanded to cover non-food items like Royal Wedding souvenirs, England football paraphernalia etc. Forteca Kregliccy ul. Zakroczymska 12, kregliccy.eu/forteca

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listings / restaurants Spot the stars of Warsaw’s restaurant scene perusing the stalls at this weekly farmers’ market. Held each Wednesday, look for Pan Ziółko, Poland’s first celebrity farmer (!), Portobello’s from the country’s only organic mushroom farm and the magical yogurts from Mleczna Droga Manufaktura Serów. Heritage (D6) ul. Mokotowska 17, tel. 22 857 0912 Some people use Heritage as a wine bar, while others see it as more than that. And so it is. Peruse the Italian hams and cheeses in their fridge, olive oils, sauces and of course wine. Lots and lots of wine. Kosher Shop (C4) ul. Twarda 6 Snuck to the side of the synagogue, stock up on Kosher produce from the friendly store, before hitting up the falafel tent outside for, aside from the obvious, kosher ice cream. La Fromagerie (A1) ul. Burakowska 5/7, tel. 22 465 2324, lafromagerie.pl Top quality cheeses produced by small, artisan producers from England, the major regions of France as well as several other countries. Also, gourmet specialities like Italian parma ham, Spanish chorizo, French sausages, and hard-to-find luxury brands from France, Italy, Greece and more. La Petite France (H4) ul. Zwycięzców 28, tel. 22 672 9646, lapetitefrance.pl Wine and cheese as well as canned and tinned foods from France. Le Targ ul. Mińska 25 (SOHO Factory), tel. 603 051 116 Find here a rather random array of products: stands display traditional meats, goat’s cheeses, unconventional preserves, Greek products, vegan ingredients… it all still seems a bit like a work in progress. The initiative is noble, however. Marks & Spencer Various locations inc. DT Wars & Sawa, ul. Marszałkowska 104/122, tel. 22 551 7553, marks-and-spencer.com.pl Visit the flagship Marszałkowska branch to take advantage of the on-site bakery, but visit early as choice diminishes early. Aside from baked goods find a widely appreciated frozen food section that include British sausages, bacon and microwave curries.

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Martin’s Good Meat ul. Przejazd 4/7, tel. 797 866 131 Angus, Hereford and Limousine beef, not to mention lamb, veal and seasoned steaks. A candidate for Warsaw’s best butchery, no less!

steaks here use Polish Angus aged for a 28 day period. If you’re into the concept of sharing with your fellow man, then the Beef n’Pepper plate offers a pile of everything: wings, ribs, steak. $$

Ostra Kuchnia ostrakuchnia.pl A superb internet shop retailing quite literally the hottest sauces known to man: brands include Blair’s, Dave’s, El Yucateco, Mad Dog, Melinda’s and many more besides. Also sell jalapenos, chili peppers, salsas and pastes. Polish-only website, but easy to navigate and superb customer service.

Butchery & Wine (D5) ul. Żurawia 22, tel. 22 502 3118, butcheryandwine.pl The Sarf London-born Bertha oven has revolutionized the way steak is cooked, retaining moisture in a way no-one thought possible. Expect robust pieces of animal full of big, brawny tastes, but there’s so much more than just meat: starters involve a sea bass ceviche that pings with citrusy flavor not to mention more-ish pork crackling that pop like fire bangers in the mouth. A place of energy and ambition, it’s a great mix of both new and classic. Bookings advised. $$

Samira ul. Powsińska 64A, tel. 22 825 3363, samira.pl Now in bigger and better premises, this Lebanese supermarket offers a comprehensive rundown of imported goods that ranges from spices, preserves and rubs to nuts, olives, teas and soft drinks. Steak Club Online orders: steakclub.pl Online meat portal that will deliver the kind of beef usually only available to the top restaurants straight to your door. Expat owned and run, the repertoire has recently been extended to include other meats such as turkey. Targ Śniadaniowy al. Wojska Polskiego, tel. 508 121 891, targsniadaniowy.pl The idea is a bit different as it is out in the open air, on the grass, so good weather is a must. Part healthy food market, part breakfast picnic, part educational space, part chance to get your two wheeler fixed but above all, an idyllic way to spend a Saturday morning in a beautiful part of town. Trawa Pl. Grzybowski 10 A tight little store whose surprisingly copious food offer (which includes fresh fruit and veg from local markets) is complemented by all kinds of natural unguents, balms, oils and suchlike including those from the celebrated Lavera brand. Highly recommended.

steak houses Beef n’Pepper (C5) ul. Nowogrodzka 47A, tel. 731 307 377 A social space that encourages friends to gather and make merry over big meaty courses. Served on heavy tree stump plates,

Downtown Restaurant (C4) ul. Emilii Plater 49 (InterContinental Hotel, level 2), tel. 22 328 8745 There’s now a few candidates for Warsaw’s best steak, and Downtown have certainly upped the erm, stakes, with their new menu. Yes, the doors of Downtown are a gateway to heaven – particularly true if, like us, your vision of heaven is a rich green field filled with fat, juicy cows. But don’t for one moment assume the offer ends with cows. Now added to their menu are other animalitos like kangaroo. $$$ Hoża (D5) ul. Hoża 25A, tel. 603 778 275, hoza.warszawa.pl Wine and steak: it sounds so simple, but Hoża have taken two simple pleasures to another level. It’s a vibrant space with service right out of charm school, and a kitchen team with a real knowledge of cows. A red-blooded affair, the menu is a steak sensation and well paired with a handpicked wine list. $$ Merliniego 5 (E10) ul. Merliniego 5, tel. 22 646 0810, merliniego5.pl A classic looking steakhouse that swirls in shadow, brickwork and elegant touches, it’s a place to immerse yourself in an atmosphere that’s all surreptitious conversation and distant clinking glasses. The steaks are out-of-this world, with USDA prime beef from New York’s legendary Ottomanelli & Sons and Scottish beef from London’s Smithfield Market. On our last visit we splurged on the Grade 9+ wagyu ‘kobe’ rib-eye and found ourselves eating the steak of a lifetime. Simply amazing. $$$

listings / restaurants Muu Muu (D2) ul. Moliera 8, tel. 22 465 1553, muumuu.pl A life-size cow with a menu chained around its neck stands outside as if to say: “turn back now, vegetarians.” Looking sparky, fun and engaging the décor is composed of light woods and soft touches, not to mention blackboard slogans such as ‘Eat Meat’ and ‘Love Bacon’. The heart of their act is indeed meat, and involves T-bone, rib eye, chateaubriand not to mention a few burgers. The standard is high, but so too the prices. Our otherwise excellent sirloin was spoiled somewhat by limp, soggy chips that came at zł. 10 extra. $$

Salto (C6) ul. Wilcza 73, tel. 22 584 8771, saltorestauracja.pl When Martin Gimenez Castro scooped top prize in the Top Chef program it simply confirmed what foodies had known for years: that this is a man of some talent. Now leading the kitchen

in Salto, the highlight of Castro’s menu is undoubtedly the ‘steak weekends’. We challenge you to find better. During the week opt instead for his South American inspired dishes. Salto has the hallmarks of a success story, and under Castro’s captaincy that’s a certainty to happen. $$$ BEST WAWA 2015 “Foreign Chef”

thai Basil & Lime (E8) ul. Puławska 27, tel. 22 126 1943, basillime.pl Reports have been hit and miss, with one Insider noting calamitous service and food that was both over and undercooked. Not on our visit, though. Short and to the point, the menu is defined by its clarity, and we enjoyed a phenomenal yellow curry and banana fritters with the right combo of crunch and goo. Beautifully decorated with charcoal colors and punches of lime, the Insider felt good long after visiting. Will you? $$

Natara Old Town (D1) ul. Szeroki Dunaj 13, tel. 22 635 2501, natara.pl Last year saw Natara considerably outgunned by the competition, but it remains a top Thai choice. Set inside the old town walls, the exterior looks magical, so it’s disappointing to find an interior that’s all dowdy brown and droopy plants. The food though remains consistently good thanks to an owner who is committed to true Thai tastes. $$ Naam Thai ul. Saska 16, tel. 505 110 100 An anonymous design and out-of-town location never stopped guests flocking here. But that stands to change after the departure of chef Chanunkan Duangkumma. What was Warsaw’s best Thai now finds itself facing the biggest challenge of its existence. $$ Suparom Thai (D6) ul. Marszałkowska 45/49, tel. 22 627 1888, suparomthaifood.pl Lovely interior with Siamese gold ornaments and gleaming dark

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listings / restaurants wood. The shrimp cakes are always worth a try. $$ Thai Thai (C2) Pl. Teatralny 3, tel. 601 818 283, thaithai.pl In terms of design it’s little short of perfect: gold vaulted interiors lend a muted glow to a largely black on black space while serene looking Buddha’s peer on the diners below. As for the food, that’s one big success story with plenty of lively flavors and vibrant colors. The Tom Yang Kung, a deeply nourishing fish broth that awakens the senses with a sharp, spicy jolt, is a must! $$

Thaisty (C2) pl. Bankowy 4, tel. 730 000 024, thaisty.pl The coup here has been the recruitment of Chanunkan Duangkumma, Warsaw’s favorite Thai chef. The menu has street food inspirations and also includes several recipes passed down Duangkumma’s family line: consider the BBQ beef skewers essential. Vivid colors and a busy open kitchen lend the place a happy buzz that lasts through the day. $$

Why Thai (E5) ul. Wiejska 13, tel. 22 625 7698, whythai.pl A look that’s as fresh as when it opened, an

authentic chef and a menu that doesn’t waffle on for pages and pages: not surprisingly, Why Thai has been installed as one of the more superior Thai restaurants found in the city. The Tom Yum soup is every bit as rich and aromatic as it should be. $$

uzbek Manty (C3) ul. Elektoralna 24 Even with its colorful throws and woodsy knickknacks Manty’s high ceilings and wide open spaces mean intimacy is in short supply. Instead, people talk about the food, which in this case means ultra-cheap piles of Uzbek goodies: delicate manty dumplings with a cream dip and chili kick, or the more substantial lamb plov – a warming heap of rice, mutton, carrots and peppers. Chances are you’re going to love it. $

whole foods Jamniczek (D5) ul. Marszałkowska 68/70 This small duallevel nook specializes in vegan hot dogs and healthy non-alc cocktails. Foregoing factory floor snips and tails, principle fillings include millet, tofu and spinach. Taste-wise it does well, but you can’t help but feel they’ve got the proportions all wrong: heaps of salad, massive baguettes, but only a thin little ‘dog’ in the middle. $

Krowarzywa (D5) ul. Marszałkowska 27/35, tel. 881 777 894 ul. Hoża 29/31, krowarzywa.pl No matter how much you think about it, there’s something wrong about a burger without meat. So how could something so wrong be so right? That these vegeburgers have won carnivores over says it all. Using 100% plant-based products, here’s a place that strikes gold every time. Our favorite? The cieciorex chickpea burger. $ Lokal Vegan Bistro (D5) ul. Krucza 23/31, 517 615 122 After years of serving dull, timid dishes Warsaw’s alt. food culture, it appears, has finally found its taste buds. Look to Lokal Vegan Bistro for vege interpretations of the schabowy chop, not to mention their eco slant on junky foods like kebabs and zapiekanka. $ Mango Vegan Street Food (D4) ul. Bracka 20 Everything vegan that you’d actually like to eat: veggie burgers, fries, falafel, soup, a fruit salad – here, obviously a mango salad. Especially recommended is the hummus with sun-dried tomatoes – a nice twist on a simple classic dish. $ W Gruncie Rzeczy (D5) ul. Hoża 62 In culinary terms it’s the polar opposite of neighbors Meat Love, though the patrons are much the same: local hipsters and cool kids. For those who treat their body like a chapel, the vegetarian menu is a gateway to a balanced diet. $

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cafes & wine bars NEW & NOTEWORTHY

STÓŁ (ul. Nowolipki 17C) Poor Muranów – while the rest of Warsaw joined the foodie revolution, Muranów was left looking at everyone else having fun. There is hope, and much of it is based around Nowolipki. Opening just days after Falafel Bejrut, Stół have created a buzz of their own thanks to a small menu of pancakes (both sweet and savory), sandwiches and homemade cakes. A place of genuine homely goodness, locals are already proclaiming it as the kind of place the area has lacked.

bakeries Aromat (C4) ul. Sienna 39 We’re told the interiors were purposefully kept neutral to keep the focus on the product – and crikey, what bread. French flour and an expert baker ensure brilliant results, while the lemon éclairs deserve their own Facebook page. Some claim it’s the best bakery in Poland, and we’re not arguing. Café Vincent (D3) ul. Nowy Świat 64 Ex-pats from France, a nation of master bakers if ever there were, profess Vincent to be their favorite Warsaw bakery. And they’re not alone. Queues build quickly as locals line up to buy baguettes, cinnamon rolls, lemon croissants and beautiful pains au chocolat. But people don’t just head in then out, a small wine list and brilliant people spying opportunities cause most to linger. Charlotte (D6) Al. Wyzwolenia 18 (enter from pl. Zbawiciela), bistrocharlotte.com The battle lines are drawn: on one side it’s the slobs of Plan B, and on the other the snobs of Charlotte. While the fancy crowd (all jangling Porsche keys and idiotic selfies) isn’t to everyone’s liking, Charlotte’s baked goods are commonly hailed as things of rare beauty. Petit Appetit (E6) ul. Mokotowska 45 The smell of freshlybaked loaves often wafts into the street, leaving passers-by with no option but to peer in – sweet temptation. And sweet is the right word: aside from divine baguettes check the pastries and brioches.

THE POPE & THE PIG (Al. Jana Pawła II 61) Set on the ground floor above the subterranean Ramen Girl restaurant, the December opening of this joyously titled bar saw a Warsaw first: the city’s first wine bar dealing solely with natural wine. There’s over 80 to choose from, and they’ve been matched to a small, perfectly formed menu authored by Luisa Trisno. Lending it further edge is an interior that’s contemporary and fashionably understated.

Rozbrat 20 Bakery & Wine Corner (F5) ul. Rozbrat 20, rozbrat20.com.pl Best known for fathering Butchery & Wine, Daniel Pawełek makes his mark on Powiśle with the launch of Rozbrat 20, a high-end bakery that many are already calling the best in Warsaw. Aside from baguettes, muffins, croissants, etc. this smart corner unit has a superb wine list and a smattering of main courses that include flat iron steak. SAM (E3) ul. Lipowa 7, sam.info.pl A central, communal table is flanked by smaller satellite www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / cafés & wine bars tables for parties of two to four while perky seasonal blooms and potted herbs lend a spark of freshness. Co-owner Małgorzata Kusina-Doran is a fine-bread connoisseur, honing her skills at a bread-making course chaired by Raymond Blanc.

Zdrowa Konkurencja Pl. Bankowy 4, zdrowakonkurencja.pl It’s taken a while, but slowly Pl. Bankowy is being turned into a place you don’t just rush through on the way back from work. Aside from piping hot, fresh wheels of bread, visitors are popping in to collect readymade bagels and sandwiches loaded with pulled pork, pastrami and other such bites.

cafés Bali Café Złote Tarasy, Blue City & Galeria Mokotów, balicafe.pl This chain of dim sum bars provides sustenance for those turned-off by the more typical mall offerings. Inspired by the owner’s travels to Bali, this café does its best to lock out the retail surrounds and give shoppers a break. Bar Studio (C4) Pl. Defilad 1 The ascetic, modern décor is intentional – both not to compete with the fine adornment of the original walls and to break through the building’s grandiose airs. It’s hard not to be overawed by the sheer gigantism of the Palace that looms above. It seamlessly slips from café during the day into its more culturally active persona in the evenings, with concerts, film screenings, plays and political discussions. Blikle (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 35 (check website for other locations), blikle.pl There’s a cultured, pre-war look to Blikle, a proud cafe with a 100 year history. Famous former clients include Charles de Gaulle who swore by their donuts. Bubbleology (D4) ul. Chmielna 26, bubbleology.pl Looking like a 26th century version of Willy Wonka’s factory (psychedelic colors, Japanese lettering, and doors marked Top Secret), this place is no ordinary café. But that’s down to the drinks, rather than the décor. Warsaw’s

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

original bubble tea stop offers an arsenal of fruit flavors concocted by zany-looking lab-coated staff. Bułkę przez Bibułkę (E8) ul. Puławska 24, tel. 794 000 634, bulkeprzezbibulke.pl There’s a feminine style to this cafe, what with its cute, girly pastels, petite plant pots and woodsy finishes. But no matter what your gender or age, there’s something immediately sunny and positive about this place. Slow food sandwiches arrive on wooden boards, there’s pretty homemade desserts and a careful choice of wine: falling in love with it is easy. Być Może (E7) ul. Bagatela 14, tel. 519 000 014, bycmoze. com.pl It’s all about artisan bread and breakfast in the industrial looking Być Może. It’s taken the concept of Charlotte (groan, there’s even a communal table), and improved it with excellent breads and a crowd that’s a little less pleased with itself and a little more normal. Café Lorentz (E4) Al. Jerozolimskie 3, cafelorentz.pl Set at the front of the National Museum this place has a nice indoor area with high ceilings and minimalist decorations and a green outdoor area populated by wickers chairs and hammocks (obviously, depending on the season). As is the rage in Warsaw, the menu is light, natural and healthy. Cava (E4) ul. Nowy Świat 30, cava.pl A prime spot on Nowy Świat’s red carpet keeps business brisk in this high-end cafe. Premium Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee available, and best enjoyed on a seasonal terrace that can barely be bettered for its people spotting opportunities. Chłodna 25 (B3) ul. Chłodna 25 Maybe resurrecting a legend wasn’t such a good idea after all. People once traveled from all across Warsaw to meet here, but after several closures, noise clampdowns and a change in management it’s a mere shadow of what it once was. Shame. A place of creaking floorboards and retro armchairs, it just needs people to stir it into life. Chmiel Café (D4) ul. Chmielna 27/31, chmielcafe.pl Rows and rows of Belgian beers occupy the shelves, while behind the counter find pedigree treats, cakes and ice cream from

the Slow Food approved Consonni brand. Forget the industrial rubbish, the ice cream produced by this lot is an absolute standout. With the outdoor terrace making its debut, it’s the ideal family solution with something for everyone. Cophi (D5) ul. Hoża 58/60 Deviating away from ‘the Warsaw look’ (i.e. concrete, pipes, etc.), Cophi is the kind of place you actually want to stay in: homey and intimate but at the same time light and modern. You can sense the thought and passion behind this operation from the staff – find them using Aeropress, Chemex, siphon and drip methods with almost scientific precision in their quest to serve you what some are already claiming to be Warsaw’s best coffee. Crepe Café (E3) ul. Dobra 19 Is there such a thing as the perfect pancake? If not, then Crepe Café certainly comes close. Enjoy them in a contemporary interior that’s tiny in size: grab a seat up on the mezzanine level. Cukiernia Stary Dom ul. Puławska 104/106, restauracjastarydom. pl A beautifully elegant confectionary that evokes memories of Old Poland. Flock wallpaper and checkered floors add to the high tea ambience, as do the lines of glinting bottles and a counter stocked with temptations. Pastry chef Mariusz Palarczykow is a king in his field. Cupcake Corner (D6) Pl. Konstytucji 2, cupcakecorner.pl Having made their name in Kraków, the Americaninspired Cupcake Corner arrive in Warsaw ready to go head-to-head with cupcake giants La Vanille. Creations here include chocolate chip cookie, peanut butter cup, and Oreo, with muffins and homemade ice cream (sweet carrot!) also available. ‘We bake happiness,’ they proclaim, and indeed they do. Czekoladowy (C3) ul. Bagno 2, czekoladowy.eu First launched in Lublin in 2011, expanding to the capital was always on the cards. Set in a modern, glass-fronted unit, Czekoladowy has won blanket praise for its stunning cakes, pralines, truffles and chocolate. Demonstrating a fine eye for detail, the creations of Jakub Przysucha are pure luxury and the perfect antidote to a chilly Warsaw day.

listings / cafés & wine bars Czuły Barbarzyńca (E3) ul. Dobra 31, czuly.pl A Parisian-style bookstore full of steps and wobbles, nooks and alcoves. All agree there’s something special here: maybe it’s the book selection – varied, esoteric and at once compelling. Or maybe it’s the atmosphere, such that browsers anchor themselves on the sofas to lose an afternoon with their nose in a novel while sipping drip coffee. Whatever the secret ingredient is, the bookish bustle makes it the most extraordinary literary hangout in the Polish capital. Drop Juice Bar (B4) ul. Sienna 81 (enter from Żelazna), drop. waw.pl mWhether your body is a temple or a dustbin, squeeze in a visit to the Drop Juice bar (enter through the slidey door leading to the MD Clinic). Specializing in cold pressed juices, smoothies and superfoods, they make a point of using natural products only. Expect no artificial additives, no pasteurizing and no water cheating its way into your drink. Fawory ul. Mickiewicza 21 An intimate neighborhood cafe that comes complete with mugs that announce: “Fresh Coffee Tastes Better”. You bet it does. The smoothies and regional beers are just as good though, and come served inside a white interior splashed with an awesome mural. Kafka Café (E3) ul. Oboźna 3, kawiarnia-kafka.pl A chessboard floor and a collection of antlers on the wall characterize Kafka, a bookstore / café whose literary collection is composed of paperbacks rescued from recycling plants. Books are purchased by their weight (zł. 10 per kilo) while the menu includes pancakes, pastas and even doggy treats for your mutt. Kawiarnia Fabryczna (F5) ul. Fabryczna 28/30, open 7:30-22:00, kawiarniafabryczna.pl Penning your memoirs? Here’s the place to do so. With its natural wood floors, muted lighting and retro style chairs, Fabryczna is just about the definitive Powiśle café. Order an Ethiopian drip coffee and get that notepad out. KluboKawiarnia Towarzyska ul. Zwycięzców 49, klubokawiarnia.net Urban cool penetrates Saska. With an interior modeled by John Strumiłło, this 50s pavilion has an ascetic design defined by polar white interiors. Contrast is provided downstairs,

with deep magenta walls and retro armchairs. Concerts, screenings and art happenings have made it into something of local cultural mainstay. Krucza 23 Café & Bakery (D5) ul. Krucza 23 They didn’t spend much time thinking about the name, that’s a given, but that’s not to say creativity is entirely absent. There’s lots of organic activity on the menu, plus an exciting spread of eco-coffee from far-flung nations. Find all this done in a post-industrial interior that makes use of lots of concrete and natural light.

Sourcing their coffee from Koppi, an internationally acclaimed Swedish roasting house, the ministry takes no short cuts in their pursuit of excellence. Utilizing Ethiopian, Costa Rican and Brazilian arabicas – some exclusive to Poland. Rave reviews are standard and appropriate in this standout cafe. MiTo (D6) ul. Waryńskiego 28, mito.art.pl Café,

Le Chocolat (D5) ul. Żurawia 26, lechocolat.pl This chic emporium is the realization of one couples desire to offer top-quality chocolates that challenge the palate of the discerning fan. Inspired by the chocolate boutiques of Paris, over twenty different brands from a dozen countries are available. Handmade pralines and truffles, displayed almost like jewels, come in a rainbow of fillings, from coconut to cherries, mint to almonds. Legal Cakes (B3) ul. Chłodna 2/18, legalcakes.com ‘No need to cheat’ chirps their motto. Proclaiming to be the first of its kind in Poland, Legal Cakes specialize in gorgeous cakes and assorted desserts – the difference being these are all made from completely natural and healthy ingredients. Occupying a pinkish, feminine space just off Chłodna street, their own-made chocolate / fruit ‘batons’ are an essential takeout item. Limoni Canteri 1952 (E9) ul. Dąbrowskiego 1 & ul. Zwycięzców 49 Appearing as a wooden cabin in an overgrown park, Limoni get noted for Italian gelato that’s too good for words – join the line for tastes like cherry, plum and redcurrant, or go edgy and experimental with flavors such as salmon, tomato or basil.

French Bistro Cafe Bakery Nowy Świat 27 Phone: 22 826 44 61 www.petitappetit.com.pl Open Mon - Sun 8:00 - 23:00

Między Nami (D4) ul. Bracka 20, miedzynamicafe.com With 18 years of service under their belt you may think of Między Nami as being an antiquated has-been. Not so. Haunted by a mix of media types and local characters, this hip white piece of post-commie Warsaw has an enduring, almost timeless appeal. Ministerstwo Kawy (D6) ul. Marszałkowska 27, ministerstwokawy.pl www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / cafés & wine bars gallery, bookstore. Of course, we’ve seen that concept before, just not done in this style. Stark white backgrounds are offset by edgy art, lending the place a Tate Modern feel, something accentuated by the earnest fashion students who gather through the day. And there’s the toilet, a futuristic affair with piped music and a mirrored wall. MOD (D6) ul. Oleandrów 8 A place full of everlasting love for the humble donut. Inspired by their travels to New York, owners Kamila and Patrycja have filled a hole in the market by creating a cool spot that’s committed to natural ingredients and the artisan process. Those glistening technicolors you see are down to the use of fresh fruit and dried flowers! Soft and chewy, enjoy dazzling flavors such as mango or hibiscus. my’o’my (D4) ul. Szpitalna 8 (enter from Górskiego), myomy.pl Slightly rustic in design, with wooden panels painted white and winding stairs that lead to a charming second floor. The baked goods are courtesy of baker extraordinaire Zofia Różycka, and the rest of the food offer is pretty grand as well. Its popularity with Warsaw’s mid-20s set makes it occasionally claustrophobic. Niezłe Ziółko Café & Deli (D5) ul. Krucza 17 A shrine to pure and healthy eating, this friendly café doesn’t just brew a great coffee, but bakes its own bread and produces its own yogurt. Sit in the loft to look down on shoppers scurrying to Mokotowska, and on the way out, check out ‘Grandma’s Cupboard’ in the corner: jams, spreads and olive oils are there to buy for home. Odette (D4) ul. Górskiego 6/07, odette.pl Almost holistic in its ambience, the obstacle-free interior utilizes aspects of space and light, causing attention to naturally fall on the long, sleek counter that occupies one end. It’s here that sweet creations glimmer behind glass like precious little gems. Constructed in the adjoining ‘food lab’, these are desserts fit to grace fine dining moments. Odette Tearoom (C4) ul. Twarda 4, odette.pl If you thought those living in Warsaw’s swankiest residential tower – the Cosmopolitan – had it tough, then you’ve got one more reason to envy them: the ground floor Odette Tearoom. Taking its

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lead from their original dessert stop on ul. Górskiego, the sister venue peddles glorious cakes and pralines as well as a hand-picked selection of boutique teas served in a fragrant and elegant atmosphere.

may have gone but the hype lingers on: an eclectic design marries a Scandinavian look to an eccentric spirit, while unpasteurized beers, organic teas and a locally sourced menu do the rest.

OSiR (E3) ul. Tamka 40 OSiR’s manifesto declares it a ‘cycle culture’ café, which means incoming guests should brace for all kinds of bike related props in this urban, raw and ready hideout. Beyond the cycling propaganda, there’s much to recommend: rare find beers, street-style hot dogs, and a cool, tranquil crowd that livens up for DJ sets at the weekend from the likes of London Massive and Kool & the Funk.

Sok Bar (E3) ul. Tamka 22/24, sokbar.com The star turn belongs to the juices and smoothies, which you’ll find served in a variety of ways: including 50ml shots. Look out for the ‘Hangover’, a combination of orange, gherkin, apple and lemon juice – it really is capable of healing after-party maladies.

Państwo Miasto (B1) ul. Andersa 29, panstwomiasto.pl Is there anything better than sitting in a café, book in hand, while autumn sunshine pours through the windows? We go to Państwo to do just that, an echoy, cavernous café with a young, lively crowd that’s keen on scholastic events and political causes. Never does it feel too trendy, or too hipster – it’s a place that’s all about atmosphere and friendship. Relaks (E9) ul. Puławska 48 Generally travelling by tram for a cup of Joe sounds excessive, but that’s exactly what you’ll be doing on discovering Relaks. Expertly prepared, right down to the foam art, the baristas here use the finest imported machines and work only with fair trade, ‘specialty’ coffee. If you have time, the drip coffees are more than worth the wait. The interiors supply a retro accent, and are lapped up by a very fashion aware crowd. Resort (C2) ul. Bielańska 1 The main talking point here is a design that utilizes shopping trollies and street signs to serve as chairs and tables, and a pile of second-hand books to form the bar – there’s even a sofa constructed from a bathtub! Themes of recycling are taken to the limit in Resort, yet for all that it never looks junky or cheap. Concerts and comedy nights keep business ticking on quieter days. Secret Life ul. Słowackiego 15/19 You might already be familiar with Secret Life of Things, a fab design store on the other end of town. Now the same minds have expanded their offer to include this café, a delightful spot that opened in summer. The deckchairs outside

Square 5 (C2) Pl. Bankowy 3/5 Square 5 comes as a pleasant surprise amidst the desert that is Pl. Bankowy. Combine their extensive blackboard menu with a countertop heavy with freshly-baked goods from their own oven and you newcomers may be positively overwhelmed. As for their coffee, that’s premium Ionia il Caffe, and it comes in all forms: from the traditional cappuccino to more daring coconut macchiato. Stor (E3) ul. Tamka 33 Small but perfectly formed, Stor has all the clack and clatter of a busy local café. Regional beers, Chemex and Aeropress coffee and gluten-free snacks and sandwiches provide plenty of reason to pop in and idle about. Sueño Café & Tapas Bar (E3) ul. Oboźna 9/100 The simple décor, inspired by a traveller’s way of living, provides a casual yet lively atmosphere. Surfboards and beach photographs decorate the walls and hammocks hang from the ceilings. The owners, kite surfers and avid travellers, have combined ideas from various different countries – evident not only in the décor but also in the menu. Tarabuk (E3) ul. Browarna 4, tarabuk.pl “I come here to escape Warsaw,” confides one Insider. And yeah, there’s a quality to Tarabuk that allows one to do just that. Heaving with books and raggedy furniture, it’s a place in which to order an eco-tea, maybe a slice of cake, open Chapter 12 and then let hours slip away. Think Love Juices (H4) ul. Francuska 14, thinklove.pl Nutrition nut and supermodel Anna Jagodzińska reveals the secrets of her diet in this white-clad,

listings / cafés & wine bars summery-looking Saska café. As the name indicates, juice plays a massive part in that, with the rotating choice presenting a range of drinks that run from watermelon water all the way up to complex concoctions that ignore any shortcuts. The daily changing lunch deals are superb, but leave you in no doubt just why models are so skinny. Waff-Love (E4) ul. Senatorska 28, wafflove.pl Upon entering the petit premises the homey waft of sweet crispy batter hits your senses, and while the waffles are less sweet than your traditional Belgian product, after a mountain of toppings you’d be hard pushed to notice. Kiss dietary resolutions goodbye... WakeCup Café (C1) ul. Franciszkańska 14, wakecupcafe.pl A superb discovery landed in the no-man’s land that straddles New Town and Muranów. WakeCup don’t believe in taking coffee shortcuts (recommended: raspberry frappe), and have a fiendish obsession with beans from Brazil. Also notable and noteworthy for their fruity cocktails, pastries and energetic café buzz. Wars i Sawa (E3) ul. Dobra 14/16 Creaking floorboards, unfinished plastering and piles of books set the tone to this ‘culture café’. It’s exactly what you’d expect of Powiśle, and the sort of stop best enjoyed on your own with a pot of tea, a dog-eared novel and your tightest skinny jeans. Wrzenie Świata (E4) ul. Gałczyńskiego 7 Those with journalistic leanings love Wrzenie Świata. It’s definitely more Macbook than Moleskine, but this bookstore/café attracts plenty of readers (and writers) to its book-lined interior. Buzzing like a cafe should, it packs out for slideshows and seminars.

wine bars Ale Wino! (E5) ul. Mokotowska 48, alewino.pl At first you think you’re walking into a car park. And then, it hits you – a beautiful inner-city sanctum with wooden decking, a slanted sail shielding the sun, and bespoke, funky chairs from the esteemed Studio Rygalik. You want to dwell here for a bit longer than planned: and there’s no harm in doing so. One of the

Insider’s favorite wine bars, Ale Wino’s food is also top-notch Bristol Wine Bar (D2) ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 42/44 Effortlessly evoking a real sense of history, the design is a triumph with lots of polished brass and nickel, rich wood finishes and marble floors. You feel like you’ve stepped into a film. But talking points aren’t limited to the interiors alone. The wine selection was personally overseen by Robert Mielżyński, possibly the most esteemed wine importer in the country. And the choice is prodigious. Offering a complete cruise through the wines of the Old Continent and the New World, the collection is precisely presented from behind glass cases that line the walls. Dekant Wine Bar ul. Zajęcza 15, decant.com.pl Expectations are high: even before they opened Wine Spectator magazine bequeathed Dekant with an ‘Award of Excellence’. Just what’s the buzz about? Primarily a wine choice that is set to eventually extend beyond 500 wines. Set inside an attractive open space, the opening of Dekant is a further indication of Powiśle’s shift from hipster epicenter to upscale playground.

Enoteka (D1) Rynek Nowego Miasta 13/15, enotekapolska. pl It’s the wine bar New Town has been waiting for ever since… the old Enoteka closed. The eagerly awaited return brings with it a new location – right on the corner of New Town Square – and a menu by Paweł Męziński: yep, the same guy who made their kitchen great back when it all first began in 2009. Add a handpicked wine list from some of the top producers in the world and you have a place that’s definitely one to watch for. Hoża (D5) ul. Hoża 25a, hoza.warszawa.pl You’ll probably know Hoża as the home of steak. But what is meat without wine? complementing the Argentine-inspired cooking is a wine list particularly dense with reds. Heritage (D6) ul. Mokotowska 17 The gentrification of Zbawiciela continues with the appearance of Heritage, a place of tap wines, cobbled floors, and simple, well-thought interiors.

With its crates, boxes, cans and tins, Heritage fill a binary role as a deli/wine store for an ascendant new money crowd. Mielżyński Wine Bar (A1) ul. Burakowska 5/7, mielzynski.pl Robert Mielżyński, a Canadian-born oenologist, awakened Warsaw’s love affair with the grape when he launched Mielżyński in 2004, and it continues to serve as the accepted benchmark to which all wine bars aspire. Their cause is amply boosted by a fine selection of bites to accompany the superlative wine offer. Find it in a pared down warehouse that emanates casual city cool. Mielżyński Wine Bar (G9) ul. Czerska 12, mielzynski.pl After three years in the pipeline Warsaw’s second outpost of Mielżyński is everything you’d expect: a concise menu that’s never too complex and an exciting wine choice that presents over 500 labels. This vibrant space promises much, not least on account of an inner terrace deck that you know is going to be the talk of this summer. Portucale (E10) ul. Merliniego 2, portucale.pl The rule here is to keep it simple. Stick to the truly amazing seafood and good house wine, both of which promise a terrific Portuguese experience. $$ Wine Taste By Kamecki (C4) ul. Twarda 2/4 Run by Piotr Kamecki, President of the Polish Association of Sommeliers, this beautiful glass-fronted unit functions both as a wine bar and store offering expert advice, cellar design and tastings. WinKolekcja (E10) ul. Olkuska 7 The selection of New World wines is exceptional, though classicists are also catered for via an extensive choice of Spanish, French and Italian wines. Their highly recommended restaurant provides further reason to linger inside a design that has the routine look of a club class lounge. Żurawina (D5) ul. Żurawia 32/34 Lacking in intimacy, this large white room gets criticized for its jarring artwork and staffing blips – in the world of wine it’s important the customer can connect to the staff: here, we felt like we were joining the SS. But both food and wine score highly, and they’ve earned a loyal following that includes high flying types and Paris Hilton wannabes that carry dogs in their bag. www.warsawinsider.pl

nightlife NEW & NOTABLE

SAME KRAFTY VIS-A-VIS (ul. Nowomiejska 11/13) You wouldn’t have thought it a year back, but reasons keep emerging to drink in the Old Town. When it comes to pubs, Same Krafty top the list, but try getting served at peak drinking time. So here’s some brilliant news: they’ve now opened another bar opposite. Pass under a dragon’s head before stepping into a supremely friendly room with ten taps, a strong bottle line-up and an atmospheric side chamber.

BARDZIEJ (ul. Marszałkowska 21/25, enter from Oleandrów) It’s thanks to places like Bardziej that Oleandrów is becoming one of the most talked about streets around. This split-level bar does a good job of capturing the essence of the area, with inventive ‘author’s cocktails’ matched against a warm, dimly lit interior that’s heaving with cogs, metal hooks and enigmatic dials. The later it gets, the better it is.

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

bars & pubs 6 Cocktails (E5) ul. Mokotowska 57 Taking its lead from the New York fad for covert bars, the 6 adventure begins in front of a heavy arched gate. Ring the bell, await the buzz of approval and then find yourself summoned into rambling apartment that feels sultry and sensual. Complete with a shadowy smoking lounge and a whirlpool tub in the bathroom, it’s the best secret in Warsaw. To enjoy the bespoke cocktails yourself, message them on Facebook and await your invite… The Alchemist (D3) Pl. Piłsudskiego 3, thealchemist.pl If you thought the multi-tap trend was exclusive to earnest-looking nerds then a trip to The Alchemist will soon set you right. The unique selling point here is a pour-your-own ‘beer wall’, an idea that aims to cut out the queues normally associated with craft beer bars. Also of note, a ‘gastro-pub menu’ that involves hoisin chicken flatbread, fish and chips and the bloody Mary seafood salad. Bar & Books (D2) ul. Wąski Dunaj 20, barandbooks.pl Seen through a thin winter mist, this white townhouse radiates warmth: lights glimmer, piano music tinkles. Wood-paneled and lined with leather-bound tomes, there’s a sense of dignity that’s unique to Warsaw’s cocktail scene. There’s humor, as well, courtesy of portraits of chimps togged out like 18th century gentry. Similar to a members’ only Mayfair bar, find ‘classic with a twist’ cocktails mixed and muddled by the sort of charming bartenders you’d trust serving Bond. Bar Gemba (D5) ul. Wilcza 50/52 Despite occupying the bottom corner of an office development Gemba isn’t short of character: that is, at least, if you measure character by the number of thrift store armchairs and vintage extras. Furbished with lampshades, luggage and varying odds and ends, it’s the kind of dark, debauched bar that trended amongst artsy Poles in the early 00s. Replacing the oddly downcast Jedna Trzecia, Gemba slots in well amongst the other post-hipster bars in the area.

listings / nightlife Bar Warszawa (D2) ul. Miodowa 2, barwarszawa.pl Thick with alcoholic fumes and the sound of drunken tantrums, Bar Warszawa excels in its role as a late night dive bar. Split on two levels, upstairs is where most head to flop around a retro lounge interior filled with nostalgic decorations that tempt kleptomaniacs. The cut price shots and pints do their bit in facilitating slurred conversations with a variety of strangers. Not surprisingly, evenings often extend beyond the advertised closing time of 4 a.m. Bar Warszawa De Luxe (D2) Krakowskie Przedmieście 79 Leave your visit to the weekend when De Luxe unfurls into something resembling a Polish wedding disco. All the requisite characters appear in this spinning vortex of Boney M: vodka-fuelled Incredible Hulks, groping granddads, svelte students and everyone else in between. Somehow, the formula works without a hitch. There are Poles who’d be mortified by this representation of their country, but the truth is, it’s a rip-roaring time that’s enjoyed by most. Bar Wieczorny (D8) ul. Wiśniowa 46, barwieczorny.pl Preparing for their first summer, it’s going to be one helluva’ place to visit once the weather heats up: that garden is going to get naughty! The cocktails are serious here, with top quality spirits (Vestal, Baczewski, Woodford Reserve) used with equally big name mixes (Fentimans, Big Tom, etc.). Further, you’ll find it’s the right products in the right hands – the staff really know their game. Bazar (F1) ul. Jagiellońska 13 There’s Krusovice, Bernard and Staropramen on tap, and the Czech slant is lent added meat by a series of evenings held in cahoots with the Czech Cultural Centre – it’s during boozy disco nights the party spills into a shadowy cellar with light retro hints. On ground level its raw and industrial with asphalt colors and overhead pipes. You wouldn’t expect it, but the margaritas are smashing. Beirut (D5) ul. Poznańska 12, beirut.com.pl As hip as ever, Beirut has walls dusted with cult album covers, documentary posters and witty graffiti inspired by Banksy. Busy in the day, and absolutely packed at night, order unconventional beers (Noteckie, English ale,

Erdinger) from androgynous staff standing behind a sandbag bar decorated with silver hand grenades and a model tank. Berlin-Warszawa Express (D5) Most Poniatowskiego (corner of Kruczkowskiego and al. 3 Maja) Set up a flight of stairs, a concrete footbridge at the top links the two bars either side: Berlin and Warszawa. It’s a Matrix moment, the red pill or the blue? Berlin’s the better, with industrial cage lights, and salvaged DDR memorabilia. Surveying the scene, it’s all wobbly tables, sticky surfaces and tight little alcoves fitted into impossible spaces. A great dive bar, the friendly nature of Berlin gets even friendlier after a few craft brews.

bubbles.com.pl Despite sounding like a 90s small town nightclub, Bubbles is in fact a worthy place of note: a small, warm venue with a slow food menu and a design that incorporates lots of upturned crates and dusty bottles. Champagne is the main draw here, with many labels that are exclusive to Poland. Some come with terrifying prices, but on the whole the price points are widely accessible: wine from zł. 10 and a flute of champers from zł. 29. Cafe Kulturalna (C4) Palace of Culture, pl. Defilad 1, kulturalna.pl The location is unbeatable and visiting the Palace late at night is an amazing, almost mystical experience.

Bierhalle Al. Jana Pawła II 82 (Arkadia), ul. Nowy Świat 64, ul. Marszałkowska 55/73, bierhalle.pl Having tapped their first beer six or seven years back, their microbrewery have morphed into a national phenomenon with outposts across the country. All three Warsaw locations have a cut/paste Bavarian atmosphere, hefty wooden fittings and waitresses dressed like mountain frauleins.

Ceska (D4) ul. Chmielna 35, ceska.pl Having promised to never return following an incident with a nincompoop waiter, we’ve done exactly the opposite… and become regulars! Views of scantily-clad shoppers wiggling down the street are one attraction, though the biggest is the Czech ‘tank’ pouring system. Order the mliko, a beer that’s all creamy froth that you can sink down in seconds.

Bollywood Lounge (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 58, bollywoodlounge.pl Now on Nowy Świat, the team have used the opportunity to upgrade their offer: gone is that low-rent feel of old, replaced in favor of a more classy look and a slicker crowd. What has remained constant is the energy. Ace cocktails (recommended: Jim Ban Chili), tottering talent and a range of sheesha pipes make it a weekend must, though the big news is the completion of their downstairs club: check it out for the bright, banging beats of the Bollywood sound.

Chmielarnia (B5) ul. Twarda 42 (basement level), chmielarnia. waw.pl A subterranean multi-tap found in the depths of the fishing institute. Artisan beers rule the roost here (there’s 15 taps and stacks more beer in the fridge), a point underlined by a glass coffin of mainstream macro lager. While the bar gets loud and rackety, sweaty and sticky, that’s balanced out by a rotating beer offer that’s moderately priced plus a friendly, earnest audience that’s all beer geeks and know-it-alls.

British Bulldog (D4) ul. Aleje Jerozolimskie 42, bbpub.pl In terms of aesthetic it’s the most accurate replica of an English pub you’ll find. And they get a further nod for a brilliant covered terrace that’s great in all weather. Not that you’ll find many British expats in here, they’ve been boycotting the place ever since the dismissal of the original British manager. Judging by the poor standards of beer and food, you might want to follow their example. What could have become an expat legend is, in essence, a big wet plop of disappointment. Bubbles (D2) Pl. Piłsudskiego 9, tel. 512 540 913,

Chmielarnia Marszałkowska (E7) ul. Marszałkowska 10/16, chmielarnia.waw.pl With Warsaw’s tap bars all falling over each other to stock the latest tap beers, your options are frequently similar from bar to bar – which is when a good fridge becomes important. Not only can you actually see into Chmielarnia’s, you’ll find it housing the most exciting brews trending around the globe: from the edgy Bermondsey breweries to the Scandinavian giants. Broaden your horizons! Ciechan Na Foksal (A4) ul. Foksal 18, ciechan.com.pl/foksal If you’re happy to overlook the unsavory politics of the brewery’s owner, then you’ll doubtless enjoy www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / nightlife the flagship bar of the BRJ brewing company. Find 16 taps showcasing their portfolio of regional beers, among them Ciechan, Lwówek and Bojan. The food is largely a stodge-fest, something that sits ill at ease with the smart, brick interiors. Maybe something more rugged would have worked better, but hey, who cares, it’s about the beer, right? Coctail Bar Max (D5) ul. Krucza 16/22, barmax.pl Can you trust a cocktail bar that can’t even spell the word? In this case, it’s a resounding yes. With its light wood touches and fruity montages Max

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Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

looks bright, cheerful and fully loaded for the sun, and also comes with an alcove in the back stuffed with whisky and cigars. The cocktails are the main affair though, and here they’re extravagant efforts that resemble a tropical jungle in a miniature form. The only problem? By their very nature, cocktails aren’t concocted in two minutes flat – if it’s busy, waiting around is like Death by a Thousand Cuts.

swamp monster toilet.

Column Bar (D2) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44 (Hotel Bristol) Just the look of Column Bar sweeps you off your feet; there’s something breathlessly classy about it, like you’ve just entered Gatsby’s ballroom. You want to order a pyramid of champagne and dance on their piano. Behave, and order a cocktail instead. For a taste of the classics, the Column Bar is peerless. In summer, enjoy your drinks out in the beautifully tranquil courtyard.

Dom Wódki (C2) ul. Wierzbowa 9/11, domwodki.pl Those expecting Dom Wódki to be a standard mucky shot bar are in for a surprise. Sparkling with over 250 artisanal vodkas, find them incorporated into inspirational drinks mixed by Tomasz Małek, a world champion flair bartender. More than just show, the tastes are incredible.

Cuda Na Kiju (E4) ul. Nowy Świat 6/12, cudanakiju.pl Where it all began. Summer catches Warsaw’s original tap bar at its best, with the courtyard of the former Communist Party HQ now home to an entirely different kind of party: on occasions find food trucks and film screenings, and all other times just a massive crowd getting sloshed on 15 types of tap beer. Cześć (C3) ul. Grzybowska 2 (through the side passage), czesc.waw.pl It started as a café, but now Cześć is better known as being at the forefront of the new generation of ‘quali-tap’ bars – small little places with six or so new wave beers on tap. The two owners, Piot and Kuba, take their beer seriously, so do expect plenty of new finds as well as traditional favorites from stalwarts like the Artezan and Pinta breweries. The laidback, neighborhood atmosphere is making it increasingly popular with a tight-knit circle of ex-pat drinkers. Czeska Baszta (E4) Tower 22A, Most Poniatowskiego, czeskabaszta.pl Set in one of those towers that props up Most Poniatowskiego, its surroundings look grim – at night even scary. Bathed in a yellowish murk, it’s actually warm and welcoming, and the reason for that soon becomes apparent: everyone is drunk! There’s 80 Czech beers to pick from, and they do more than enough to distract from the rattle and rumble of overhead trams and a

Dandys Bar & Art Kafe (D6) ul. Piękna 15, dandysbar.pl Dandys brings together the cream of Warsaw’s social scene inside a split-level bar that smacks of good times and high living: this is a place created with ‘super sexy’ in mind. The top quality cocktails are befitting of the people and philosophy.

El Koktel (D5) ul. Poznańska 7 You’ll need to beat the buzzer to descend into this subterranean joint, but the rewards are ample. Tiny in terms of its footprint, this dimly-lit bar excels at serving inspirational cocktails that place invention at the forefront. Rated by bartenders across the city, the drinks list changes frequently and involves plenty of flair and top-shelf ingredients. Elephant Belgian Pub (C1) ul. Freta 19 Signposted by a jolly, dancing elephant, this Belgian pub presents its cause the moment you enter – there’s twenty or so taps laid right out in front, and to the left a fridge that’s expected to top out to cover 200 beers. The design is basic – brickwork, beer kegs and varying ephemera of the brewing trade – but it doesn’t need that much more: it’s about the beer, after all. Gorączka Złota (D5) ul. Wilcza 29, goraczka-zlota.com.pl Founded in 1996, Złota’s longevity is to be admired, even if the interiors aren’t. Small, dark and a little pungent, the interiors are rendered out of little more than varnished wood and hundreds of beer coasters. But that’s the clue! The secret of their success is down to the beer. Stocking a range of regional and craft beer (Ale Browar, Pinta, Kormoran, AltenMunster, Olbracht, etc.), this unfashionable bar has an underlying honesty that makes it a success. Hard Rock Cafe (C5) ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), hardrockcafe.pl

listings / nightlife Full Throttle cocktails, lively staff and a classic rock soundtrack: the energy of HRC is hard to find fault with. And on the rare occasion there is a lull in the night, use the opportunity to sniff around memorabilia that includes a black leather number once worn by Madonna.

aficionados. If the creative line-up of guerrilla breweries wasn’t enough, then there’s the management’s readiness to roll their sleeves up and even brew their own beer. Add to that an atmosphere of general hubbub (and more than two toilets!) and you have our favorite tap bar of all time!

Heritage Birreria Artigianale (E3) ul. Tamka 9 A new twist on the multi-tap concept, Heritage’s hook is their obsession with Italian and British gypsy breweries. Eyes naturally fall on ten taps dispensing beers from Thornbridge, San Gabriel, Birrificio Milano, etc., and while the drawn-out pouring time can frustrate, most agree that the drinks are worth the wait. Find a well-presented middle-aged crowd squashed inside a tiny little unit that’s often full to capacity.

Junior (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 12 Warsaw is bloated with bars for that big Friday night. Sometimes though, you want something a bit more personal: a place with good beer but an intimate atmosphere. A haunt where the owners know your name and will happily keep serving for as long as you’re drinking. Junior is that place, a warm little room with five or so taps serving out craft beer, and a promise to become Warsaw’s primary port of call for all things relating to whisky.

Hoppiness (D4) ul. Chmielna 27/31 You’re in good hands here – opened under the patronage of the Pracownia brewery, this small-scale operation goes beyond merely offering the beers of its sponsor. There’s 12 taps in all, a decent fridge to geek over, an ace burger and beer-based ice cream – hooray! Hopsters (B2) Al. Jana Pawła II 45 (enter from ul. Nowolipki) You get the idea they could have done a bit more with the interior, though the tendency is to overlook this. After all, any bar that goes to the trouble of fitting twenty taps deserves a bit of leeway. And fine things they are, these taps of theirs. There’s usually a couple of foreign guests on the day-to-day menu (Mikeller, Lindemans), but the main draw is undoubtedly from domestic brew houses like AleBrowar and Artezan, not to mention rising stars such as Doctor Brew and Podgórz. Irish Pub (C2) ul. Miodowa 3 Affecting a look that only an Irish pub can escape with – strange smells and chipped wood – this boozer is perhaps more noted for its live music and camaraderie than for anything else. There’s events practically every night, ranging from local rock acts to cool blues. If you failed the X Factor audition then do the next best thing and visit for karaoke night. Jabeerwocky (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 12, taproom.pl Even in an area bulging with bars, Jabeerwocky has become a point of pilgrimage for beer

Kameralna (E4) ul. Foksal 11 With a militia truck outside, and interiors that feature cutlery by Społem and 70s newspapers on the walls, you’d be right to think we’ve got another venue that celebrates the past. Looking vast and comfortingly cluttered, Kameralna is both a restaurant and a nightspot – brewing their own beer, the house lagers are fine. Karmnik (D2) ul. Piwna 4A Close to sinking into dive bar territory, Karmnik have rejigged their interior, added a list of flashy cocktails and recruited a few DJs to give the place a pre-club spirit. As revamps go it’s been entirely successful, with the only sticking point (sometimes literally), being the unisex toilet. The origami birds hanging from the ceiling, btw, are a reference to the post-war period when an old lady who fed the pigeons took-up brief residence in the ruins of where you now drink. Karowa 31 (D3) ul. Karowa 31, warsawbarproject.com Warsaw’s original speakeasy grants access via a retractable door disguised as a VHS collection – how cool is that!? Maze-like in layout, the retro-looking Karowa 31 unravels to reveal a series of chambers concealed in shadow, though for all that the cocktails are the real draw: masterful creations composed by Bram, the former manager of the London Cocktail Club. Kita Koguta (E5) ul. Krucza 6/14 Free from the pompous prattery of Bar Max down the road, there

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listings / nightlife are times in Kita Koguta where sitting at bar level is like watching Dexter’s Laboratory: the staff aren’t afraid to get imaginative, and that includes serving cocktails in smoking coconut husks. Not all the experiments go as planned, but that’s part of the thrill – for a failsafe, order the Viterbo Breakfast: it looks like something that came out of a drainpipe, but it’s delicious! Kraken Rum Bar (D5) ul. Poznańska 12 Named after one of the ocean’s most feared mythical creatures (the scary squid from Pirates of the Caribbean), the wood-clad Kraken features a wall of cymbals, heavy furniture and some interesting photography. While there’s some decent bottles of rum, there’s perhaps not enough to justify calling it a rum bar. The house beer rocks though. Kufle i Kapsle (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 25 All levels of drinkers are catered for in this raw-looking space, from those ready to pay nosebleed prices for beers with spaceships on the label, right the way down to novices taking their first baby steps in the world of craft booze. Interiors are balanced with the pre-war heritage of the place, and are thick with noise, clamor and the spell of spillage. Unisex toilets, meaning there’s usually one idiotka putting a spanner in the queue code. Kwadrat (D5) ul. Poznańska 7, tel. 790 010 088, open

Mon-Fri 16:00-last guest; Sat 18:00-last guest, www.kwadrat.waw.pl Nights get blurry in Kwadrat, one of the first bars in town to spread the gospel of regional and new wave beer. Enjoy it alongside an amiable, late 20s crowd. Legends (C5) ul. Emilii Plater 25, tel. 22 622 4640, open Mon-Thu 11:00-23:00; Fri 11:0002:00; Sat 12:00-02:00, Sun 12:00-23:00, www.legendsbar.pl Legends is slowly achieving legendary status amongst the expats and Anglophiles. Their cause is helped by touches like a segregated smoking room, proper darts board, Sky Sports and a traditional menu that’s as authentically English as the Downing Street cat. Most of all though, the success is down to the sense of community fostered over long quiz nights, shouty karaoke competitions and Presiding over it all is Graham, a seasoned expat and Everton nut. Lolek (A8) ul. Rokitnicka 20 (Pole Mokotowskie), lolekpub.pl A boisterous pub with a Bavarian, bacchanal spirit and a park-centered location. Strangers squish together on shaky benches while sausages grill over an open fire inside this classic rough-and-ready drinkery. Catch it at its best in summer when the outdoor seating is thronged. Machinarium (E4) ul. Smolna 36, machinarium.pub Professing

themselves to be a dive bar, this modest description doesn’t paint the whole picture. The beer offer is unusual and experimental (four taps plus a load of bottles), and there’s also a quirky selection of home-infused nalewki. Drink them inside an interior that engages with its easy mix of dark greens and metallic bits and pieces. There’s football, as well, beamed onto a screen encased inside an ornate picture frame. Małe Piwo (D7) ul. Oleandrów 4 Hands up who loves good beer? Thought so. Małe Piwo have been a sensation since opening, preempting the craft beer trend and in the process attracting huge crowds of every sub-section of the hipster community. The choice of bottles is immense, and enjoyed in an edgy, dive bar background that’s snugger than a mouse’s waistcoat. Między Ustami (D6) ul. Mokotowska 33/35 With the celebrated Hendrick’s gin so prominently pimped, it makes sense that the quirky design of Między Ustami is more in line with a Victorian apothecary than anything else. Peculiarities particular to this era are abundant (nonsensical wall paintings featuring fairies and fantastical creatures) and are matched against deep forest colors and copious wood and leather. It’s Lewis Carrol meets Phileas Fogg, with suitably creative cocktails to boot. Miłość Kredytowa 9 (D3) ul. Kredytowa 9 Firstly, there’s the bar. It’s stunning: concrete slabs, a vertical wall of greenery and a DJ platform that doubles as a kitchen on weekends. The upstairs mezzanine is the best spot for voyeurs, and it’s here that a series of rooms unravel revealing a bookstore, deli and a lumbersexual barber shop. It is ultimately the bar that is the center force though, and it’s here you’ll find one-of-a-kind bottled cocktails that use natural ingredients, not to mention the full offer from Perła. Multitap Bla Bla (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 22, blabla.com.pl Looking murky and in need of a good scrub (and that’s just the glasses), you feel Bla Bla is simply here to suck up overspill from its more high-profile neighbors. Ten taps here, usually carrying beers you know inside out. But you will find a seat and there’s a kebab shop next door.

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

listings / nightlife Na Lato (F5) ul. Rozbrat 44, na-lato.com Once derided as a hipster haunt, the twits have moved on, replaced instead by an increasingly on-trend crowd of rich young things. The cocktails are without doubt up there with the best in Wa-wa and the basement club area has the added boon of a glassed-in smoking room. Nowy Świat ‘Pavilions’ (D4) Enter from ul. Nowy Świat 26 Approximately twenty bars occupy a series of low-budget prefabricated cabins, presenting possibly the highest density of bars in the capital: in summer, it feels like one big street party. Adding to the gentle sense of confusion comes the realization that so many bars look the same – accessed through clattery, barred doors, visitors walk into what can only be described as murk. Klaps, with its dildo beer taps and phallic walls, is probably the most well-known of the lot. Oleandrów 3 (D6) ul. Oleandrów 3 Exploring themes of decadence and fallen splendor, this new opening cements Oleandrów’s status as one of Warsaw’s rising streets. Looking dark and disheveled, this busy nightspot is already earning a name for libertine shenanigans. The blackboard menu touts an unlikely combo of ‘hot dogs and champagne’ – watch others follow suit. OSP Saka Kępa ul. Walecznych 74, ospsaskakepa.pl A little on the small side, the interior features several bits of Fireman Sam detritus: helmets, goggles, a uniform and some toy fire trucks (it’s in a fully functioning fire station!). Panorama Bar and Lounge (C5) Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), panoramabar.pl An elegant bar that would easily pass for the VIP room of a well-to-do club. A floor 40 location makes it great for a date: the sunset views are dazzling. Paradox (B1) ul. Anielewicza 2, paradox-cafe.pl Billing themselves as a ‘sci-fi / gamers / role play asylum’ this is a cradle of geeks, nerds and people who collect serial killer memorabilia. Decorated with plastic black crows, a map of Mordor and figurines of goblins, watch as oddly attired suspects engross themselves in ‘for hire’ games with names like Hobbit and Bewoulf.

Parking Bar (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 27, parkingbar.eu It looks raw and ready, but then what did you expect from a place on the ground floor of a car park. Plentiful concrete, mesh fences and swinging car tire seats lend it unique characteristics, as do the drinks: the creative cocktails are served in small little jars. At times it feels a bit slow, but that changes on their weekend club nights.

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Pies Czy Suka (D4) ul. Szpitalna 8A, piesczysuka.com Monochrome gun metal grey colors are offset by a fashionable crowd attired in red shoes, pink trousers and blue headphones. This clean, concrete space is speckled with plaster moldings of reindeer heads, and excels on the cocktail front. Order from an iPad menu, before settling back for cocktails made using mad scientist, molecular techniques that involve foam, vapor, beakers and other things you’d usually find in Professor Yaffle’s lab. Piw Paw (D5) ul. Żurawia 32/34 (enter from ul. Parkingowa), open 24 hrs We don’t like: the sweaty toilet, strange smells and queue scrum. We do like: the 24hr opening hours, humongous fridge and 50+ taps. Seen in the light it’s a little depressing, so visit at night when Parkingowa takes on the look of an end-of-term street party. Piw Paw na Foksal (E4) ul. Foksal 16, piwpaw.pl If the original Piw Paw was marketed as a ‘hyper tap’ then what’s their sister on Foksal? There’s 97 taps (!!) though one gets the sense its more about numbers than quality – we’ve seen Beck’s, for Pete’s sake. Getting service can be a nightmare, and while there’s a smoking room, it’s got the warmth and ambience of a night down the police station. Plac Barcelona (E5) Pl. Trzech Krzyży 18 Those who think this area’s star has waned need look no further than Plac Barcelona, a pristine bar with a star studded clientele. The interiors feature stark white colors and an interesting multi-level seating arrangement. Most, however, prefer to give themselves maximum exposure and do both their sipping and sitting outdoors. Plan B (D6) ul. Wyzwolenia 18 (Pl. Zbawiciela), planb.pl Plan B is the very essence of dive Warsaw. Weekends pass by in a raucous blur, with

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listings / nightlife the party spilling out under the colonnades outside – it helps to look like a DJ, but in truth everyone is welcome. The hangover from this shabby, grubby bar is traumatic. Pociąg do Piwa ul. Dereniowa 2 Jumping onto the multi-tap bandwagon is Pociąg do Piwa, a smallish locale whose one design element is a steam engine traced into the wall using bottle tops. There’s 12 taps in all, and they primarily distribute cult Polish beers from the likes of Pinta and AleBrowar. Polonez (D5) ul. Poznańska 24 Sparse milk bar chic is set against plenty of oddities (black and white Cybulski films, a set of antlers, hordes of junk), but the cool aesthetics only tell a part of the story. This is a celebration of Poland, both old and new, with drinks that include obscure nalewki, craft local beers, bio drinks and regional tipples. The masterstroke comes in making this all feel international, contemporary and creative. Same Krafty (D1) ul. Nowomiejska 10 Set across two small, rugged rooms, Same Krafty gets populated by an organic combination of tourists, couples and beer enthusiasts. There’s ten taps from which to choose, and a fridge with several interesting international beers. The Old Town doesn’t have much to shout about when it comes to nightlife, so Same Krafty’s debut is more than welcome. Secado (D5) ul. Marszałkowska 66 Most part restaurant, bit part bar, there’s a flexibility here that has turned it into one of those places where people meet, eat and generally hangout – not always in that order. And as for the drinks, they’re really very good. Using their own mixes, Secado present a succinct list of must-try cocktails. Sketch w Teatrze Wielkim (D2) Pl. Piłsudkiego 9, sketch.pl Here’s a multi tap bar designed with a very specific crowd in mind: glam stylists, models with sleeve tattoos and other vapid morons. Looking bold, bright and brash, this is just about the worst tap bar Warsaw has ever seen. The beer aspect is purely incidental. You get the idea this mob would be here if the pipes were hooked up to the udders of a cow – so long as milk was in fashion. Yuck.

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

Słoik (D4) ul. Złota 11, restauracjasloik.pl Słoik looks bright, loud and vibrant, so it’s no surprise to learn their cocktail maestros specialize in maverick creations. A source of particular pride are drinks that celebrate Poland: we’re talking about vodkas infused with juniper and vanilla, then mixed with marmalades and other exotica like pickled cucumber juice. The tastes are unique and leave you bandy-legged and shouting for more. Solec 44 (F3) ul. Solec 44, solec.waw.pl A ghastly commie-era pavilion is the unlikely home of this Powiśle mainstay. The food – a gloriously gory celebration of nose-to-tail cooking – is spot on, but so too are the drinks. The bottled beers reflect the exciting times in the Polish brewing industry, but forego these in favor of a stunning cocktail list that makes use of seasonal ingredients and homemade syrups and mixes. The design of Julian Karewicz, these are drinks that stop you in your tracks: the sea buckthorn vodka sour is pure boozy bliss. Spiskowcy Rozkoszy (D5) ul. Żurawia 47/49, spiskowcy.pl The ground floor is an intimate space with lots of yet-to-be-famous beers and junky, antique furniture that reminds of the Boho hangouts in Kraków. But what was a packed, little bar is now a packed, big bar with the opening of the basement: find a labyrinth of rooms and psychedelic toilets with pulsating lights – you soon wonder who spiked your drink. And oh, the drinks. Expect IPA and APA beers served from the six taps. Syreni Śpiew (F5) ul. Szara 10A, syrenispiew.pl Set in a beautifully restored piece of PRL concrete, Syreni Śpiew’s lasting popularity has proved the doubters wrong. This is not some one season wonder, rather a place that has gone from strength to strength. Primarily known for its hefty whisky offer (which is divided into regions of Scotland, Ireland and Japan), the cocktails also stand up to scrutiny on account of their consistent quality. A genuinely unique drinking experience with cool elements of retro chic. Syzyszka Chmielu Al. KEN 36, pubszyszkachmielu.pl The beer scene is Ursynów is seriously hopping up. First came Pociąg Do Piwa, then Vyceska, and now this tongue twister. The 14 taps offer

largely safe local options, so head to the fridge for adventurous brews from the likes of Mikeller, AleSmith and Nogne O. In an added plus, this is just about the first tap bar that realizes that some people out there like football: it’s filled with slick screens beaming the big match. Varso Vie (D6) Pl. Konstytcuji 2, varso-vie.pl A cool bar / restaurant decorated with art that’s both sensual and suggestive. Behind the bar, homemade syrups, seasonal ingredients and high caliber alcohol are all present, but so to the most important component: the staff who can handle them. Try the Polish Colada: involving Bols Natural Yogurt, Pawlina vodka, pineapple, lemon and sprinkling of chocolate, it’s a superb drink that does a grand job of rehabilitating a largely derided classic.

The View (C4) ul. Twarda 18, theview.pl Sat on top of the Spektrum Tower this bar/club looks set to reinvent the whole concept of going out in Warsaw. A truly world-class venture, the open-air deck on the 32nd floor offers striking views of the cityscape, first rate cocktails and an international rotation of DJs. The look is sleek and stylish. Vyceska ul. Polinezyjska 10 As welcome as the craft revolution has been, there are times you just want a good honest pint: so how about this, a multi-tap whose focus zooms on all things Czech. There’s eight taps and a wealth of bottles to traipse through as well as a small menu of food designed to sustain protracted drinking sessions. All this in an interior that’s dark and slick but not short of character – all of a sudden moving out to Ursynów seems a rather smart idea. W Oparach Absurdu ul. Ząbkowska 6 Hidden under Persian rugs, velvety drapes and reclaimed antiques, some still refer to it as The Spider Bar in reference to the giant tarantula that once hung from the wall. There’s an air of louche 60s living here, and it gets weirder when bands with names like the Bum Bum Orchestra enter to play trumpets amongst vodka-tipping guests.

listings / nightlife Warsaw Tortilla Factory (D5) ul. Wilcza 46, www.warsawtortillafactory. pl Warsaw’s premier sports pub: and it’s not just the extent of their sporting offer that elevates WTF, but the atmosphere. Whether it’s international rugby, or Bristol City on a Tuesday night, the tension, camaraderie and horseplay are unmatched. On the occasions when there is no sport, swing by for live bands and a lively atmosphere fueled by a heady mix of ex-pats, international students, and natives of all ages. Warszawa Powiśle (E4) ul. Kruczkowskiego 3B, warszawapowisle.pl The prime months for this former ticket booth arrive each summer when the deckchairs outside provide ample opportunity for the city’s young and fashionable to gather in an almost carnival-like atmosphere. Seen as a hipster Center of Power, you’ll know if you belong. Weles (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 11 A swing of the door takes visitors plunging down a blacked-out stairwell and into a basement that emerges from the darkness like a decadent Tsarist relic: glinting chandeliers glimmer over deep leather sofas, their subtle light casting a glow over an immaculate clientele. Befitting the venue, the artisanal cocktails are a work of elaborate craftsmanship, and incorporate everything from elite liquors to strips of bacon and flower petals. Zamieszanie (E4) ul. Nowy Świat 6/12 Cuda Na Kiju have built on their continuing success by adding this spot in the glass block next to their tap pub. Here though it’s cocktails that are the draw. Pre-bottled in a secret room downstairs, meaning none of the ad-libbed artistry of other cocktail bars, and tastes that are closer in line to 90s alcopop drinks than anything else. That doesn’t stop a young crowd from swamping the place come the weekend. Zorza (F5) ul. Żurawia 6/12, zorzabistro.pl Slotted inside what was once Café 6/12, Zorza embellishes the venue’s ascetic PRL style with licks of art deco: it’s an unlikely marriage that manages to work. But with even the sun sweating this summer, do your pecking, picking, sipping and supping on an outdoor terrace set-up that encourages mingling and interaction.

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

clubs Bal (F5) ul. Nowogrodzka 31, niechzyjebal.pl If you thought Nowogrodzka was just about grungy craft beer dens then think again. Proving you wrong is Bal, a club that draws a pleasureseeking party crew of waifish, wasted model-types and assorted hangers-on. Find them twerking away under one of the most interesting lighting arrangements in the city. Capitol Theatre and Club (C3) ul. Marszałkowska 115, clubcapitol.pl An extravagant dance space with sparkly chandeliers, regal staircases and a modern Moscow, over-the-top style. Mark the Hed Kandi events in your diary for a night to remember. DJ Bar (D5) ul. Żurawia 32/34, djbar.pl Edge down a set of concrete steps to find a riot of tangled bodies celebrating a music policy based – depending on the night – around hip hop, soul, funk and electronica. Luminous shots from the longest bar in town ratchet the party up an extra notch. Enklawa (D3) ul. Mazowiecka 12, enklawa.com Forget internet dating, Enklawa is the best pick-up joint around – a classic kitschy, glitzy disco, it draws in huge crowds with a simple lineup of pop and dance hits. Still regarded as the best Wednesday night in Warsaw, it’s the place for singletons looking for a one night confidence boost.

Klubo (D3) ul. Czackiego 3/5, klubo.pl You can almost feel this club’s legendary status as you, descend down into their basement. Dark, vibrant and decorated in a way that evokes the glory years of the 80s and 90s, tip down their house cocktails inside and writhe alongside other clubbers in a series of deep reddish rooms banging out house, disco and R&B sounds. Check their web for deals, offers and opening times. Lab The Live Act Bar (D4) ul. Bracka 25, barlab.pl There’s an ad hoc nature to Lab, and that begins with the decor: geometric floor patterns, a breezeblock

bar and retro-style tables and chairs. This individualistic temperament is further enhanced by various events that range from yard sales to concerts. But it’s as a club that Lab has gained attention, with its management pursuing a music policy that renounces the mainstream in favor of deep house and electronica. Level 27 (B5) Al. Jerzolimskie 123 (Millennium Building), level27.pl Set on the 27th floor of the Millennium Building, Level 27 promises a world class clubbing experience with open air views of the city down below. In more ways than one, you’ll rarely feel closer to the stars. Luztro (E4) Al. Jerozolimskie 6, luztro.pl Feeling naughty? Luztro enjoys a reputation for libertine behavior and illicit pharmaceuticals. Dark, grim and grotty, this after party stalwart gets going at about 4 a.m. on weekends, when troglodyte club creatures emerge zombie-like to dance way past sunrise. Jaw grinding, rib rattling electro has never felt better. Platinium (D3) ul. Fredry 6, platiniumclub.pl The place if you’re rich or beautiful – but preferably both. Large and spectacular you’ll need to be dressed to the nines to reap the rewards that lie inside: featuring the most eye candy per sq/m in Europe, you might not find Mr/Mrs Right, but you will find Mr/Mrs Right for Now. Sen Pszczoły ul. Grochowska 301/305, senpszczoly.pl Famous, infamous or a bit of both? Moving from their temporary digs in the Koneser Factory, the new-look Sen Pszczoły is every bit as murky as the previous: amid a heavy industrial background, find partygoers enjoying a mixed bag of events that range from didgeridoo performances to full-on techno that makes fillings pop out.

gentleman’s clubs Playhouse (B3) Al. Solidarności 82A, playhouse.pl Not here gorilla gangsters on the door or pushy girls doing the rounds (“buy me drinky drinky”). Instead, Playhouse models itself on the top class mega clubs such as Spearmint Rhino, and the result is a subterranean space removed from the sleaze and murk usually

listings / nightlife associated with the industry. But you want to know what the girls are like, yeah? Let the fact askmen.com voted it their favorite strip in the world speak for itself.

live music Chwila (B3) ul. Ogrodowa 31/35 Entered under a red, cabaret-style awning, Chwila is a reject factory space turned good. Furry cushions, patchwork quilts and student art vie for attention alongside iron girders and industrial leftovers inside what is becoming known as one of the top alternative music venues this side of the river. Klub 12/14 ul. Piwna 12/14, 12on14club.com Sometimes you’ve got to ask, just where are all the jazz bars? Well, at last the void has been filled with the entry of Klub 12/14 on the market. A schedule of daily evening concerts, a decent uncomplicated menu and a smart

white design make it a welcome addition to the Old Town. Pardon To Tu (C4) Pl. Grzybowski 12/16, pardontotu.pl Decorated in voluptuous brothel colors, the design involves mismatched seats, tilted lampshades and a relaxed arthouse look popular with creatives and other fringe dwellers. The live talent ranges from moody quartets to jazzy chanteuses, while a perfect marriage of late hours and great bottled beers helps along the enthusiastic crowd of latter day beatniks.

shot bars Bar Warszawa (D2) ul. Miodowa 2 Creak upstairs to find a warm space filled out with sofas and nostalgic decorations such as vintage radios and black and white photos of bare breasted prostitutes. Flexible opening hours mean it doesn’t always close at the stated 4 a.m.

Meta ul. Mazowiecka 11 / Foksal 21 / Parkingowa 5 Chains of old bog paper, Karol Gott album covers and other Communist keepsakes litter this shot bar. But for a real blast to the past, visit their Parkingowa venue for a full-on, Polski-style retro disco. It’s hilarious. Pijalnia (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 19, open 24hrs Havoc reigns in Pijalnia, and watching all the tears and tiffs on a Friday night is something of a spectator sport. Pickles and vodka are the essential order, while reading matter is supplied via commie-era sports reports that are plastered to the wall. Przekąski u Romana (F4) ul. Ludna 2, open 24hrs Bow-tied and debonair, proprietor Roman Modzelewski first came to attention as the bar steward of the defunct shot bar once found in the Hotel Europejski. Now he’s back, this time heading his own operation in hip Powiśle – it’s on its way to becoming a legend.

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shopping accessories Agent Provocateur ul. Mokotowska 59, tel. 22 273 6162, www. agentprovocateur.com The boutique is stocked full of the latest collection – gorgeous lacy bras with scrumptious attention to detail, matching panties, teddies and a bunch of strappy get-ups you can only get away with if you’re very fit or very confident, but preferably both. And if that’s not enough, they’ve got sexy stockings, silk robes, perfume, satin gloves, a blindfold and nipple tassels…

ON THE SCENT MO61 (ul. Mokotowska 61, mo61.pl) Billed as a ‘perfume laboratory’, Mo61 is one of few places in Poland that allows customers to create their own scents. Under the expert guidance of staff trained by Zygmunt Marczewski (“the best nose in Poland”!), visitors compose their own perfumes inside a beautifully renovated pre-war space. MOOD SCENT BAR (ul. Tamka 33, moodscentbar.com) A perfumery whose manifesto involves matching the right scent to the appropriate person. Catering to both men and women, bestselling brands include Serge Lutens, LM Parfums and Comme des Garcons. MON CREDO (ul. Bracka 9, moncredo.pl) A luxury scent store with top-end brands such as Carner Barcelona, Serge Lutens and Ramon Bejar. Also retails make-up, cosmetics, accessories and suchlike. PERFUMERIA QUALITY MISSALA (ul. Okopowa 58/72, Klif, perfumeriaquality.pl) Dubbing themselves as a ‘niche perfumery’, Missala pride themselves on their collection of exclusive scents from the likes of Amouage, Creed, Kilian, and more… TAGOMAGO (pictured) (Dworzec Centralny (unit 29A), tagomago.pl) Despite being a discount perfume store in the train station, at Tagomago you’re not making purchases from some swarthy gent reselling bottles of colored water, rather from a shop voted Poland’s best online store in 2011. Find all the big names with prices slashed by as much as 60%.

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

Bath & Body Works ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy) & ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów)The famed American brand signals its arrival to Europe with the launch of their Warsaw branch. Now fans of the brand can experience first-hand luxurious fragrant body care, hand and home collections. Customers can discover sophisticated fragrances, test shower gels and soaps at the sink area, and try everything from body lotions to home fragrances. BeautyLab Polska beautylablondon.pro Rated as one of the biggest names in global cosmetics, the range of treatments run from anti-ageing to daily body care and essential skin care. di

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Chiara (Saska Kępa) Promenada Shopping Centre, ul. Ostrobramska 75C, chiara-online.pl You’d never expect it but this chic little shop stocks the best shoes and bags in the city – stock up on the latest collections from Michael Kors, Celine, Stuart Weitzman, Ralph Lauren and Mulberry.

Di Trevi Boutique Piękna 11A, ditrevi.pl Aimed at both him and her, Di Trevi present the freshest Italian footwear releases from prestigious brands such as Ballin and Loriblu. Handbags are also available inside a chic interior that exudes luxury. Glamourous Pochette tel. (+48) 798 089 959, Glamorous-Pochette.

listings / shopping com Leave an unforgettable impression with stylish pocket squares made from the finest, hand selected Moroccan raw silk. So they say: ‘each one tells a story, or carries strong ties to a particular place or moment – when you wear one of our pocket squares, you take these stories and transform them into your own’. Glamstore ul. Narbutta 83 (entry from ul. Łowicka) Widely hailed by Poland’s fashion glossies, this store sells modern furnishings with all the trimmings and colours you could ask for. They also stock kitchen and bathroom accessories, as well as touting their own jewelery line.

Pingle Optyk ul. Hoża 40 A collection of hand-selected eyewear that is serious in terms of quality control, but entirely whimsical when it comes to design. Yes, you’ve got your ubiquitous Ray Ban classics, but you’ve also got the electric blue version. You’ve got your Chanel and YSL classics, then there are the leather-trimmed frames from Paul Smith and many more funky models straight from Paris.

HOS&me ul. Mokotowska 63, mokotowska63.com Luxury jewelry and the best in the biz. In stock: high end treasures from Nialaya, Lene Bjerre Design, Ti Sento, Christensen and Dryberg/Kern.

Puppy Star ul. Niecała 7, puppystar.pl You know those glam girls who carry yappy dogs in their handbag? This is premiumpriced salon and boutique is where they shop for their pooch.

Kate Roxs ul. Radna 10, kateroxs.eu Beyond the slightly creepy / fetishistic window display (leather Roman body armor), this store has earned a reputation for high quality, natural leather bags. “Our inspiration,” says Kate, “comes from women, not trends.”

Schubert ul. Piwna 12/14, ul. Piwna 26, ul. Świętojańska 11, worldofamber.pl Rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches produced using the finest Baltic amber. Or for a unique gift, how about an amber chess set or an amber cigarette lighter?

Le Galerie Parisienne ul. Wilcza 8, facebook.com/lagalerieparisienne The kind of store Warsaw needs more of: sourced by a French / Polish couple, the imaginative items include beautiful jewelry and hand-painted brooches, all the way to antique design pieces to individualize your home.

Stara Mydlarnia Various locations inc. ul. Chmielna 4, mydla. pl Handmade cosmetics such as fragrant soaps, bath gels and salts, body butters, massage oils and aromatic candles. Ideal for home pampering.

Lilou ul. Mokotowska 63, lilou.pl Modular jewelry made simple, and a must for all Warsaw fashionista. Minty Dot ul. Bracka 5, mintydot.pl Top quality Polish jewelry composed using gold, silver and natural stone. Contemporary in style, these are accessories that radiate class and craftsmanship while at the same time exuding a subtle sense of timeless romance. Mo61 ul. Mokotowska 61, tel. 601 652 593, open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00, mo61.pl Billed as a ‘perfume laboratory’, Mo61 is the only place

in Poland that allows customers to create their own scents. Under the expert guidance of staff trained by Zygmunt Marczewski (“the best nose in Poland”!), visitors compose their own perfumes inside a beautifully renovated pre-war space.

Stetson ul. Mysia 3, stetson.pl Head to the second floor to find this purveyor of quality Americana. Hats and caps in abundance, not to mention rereleased classics to coincide with the firm’s 150th birthday.

antiques Antykwariat na Tamce ul. Tamka 45B, antykwariat-tamka.pl How can you not love this second hand store? Presided over by a super-friendly hippy-looking dude, consider this a mine of rare vinyl (Beatles, Hendrix, Sabbath, weird Polish PRL stuff), as well as 15,000 comics and books (inc. plenty of sci-fi and historical interest).

Kolo ul. Obozowa 99, gieldastaroci.waw.pl What looks like a soggy tent city transforms each Sunday morning into a hopelessly addictive flea market offering wartime militaria, religious icons, chinaware, furniture from unverified periods of history, and even the occasional suit of armor. Half-junkyard, half treasure trove, it’s an experience in itself. Kwadryga ul. Wilcza 29, kwadryga.com Entered through a courtyard, it’s a magnet for bibliophiles, and groans with antique books, faded photographs, yellowing maps and dog-eared magazines – the atmosphere is timeless. The PRL-era lifestyle magazines are an amazing insight into the past.

books Books For Cooks ul. Inżynerski 1, booksforcooks.pl Just guess what the specialty here is? And if the Praga address deters you, then click to their web to find a hefty offer of original language cook books, memoirs, restaurant guides and assorted foodie must-haves. Czuły Barbarzyńca ul. Dobra 31, czuly.pl A cafe / bookstore hybrid that you’d imagine doing well in Paris. The Polish-language choice is broad, and whilst the number of English-language could be extended everyone finds the atmosphere irresistible. Fundacja Bęc Zmiana ul. Mokotowska 65/7, beczmiana.pl A small curiosity shop selling trendy trinkets and a fair amount of art and architecture books with an accent on modern Warsaw. Super Salon ul. Chmielna 10, supersalon.org Filled with beautiful titles, Super Salon dedicates itself to books, magazines and albums covering weighty subject matter such as photography, design, erotica and architecture. Represented publishers include Phaidon, Gestalten and Steidl.

fashion American Eagle Outfitters Al. Jana Pawła II 82 (C. H. Arkadia) & ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów) American www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / shopping Eagle brings you high-quality, on-trend clothing and accessories inspired by a denim heritage that truly expresses individual style. Ania Kuczyńska ul. Mokotowska 61 Ania Kuczyńska is becoming well known for her highly fashionable, minimalist clothing designs. The store also carries adorable baby clothes and various accessories. Bombay Shirts ul. Hoża 58/60, bombayshirts.com Custommade shirts for both men and women created from a choice of over 150 fabrics: among them the finest Egyptian cotton, two-ply cottons and pure linens. They promise shirts that are ‘modern and fast-paced but buttressed with old world charm’. di

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Cafardini ul. Grzybowska 5A, cafardini.com Complete suits start at zł. 2,600 and rise to zł. 4,500, depending on the fabric. Using the finest natural raw materials, Cafardini even offer a ‘suit spa’ – a special care package that will see you suit regain its fresh look if it has been worn intensively.

Gosia Baczyńska ul. Floriańska 6/11, gosiabaczynska.com. pl This elegant boutique on the other side of the river features gorgeous, unique designer pieces. Hard Rock Cafe ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), hardrockcafe.pl No wardrobe is complete without the iconic Hard Rock t-shirt! Find the Warsaw-stamped version available here, along with other extras for the all American look. Joanna Klimas ul. Nowolipki 2, joannaklimas.com One of Poland’s top fashion designers runs this boutique/showroom. Choose from the latest collections or have a dress custom made for a particular occasion. di

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Likus Concept Store ul. Bracka 9 (Vitkac), likusconceptstore.pl The Likus Concept Store brings ultra-chic designer clothing to Warsaw. The latest collections from Diesel, D2, Ferre, Sophia Kokosalaki and J. Lindeberg are all available and presented in this stylish three-floor department store. Lolly Pop Boutique Al. Jerozolimskie 169 lok 45A (C.H. Blue City, level 1), lollypop.pl Latest fashion from See by Chloe, Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans, Melissa, UnitedNude, Bronx and many more.

Di Trevi Boutique ul. Piękna 11A, ditrevi.pl Aimed at both him and her, Di Trevi present the freshest Italian footwear releases from prestige brands such as Ballin and Loriblu. Handbags are also available inside a chic interior that exudes luxury. EM Cashmere Boutique ul. Szczygla 8, emcashmere.pl Available brands include Allude Cashmere, Annette Görtz, Studiorundholz and Sarah Pacini with 30-40% discounts on last year’s collections, and up to 70% on those of previous years. A truly beautiful find with the clothes offer supplemented with shoes and accessories. Frank A ul. Natolińska 3, franka.pl The interior is painfully chic and the clothing effortlessly elegant with a minimalist edge. Stocks major brands that you can’t find anywhere else in Warsaw, from handbags from Pauric Sweeney, perfectly fashioned tees from American Vintage and ballet flats from Bloch.

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

Madox ul. Browarna 4, madoxdesign.com Best known for the baggy crotched trousers that took Warsaw by storm a couple of years back, Damian Nowacki’s fashion store juxtaposes urban street casual against unisex ideas.

Moliera 2 Boutique ul. Moliera 2, moliera2.com Brands: Alexandre Vauthier, Balmain, Beach Bunny, Casadei, Christian Louboutin, Gianvito Rossi, Herve Leger, Isabel Marant, Jimmy Choo, Kenzo, Kotur, Maison Michel, Moncler, One Teaspoon, Pierre Balmain, Ralh Lauren, Simonetta Ravizza, Tod’s, Tory Burch, Valentino, Victoria Beckham, Yves Salomon. Pan Tu Nie Stal Koszykowa 35/40, pantuniestal.com Polish design at its peak: fashion is prominent, but there’s also interesting bitsy things such

as aprons, jam jars, notebooks and mugs – all with a defiantly Polish twist. Eccentric, unusual and emphatically on-trend, it’s a must-visit.

Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3/4 Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3/4, plactrzechkrzyzy.com Brands: Christian Louboutin, Dsquared2, Fay, Gianvito Rossi, Hogan, Kenzo, Moncler, Ralph Lauren, Tod’s, Tom Ford, Valentino, Yves Salomon, Pierre Balmain, Beach Bunny, Kotur, Marc by Marc Jacobs, One Teaspoon, Simonetta Ravizza, Victoria Beckham.Kolekcje dla dzieci: Baby Dior, Dolce&Gabbana Kids, Dsquared2 Kids, Kenzo Kids, Moncler Kids, Ralph Lauren Kids, Tod’s Kids. Ptasia 6 ul. Ptasia 6, ptasia6.pl A unique ladies concept store showcasing the works of both emerging and established independent Polish fashion labels such as Eva Grygo, Confashion, Horror! Horror!, Kasia Miciak and Polanka. Reykjavik District ul. Burakowska 15, tel. 501 399 222, open Tue-Fri 13:00-19:00; Sat-Sun 13:00-17:00, www.reykjavikdistrict.com Chic, well-cut menswear for all occasions as designed by upcoming Icelandic native Olly Lindal. Sabotage ul. Burakowska 5/7 Those in-the-know know Sabotage as one of the places to buy funky deconstructed denim and sportswear pieces. Here you’ll find a wide array of unique clothes, hats, belts and handbags in a variety of fabrics and styles that hail straight from New York, London and Tokyo. Safripsti ul. Oleandrów 3 Formerly a make-up artist in London and Paris, owner Magdalena returned to Poland to open a vintage boutique. Buying wholesale – meaning prices are kept in check – her fashion store presents finds like authentic cheerleader outfits and Hawaiian shirts for summer, not to mention a great selection of denim, parkers and so forth. And how about a classic Burberry mac for zł. 200? Snobissimo ul. Mokotowska 28 Top labels from design houses like Jimmy Choo, Sonia Rykiel, Les Copains, Sergio Rossi etc., etc. With shoes and accessories all provided for, it’s a onestop shop to re-boot your wardrobe.

listings / shopping

Fashion Van Thorn ul. Sienna 39, tel. 22 243 7377, vanthorn.pl Bespoke and made-to-measure suits as well as custom-made shirts and a range of accessories from ties and pocket squares down to shoes and cufflinks. The attention to detail, the quality and craftsmanship are staggering. Viola Śpiechowicz ul. Kolejowa 55 (Łomianki), vsstore.eu/ violaspiechowicz.com Viola Spiechowicz is an inspiring, unpretentious and highly creative fashion designer who has cultivated her own original and inimitable style since her 1992 debut. Her designs are the result of a long search for the perfect form, texture and color scheme, lending each project its own unique style: be it fashion, upholstery fabrics or accessory design. Zaremba ul. Nowogrodzka 15, zaremba-krawiec.pl Originally inspired by the Savile Row style, Zaremba have been fitting out gentlemen of Warsaw since 1898. Under Maciej Zaremba, the brand has moved forward to take into account global trends while also respecting its past. Bespoke jackets start from zł. 5,900. Velt ul. Próżna 12, velt.pl Beautiful family-run glassware store whose pieces include the Leda lamp, awarded an honorable mention in the prestigious 2012 Red Dot Awards. Wawa Bla Bla ul. Dobra 15 A gift store showcasing the working of Poland’s upcoming ‘street artists’, not to mention the British proprietor’s own photos of Warsaw’s graffiti, this shop is filled with unconventional keepsakes that include canvas prints, Warsaw-themed mugs and one-of-a-kind postcards.

malls & department stores Arkadia Al. Jana Pawła II 82, tel. 22 323 6767, open Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-21:00, arkadia.com.pl

Atelier Mokotowska 63 ul. Mokotowska 63 Four levels of high end fashion, with Woolrich, Mason’s, Lardini, Boglioli, Borelli and Seventy all represented. Intimate, discreet and above all luxurious. Blind Concept Store ul. Mokotowska 63/100, tel. 501 770 661 From established international names to upcoming local designers, consider Blind your one-stop fashion solution. Find it all from eclectic jewelry from Anka Krsytyniak and Chocokate, eyewear from Cheap Monday and Woodyglasses, killer heels from United Nude and Melissa & Vivienne Westwood, etc Galeria KEN Center/E. Leclerc (Ursynów) ul. Ciszewskiego 15, tel. 22 389 8600, open Mon-Thur 10:00-21:00; Sun 10:00-20:00. kencenter.pl Galeria Mokotów ul. Wołoska 12, tel. 22 541 4141, open Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-21:00, galeriamokotow.com.pl Klif House of Fashion ul. Okopowa 58/72, tel. 22 531 4500, open Mon-Sat 09:00-21:00; Sun 10:00-20:00. klif.pl Warsaw’s original luxury shopping center has everything from the excellent Alma supermarket to top boutiques that include Max Mara, Paul & Shark and Pinko. Plac Unii ul. Puławska 2, tel. 22 204 0499, open

Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00; Sun 10:00-20:00, placunii.pl Warsaw’s latest mall counts Armani Jeans, Liu-Jo and Pandora amongst its upmarket tenants. Mysia 3 ul. Mysia 3, tel. 603 767 574, open Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00; Sun 12:00-18:00, mysia3.pl Hip department store that’s seen a few tenants come and go, yet has remained on the cutting edge in spite of it all. Set in Poland’s former censorship office, the line-up includes Scandinavian fashion in Cos, shoes from My Paris, fashion from Nenukko and more. Vitkac Wolf Bracka Vitkac, ul. Bracka 9, tel. 22 310 7313, open Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00; Sun 11:00-18:00, likusconceptstore.pl Vitkac was made for with a credit card blitz in mind. Poland’s first luxury department store gathers the world’s top designers under one roof, with brands including Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney and Rick Owens. And that’s the tip of the iceberg. Wola Park (Wola) ul. Górczewska 124, tel. 22 533-4000, open Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00; Sun 10:00-20:00 Złote Tarasy ul. Złota 59, tel. 22 222 2200, open Mon-Sat 9:00-22:00; Sun 9:00-21:00, zlotetarasy.pl Over 200 stores, restaurants and cafes, plus the Multikino cinema and the Pure Jatomi Health and Fitness Club.

made to measure suits and shirts Suits from 2600 PLN Shirts from 400 PLN

ul. Sienna 39 tel. 22 243 7377 www.vanthorn.pl www.warsawinsider.pl

family activities Copernicus Science Centre ul. Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 20, tel. 22 596 41 00, open Tue-Fri 9:00-6:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-7:00, kopernik.org.pl A brilliant array of science-inspired attractions that prove as stimulating for parents as they are for the kids. Check out Galeria BZZZ, an area designated for children up to six. In order to keep numbers manageable, expect entry times to be staggered.

CUKIERNIA PAWŁOWICZ (ul. Chmielna 13) It’s just a kiosk window in the city center, but the unavoidable scent, and endless queue, gives it away; this place is seriously passionate about traditional pączki! Whether you’re first in line at 9 a.m. or the last customer at 8, your ball of dough, covered in almonds or oozing rose-hip jam is served fresh and warm. DUNKIN’ DONUTS (pictured) (ul. Świętokrzyska 16) Poles love pączki, so no surprise this American chain wants a bite of the donut market! During my pregnancy I ate at least three of these super sweet doughnuts a week, my weakness being banana cream with choc sprinkles. Now my daughter, given the chance, would double that intake, hence I was grateful for the 20 km gap between us and their first outlet in Wilanów! But now Dunkin’ Donuts has opened on Świętokrzyska we’re all doomed. MANEKIN (ul. Marszałkowska 140) When milk, eggs and flour are accessible and affordable you have to wonder why people queue for over 45 mins to get a table in a pancake restaurant. But at this Polish chain they do – and in all weather. MR. PANCAKE (ul. Solec 50) Albeit a tiny diner, reserving is possible, but be on time or prepare to cozy up with fellow pancake lovers. The American-style pancakes are made-to-order and the list of toppings can be as crazy as you want. I devoured a skyscraper of five pancakes covered with whipped Malibu cream and crushed Oreo cookies, while the husband went for a bacon/egg and cream stack! Wackiest was the bacon flavor milkshake. (GBB)

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

Guitar Classes Tel. 732 860 825, arekniezgoda@hotmail. com Private guitar lessons either at your place or in a private studio in Wilanów. Classic, acoustic and electric guitar taught by Arek, a 35-year old teacher who covers most styles from classic to pop/rock. Previous work experience includes teaching in private music schools in California and at The British School of Warsaw. Both kids and adults are welcome. Hangar 646 ul. Wał Miedzeszyński 646, hangar646.pl Children with excessive energy levels should head to Hangar 646. Located in a former airport hangar, the 2,700 sq/m of trampoline space includes a swimming pool of sponges. Children from three years old are welcome to let off steam, with instructors available to teach acrobatics and suchlike; or you can just bounce off walls! HulaKula ul. Dobra 56/66, tel. 22 552 74 00, open Mon-Tue 12:00-24:00; Wed 12:00-1:00; Fri 12:00-3:00; Sat 10:00-4:00; Sun 10:0024:00, hulakula.com.pl Bowling alley and soft indoor playground: heaven for kids and hell

PHOTOGRAPH BY GILL BOELMAN-BURROWS

PĄCZKI V PANCAKE

Gym Generation ul. Wybrzeże Gdyńskie 4 (Centrum Olimpijskie, floor 4), tel. 502 092 695, gymgeneration.pl A professionally developed curriculum that offers your child a range of experiences, providing new and exciting activities each time and engaging them in physical challenges, a variety of games and team puzzles. There’s a maximum of 15 kids to a class, with one instructor for every five children.

listings / family for grown-ups! Children love to climb, explore and slide into large ball pools. Parents hate the lack of daylight and fast food menu. Little Chef ul. Bałuckiego 30/1, tel. 501 093 691, littlechef.pl (visit for more information) Cooking classes for children age 3-16. Groups for younger children age 4-10 and Junior Chef courses age 11-16. Kids cook and eat healthy meals. Great fun! Classes in English and Polish, Mon-Sat. The Little Gym ul. Bruzdowa 56 & ul. Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 45, tel. 22 842 0728, thelittlegym.eu Expect an age specific fitness curriculum, a high instructor-to-child ratio, original music and a weekly theme to engage the child’s imagination and sense of fun. Not only a great place for children, but tailored to a comfortable and relaxing stay for parents as well.

contact:admissions@aswarsaw.org or 22 702 85 00. The British Primary School of Wilanów ul. Hlonda 12, bsww.pl, tel. 781 988 000 BSW is a new, independent British curriculum school in the suburb of Wilanow. In 2015-16, the school is operating from age 2 up to British Year 3 (US 2nd Grade); applications are open up to Year 6 (5th Grade) for 2016-17. In 2017, the Secondary School will open its doors. The curriculum is broad,

balanced and carefully focused on enhancing progress and achievement against clear criteria. Pupils can, if they wish, also receive Polish diplomas from Year 2. The British School Early Years Centre ul. Dąbrowskiego 84 (Early Years Centre), tel. 22 646 7777, british@thebritishschool. pl, thebritishschool.pl The British School provides special classes from pre-nursery aged 30 months to 6 years old. Children at the Early Years Centre move on to our Primary and Secondary schools at Limanowskiego 15.

Mums & Tots mumsandtots.pl A volunteer group for mums (and dads) of all nationalities – coffee mornings, play groups, art and music classes and nights out for parents; the list is endless. For more details, as well as their newsletter and schedule check their web. Zachęta Gallery Pl. Małachowskiego 3, tel. 22 556 9600, open Tue-Sun 12:00-20:00, zacheta.art.pl Recently undergone extensive modernization but still awaiting a café, this gallery and bookshop offer a perfect introduction to modern art. Also available are weekend workshops for children and original cultural birthday parties guided by experienced animators in a contemporary environment.

education preschools

American School of Warsaw ul. Warszawska 202 (Konstancin-Jeziorna), tel. 22 702 85 00, aswarsaw.org American School of Warsaw provides a rich, meaningful and balanced educational experience through age-appropriate activities to students aged 3 to 5. For further information and/or to visit our school,

www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / family

The Canadian School of Warsaw Preschool ul. Ignacego Krasickiego 53, tel. 697 979 100, preschool@canadian-school.pl The Canadian School of Warsaw is the only authorized school in Warsaw teaching IB PYP in English. The preschool offers a bilingual environment for 3-6 year olds enriched with foreign languages and extra activities. Serving the Warsaw community since 2000 all children are welcome, though available space is limited. For further info, tours and school visits call or email.

Casa dei Bambini & Toddler School (multiple locations)

Warsaw Montessori School ul. Badowska 19 (Mokotów), tel. 22 851 6893; ul. Szkolna 16 (Izabelin), tel. 22 721 8736, mob. 692 099 134, office@warsawmontessori.edu.pl, warsawmontessori.edu. pl Warsaw Montessori and Casa dei Bambini have 3 green and harmonious locations in Mokotów and Izabelin. The school in Izabelin is set in the quiet of the Kampinos Forest just outside the city. Teachers are fully trained in early-childhood education in English according to the Montessori philosophy. Registration open to children 2 1/2 to 6 years of age. Call to make an appointment to tour any of the 3 schools.

Ecole Antoine de Saint-Exupery ul. Nobla 16, tel. 22 616 14 99, ecole-montessori. pl The preschool is located in the Saska Kępa district and provides a Montessori curriculum in French for children aged from 18 months to 6 years old. The English Playhouse ul. Pływiańska 14a & ul. Rzodkiewki 18, tel. 22 843 9370, office open 8:0016.00, theenglishplayhouse.com The English Playhouse functions in two green and quiet residential districts of Mokotów and Wilanów. The pre-school follows the English National Curriculum and accepts children from 12 months up till six-years-old. For more info or to arrange a tour of the pre-school or nursery call Justyna Nowak on tel. 784 037 808 or email: jnowak@theenglishplayhouse.com

The International Preschool of Warsaw ul. Kalatowki 24, tel. 22 843 0964, ipw. edu.pl IPW is located in a residential area of Mokotów, within walking distance of Królikarnia as well as both tram and metro lines. Children from 2.5 to 6 years old are welcome. English is the language spoken and breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided during the day. Children also have

the opportunity to participate in gymnastics, music, art and drama classes. IPW serves the international community and prepares children for international education. Happy Montessori House Warsaw Montessori Pre-school, ul. Rumiana 14, tel. 22 423 50 75, mob. 697 060 504, open 7.30-17:00, hmh.com.pl The Happy Montessori House offers part-time and fulltime places for children aged between 2 to 6 years, as well as toddler-focused activities (from 18 months to 3 years) centered around movement, sensorial stimulation, storytelling, singing and socialising.

Maple Tree Montessori ul. Piechoty Łanowej 46A (entrance from Rotmistrzowska/ Petyhorska), tel. 531 599 444, mapletreemontessori.pl Maple Tree Montessori is a family-run, international preschool that offers an authentic Montessori curriculum supported by a Music & Art program, with a natural playground and a strong focus on an ecological & healthy lifestyle. They have two classes: a toddler group (15 to 30 months) and a casa class (2.5 to 6 years). Find them located in the Wilanów district of Warsaw, in a house safely nestled into the end of a quiet street. Międzynarodowa Szkoła Podstawowa Argonaut ul. Radarowa 6, tel. 504 509 504, open Mon-Fri 7.30-18:00, argonaut.edu.pl This elementary school is open for children of all nationalities and backgrounds. It places a focus on learning English as well as additional languages, and has an attractive list of available extracurricular activities. Montessori Academy for International Children ul. Królewicza Jakuba 36 (Wilanów), open Mon-Fri 8:00-16:15, ul. Sadowa 4 (Konstancin), Open 8:00-16:45, tel. 502 315 022, montessoriacademy.eu An English-speaking pre-school (16 months to 6 years of age) with two locations. The school’s policy is to comply with Montessori standards, using the Montessori Method in English. The school’s philosophy is based on the joy of learning, which comes from discovering and furthering the individual development of each child.

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

listings / family Primrose Bilingual Preschool ul. Bernardyńska 16A lok U7, tel. 22 415 8500, primrose.edu.pl Following the ‘immersion’ method, each class has two teachers – one Polish-speaking, the other English. Through this children have all-day contact with different languages, absorbing them in everyday situations. In accordance with the hands-on methodology, children also take part in daily workshops ranging from kitchen science to art and craft classes.

In 2015-16, the school is operating from age 2 up to British Year 3 (US 2nd Grade); applications are open up to Year 6 (5th Grade) for 2016-17. In 2017, the Secondary School will open its doors. The curriculum is broad, balanced and carefully focused on enhancing progress and achievement against clear criteria. Pupils can, if they wish, also receive Polish diplomas from Year 2.

schools

The British School ul. Limanowskiego 15, tel. 22 842 3281, open 8:00-16:00, british@thebritishschool. pl, www.thebritishschool.pl Top-ranking private school in Warsaw providing outstanding education based on the British system.

American School of Warsaw ul. Warszawska 202 (Konstancin-Jeziorna), tel. 22 702 85 00, aswarsaw.org ASW is a premier collegepreparatory international school that offers a PK-12 curriculum, including the IB Diploma Program in Grades 11 and 12. Students are inspired and challenged every day by experienced and dedicated teachers, who provide enriching learning opportunities in a world class facility. For further information and/ or to visit our school contact: admissions@ aswarsaw.org or 22 702 85 00. The British Primary School of Wilanów ul. Hlonda 12, bsww.pl, tel. 781 988 000 BSW is a new, independent British curriculum school in the suburb of Wilanow.

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

Casa dei Bambini & Toddler School (multiple locations)

Warsaw Montessori School ul. Badowska 19 (Mokotów), tel. 22 851 6893; ul. Szkolna 16 (Izabelin), tel. 22 721 8736, mob. 692 099 134, office@warsawmontessori.edu.pl, warsawmontessori.edu. pl Casa dei Bambini is pleased to announce the opening of their middle school as of September 1. Academics, social awareness, personal growth, the arts, travel and fitness are just few of the elements they promise, and they will also be introducing their ‘Earth

School’ where children study close to nature. The English Primary ul. Rzodkiweki 18, tel. 784 037 808, jnowak@tep.edu.pl An English primary school designed to prepare children for their next steps in education in a friendly, caring and nurturing environment. We take children from the international community through the key learning stages so that they achieve to the best of their best ability through a fun learning experience. The Canadian School of Warsaw Elementary School ul. Bełska 7, tel. 692 411 573, admission@ canadian-school.pl, canadian-school.pl The Canadian School of Warsaw is the only authorized school in Warsaw teaching IB PYP in English. The Primary School offers bilingual education for 6-11 year olds. Highly qualified, international staff, challenging materials and a friendly atmosphere provide an optimal setting for the highest standard of education. Extra-curricular activities include visual arts, designing classes, ceramics/pottery, art studio, music lessons (piano, guitar, choir), sports (capoeira, karate, judo, soccer, swimming, gymnastics), languages (English, Polish, French, Spanish, Italian, German) and more.

listings / family Non-Public Psycho-Pedagogical Counseling Centre ‘Olimpia’ (tel. 885 620 066) which examines the level of mental, emotional, auditory and visual-motor functions’ development, and conducts individual and group pedagogical therapy, as well as individual psychotherapy.

The Canadian School of Warsaw Middle School ul. Olimpijska 11, tel. 885 420 044 / 885 620 066, secretary.olimpijska@canadianschool.pl, canadian-school.pl Provides a continuation of PREIB education for 11-15 year olds. International staff, cultural events and challenging student initiatives create a perfect learning and creative thinking environment. For further info, tours and school visits call or email. Also home to the

Ecole Antoine de Saint-Exupery ul. Nobla 16, tel. 22 616 14 99, saint-exupery.pl

Established in 1994, the Antoine de Saint-Exupery preschool and school provides a French curriculum for children aged from 3 to eleven years old in a welcoming family atmosphere. Highly qualified native Frenchspeaking teachers. Warsaw Montessori School ul. Szwoleżerów 4, tel. 22 841 3908, sylvia@warsawmontessori.edu.pl, warsawmontessori.edu.pl Focuses on the Montessori curriculum with an education based on the integration of conceptual learning and real-life experiences.

Casa dei Bambini Warsaw Montessori School

accepting applications for all our locations and programs: Toddler: age 1.5-2.5, Casa: age 2.5-6 Contact Ela: tel. 692 099 134 office@warsawmontessori.edu.pl Elementary: age 6-9, 9-12 Opening in September 2016 "Erdkinder" Middle School: age 12-15 Contact Sylvia: tel. 606 276 112 sylvia@warsawmontessori.edu.pl Szwoleżerów 4, Warszawa Badowska 19, Warszawa Szkolna 16, Izabelin-Hornówek

www.warsawmontessori.edu.pl

American School of Warsaw is hosting an Open House for prospective families.

Come experience us in action! • Tour the school • Interact with administrators, faculty and students • Receive admissions information AUGU ST

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listings / family cafes Fiku Miku ul. Zwycięzców 32, tel. 692 448 112, open Mon-Fri 10:00-20:00; Sat-Sun 11:00-20:00, fikumikucafe.pl This small, jolly cafe is dedicated to children. The focus is on films and creative workshops. Designer Polish toys are on sale alongside a healthy menu, and fresh cake selection. Check FB for updates as this café closes for private birthday parties. Kopytko Mamuta ul. Boya-Żeleńskiego 2, kopytkomamuta. pl The creation of Kopytko Mamuta plugs a gap in the market, with beautifully cobbled shoes that are, in the words of the owner Agnieszka, ‘the essence of Parisian chic’. Specializing in trendy kicks from the likes of Mercredi Apres Midi, it’s the ultimate spoiler for your budding style maven and her little Prince Charming. Nabo ul. Zakręt 8, tel. 22 842 0256, open Mon-Fri 8:00-21:30; Sat-Sun 9:00-21:30, nabocafe.pl Nabo is run by a Danish couple and its light and minimalist interior – designed by those who created R20 – lends itself to every occasion. But aside from its tasty and seasonal dishes, it’s the children’s corner that is causing the biggest commotion. Nowa Kuźnia (Wilanów) ul. Stanisława Kostki-Potockiego 24, tel. 500 200 200, open Mon-Fri 12:00-

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

22:00; Sat-Sun 11:00-22:00, nowakuznia. pl Hugely child friendly, Nowa Kuźnia comes into its element each summer when the garden is turned into a giant faux beach – complete with diggers, slides and a see-saw. Peek-a-boo ul. Karola Chodkiewicza 7, tel. 22 370 21 71, open Mon-Sun 10:00-20:00 The pale palette and plush velvet upholstered furniture might not be the first choice of fabrics around sticky, chocolaty paws but every mummy needs a bit of luxury from time-to-time. The café divides its limited square meters evenly between parent and child expectations, creating space to relax, eat and play in: however, the gigantic doll’s house does suggest Barbie got the best deal.

shops Bimbus ul. Wilcza 69, tel. 22 628 5140, open 10:00-18:00; Sat 10:00-14:00. bimbus. com.pl Accessories, clothes, furniture and toys for parents who pamper their child with nothing but the best. Brands include Tartine et Chocolat, Quax, Woodwork and Theophile & Patachou. Endo endo.pl Endo is the original home of quality children’s wear that embraced great design by Polish artists and accompanied it with Polish slogans. Much of the materials used are

organic, hardwearing and wash well. Lullaby Multiple locations, lullaby.pl Jam packed with funky design and quirky gifts for your little ones. However, the exquisite clothing and designer labels do come with a hefty price tag. Muppetshop ul. Kazimierzowska 43, tel. 532 689 212, muppetshop.pl An innovative concept store that offers a wide range of brands and products targeted at young people – babies, juniors, teenagers. The portfolio includes full-service for expecting parents as well as complete interior projects (from 0 to the first-owned apartment). On top of that expect a wealth of other design products (kitchen accessories, decorations, toys, bags, books etc.) from carefully selected brands such as Quax, Lodger, Chispum, Shnuggle, Collegien, Jielde, Gubi and many more besides. It all serves to make it the No. 1 spot for your youngsters shopping. Pieluszkarnia ul. Topiel 12, ul. Mandalińskiego 25, tel. 22 713 8275, open Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00; Sat 10:00-15:00. pieluszkarnia.pl This small chain specializes in eco-friendly toys and clothing designed and produced in Poland. Products include the Lalanka dolly clothing collection, luxuriously soft reversible winter balaclavas and Martello blankets personalized for births etc.

health & beauty gyms Fitness Centre at the Radisson SAS Centrum Hotel ul. Grzybowska 24, tel. 22 321 8888 Smallish but well-regarded gym with swimming pool, sauna, gym, and group classes inside one of Warsaw’s top five stars. Fitness Centre at the Sheraton Hotel ul. Prusa 2, tel. 22 450 6701, www. sheraton.com/warsaw The Sheraton spa features sauna, steam room and massage, while the gym comes with LCD-fitted running and cycling machines, and a dedicated cardio section. Personal training available, as are group classes covering pilates, yoga, aerobics and even ski conditioning.

HIM & HER EVENNESS (ul. Literacka 19, evenness.pl) For couples, the offer is thus: classic massage (zł. 195 / 245 for 60 / 90 mins), chocolate massage (zł. 195229), a 70-minute hot stone massage (zł. 313), or the aromatherapy massage (zł. 220 for one hour). MYMASUJEMY (pictured) (ul. Lipkowska 6, mymasujemy.pl) Commonly regarded as the best option for couples, their offer includes 90 minute classic massages with warm oil (zł. 280), warm shea butter (zł. 300), or hot West African chocolate (zł. 340) inside a carefully manipulated romantic atmosphere. Also worth your review is their three-hour massage class aimed specifically at couples (zł. 350). PAŁAC ŻELECHÓW (ul. Piłsudskiego 36, Żelechów, palaczelechow.eu) So it’s 85 km from Warsaw, but you may not mind the journey: the zł. 495 couples treatment includes aromatic bathing in an ‘infinity duo pool’, steam sauna, infrared sauna session and a glass of wine. Separate him/her packages include a beer bath for the gent. Make a night of it by booking a room in their rather special hotel… YO!ZEN (Al. Jana Pawła II 61, yozen.pl) Sure they do classic massage (zł. 238 / 318 for 60 / 90 mins), but for something truly special then expand your horizons with a Hindu hot stone massage (zł. 438-598), a Tibetan warm honey massage (zł. 318-438) or a Lomi Lomi Nui massage.

Holmes Place Energy Al. Jana Pawła II 82 (C.H. Arkadia), ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów), www. holmesplace.pl Making top-flight gym facilities available to the masses, the Holmes Place Energy brand offers high standard equipment, personal training and group classes. Six month membership available for approx. zł. 200 per month, though prices are subject to change. For latest details enquire direct. Holmes Place Premium ul. Belwederska 23 (Regent Hotel), tel. 22 851 0563, ul. Grzybowska 63 (Hilton), tel. 22 313 1222, al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott), tel. 519 436 841, www.holmesplace.pl Those who use it claim the Hilton branch is the best gym in Poland. Set on two floors, highlights include a 25 meter pool, sauna and steam room and a spacious gym packed with the most modern equipment. Also on-site, a varied timetable of classes, excellent personal trainers and a Green Coffee relaxation area. There’s two more ‘premium’ gyms to choose from, including the one in the Marriott immortalized after Obama’s recent work out there. Little Gym ul. Bruzdowa 56, tel. 22 842 0728, www.thelittlegym.pl Targeted at children, expect an age specific fitness curriculum, a high instructor-to-child ratio, original music and a weekly theme to engage the child’s www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / health & beauty imagination and sense of fun. Englishspeaking, as well.

some very exotic treatments, BodyClinic covers all the bases.

McFit ul. Świętokrzyska 3 (corner of Nowy Świat), tel. 22 313 1400, mcfit.com The budget European chain signals its arrival to Poland with a 2,000 sq/m studio that utilizes the latest technology as well as ‘cyber training’ programs. Open 24/7, with membership from zł. 89 per month.

Dotyk SPA ul. Biały Kamień 3, tel. 22 898 7272, open Mon-Fri 9:00-22:00; Sat 9:00-18:00, www.dotykspa.pl Probably the only place in Warsaw where you’ll get a facial yoga session. Going futher east, treat yourself to Japanese, Polynesian or Indian massage.

RiverView Wellness Centre ul. Emilii Plater 49 (InterContinental), tel. 22 328 86 40, www.riverview.com.pl Top-class facilities and equipment, private instructors and small classes. The view from the highest pool in Europe offers a glorious panorama of the city. Annual prices from zł. 4,200 (access from Mon-Fri 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.), zł. 5,760 (all times), and zł. 8,350 for Diamond Membership (includes two personal training sessions per month, a complimentary weekend at the InterContinental, restaurant discounts, etc.).

spas & salons Bali Spa ul. Nowy Świat 22, bali-spa.pl Let the Balinese therapists pamper you with authentic Balinese and Thai massages, full body rituals, facials, hot stone treatments, etc. inside sensual interiors filled with the mystical spirit of the East. Bartek Janusz Salon ul. Mokotowska 19 / ul. Wilcza 72, tel. 22 828 4444, bartekjanusz.pl The staff here takes a no-nonsense approach to cutting hair – it goes along with the minimalist chic interiors of the place. According to one Insider: “I’ve never left a salon feeling so happy with my hair.” Bio.Sis Nail Spa ul. Mokotowska 26, tel. 22 621 1404. A top spot for a classic manicure or pedicure – they also do lots of complicated things with gels and other hi-tech nail discoveries. Also on Elektoralna 24. BodyClinic ul. Oboźna 9 lok. 104, tel. 22 826 1160 or 784 677 618, open Mon-Fri 9:00-20:00; Sat 9:00-15:00, wwbodyclinic.pl Thorough body care for everyone. From the usual options to a huge variety of massages and

Warsaw Insider | FEBRUARY 2016

Fiuu Fiuu Day Spa ul. Mokotowska 48, tel. 22 629 2414. A wonderful quick fix salon that makes use of the latest Ericson products and other top brands. Regarded as one of the top ladies day spas in the country. Hair a Porter ul. Belwederska 23 (Regent, level -1), tel. 22 558 1555, open Mon-Fri 9:00-20:00; Sat 9:00-17:00, www.hair-a-porter.pl A staunch favorite among the ex-pat crowd, Hair a Porter offer the ultimate hair experience utilizing talented staff and top-quality products. La Perla multiple locations inc. Łowicka 21B/1, Wilcza 22A, Hilton Hotel, klinikalaperla.pl Here, the staff is adept and certified at a range of innovative treatments: from the non-invasive Bella Contour treatment to the Body Tite and Body Jet treatments that use the latest surgical procedures to slim and tighten. For summer the right spa/salon/clinic is key. La Perla’s all three in one!

Studio Jej i Jego ul. Wiertnicza 93A, tel. 22 885 0085, jejijego.pl Hair and beauty treatments for men and women – inc. nail care, massage, facial and body treatments. You & You Maciej Wróblewski ul. Grzybowska 61 (Galeria Platinum Towers), tel. 606 994 226, youandyou. eu Poland’s premier hair stylist is Maciej Wróblewski, and his flagship salon fuses a personal approach with professional styling. Disappointments are unheard of.

swimming Aquapark Wesolandia ul. Wspólna 4 (Wesoła), tel. 22 773 9191, wesolandia.pl Features a recreational pool, kids pool and a 25 meter pool for more serious swimmers. Also on-site, a water tube, Jacuzzi, tennis and fitness facilities. Holmes Place Premier ul. Belwederska 23 (Regent Hotel), tel. 22 851 0563, ul. Grzybowska 63 (Hilton), tel. 22 313 1222, al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott), tel. 519 436 841, holmesplace. pl All the ‘premier’ outposts of Holmes Place tout swimming pools, though most agree it is the one in the Hilton branch that’s the best. Enquire direct about membership fees.

Le Spa ul. Mokotowska 55, tel. 22 622 9428 This little island of peace and beauty takes you light-years away from the bustle of Warsaw.

Private Coaching Tel. 512 517 013, anthonypst.wix.com/ anthonypst Ozzie Anthony offers one-on-one swimming classes conducted at your venue of choice. Fully qualified, he offers tailor-made lessons for all ages and all levels of proficiency: from total beginners to competitive swimmers.

Retro Day Spa Al. Ujazdowskie 18/11, no. 311, tel. 22 622 03 69, www.retrodayspa.pl Royally indulgent interiors hark back to a different century, though the treatments are all hi-tech and include packages for pregnant women among the variety of beauty offers.

RiverView Wellness Centre ul. Emilii Plater 49 (InterContinental), tel. 22 328 86 40, riverview.com.pl Another members only pool, and this one is really worth the membership cost – it’s the highest pool in Europe. Stunning views of Warsaw make this a swim to remember.

Spearside ul. Grzybowski 63, spearside.pl A male spa / salon offering massage, manicure, scrubs, physiotherapy and a range of treatments aimed at improving your ‘quality of life’. More modern-looking than the rest, hair and grooming solutions are provided by Maciej, a barber of exceptional talent.

Wodny Park ul. Merliniego 4, tel. 22 854 0130, wodnypark.com.pl When looking for a pool, most look no further: on-site find an Olympic swimming pool, recreational pool complete with artificial river, slides and tubes, a Russian ‘banya’ zone, not to mention other attractions like bowling and squash courts.

in the city FEELING SOCIAL?

Warsaw’s growing number of ex-pat clubs and foreigner friendly meeting groups cater to an increasingly diverse audience. There’s no excuse to stay in this February – this month we bring you four in particular that have caught the eye…

Going strong since 1997, the Warsaw Diplomatic Cigar Club meets every second Wednesday of the month. For details, see: wdcc.waw.pl

Held each Monday, Warsaw Tandem Evening is the biggest language exchange program in the city. For details, see: facebook.com/TandemEvening.Warszawa

English-speaking board game enthusiasts convene at Pod Wieczorki Café each Tueday night to play a mix of games. For details, see: facebook.com/WarsawBoardGames

PHOTOGRAPHS SHUTTERSTOCK

The BAS Book Club meets once a month in Tarabuk to discuss the pre-chosen book of the month in English. Contact Marzena at: bas.book.club@gmail.com

www.warsawinsider.pl

listings / in the city VISITORS accomodation 5-Star Hotels

Bristol Hotel ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44, tel. 22 551 1000, bristol@luxurycollection. com, www.hotelbristolwarsaw.pl

H15 Boutique ul. Poznańska 15, tel. 22 553 8700, info@h15ab.com, www.h15ab.com Hilton Warsaw ul. Grzybowska 63, tel. 22 356 5555 / 800 44 11 482, www.hilton.com InterContinental ul. Emilii Plater 49, tel. 22 328 8888, www.warsaw.intercontinental.com Mamaison Le Régina Hotel Warsaw ul. Kościelna 12, tel. 22 531 6000, www. mamaison.com Marriott Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. 22 630 6306, www.warsawmarriott.com Regent Warsaw Hotel ul. Belwederska 23, tel. 22 558 1234, reservations@regent-warsaw.com, www.regent-warsaw.com The Rialto Boutique Hotel ul. Wilcza 73, tel. 22 584 8700, www.rialto.pl Sheraton ul. Prusa 2, tel. 22 450 6100, www.sheraton.pl Radisson Blu Centrum Hotel ul. Grzybowska 24, tel. 22 321 8888, www.radissonblu.com/hotel-warsaw

Sofitel Warsaw Victoria ul. Królewska 11, tel. 22 657 8011, www.sofitel-victoria-warsaw.com

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Westin Al. Jana Pawła II 21, tel. 22 450 8000, www.westin.pl

4-Star Hotels

Airport Hotel Okęcie ul. 17-ego Stycznia 24, tel. 22 456 8000, www.airporthotel.com.pl Hampton by Hilton ul. Wspólna 72, tel. 22 317 2700, hamptoninn3.hilton.com Radisson Blu Sobieski pl. Zawiszy 1, tel. 22 579 1000, www.sobieski.com.pl Mecure Warszawa Centrum ul. Złota 48/54, tel. 22 697 3999, www.mercure.com Mercure Grand Warszawa ul. Krucza 28, tel. 22 583 2100, www.mercure.com Courtyard by Marriott Hotel (Airport) ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1, tel. 22 650 0100, www.warszawacourtyard.pl Novotel Warszawa Centrum ul. Marszałkowska 94/98, tel. 22 596 0000, www.novotel.com, www.accorhotels.com Polonia Palace Hotel Al. Jerozolimskie 45, tel. 22 318 2800, www.poloniapalace.com Warsaw Plaza Hotel ul. Łączyny 5, tel. 885 886 100, www. warsawplazahotel.pl

Relo Planet ul. Batalinou Platerówek 3, reloplanet.com International, domestic and office removals, corporate and individual relocations, fine art shipping, storage, insurance, as well as a full range of assistance services (immigration, etc.).

polish for foreigners Klub Dialogu ul. Ordynacka 13/5, tel. 664 788 004, www. klubdialogu.pl Outstanding programs for foreigners living in Poland offer a variety of courses aimed at every level. Using over ten years of experience, the leaning process becomes an adventure at Klub Dialogu.

community Anglican Church in Warsaw ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 62, tel. 880 580 628, anglicanchurch.pl English language services follow the order of the services of the Anglican Communion and are conducted by Rev. David Brown. Services are held each Sunday at 10:30 and 16:00. InterNations www.internations.org Drawing professionals from home and abroad the mission of InterNations is to bring together ‘global minds’. Now an established part of Warsaw’s social and corporate circuit, their monthly meetings have become Must Do events on schedules round town.

RESIDENTS relocation companies

International Women’s Group of Warsaw iwgwarsaw.eu Unites expat women in Warsaw and offers cultural, educational and recreational activities. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Monday of the month.

Move One Relocations ul. Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. 22 630 8160, www.moveonerelo.com Also immigration assistance, fine art shipping, pet transport and consulting services.

Professionals in Warsaw meetup.com/Professionals-in-Warsaw New to town? There’s few better ways to give your social life a jump start than popping along to one of the informal drinks mixers conducted by Professionals in Warsaw. Natives and foreigners of all backgrounds and professions are welcomed – all you have to do is buy your own drinks. Search for them on facebook.

listings / in the city St. Patrick’s Foundation www.irishball.pl The Irish Ball, held on the Saturday closest to St. Patrick’s Day, is legendary in Warsaw as the biggest of the balls. It’s the main annual fund-raiser of the foundation, which distributes the funds raised to various charities over the course of the year.

CSW ul. Jazdów 2, csw.art.pl Situated in a baroque-style castle the center hosts artists from all over the world. The bookshop is of particular interest for artists and intellectuals.

Taste of the Classics www.fnok.pl A Taste of the Classics is a classical music, fine art and dinner entertainment, held regularly in prime locations. The events alternate between formal and semi-formal dress and are held in English. Attendance is by invitation and includes dinner and wine. Toastmasters International www.toastmasters.org.pl Toastmasters is the international organization for improving public speaking and presentation skills. The local club meets every Wednesday at 19.00. Guests are always welcome without any obligation apart from a short introduction. For further details, see their website.

Museum of Life Under Communism ul. Glucha, adventurewarsaw.com Run by the excellent Adventure Warsaw tour guide company, the Museum of Communist Life brings together aspects of communist life through dioramas that present typical living quarters of the time and a milk bar. Displays are numerous and quirky, and include a restored Saturator machine, a collection of commie hoovers, not to mention medals from the owner’s own family. A must see! Polin - Museum of the History of Polish Jews ul. Anielewicza 6, polin.pl Composed of eight galleries, each covers a different stage of local Jewish history, from the middle ages to the present day. Covering 4,000 sq/m, highlights of this museum include a staggeringly beautiful replica of the ceiling of Gwoździec synagogue, and a ‘remake’ of a typical interwar Jewish Warsaw street.

museums Copernicus Science Centre ul. Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 20, tel. 22 596 4100, kopernik.org.pl Copernicus allows visitors to experience an earthquake, blast recyclable objects into space and become a mystery cracking detective.

Museum Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw ul. Pańska 3, artmuseum.pl Ongoing: Zofia Rydet. Record 1978-1990. Rydet’s ‘Sociological Record’ comprises around 20,000 photographs from more than one hundred villages and towns located mainly in

the Polish regions of Podhale, Upper Silesia and Suwałki area. Ongoing: Julius Koller. “?” One of the most important Slovak artists of his generation. The exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw presents a new appraisal of this iconic figure of postwar European art. National Museum Al. Jerozolimskie 3, mnw.art.pl Famed for its collection of Dutch and Flemish masters, it’s also the final word in Polish art, with all the greats represented. The Neon Museum ul. Mińska 25 (Soho Factory), neonmuzeum. org This amazing project brings together the neon lights that once illuminated the city. Among the collection are 35 landmark signs, many of which date from the 60s and 70s. Warsaw Rising Museum ul. Grzybowska 79, 1944.pl Exhibits range from a full-size replica of a Liberator plane, to a sewer beneath the cinema screen and a slice of bread preserved from 1944. Don’t miss the ‘City of Ruins’, a five minute 3D film which takes you on an aerial journey over devastated Warsaw. Zachęta National Art Gallery Pl. Małachowskiego 3, zacheta.art.pl Ongoing till Jan 10: Just After the War. This exhibition is an attempt to answer the question as to how the complicated social moods and political tensions in post-war Poland.

w W a r s a www.city-tour.com.pl

Yellow Double-Decker Bus

Invites you to experience a panoramic tour of tourist attractions of the capital of Poland, Warsaw, in a relaxing and comfortable way. Traveling over the course of approximately 1,5 hour, a double-decker bus will take you past many beautiful and interesting places of Warsaw, such as its interesting districts, palaces and churches, monuments and museums, parks and historical cemeteries, as well as the Jewish historical sites. A GPS 12 language audio-guide, will give explanations and accompany you to make your ride a more adventurous, exciting and an unforgettable one. Excellent Hop on Hop off and one trip service operates every day all year round.

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LOOKING BACK

International Love Story

any of us foreigners came to Warsaw to be with our Polish sweethearts or met them when we were already here and decided to stay to strengthen the bonds of mutual love and affection. Others, on the other hand, are just here for some hanky-panky. This is nothing new, though; there is a great pantheon of sizzling love affairs that took place between Poles and foreigners in the BT era (Before Tinder). The greatest of all must be the epoch-busting romance between King Jan III Sobieski and Queen Mary. The young Marysieńka came to Poland from France when she was five as lady-in-waiting to Marie Louise Gonzaga – wife and consort to two Polish kings. She quickly learned the ways of the royal court and gained full command of the Polish language, but it was her dark penetrating eyes, glistening black hair, milky complexion and well-proportioned figure that pricked the interest of the dashing but modestly ranked nobleman Jan Sobieski. After a failed married to the magnate Jan Zamoyski, who died riddled with syphilis, Marysieńka made moves to take her pen-pal relationship with Jan to the next stage. One stunt involved being caught accidentally-on purpose in an embrace and pressuring Jan to either marry her or blow his head off with a pistol – he took the former option. Their marriage was different to other Polish noble

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marriages at the time in that it was based on genuine love and affection. Marysieńka bore Jan 13 children, only four of whom survived into adulthood, and helped elevate him to become king in 1674. She took care of him in his old age, despite his foul temper, until his death in Wilanów Palace in 1696 and survived him by 20 years. The romance between Napoleon Bonaparte and Maria Walewska perhaps fits best the self-imagined stereotype of the typical expat/Polish romance. After swashbuckling his way into Poland astride a white stallion, he perused the available young ladies until his gaze fell upon the comely and young Walewska. The child that was the fruit of their romance proved to Napoleon that he could father a legitimate heir in the future, and although their relationship lasted only three years he gave Maria a palace outside Paris, 120,000 francs and free admission to all the museums. A review of great romances between Poles and foreigners wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the one between “lusty leprechaun” Colin Farrell and stunning Polish actress Alicja Bachleda-Curuś. The pair met on the set of the Irish film Odine and embarked on a one-year, whirlwind romance, which Alicja described as “extraordinary”. However, shortly after the birth of their son, the couple broke up. They remain good friends and committed parents and Colin is a regular visitor to Kraków at Christmas.

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With Valentine’s Day knocking on the door, the Insider takes a look at three classic tales of what happens when foreigners romance the locals… BY STUART DOWELL