• Warsaw’s Smoking Rooms • Insider Recommendations • Trends 2017 • Future Architecture
Warsaw The Capital’s Original City Magazine Since 1996
JANUARY 2017
245 01/2017
INDEKS 334901 ISSN:1643-1723
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zł.10
(VAT 8% included)
ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER ALEXANDRE BIRMAN ANYA HINDMARCH AQUAZZURA BALMAIN BUSCEMI CASADEI CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN FRANCESCO RUSSO GIANVITO ROSSI HERVE LEGER ISABEL MARANT KENZO KOTUR MAISON MICHEL ONE TEASPOON SELF – PORTRAIT TOD’S TORY BURCH VALENTINO VICTORIA BECKHAM YVES SALOMON
Moliera 2 tel.: 228277099, www.Moliera2.com
JANUARY 2017 Editor-in-chief Alex Webber
insider@warsawinsider.pl Art Director Kevin Demaria insider@warsawinsider.pl
INFRONT
Opener 9 News 10 Future Architecture 12 Trends 20
Alex Webber insider@warsawinsider.pl
REVIEWS
Kiti Bar 35 Pod Gigantami 36 SHUK 38 Warung Jakarta 38 Juice Press People 39
FEATURES
Smoking Rooms 26 Insider Recommendations 20
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LISTINGS
Restaurants 40 Cafes & Wine Bars 72 Nightlife 77 Shopping 83 Family 89 Health & Beauty 95 In the City 97
INBACK
Map 102 Looking Back 104
Contributors: Stuart Dowell Maria Mileńko Michał Miszkurka Ed Wight Advertising Manager Jowita Malich jmalich@valkea.com Senior Key Account Manager A. Julita Pryzmont jpryzmont@valkea.com ey Account Manager K Agata Sicińska asicinska@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 TECHGRAF Tel. (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 ©2017 Warsaw Insider.
on the cover Welcome to 2017! We look to the year ahead this issue, namely at the fads that will change the F&B segment, and the buildings that will transform the skyline...
(Illustration by Michał Miszkurka)
PHOTOGRAPH BY ED WIGHT
Well, we just about made it over the finish line, didn’t we? For many, 2016 will forever be remembered as ‘the year humanity lost’. But despite the international catastrophes and Poland’s own domestic upheaval, Warsaw didn’t do all that badly. Politically volatile it might have been, but – and as consolatory as it might sound – from a social point of view the Polish capital recorded another fine year. Traditionally speaking, we’d be using our January issue to commemorate just that via our Best of Warsaw issue. However, it’s always good to start the year with a surprise, and ours is thus: with the food and drinks sector more lively than ever, we’ve taken the unprecedented decision to print a completely independent edition dedicated to the venues that have served the city with distinction (for details, see p. 34). So instead of using this issue to look back, we’re using it to look forward: specifically, towards the trends you’ll be seeing more of, not to mention the buildings that will shape the future. Enjoy it, and see you next month...
Publisher Morten Lindholm mlindholm@valkea.com
BUSCEMI MEN CANADA GOOSE CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN MEN FAY GIANVITO ROSSI MEN HOGAN KENZO MONCLER MR&MRS ITALY ONE TEASPOON RALPH LAUREN TORY BURCH VALENTINO MEN BURBERRY CHILDREN DSQUARED2 KIDS KENZO KIDS MONCLER KIDS RALPH LAUREN KIDS TOD’S KIDS
Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3/4 tel.: +48 226221416, www.PlacTrzechKrzyzy.com
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 spot is a bit of everything: a food market, a picnic, even a place to get your bike fixed. For further info, see: targsniadaniowy.pl
Run
Parkrun Every Sat, 9:00 @ Praga (Park Skaryszewski), Ursynów (park next to Bazantarnia), Żoliborz (Kępa Potocka park), Bródno (Park Bródnowski) Improve your run time by participating in the 5k Parkrun held across three locations each Saturday. For info see: parkrun.pl
CONCERT
Kayah
7 Jan @ Palladium, ul. Złota 9 One of the great divas of Polish music will perform music from her latest album, Christmas carols and her celebrated seasonal hit Ding Dong. Tickets from zł. 80, available @ eventim
FILM
Living With Warsaw 7 Jan, 6.pm. @ Kino Luna, ul. Marszałkowska 28 First-time filmmaker Jonathan L. Ramsey makes his directorial debut
with the release of Living With Warsaw, a 40-minute documentary about the lives of expat men. Starring Phil Goss. Admission free
CHILDREN
The Smurfs Live On Stage 12-16 Jan @ Torwar, ul. Łazienkowska 6A This ‘smurf-tastic’ international show will feature all your favorite Smurfs as they join forces to “battle Gargamel and save Mother Nature.” Tickets from zł. 65 @ ebilet.pl
CHARITY
WOŚP
15 Jan @ Various Locations Poland’s biggest annual fundraiser celebrates its 25th year with the usual round of street collections, culminating in a concert at the foot of the Palace of Culture and a giant firework display. For info, see: wosp.org.pl
CONCERT
Dave Lombardo 19 Jan @ Progresja Music Zone, ul. Fort Wola 22 This American-Cuban drummer is best known as being one of the co-founding members of the legendary Slayer. Regarded as one of the most innovative drummers around, Lombardo has also performed with Misfits and Suicidal Tendencies. Ticket info unavailable at press time
INVISIBLE EXHIBITION
info@niewidzialna.pl, www.niewidzialna.pl, tel. 504 324 444
This unique cultural, educational and social project offers an interactive journey through a world of darkness: a journey in which visitors experience what it means to be blind.... Deprived of sight, guests will learn to awaken their other senses: hearing, smell, touch, and even taste! Leading you through pitch black rooms, our blind guides will show you all that it means to be lose your sight: this visit will make you rethink your life! Come and experience an unforgettable adventure and explore the world of the Invisible Exhibition. Whether you’re looking for an interesting Christmas gift, a birthday present, a teambuilding exercise or a new idea for a date, book your tickets now on our website!
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Restauracja Stary Dom
ul. Puławska 104 / 106, 02-620 Warszawa tel.: (+48) 22 646 42 08 www.restauracjastarydom.pl
in
What’s hot, what’s not: the faces and stories trending around town SMOG CRISIS IN NUMBERS
400,000 People in Europe
Die prematurely each year due to pollution
40,000
The number of Poles...
Who die each year because of pollution
70,000 Asthma attacks
In Warsaw each year due to air pollution
10,000
The number of Poles
Who signed a recent petition asking for more govt. transparency regarding pollution SHUTTERSTOCK
520 mg / m3
The smog level detected in Zakopane earlier in the year
Every Breath You Take...
December 15th saw city City Hall taking the unprecedented step of declaring a day of free public transport in a desperate bid to break up a bank of smog that had settled over the capital. The low-hanging cloud was the result of two factors: a sudden plunge in temperatures that had led to a surge in the use of domestic fireplaces, and low wind speeds which meant that these increased emissions weren’t dispersed. An announcement made by the Deputy Mayor warned children, the elderly and those with heart and respiratory ailments to remain indoors. Despite these measures, environmental groups are furious with what they see as the local council’s continued inaction when it comes to dealing with air pollution. Speaking to the Insider one activist claimed that the steps taken by the city have been too little, too late: “it’s hilarious that Warsaw has the nerve to put itself forward in international competitions as a ‘Green City’ – we’re Europe’s most polluted country and still the government, both local and national, does nothing to tackle these problems.” Down in the south, however, Anna Dworakowska-Guła from Kraków Smog Alert preferred to look on the bright side: “it’s great news the problem of smog has finally been noticed in the capital, maybe this will force politicians to make the necessary legislative changes to improve the air quality in Poland as a whole.” We can but hope.
445 mg / m3
The smog level in New Delhi
300 mg / m3
The smog level needed in Poland before a govt. alarm is issued
200 mg / m3
The smog level reached by Warsaw in December
50
mg / m3
The level needed in Macedonia before a govt. alarm is issued www.warsawinsider.pl
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inFront
news
A Load of Carp A Tesco in Tychy was plunged into chaos ahead of Christmas after a
tank of carp burst leaving over a hundred fish flapping on the floor. Pictures of the incident rapidly circulated online, prompting a fierce debate on the treatment of this Polish seasonal staple.
CHRISTMAS CRACKER An ad by the Polish website Allegro ‘won the internet’ this Christmas after going viral. Viewed millions of times, the charming clip tells the sweet story of a grandfather’s struggle to learn English ahead of a visit to Britain. Picked up by press across the globe, even the notoriously jingoistic British media ceded defeat, recognizing that Allegro had outgunned the likes of John Lewis with their campaign.
A Trip To Remember
What A Boob
An advert urging women to check for symptoms of breast cancer backfired in style after enraging members of the general public. Released by the regional health department in Opole, the ad featured local men giving their two pence on the importance of boobs. “I like to watch them bounce when you run,” says one man in the video. The ad was quickly pulled, but not before local feminists came up with there own parody vid in which women talk about the glory of watching big, swinging youknow-what.
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TOP ALLEGRO/YOUTUBE, ALL OTHERS SHUTTERSTOCK
A man identified only as Marek H. earned himself international notoriety after infrared cameras caught him prowling around a forest impersonating a tiger – whilst naked. With the man-imal tripping out on LSD, covert footage shows the 23-year-old seemingly picking up a scent before proceeding to follow it for several hours in the woods of Southern Poland. The man later confessed to police that the mindbending drug had enabled him to discover his ‘true personality’.
WE WISH YOU BUBBLY CHRISTMAS AND BUBBLY NEW YEAR!
At Bubbles you will learn that this particular type of drink is not just for big celebrations: it’s also a perfect match with simple dishes that can be enjoyed on any occasion – Champagne is our passion! Plac Piłsudskiego 9 tel. +48 512 540 913 bubbles.com.pl office@bubbles.com.pl
FREE GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE WITH THIS AD FREE GLASS OF WINE WITH THIS AD
BEST POLISH CUISINE IN WARSAW!
Our interiors are simple, clear, and easy to understand... the modernity of our cuisine is intertwined with art and passion and seamlessly connects with fine taste... ul. Różana 2 tel. +48 784 902 902, 22 828 99 11 restauracjaakademia.pl info@restauracjaakademia.pl
inFront
architecture
The Future Is Near
Dubbed ‘the largest cultural project in Poland’s recent history’, 2017 will see plans finalized for a new Museum of Modern Art. Set to be built in the shadow of the Palace of Culture, the 15,000 sq/m gallery will be joined by a 10,000 sq/m theater to form an L-shaped artistic complex. Designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners, the architects claim the project has been specifically devised “to give a modern form to the rich cultural history of the city.” Built using white concrete, features of the Museum of Modern Art will include “a monumental staircase in the shape of a double helix,” while the theater will be recognizable by its articulated, dark steel facade. Set to cost in excess of zł. 400 million, a grand opening date of November 2nd, 2020 has been tentatively set. Speaking at the official unveiling of Phifer’s renderings, the Mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, praised the transparent and honest nature of the design before concluding that the choice of location was “a great opportunity to accentuate the role of the arts in the functioning of a modern metropolis.”
PRESS MATERIAL
Warsaw is building for a better tomorrow: we pick out the architectural highlights coming to a town near you!
A HOME FOR THE ARTS
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Warsaw Insider | JANUARY 2017
Family Lunches with Kids’ Entertainment
Delightful flavours from across the globe
EverySat Sat13.00-17.00hrs Every & Sun 13.00 - 17.00 hrs
Thu-Fri-Sat GoEvery on a culinary journey
Party the Night Away with DJ's & Live Music Every Thu, Fri & Sat night
STIXX Bar & Grill Plac Europejski 4A 00-844 Warsaw
Mon - Thu Fri Sat Sun tel. 22 340 40 40/41 www.stixx.pl facebook.com/StixxBarGrill
08.30 - 24.00 hrs 08.30 - 02.00 hrs 12.00 - 02.00 hrs 12.00 - 23.00 hrs
inFront
architecture MAKING PEACE?
File this one under ‘might happen’ rather than ‘will happen’. Krzysztof Wodiczko and Jarosław Kozakiewicz have envisaged a different future for the Tomb of the Uknown Soldier, one that they hope will see the development of a ‘peace museum’ sunk into the ground, as well as a publically accessible viewing platform above the tomb itself.
STATE OF THE ART
With a gross leaseable area of 64,000 sq/m, the mixed use Art N development will be seeking to revitalize the former Norblin factory by customizing this two hectare industrial space to perform retail and office functions. Perhaps wary of the criticism that Koszyki has attracted, the developers will be looking to keep the excellent Bio Bazar on-site and deliver on their promise to “make stories not stores.” “The concept,” reads their official statement, “is based on the assumption that retail space has evolved past simple points of sale: today it is also a destination, a place where consumers go to share unique brand-related experiences or look for inspirational and emotional commitment.”
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PRESS MATERIAL
TOWERING AMBITION
Wola’s reinvention as the city’s Central Business District continues at pace. Predicted to open in 2018, the 32-storey Mennica Legacy Tower is one of the more exciting projects currently under construction. “This is an opportunity to erect more than just a building,” says James Goettsch of the firm in charge of the design. “The tower and lower block will be integrally linked with a large urban plaza and the result will be an ensemble that will create a unique ‘sense of place’ which we hope shall enhance the public realm of Warsaw.” With textured, sawtoothed facades complimenting the rounded corners, the objective is to give the tower “an ever-changing appearance as one moves around it.”
The recently opened restaurant and bar Mokotowska 69 is a perfect place for those who enjoy refined food and excellent wine. The restaurant offers classic Polish dishes with a modern twist, delicious steaks and a wide range of wine from all over the world. Mokotowska 69 was designed for those who enjoy Polish cuisine and those who would like to try classic Polish dishes with a modern twist, such as Mazurian crayfish in rowan brandy cream sauce, roasted catfish with pearl barley and beets or roasted duck with pears and blackcurrant. The restaurant also specialises in steaks made from American Black Angus (certified prime grade by the USDA), Scottish Aberdeen Angus and the highest quality Japanese Tajima-gyu cattle, “Kobe-style”: class 5, marbling 9+. ul. Mokotowska 69, tel. (+48 22) 628 73 84 / (+48 22) 627 20 33, www.mokotowska69.pl
The restaurant and wine store Merliniego 5, located vis-à- vis the main entrance to the Warszawianka Aqua Park, is the ideal place for those who love good food and fantastic wines. Merliniego 5 specialises in seafood dishes and steaks made of American Black Angus (prime beef USDA certified), especially selected from the New York-based OTTOMANELLI & SONS butchery. The restaurant also serves steaks made of the Aberdeen Angus and top quality Japanese beef from Tajima cattle, “Kobe style” (grade 5A/BMS 9+). Further, menu offers seasonal and traditional Polish cuisine dishes. At the end of 2011, the readers of Gazeta Stołeczna granted us the prestigious title of Knajpa Roku 2011 (Eating Establishment of the Year 2011). Since 2013 we have also been listed in the Michelin Guide. ul. Merliniego 5, tel. (+48 22) 646 08 10 / (+48 22) 646 08 49, www.merliniego5.pl
inFront
architecture
Brave, new sketches that would revolutionize the Rotunda have been revealed by Gowin / Siuta, the architectural studio handed the responsibility of humanizing this landmark-eyesore. Aiming to transform the Rondo Dmowskiego area into a ‘modern urban oasis’, the Krakow-based practice has pledged to, “enhance the utilitarian quality of the place, to order its space and turn it into a modern urban lounge with the Rotunda as its icon and central functional hub.” According to reports, work will begin this year and should be completed by 2019. The project also includes plans for a first floor gallery, cafe and visitors’ center. Originally opened in 1966, the Rotunda was the scene of what was, at the time, Poland’s biggest post-war disaster. On February 15th, 1975, the building was ripped apart by an explosion that left 49 people dead. The official explanation cited a gas leak, though conspiracy theorists continue to speculate that the blast was either the work of anti-communist saboteurs, or part of an intricate cover-up by embezzling bank officials. A plaque commemorating the tragedy will remain in place throughout the duration of the works.
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PRESS MATERIAL
ROTUNDA REVOLUTION
AU T H E N T I C P O L I S H C U I S I N E
Krakowskie Przedmieście 64, Warsaw Krakowskie Przedmieście 64 tel. +48 22 826 47 70 email: info@delicjapolska.pl www.delicjapolska.pl Reseva7ons:
inFront
architecture FILL THE BILL
It says much for Warsaw that even its petrol stops are looking to get it right. Slated to open later in 2017, this three-tiered Shell station will incorporate numerous environmentally friendly solutions, including a car wash that will make use of rainwater collected from a top floor garden. The brainchild of the KAMJZ studio, the design was deemed so innovative that it found itself shortlisted as a finalist in two categories of the 2016 World Architecture Festival.
WHAT A PUZZLE
Looking like a giant Rubik’s Cube that fell from space, Adgar’s new data center will be distinctly characterized by a patchwork of illuminated panels. Located on ul. Konstruktorska in Mokotów, the five-storey building will, according to HRA Architects, “be a combination of cutting-edge technology and bold, contemporary architecture.”
The traffic clogged intersection at the center of Chmielna, Zgoda, Bracka and Szpitalna is in line for a dramatic transformation after it was announced last November that it would be pedestrianized and rebranded as Plac Pięciu Rogów. Kacper Ludwiczak’s blueprint foresees a smart, modern space that will incorporate elements of greenery and street furniture to establish the atmosphere of an outdoor ‘urban living room’. A target date of 2018 has been penicilled in for completion.
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PRESS MATERIAL
FAIR & SQUARE
FOOD & DRINK TRENDS
STEAMPUNK Inspired by what’s been called ‘the greatest era that never was’, the steampunk aesthetic draws on the wacky inventions associated with Victorian science fiction. Not unlike stepping into the pages of a Jules Verne novel, a growing number of bars around the globe have adopted a look that sees interiors festooned with rotor blades, sepia daguerreotypes, and Phileas Fogg travel trunks. Never complete without lots of copper pipes and rusty mechanized junk, this school of design is set to grow further. Bardziej (Marszałkowska 21/25) Machinarium (Smolna 36)
THE NEXT BIG THING
In the international scheme of things you’d struggle to call Warsaw a trend-maker. But a trend-taker? You bet. If someone comes up with a good idea or, for that matter, any idea, you can expect it to be replicated a thousand times over by the time the sun sets. Not that this is always a bad thing: already, the bar and restaurant scene in 2017 promises much in the way of hot fads and new directions...
Warsaw’s Mexican sector reported strong figures last year, further evidence of its renaissance. A few years back this cuisine was looking tired, in fact, in danger of extinction. Now, thanks to the enthusiasm of old timers such as El Popo and Dos Tacos, not to mention the diligent efforts of several newcomers, it’s back in both favor and flavor. With many of these places renouncing the use of bland products, local Mexican food has never tasted better. Neither has it ever been this exciting: a fresh commitment to testing out daring recipes and unfamiliar strains of chili peppers has led to an explosion of original salsas that have opened the door to new sensations. Dos Tacos (Jasna 22) El Popo (Senatorska 27) Gringo Bar Salsownia (Koszykowa 63) La Sirena (Piękna 54) Urban Burritos (Piękna 22)
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TOP, COURTESY OF BARDZIEJ; LEFT, KEVIN DEMARIA; OPPOSITE PAGE SHUTTERSTOCK
SALSA
SEAFOOD Forget the Year of the Monkey, 2016 was more the Year of the Octopus: with practically every restaurant plugging this mysterious creature on their menu, no other dish seemed to make quite such a splash. To all intents and purposes, this was just one more sign of the city’s growing appetite for seafood. For so long deprived of a good source of fish, the past year has seen the landlubbers of Warsaw presented with a wealth of specialized options, from Brit-style fish & chips to Mazurian freshwater fish via the catch-all aquatic solutions of Lokal Na Rybę. Ę Rybę (Jana Pawła II 18) Lokal Na Rybę (Kwiatowa 1/3/5)
U Rysia (Marszałkowska 140)
www.warsawinsider.pl
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FOOD & DRINK TRENDS
Better get used to the term neo-bistro, for you’ll be a hearing it a lot over the coming few months. Filling the middle ground between regular bistro and top class dining room, this new phenomenon makes much of good wine, beautiful cooking and relaxed milieu. “Fine dining isn’t just labor intensive,” says restaurateur Daniel Pawełek, “but also overly formal and a little boring, so while neo-bistros employ a lot of the flavors and techniques associated with the former, they don’t share the same fuss – the neo-bistro dilutes the boundaries between chefs, waiters and guests.” Bez Gwiazdek (Wiślana 8) Dyletanci (Rozbrat 44A) Kieliszki Na Prożnej (Próżna 12) Rozbrat 20 (Rozbrat 20)
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ALL PHOTOGRAPHS KEVIN DEMARIA; EXCEPT RIGHT SHUTTERSTOCK
NEO-BISTRO
LIGHTING Inertia, laziness, and a fixation with copying mind-numbing fashions has led to a number of eateries and hangouts looking like brainless copies of each other: raw concrete, exposed brickwork and incandescent light bulbs. Zzz... But more and more places are catching on that a bit of extra spend can push you the extra yard: innovative and chic, lighting by Tom Dixon has rescued a number of venues around town. Expect even more to turn to this premium British brand in 2017.
NEW LOOK SUSHI Warsaw hit peak sushi stage around 2005; over a decade on and the capital faces a new fad in the coned shape of sushi hand rolls. This though isn’t the only overhaul this Japanese staple is facing. More and more places are doing crazy things, for instance, mixing sushi with Mexican influences to create the improbable sounding sushito. This is just the beginning: 2017 will get odder still. Min’s Onigiri (Dobra 53) Om Nom Nom (Krucza 41/43) Rolls Rolls (Chmielna 13)
www.warsawinsider.pl
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FOOD & DRINK TRENDS
FERMENTATION Once obsessed with the perceived superiority of foreign imports, the Polish inferiority complex has subsided with chefs and customers alike recognizing that their home-grown produce isn’t just good, but actually frequently better than any cross-border nonsense. Yet with the country often engaged in an outright battle against the elements, a growing number of cooks are turning their hand at jarring, fermenting, pickling and preserving ingredients – and achieving brilliant results in the process. Bazar Kocha (Mokotowska 33/35) Mała Polana Smaków (Belwederska 13)
Solec 44 (Solec 44) Słoik (Złota 11)
The tastes of Asia and the Orient are growing increasingly prominent in Warsaw, and not just the posh stuff, but the kind of food you’d hope to find down in a back alley market on a backpacking jaunt. Maintaining low prices but at no detriment to the quality, these little heroes are in the ascendancy – let’s have a few more this year, please. Pełną Parą Na Nowo (Nowowiejska 10)
Sato Gotuje (Pawińskiego 24) Viet Street Food Bistro (Królowej Aldony 5)
Uki Uki (Krucza 23/31)
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ALL PHOTOGRAPHS KEVIN DEMARIA; EXCEPT TOP SHUTTERSTOCK
ASIAN STREET TASTES
POLISH WINE As unthinkable as it may have sounded in the past, Polish wine has shown early signs of coming of age. Regarded by some oenophiles as ‘one of the world’s best kept secrets’, a combination of climate change and new grape varieties has led to a situation in which domestic vineyards have begun to flourish. “Nearly every time people try a Polish wine,” says Maciej Sondij of Dyletanci, “they’re surprised by the quality that’s now coming from this country.” While production figures remain distinctly modest (7,000 hectoliters per annum compared to Italy’s 49 million), a number of labels are winning attention, among them such wineries as Jarówek, Kinga, Dom Bliskowice and Pałac Mierzęcin.
www.warsawinsider.pl
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NIGHTLIFE SMOKING ROOMS
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THE BIG SMOKE
Given up on giving up? Join the club. With the New Year’s resolutions already ash, we take a look at some of the best smoking rooms Warsaw has to offer... BY ALEX WEBBER | PHOTOS BY ED WIGHT
GRIZZLY GIN BAR ul. Poznańska 10
Right up until the end of summer this address was home to the Warsaw Tortilla Factory and, simultaneously, what will possibly go down in history as the city’s most notorious smoking chamber. Granted, to some it was little more than a rancid room full of drunk Brits talking about football and last night’s strip club, but to many others it was the center of their universe – an intense whirl of gossip, chicanery, banter and boozy camaraderie. In contrast, Grizzly’s smoking room will never emulate that, but you get the idea that the management are more than happy with that. Dim and murky, the new smoking zone has an identity of its own, and a layout that enables and encourages slurry conversation with the strangers sat opposite. Even nonsmokers will admit that the smoking room is ‘where the fun happens’, and Grizzly is a good case in point: hang around long enough and you’re guaranteed to find yourself listening to a self-professed musician regaling the story behind his latest dinosaur tattoo.
6 COCKTAILS ul. Mokotowska
Grizzly Gin Bar
If 6 Cocktails has the feeling of hanging around someone’s flat that’s because, actually, you are. Unmarked from street level (PM them on Facebook to get added to the guest list), this posh Mokotowska apartment has been re-adapted as an exclusive speakeasy-style bar that targets the cream of Warsaw’s high society. Away from the racket and tumult of the main room, the smoking area is a highly intimate affair with low-slung leather sofas wedged inside a foggy room. Both its diminutive dimensions and the fact that everyone is smashed on cocktails means it takes only seconds before introductions are made and conversation takes off with a diplomat’s daughter or some Milan-based model. www.warsawinsider.pl
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NIGHTLIFE SMOKING ROOMS
AMATORSKA
ul. Nowy Świat 21
If the materialistic, artificial spirit of modern Warsaw irritates you, then think of Amatorska as your safe space. Mostly unchanged since the days of Communism, this bar continues to thrive by attracting a disparate, and at times contradictory clientele who simply want nothing more complex than a total blast. This they manage, and that’s in no small part due to the inclusion of a tiny, little smoking cabin that feels intrinsic to the atmosphere. Not entirely dissimilar to the glass pods you find at the airport, it’s a wonder that not more venues have embraced this cool invention.
BAR & BOOKS
ul. Wąski Dunaj 20 Klaps
Dark, dingy and filled with sticky, splintered tables, it’s like a smoking room should be...
There are many things to like about Bar & Books, and somewhere near the top of that list is their smoking policy: basically, you can. And we don’t mean in some bleak broom cupboard buried by the fire exit, but everywhere. Effecting the confidently classical look of a private members club in Mayfair, given the overall ambiance it feels fitting that cigar smokers are looked after especially well: either go Cuban or choose from their own-brand torpedoes rolled in New York. Considering the plumes of smoke that coil into the air, it’s remarkable that non-smokers don’t seem to mind: that’s down to more than an efficient ventilation system, and every bit thanks to elegant drinks and a sophisticated atmosphere that harks to a time when smoking was a gentlemanly pursuit.
KLAPS
ul. Nowy Świat 22/28
Kafefajka
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Not many people call Klaps by its real name, instead they usually refer to it by its English sobriquet: The Dildo Bar. Garishly garnished with dildo beer taps and a wall of fake, plastic boobs, Warsaw’s smuttiest bar forms part of the raw and ready ‘pavilion pubs’ behind Nowy Świat. But beyond the schoolboy smirks and sniggers that the ground floor elicits there is much to recommend about it: some decent beers, an atmosphere several notches above merry, and a downstairs smoking den that’s dark, dingy and filled
Amatorska
Not dissimilar to the glass pods you find at the airport, it’s a wonder that not more venues have embraced this cool invention with sticky, splintered tables – like a smoking room should be. Immersed in such shadows it’s hard to make out who’s sat next to you at times, and be in no doubt it’s the sort of place in which smoke clings to your skin like some airborne virus: nonetheless, it feels just right for a big night out.
KAFEFAJKA
ul. Nowy Świat 22/28
Not long back you’d have found the floor scattered with peanut shells and assorted debris, and older Turkish guys huddled around playing dice and discussing Galatasaray’s chances
of another league title. Kafefajka have cleaned up their act since, and if the plan was to attract a younger audience that’s definitely worked: on our visit that means a diverse crowd that runs from some big lads with black eyes and Legia hoodies, a couple that the photographer christens ‘The Beauty and the Geek’, and no shortage of Erasmus students in the last stage of utter dereliction. Strangely, this seemingly unnatural social composition works well, with the heavy scent of hookah pipes clouding out the cigarette fumes. Supremely engaging, the only improvement would be a better beer offer.
And There's More British Bulldog (Al. Jerozolimskie 42)
Cocktail Bar Max (Krucza 16/22)
Piw Paw Na Foksal (Foksal 16)
Plan B
(Al. Wyzwolenia 18)
Stixx
(Pl. Europejski 4A)
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INSIDER RECOMMENDS: RESTAURANTS
Zielnik
Our Top Picks From 2016!
With the results of our Best of Warsaw issue still marked Top Secret, a foretaste can be had with our in-house cheat list of Insider recommendations. For more, including fine dining, Polish and ethnic cuisine, cocktails and craft beer, look out for our first ever wholly dedicated Best of Warsaw edition!
Atelier Amaro You know nothing will go wrong at Atelier: Michelin starred food, an ethereal mood and, for a moonlit walk after, the lamp-lit ul. Agrykola all stack in its favor. A lso: Bubbles
FOR 22
Stary Dom Well geared towards bulk numbers, Stary Dom’s prewar style also works from an atmospheric point of view. As for food, it says much that the Atelier Amaro team had their Xmas bash here. A lso: Stixx
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FOR BREAKFAST
Rozbrat 20 More places are serving breakfast, but the majority are forgetting that most people need to eat it before 9 a.m. Rozbrat get both the food and their opening hours spot on. A lso: Zorza
FOR BUSINESS
Nolita When nothing but the best will do, Nolita fill the breach with phenomenal food and a super lux atmosphere that’s elegant and discreet. It’s the place to seal the deal and celebrate. A lso: Butchery & Wine
Warsaw Insider | JANUARY 2017
FOR A FARMERS’ MARKET
Forteca By no means Warsaw’s biggest market, but such is the reputation of the vendors that Warsaw’s top chefs are a familiar sight. A lso: Bio Bazar
FOR LUNCH DEALS
Stixx Three daily changing menus offer a choice of Polish, pan-Asian or pizza/pasta for prices beginning at zł. 19. Efficient turnaround times and overall price-quality place Stixx in a league of their own. A lso: Nolita
FOR SUMMER
Zielnik Shielded by greenery, the mood in Zielnik’s garden is serene and detached; a benign breeze blows under elegant canopies, whilst impeccable waiters glide around with practised grace: wonderful! A lso: Ale Wino
FOR PRIVACY
Elixir by Dom Wódki With a copper ceiling above, and a glass wall with views down on the restaurant below, the private room at Elixir is a guaranteed winner. A lso: Hoża
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEVIN DEMARIA
FOR 2
FOR MOKOTÓW
Merliniego 5 Could have gone either way, but the lengths Merliniego go to in a bid to source the world’s best beef just couldn’t be ignored. A lso: Papu
FOR MURANÓW
Joseph’s Bistro & Wine The magnetic Joseph Seeletso is one of Warsaw’s great culinary characters, and his new, ‘global’ restaurant presents a wonderful mix of Nordic influences with his trademark exotic twist. A lso: Przystawki
FOR OCHOTA
Sato Gotuje Warsaw has finally realized that the Japanese exist on more than sushi alone. What is at first glance little more than a plain room is the home of moments of magic. A lso: SHUK Joseph’s Bistro & Wine
FOR OLD & NEW TOWN
La Rotisserie Pretty much everything chef Paweł Oszczyk touches turns to gold. In La Rotisserie, superb fine dining meets head on with brilliant wine and graceful interiors. They don’t put a foot wrong. A lso: Enoteka
FOR OLD PRAGA
Le Cedre When Warsaw’s weather sinks to desperate depths, look to Le Cedre for an instant lift. It’s about more than just smashing Lebanese food, it’s about good times and celebration. A lso: Boska Praga!
FOR DAY TRIPPERS
Rozbrat 20
Water & Wine Prior bookings only: that’s no deterrent, this top-class Nałęczów restaurant has left the kind of impact Atelier Amaro did when it opened. Also: Vincent (Kazimierz Dolny)
FOR POWIŚLE
Rozbrat 20 When it comes to restaurants, Powiśle provides rich pickings. Rozbrat 20 peek above the rest on account of their flexibility: tasting menus, top wines, lunch deals, a bakery – all those are here. A lso: Solec 44
FOR SASKA KĘPA
Viet Street Food Bistro The name suggests ‘cheap & nasty’: it’s only one of the two, and that’s the former. The cracking quality has forced local food snobs to utterly reassess any prior misgivings. A lso: Dom Polski
FOR URSYNÓW
Mr. India Outside of the center, Ursynów has the highest density of reputable Indian restaurants in the city: because of its vindaloo, Mr. India just edges out Rani as the Insider’s go-to. A lso: Rani
FOR WILANÓW
Plato The inspirational menu at Plato combines fine dining quality with Asian and Mediterranean accents and allows the bright talent of Michał Gniadek to fully shine. A lso: Kuchnia Otwarta
FOR WOLA
Wabu Drop dead gorgeous sushi is just part of the story: with its modernized, tapas style Wabu changes the way you view Japanese food. A lso: Stixx
FOR ŻOLIBORZ
DOM The homespun quality of DOM is obvious in everything from the interiors and service right the way up to the food: a sincere presentation of local ingredients. A lso: El Caribe www.warsawinsider.pl
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INSIDER RECOMMENDS: CAFES
Noon/Noon
FOR BAGELS
City SAM Soft, chewy bagels: heaven. Although City SAM tend to attract press for their delicious quick-fix, health-minded dishes, it’s their bagels that make memories. A lso: Charlotte Menora
FOR BREAD
Aromat Run by a mother and son team that learned their trade in France, bread-making becomes a passion in this cult status bakery. Also: Rozbrat 20
FOR COFFEE
Cophi So small you get the idea you could fit Cophi into the palm of your hand, yet no other place in Warsaw is more devoted to sourcing the best coffees in the world. Also: Ministerstwo Kawy
FOR DESIGN
Cafe & Lounge Bar But Good Music First
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Odette
No contest: anywhere with an exquisite mural of David Bowie gets the nod. It helps, too, that the furnishings are so cool and considered. The Thin White Duke would approve. A lso: MiTO
FOR DESSERT
Odette For the definition of luxury dessert, look no further: here’s a true sensual pleasure fully in tune with modern times and gourmet palettes. Also: Deseo
FOR DONUTS
MOD Warsaw has always loved donuts, but it took the arrival of MOD to elevate this humble sugary vice to new levels with a glam New York-inspired makeover. Also: Zagoździński
FOR ICE CREAM
Warszawskie Lody Tradycyjne Appearing as no more than
Warsaw Insider | JANUARY 2017
a temporary, summertime street-side hatch, this place wiped the floor with the competition. Save the name to memory. for while they’ve temporarily disappeared from the map, look out for them once Mr. Sun makes his comeback. A lso: Sucre
FOR JUICE
FOR READING
Wrzenie Świata 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 booklined interior. A lso: Tarabuk
Think Love Juices More than just a slinky name, TLJ is the work of local nutrition nut and supermodel Anna Jagodzińska. Her favorite juices won’t make you beautiful, but they will add a spring to your step. A lso: Juice Press People
FOR TEA
FOR A MEET-UP
FOR WORK
Panstwó Miasto While it gets busy early, the screech of the furniture and availability of craft beers mean that evenings are the best time in PM: great atmosphere, liberal people and zero pretense! A lso: Chłodna 25
Odette Tearoom In a town that often chooses tea of the lowest common denominator, the Odette Tearoom is an aromatic lighthouse of beautiful brews. A lso: Same Krafty Noon/Noon An amalgam of a design store and cafe, Noon/ Noon has edgy furnishings (yours to buy!), easy access to power points, and the energy of a super cool shared working space. A lso: Być Może
INSIDER RECOMMENDS: NIGHTLIFE
Hydrozagadka
FOR A BAR CRAWL
Nowogrodzka Better known as the throbbing heart of Warsaw’s artisan beer scene, Nowogrodzka has broadened its offer to include shot bars, cocktail dens and flashy clubs. At times it feels like all life gathers here. A lso: Poznańska
FOR DESIGN
Zorza Less is more in Zorza: rather ascetic, the masterstroke is the design team’s exploitation of the high ceilings through the use of complex and beautifully configured hanging lights. A lso: Woda Ognista
FOR DIVE CLUBBING
Hydrozagadka / Chmury One roof, two venues: alternative bands and upcoming DJs perform for an openminded audience that is the characterization of unforced cool and shabby chic. A lso: Luzztro
Chmury
FOR DIVE DRINKS
2Koła Petrifying to look at, the exterior looks like a biker bar you see in American serial killer films. But this shadowy lair is actually great fun, with loud, live music, craft beer and a noisy crowd. A lso: Pyk i Łyk
FOR GAY FRIENDLY
Glam Unsigned from the outside, this petite venue has forged a rep for high energy nights that often stretch beyond daybreak. A lso: Toro
FOR ITS TOILET!
Fokim First timers leave the toilet with mouths agape. Fitted out in flashy K-Pop style, the clincher is a video screen featuring a randy Korean girl getting seriously jiggy. A lso: 6 Cocktails
FOR LIVE MUSIC Eufemia
It feels more like a house party you’ve gatecrashed than a bar, while the talent varies as much as the musical styles themselves: nowhere else has a calendar of events that’s as fresh and innovative as Eufemia. A lso: Pardon To Tu
FOR OUTDOOR DRINKING Biała Posh and pretty, although Saska Kępa will never challenge as a nocturnal hotspot, the opening of Biała helped buck this notion. The garden of this stunning inter-war villa was unrivaled this summer. A lso: Bar Wieczorny
FOR POSH CLUBBING
No Comment Ugly and unassuming from the outside (it’s under a bridge that stinks of pee), No Comment has an intimacy and ‘in the know’ exclusivity primed for hedonistic high jinks. A lso: The View
FOR POSH DRINKS
Weles A title that could easily have gone to any of over a dozen venues: but we love Weles for its fascinating cocktails, vampish crowd and mysterious sense of secrecy. You feel special from the moment you step down the stairs. A lso: Charlie
FOR SMOKERS
Grizzly Gin Bar The best smoking rooms are more than places for a furtive puff: they’re a place for accidental meetings with curious characters that fall outside your usual social orbit – that’s Grizzly all over. A lso: Bar & Books
FOR SPORTS
Legends Though the competition is weak (barely existent), Legends breezes it for its Sky Sports access and the sort of general background banter that maketh a sports bar. A lso: Champions www.warsawinsider.pl
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BESTOF WARSAW 2016
BEST OF WARSAW
Originally conceived in 1998 as “an antidote to the bitching and moaning and customary grumblings” associated with expat life in post-Communist Poland, the Insider’s annual Best of Warsaw awards have emerged to become one of the leading food and drinks events in the country. But the city has grown, and so must we, which is why for the first time ever we’ll be publishing an entirely separate edition detailing all those many venues that have made Warsaw great. Available all year round in selected media outlets, as well as VIP rooms and executive lounges around town, look for your copy on January 20th. Date For The Diary! The full results of our Best of Warsaw awards will also be published online on January 20th. For the full roll-call of winners and losers, check our website at: warsawinsider.pl
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Warsaw Insider | JANUARY 2017
KEY CATEGORY NOMINEES... Fine Dining Atelier Amaro La Rotisserie Nolita Salto Senses Upscale Casual Dyletanci Joseph’s Bistro & Wine Kieliszki Na Próżnej Opasły Tom Plato Rozbrat 20 Casual Bibenda La Sirena MOD Sato Gotuje Uki Uki
Chef Michał Gniadek Trisno Hamid Andrzej Polan Krzysztof Rabek Sebastian Wełpa Modern Polish Elixir by Dom Wódki Kafe Zielony Niedźwiedź Mała Polana Smaków Opasły Tom Solec 44
REVIEWS RESTAURANTS 40 CAFES & WINE BARS 72 NIGHTLIFE 77 SHOPPING 83 FAMILY 89 HEALTH & BEAUTY 95 IN THE CITY 97
TIME FOR TIKI
With Warsaw shivering blue in the harsh winter frost, is there a better time to be welcoming the city’s first tiki den? That’s Kiti, a raucous bar drawn up by the owners of the nearby Kita Koguta. Dominated by a tall Polynesian totem, this ray of sunshine gets noted for extravagant cocktails served by game staff in zany shirts. Kiti Bar ul. Krucza 6/14
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PHOTOGRAPHS KEVIN DEMARIA
REVIEWS
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w
The Land Of Giants
A trip to Pod Gigantami delivers big results..
hen did restaurants lose their personality? When did they lose their soul. Although I can’t offer you a timeline, even the near-sighted would agree that a growing number of venues now look the same: pendulum lights, stripped wood floors, a splash of concrete and a spot of raw brickwork. It’s not necessarily a bad look, it’s just an approach that’s been exhausted beyond death. Instead, give me something with heart, give me something with character. Give me Pod Gigantami. Merely entering this place is a grand affair: accessed down an imposing stone corridor, a heavy door thuds open to reveal a series of rooms that unravel like a scene in Dr. Zhivago. All pomp and splendor, huge portraits of monarchs in ermine stare down from the walls; pristine parquet floors gently creak underfoot; from another chamber, the sound of clinking glasses whispers through the air. Instantly, one is struck by the sheer excess and opulence. Over the top? Sure. But over the top in the kind of manner that suspends reality and places diners inside their own private fairy tale – in a city that’s becoming more homogenized by the day, that’s a rare and proud accomplishment. Yet as much as the interior makes an impact it fails to steal the show. That belongs to Paweł Zieliński, a chef whose biography includes a stint at the Michelin starred L’Ecrivain in Dublin. Now back in Poland, his menu is a patriotic proclama-
tion of all that is good. For starters there is a beef tartar with pickled, local mushrooms, mustard seeds, and a creamy confit egg yolk. Well-seasoned and textured as it should, it’s dish that gives you hope for all that lies ahead. In my case, that means żurek with a small slab of pork belly, cep mushrooms, veal sausage and fresh marjoram. While the sheer amount of ingredients ensure no spoonful is the same, the tastes are coherent and complimentary. Filled with robust flavors, this sour rye soup does the job of shaking the cold chills from my brittle, wintry bones. It also does a handy job of setting up the field for the main event: duck with cherry and cranberry sauce falls next into view, and continues on the theme of perfect seasonal food. There are two highlights here, the first being small pearls of apple that pop with sweetness, and the second the skin: braised then roasted, this technique ensures that the coat on my duck is all crispy crackle. This is a bird to love and cherish. There is dessert as well, a rich incident full of chocolatey goodness, but the truth is by this stage the cap is on my pen and my notepad tucked away - this is not a time to work, it’s a time to sit back and savor. So I do... (AW) Pod Gigantami Al. Ujazdowskie 24, podgigantami.pl www.warsawinsider.pl
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REVIEWS
QUICK BITE:
WARUNG JAKARTA
s a huge fan of Mezze in Mokotów I was quick out of the traps when hearing about their new venture in Ochota. Located behind Hala Banacha in this gradually blooming district of Warsaw, SHUK’s certainly worth the tram ride if you’re not a native Ochotian. Popping in for lunch the other week, I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle Mediterranean-style interior, and even more so by the warmth of the welcome – a big deal when you’ve just traveled in sub-zilch temperatures. Opting for the lunch menu (zł. 25, Mon-Fri noon till 5 p.m.) I received a well-seasoned Arabic soup with lentils and spinach followed by a skillet of fried oyster mushrooms cooked with onions and served alongside harissa topped with rose petals. Add in some yogurt with coconut rice and a free glass of wine (or lemonade) and you’re looking at quite a special deal that realigns your mojo on a Warsaw winter’s day. (KD)
In frostbitten climes, you sometimes need a place like this: somewhere that insulates the body without ever threatening to send it into convulsions. This floating oasis of flavor, sat just off Pl. Konstytucji inside what was once the upstairs of Totomato, is an Indonesian gem that pretty much guarantees repeat visits. The menu has a street foodie edge and is divided into steps wherein diners first pick out their choice of protein (beef, chicken, seafood or vegan), then their rice (red, jasmine or vegetable), before concluding with any vegetables add-ons (e.g. pak choy, green beans or water spinach). While most Warsaw restaurants have a special lunch scheme going on, Warung’s is one that actually warrants a further look: find truly great off-menu dishes that are highly accessible to all levels of income. (KD)
SHUK
Warung Jakarta
ul. Grójecka 127
ul. Piękna 28/34
SHUK There It Is
a
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A journey with a foodie reward...
Warsaw Insider | JANUARY 2017
Get The Juices Flowing
Sick and tired of being sick and tired? This twolevel cubbyhole offers an easy way to cleanse and detox the body in this chilly, hungover month: cold-pressed from organic, locally sourced fruit and veg, find an array of juices lined up on parade in the fridge, as well as a variety of coffees that make use of chemix, aeropress and drip techniques. Bracka has long had great potential, and the appearance of venues like this bring it a step forward to being fully realized. Juice Press People
PHOTOGRAPHS KEVIN DEMARIA
ul. Bracka 18
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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 BEST OF WARSAW 2015 KEY WINNERS Fine Dining Senses Casual Dining Bibenda Newcomer MOD Chef Sebastian Wełpa (Ale Wino) Modern Polish (Opasły Tom) Foreign Chef Martin Gimenez-Castro (Salto & Ceviche Bar)
SATO GOTUJE (ul. Pawińskiego 24) Ochota’s culinary drought is over, and in some style as well. While the plain interiors look bald and boring, the cooking of Satoru Yaegashi is all art and precision: braised duck breast with mustard; fried sardines with roasted sesame seeds; and heaps of homemade udon in warming fish broth. Often outstanding, it’s little wonder that people are arriving in droves from all across town: bookings aren’t mandatory, but they’re definitely advised.
PRODIŻ WARSZAWSKI (ul. Poznańska 16, prodizwarszawski.pl) Street of 2016? That’ll be Poznańska, hands down. Joining the slew of last year’s new openings is Prodiż, a brick-lined den with bold pops of color and retro-vintage touches that evoke ‘old Warsaw’. Fittingly somewhat, the menu is an updated look at traditional Polish cuisine with recipes making good use of seasonal influences and local ingredients: the tartar is a true work of brilliance.
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Warsaw Insider | JANUARY 2017
african american balkan & russian british burgers & street food chinese cooking schools cuban fine dining french georgian greek & turkish hungarian indian international italian japanese & sushi jewish korean latin & spanish mexican middle eastern pancakes polish scandinavian seafood specialty food steak houses thai vietnamese
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listings / restaurants african 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. $
american Brooklyn Restaurant & Bar (C4) Al. Jana Pawła II 18 (Rondo ONZ), tel. 22 114 3434, brooklynbw.eu 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 the best-selling ‘Mito’s Beef Ribs’. The ground floor burger bar is more prosaic, offering a standard line-up of burgers and wings. $$
Champions Sports Bar (D5) Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 22 630 5119, champions.pl While the concept and style look dated, there’s no faulting the attention to detail – with TVs positioned all over the place you won’t miss a kick. The heavy décor brings to mind the trans-Atlantic sports bars of the 90s, with glinting trophies, whirring machines, clacking pool tables and a cacophony of commentaries. Hell, there’s even a boxing ring. But you can’t criticize their consistency: the food is always on-point, the staff are pro, while the generous floor plan makes it suitable for unwieldy groups of large and loud lads. $$ 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. $$
Someplace Else (E5) Sheraton Hotel, ul. Prusa 2, tel. 22 450 6710, someplace-else.pl Favoring a stark concrete look, SPE were once a legend of 90s/00s Warsaw. Things have tamed down since that ex-pat heyday, but this remains a noteworthy choice for live concerts and zippy Tex Mex food. $$
balkan 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. $$ Yugo (B4) ul. Sienna 83 (enter from Żelazna), tel. 694 109 379 You feel alive just being here: big on Colgate white colors, vintage tourist
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listings / restaurants agency posters and bright stickers, Yugo is just about the cheeriest eatery you’ll come across on a dour Warsaw day. Presenting the food of the former Yugoslavia, this Balkan bolt hole specializes in meaty dishes served in traditional bread. $
british Created by Jarosław Voitiuk, our menu is influenced by seasonal produce and it is mostly based on fresh fish and seafood delivered daily from Spain. Find a classic cuisine with a modern twist and a beautiful game of colours and form matched with award-winning wines and unique cocktails
Ę Rybę (E4) Al. Jana Pawła II 18, erybe.pl Warsaw’s has done fish and chips before, yet nowhere has managed to capture the unique taste of the British seaside as convincingly as this place. Forget the grey and greasy offerings the city has previously volunteered, here’s a spot where the chips are golden, the fish fresh and the batter crisp and light. Doused with malt vinegar, and a couple of dollops of tartar sauce, here’s food that cuddles and comforts those Brits who miss home. $$ Legends (C5) ul. Emilii Plater 25, tel. 22 622 4640, legendsbar.pl It’s a British pub first and foremost, but massive steps have been taken to ensure that the food angle isn’t overlooked. 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. $$ Pik’s Fish & Chips ul. Grójecka 17B You wait years for a fish and chip shop and then two come along at once. But most of the Brits are converging on E Rybę in the center, and there’s a reason for that: entered into a head-to-head and there’s one clear winner. It’s not Pik. Comparisons to E Rybę are both inevitable and unfavorable: smaller portions and tastes that are just not quite there. $
burgers & street food
ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 516 995 690, www.zmianaklimatu.pl
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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. $ Bez Ości (D5) ul. Hoża 51, bezosci.com Those lamenting the loss of Warsaw’s first artisan sandwich stop – MeatLove – have been given hope by the opening of a new venture across the street. Specializing in fish-based sarnies and baguettes, the choice includes deboned catches fresh from a stint in the smokehouse served in bread baked in traditional brick ovens. The cod with horseradish choice is a particular bestseller. Find it occupying a tiny, converted space inside a former vodka distillery. $ Burger Bar ul. Puławska 974/80 (enter from Olkuska) & ul. Krucza 41/43, 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. $ 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. $ SAS Duck & Chicken (D5) ul. Piękna 54, fb.com/sasduckandchicken
listings / restaurants Although SAS Duck & Chicken feels reminiscent of the ‘hipster pop-up’ we first saw three or four years back, they’ve taken a tried and tested format and hit refresh. A small and simple space it might be, but this kitchen crew have won hearts and minds with an understandable menu that presents comfort food at its glorious best: BBQ hot wings, duck confit burgers, chicken skewers and turkey in a big, buttery brioche. These are simple
pleasures refined for a picky palette. $ 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. $
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. $
chinese 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. $$ Pełną Parą (B4) ul. Sienna 76, pelnapara.pl The Thai soup with lemongrass and chicken is fragrant, deep and nourishing, but it’s the Chinese dim sum they’re famous for mind, with eight variations thereof. Find yourself knocked sideways by these beautiful pouches of meaty goodness: the duck, orange and Sichuan pepper is a particular favorite. Impossible to get tired of, these are of a standard that bring to mind London’s Chinatown. $
A PLACE IN WHICH WINE PLAYS THE FIRST CHORD IN HARMONY WITH WHAT APPEARS ON THE PLATE…
WE WELCOME YOU
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Pełną Parą na Nowo (D6) ul. Nowowiejska 10, pelnapara.pl A good gauge of Pełną Parą’s swoon-worthy offerings is the Dim Sum Mix: find a duo of Chinese dumplings (pork/shitake & bamboo/shrimp) plus a spicy kimchi-style cucumber salad topped off with some fried wontons and spring rolls. Appetites, however, may suffer if you sit too close to the manager, a person who sees nothing wrong with barking orders at the staff in the manner of a bulldog. $ Regina Bar ul. Koszykowa 1, fb.com/Reginabar Stepping past a pair of flowing red drapes at the entrance, guests are ushered in to discover an eclectic world that marries the tastes of New York’s Little Italy to Chinatown next door. This is done excellently with the menu presenting the very essence of ethnic comfort food: General Tso’s chicken, Cantonese roast duck and light, leopard-spotted pizzas. Brought to you by the makers of MOD, it’s therefore
listings / restaurants natural that the original style extends to kooky interiors tinged with a trace of retro: a tall mirrored wall and the kind of sparkling chandelier last seen in Boogie Nights.
cooking schools Akademia Kulinarna Whirlpool ul. Mińska 25 (Soho Factory), akademiakulinarnawhirlpool.pl Run by two Italians, find a gleaming kitchen inside a vast warehouse space inside Soho Factory. Mediterranean workshops are the primary foundation, though wine tasting and Polish cooking courses are also available. 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.
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, el-caribe.pl 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 bubbly spot is worth the trip north to Żoliborz. $$
fine dining Amber Room at the Sobański Palace (E6) Al. Ujazdowskie 13, tel. 22 523 6664, amberroom.pl The Amber Room is, indeed,
a bit of a treasure. You know all the chefs we bang on about in this mag? Bottom line, the good ones came through via this kitchen. But this is more than a training ground for future stars, it’s a place that remains on the cutting edge in spite of its seemingly straight look. Positioned inside a majestic villa, the food is pure contemporary Poland, and well deserving of its Michelin nod. For that, thank chef Robert Skubisz. $$$ Atelier Amaro (E6) ul. Agrykola 1, tel. 22 628 5747, atelieramaro.pl The recipient of Poland’s first Michelin star, Atelier promotes pedigree Polish produce enhanced by modern techniques, with courses interspersed by occasionally bizarre interludes (leaves, flowers, twigs, etc). It’s an extraordinary dining experience, and one which confirms the growing cult of Wojciech Amaro. In the hours you’re here the world stops and you leave feeling like James Bond. Reservations are mandatory, but this is a restaurant that tops the foodie bucket list. $$$
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listings / restaurants La Rotisserie (C1) ul. Kościelna 12 (Le Régina Hotel), tel. 22 531 6070, leregina.com It began with duck foie gras and finished with a caramel Valrhona chocolate parfait. In between came a scallop salad with plums, almonds and tarragon tempura; a grilled tuna; and a seared Barbary duck with blackberry ginger sauce and the kind of parsnips you never knew existed. The Insider’s visit at the end of 2016 was nothing if not a reassertion of chef Paweł Oszczyk’s ample skill. Enjoy one of Warsaw’s top dining experiences inside a gloriously seductive dining room that’s been recently updated. $$$ 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. 219) is a brilliant insight into the mind of a chef who likes to push boundaries and get playful with ingredients. 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. $$$ N31 (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 31, n31restaurant.pl One of the original pioneers of modern Polish cooking returns with renewed vigor. That’s Robert
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Sowa, and his N31 restaurant has already made a massive splash with an upmarket, showbizzy crowd enjoying complex cooking amid a luxurious interior of pristine linen and glinting tableware. $$$
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. $$$ Platter by Karol Okrasa (C4) ul. Emilii Plater 49 (Hotel InterContinental Warsaw), warsaw.intercontinental.com It’s a fact that Okrasa’s appearances in the kitchen are fleeting and rare, but that’s done nothing to hurt this restaurant’s prestige. Head chef Łukasz Pielak has proved to be a lethal assassin, executing the ideas of his mentor with accuracy and passion. The cooking is detailed, balanced and elegant, with the
highlight of our visit being deer in plum sauce. A thing of imperial, velvety richness it’s a dish that turns up the volume on a memorable experience. $$$
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 BEST WAWA just bloody brilliant. $$$ 2015 “Foreign Chef” Senses (C2) ul. Bielańska 12, tel. 22 331 9697, sensesrestaurant.pl A spectacular experience from start to finish: begin by walking through a flame-lit tunnel, and then conclude the night with an edible cigar: a grand tobacco flavored pastry infused with whisky and cinnamon. In between our night includes beetroot bread with a teat pipette of apple essence; a beef rib that’s a big blast of smoke and crunch; and a shellfish goulash that’s rich and rough and rolling in flavor. Perfectly paced, expertly
listings / restaurants portioned and bristling with invention, their newly acquired Michelin star makes bookings BEST WAWA 2015 recommended. $$$ “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. $$
french ArtBistro Stalowa ul. Stalowa 52, tel. 22 618 2732 Part of an ‘art hotel’, the distant Stalowa features a narrow dining chamber with vaulted walls, fresh flowers and white formica fittings. It looks good, but on a brighter day the courtyard, strewn with deckchairs and crates, is the place to be. The food is erratic but there is potential: if the other courses were a disappointment then the main was a thing of excellence – duck with a carefully crisped skin, a perfect hint of fat, expertly browned potatoes and a well-executed orange and caramel sauce. $$
– something weird by Aronofsky or Lynch. Seating is small and tight, set around glasstopped tables that favor form over function. But there’s a reasoning behind this which soon becomes apparent. No Comment is all about intimacy, about bending over platters for surreptitious slurps of New Zealand oysters. It’s about decadence, about clinking glasses and toasting the moment. Most of all, it’s about authentic French style. $$
georgian Chinkali (D4) ul. Zgoda 3 Signposted by a Georgianlanguage shingle, there’s a real sense of pleasure about this place. More modern than your typical folksy ethnic outpost, Chinkali’s draw is indeed its chinkali: dough purses packed with meaty broth. There’s a genuine homemade quality to these slurpy bundles of joy, meaning that while they’re authentic, consistency can vary. And don’t miss out on the red bean chachapuri washed down with a mouthwash-colored tarragon lemonade. $ Klukovka (B2) Al. Jana Pawła II 45A, klukovka.pl Jana Pawła’s pavilions are the unlikely location of this culinary beacon: amid the aggressive waft of its kebab shop neighbors, Klukova presents itself as a warming winter mouse hole filled with banter, babble and rich aromas. Specializing in the foods of ‘the east’, this means a menu inspired by the
tastes of Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and more. The mutton manty dumplings are great, and best appreciated with a bottle of unfiltered Lithuanian beer. That said, it’s never a surprise to find diners ordering up bottles of Georgian vodka before proceeding to share their way through the menu. $ Rusiko (E5) Al. Ujazdowskie 22, tel. 22 629 0628, rusiko. pl Vodka shots at the ready! Rusiko finished 2015 voted Gazeta Wyborcza’s Knajpa Roku, a very public endorsement of all that they’ve done right. The food is the equivalent of a warm cuddle on a cold day – it makes you feel good in the heart and soul – and when it comes to hospitality they’re in a league of their own. Live music lends the weekends a good-humored twist. Note: closed Monday. $$
greek & turkish Bar Turecki “Efes” (H4) ul. Francuska 1, ul. Aleje Niepodleglości 80, tel. 22 898 3001 So it’s best known as 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 Turkish grill food and salads. $ Kumpir House (D2) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 59, tel. 723 101 111 Ensconced inside an inviting, raw brick room Kumpir’s warming aura has as
L’Arc (E8) ul. Puławska 16, tel. 519 000 050, larc.pl Looking elegant with its black/white floors and subtle decorations bills at L’Arc can become big number affairs – especially if you hanker for seafood. No-one complains, however. Pick from numerous types of oysters, or delve into the fish tank for the lobster of your choosing. The catchment area extends beyond the borders of Mokotów, not just because of their ‘fresh from France’ seafood, but because of classic dishes such as Mulard duck and Burgundy snails. $$ No Comment (F4) Al. 3 Maja 16/18A, fb.com/nocommentwarszawa Set inside one of those momentous towers that support Most Poniatowskiego, you don’t feel like you’re in a restaurant, you’ll feel like you’re in a film
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listings / restaurants much to do with its food and drink as it does its design. Sip fragrant Turkish coffee while picking through loaded jacket potatoes that bring to mind the street stalls of Istanbul. $$ 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. $$ Santorini ul. Egipska 7, tel. 22 672 0525, kregliccy. pl/santorini/ Santorini looks scuffed and tired but there’s a bonhomie present that instantly engages. The kitchen attaches no value to things like presentation, preferring instead to simply treat diners to piles of grilled and skewered food that consistently tastes right – and the milfei dessert is magic. $$ Sofra (C6) ul. Wilcza 71, tel. 731 847 731 A highly respected Turkish eatery with a wondrous beef mussaka and a wholly admirable lineup of other ethnic dishes: the lamb shashlik has never failed us. Pleasingly informal, this neighborhood redoubt feels cheerfully unforced, and it becomes an easy place to hang around in. $
Taverna Patris (G4) ul. Wał Miedzeszyński 407, tel 22 357 11 11, tawernapatris.pl This Greek restaurant is not about sophistication and finesse, it’s about truth and taste. Likewise, the interiors have no airs and graces: there’s a rough and ready style that’s apt for noisy celebrations and familial occasions. Tawerna Patris is not about shallow details or surface appearances. Instead, it’s a place of depth, a place of integrity, a place of joy. $$
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Bombaj Masala (B3) Al. Jana Pawła II 23, tel. 606 688 777, bombajmasala.pl One of the best looking Indian restaurants in Warsaw, but the food rarely pokes above average. For a cuisine that prides itself on rich, intense tastes, Bombaj gets remembered for bland, oily dishes that only sometimes get finished. Yet business remains brisk, thanks in part to a combination of location and general culinary ignorance. $$
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, though the service can come across as distracted and inattentive. $
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. Now also boasts a more salubrious location on Marszałkowska 10/16. $
indian
Curry House ul. Żeromskiego 81 & ul. Hoża 54, curry-house.pl It’s not been a distinguished year for the Indian scene, with a few 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! Evolving from a glorified hut out in far-flung
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,
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
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classic affair that’s an ideal primer for the party ahead. $$
listings / restaurants Bielany (which is still going strong), they’ve recently upgraded and opened a new venue bang in the city center. $$ House of Curry ul. Patriotów 11 A, house-of-curry.pl Heat seekers can ‘enjoy’ a genuine death-by-fire experience at House of Curry, though far milder curries are available for more sensitive palettes – either way, the experience is fantastic, and good news for those stuck out in the depths of Józefów. $$ Karma (D5) ul. Żurawia 22, tel. 501 400 386, restauracjakarma.pl Fresh, contemporary interiors impart a chic, classy look that’s leagues ahead of Warsaw’s other Indian restaurants. The food is impressive, with fresh ingredients and an expansive menu: the vindaloo is a special standout, with big, punchy flavors that leave you tingling long after you leave. $$ 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. Using the freshest ingredients, Mandala is characterized by its blitzing big spices and a vindaloo capable of giving the sweat glands a work out. For something calmer, the creamy mutton methi malai is a masterpiece. $$ Mr. India Al. KEN 47, tel. 22 213 0689, mrindia. pl Split on two levels the design is contemporary if a little characterless: leather banquettes that leave a sweaty bum print and wood paneling. No problem though, if it looks bland then the food isn’t. That means an incredible butter chicken that’s deep and immensely satisfying. Then there’s the vindaloo, an experience that leaves some close to spontaneous combustion. Undoubtedly one of the best regarded Indian restaurants in this town. $$ Namaste India (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 15, tel. 22 357 0939, namasteindia.pl Responsible for first bringing quality, budget Indian food to Warsaw, Namaste have grown from humble
beginnings (three tables and cooking done in a cupboard-sized space behind a curtain) to evolve into a bona fide two-floored restaurant. Consistency, however, has become a problem. Whilst we rated a recent butter chicken as the best we’ve had for years, another Insider blasts the Madras as being, ‘the worst curry ever served!’ Good luck. $$ Om (B4) ul. Sienna 86, omrestauracja.pl Indian restaurants are popping up like toast, which isn’t a problem for most ex-pats. Catering to the more budget end of the market, Om’s Nepalese chefs know their way around the kitchen. The chicken tikka masala is satisfying if nothing memorable, but the madras is something else: filled with sharp, punchy tastes that leave a lasting impression. While you get the idea it’ll never challenge the more established Indian restaurants in Warsaw, it’s the kind of place you’d be very happy to live next door to. $ Rani Al. KEN 48/10, tel. 729 247 400, rani. com.pl Mere steps from Metro Natolin, this restaurant’s catchment area goes beyond just Ursynów. Owner Samir is a self-confessed foodie, and his vision includes a contemporary Indian menu that features pan-seared cod with turmeric, tomato salsa and mint chutney – wonderful. Rani will also please the traditionalists, with everything from creamy kormas to vindaloo’s that leave your ears blowing smoke rings. $$ 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. It’s no longer the self-styled, ‘the best Indian restaurant in Poland’, but it’s deservedly retained a loyal core of customers. $$
Finest Authentic Indian Cuisine in Locations Around Warsaw
WWW.HOUSE-OF-CURRY.PL
PATRIOTÓW 11A, FALENICA 512 533 415
WWW.CURRY-HOUSE.PL
HOŻA 54
536 443 771
international Aioli Inspired by Mini (D6) Pl. Konstytucji 5, aioliinspiredbymini.pl Such is the success of this venue, there are moments when the scrum at the bar
ŻEROMSKIEGO 81 508 870 774
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listings / restaurants threatens to spill into blood sport. The huge neo-industrial interior packs out with a young, lively demographic sinking ‘tank’ beer and powerful cocktails over a menu that chiefly encompasses pizza and burgers. $$ 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. $$ Ale Wino (F5) ul. Mokotowska 48, tel. 22 628 3830, alewino.pl Dip through an archway to discover Ale Wino, a beautiful wine bar whose menu has been well tailored to the season. Tweaked for the season is the pork belly, a Złotnicka pig adorned with apple sugar snap peas and celery mousse – gorgeous. As for the wine, put your faith in the sommelier, BEST WAWA 2015 “Chef” Oliver. Bazar Kocha (D6) ul. Mokotowska 33, bazarkocha.pl Designed to evoke the spirit of a farmers’ market, the woodsy interior is filled with stall-style units neatly stacked with jars and pots. Yet these are not decorative decoys, but part of a
thoughtful grocery offer aimed at showcasing Kocha’s own-made produce. Above all though, this is a restaurant whose menu is strongly influenced by concepts of ‘terroir’. The giant leg of lamb falls off the bone and is a dish to recommend and remember for several months to come. $$ Bez Tytułu (D5) ul. Poznańska 16, beztytulu.com Classy yet discreet, the interiors set art and photography against rehabilitated brickwork while pendant bulbs cast a soft light downwards. The classic cooking has French and Polish accents and has so far won glowing reviews. That’s specifically true of the mains: high caliber offerings such as beef fillet (zł. 68) with a sensual shallot sauce, mashed potatoes and crunchy onion crisps. Largely perfect, it’s a dish that feels completely right for the season. $$ Bibenda (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 10, tel. 502 770 303, bibenda.pl With its weathered brickwork and a long wavy bar occupying a significant chunk of the entrance, you don’t get much more casual than Bibenda. ‘True food’, their menu calls it, before expanding to rattle on about ‘fresh, seasonal ingredients and home-style techniques’. On our visit that involved a potato salad with red onion and parsley: basic stuff, but delicious when mushed together; next, soft duck thigh placed on top of a tangy red cabbage reduction and served with charred parsnips; and dessert,
PRESENTING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANT IN POLAND
Al. Ujazdowskie 24, tel. 22 629 2312, www.podgigantami.pl
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a pink beetroot cake that was gobbled in seconds. $$ BEST WAWA 2015 “Casual Dining” Bistro Kaskrut (D5) ul. Poznańska 5, fb.com/bistrokaskrut Innovative as ever, a summer rebrand has seen Lili Filipiak (of Top Chef fame) installed as the driving force in the kitchen, the introduction of natural wines and a new focus on gastro excellence. Maintaining a hip, buzzy feel, look on Kaskrut’s evolution as a progressive sign of their growing maturity. At zł. 99, the 4-course tasting menu is remarkable value. $$ Brasserie Warszawska (E5) ul. Górnośląska 24, tel. 22 628 9423, brasseriewarszawska.pl Looking for classic cuisine with no daft flights of fancy? Here you have it. At a time when everyone wants to be Ferran Adrià, Brasserie has both a menu and interior that you can understand: pan-fried foie gras; elegant beef Rossini; and sinful apple tarte tatin, all served inside posh interiors of zinc-plated mirrors and chessboard floors. Their Michelin Bib Gourmand is a source of pride, but it’s the number of repeat clients that are the ultimate paean to the skills of chef Mateusz Wichrowski. $$$ 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 clut-
listings / restaurants ter. 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. $$ Bułkę przez Bibułkę ul. Zgoda 3 & ul. Puławska 24, bulkeprzezbibulke.pl When Bułkę przez Bibułkę was opened the idea was simple – to create a boutique version of Subway: a high quality sandwich shop people would value. But after they started serving breakfast, the whole thing snowballed into a more bistro-style offer. Now there’s a second venue on Zgoda, it’s not just the quality that’s contributed to the success, but the atmosphere as well. $$
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. $$
Dom ul. Mierosławskiego 12, tel. 509 165 712 Here’s the very epitome of casual dining: set on the ground floor of a suburban house, the warm corners and garden views give Dom a real sense of homey charm. In line with all that is a menu that celebrates simple, honest cooking. Everyone who visits ends up loving the place. $$ Dyletanci (F5) ul. Rozbrat 44A, dyletanci.pl Filled with crisp, modern citizens that radiate confidence, Dyletanci introduces itself as
Concept 13 (D4) ul. Bracka 9, tel. 22 310 7373, likusrestauracje.pl 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. $$$ The Cool Cat (F4) ul. Solec 38, tel. 787 698 700 Our visit featured a musical standoff between two waiters arguing over possession of the laptop, and a genuine piece of plate art that was as delicious as it looked: beautiful deer surrounded by creative ingredients. Small menu and a fashionable crowd, but an immensely enjoyable place that adds further oomph to Powiśle. $$ Dekant Wine Bar (F5) ul. Zajęcza 15, dekant.com.pl Not just a contender for Warsaw’s best new wine bar, but also Warsaw’s best new restaurant! The tuna tartar comes with the added ka-boom of a nose clearing wasabi, while the filet mignon (a snip at zł. 79) is simply astonishing. The surprise are the ash-cooked potatoes, beautiful things with a char that wows. The desserts are few in number but equally outstanding: we fell in love with a passion fruit semi-freddo with strawberries marinated in Grand Marnier. $$
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listings / restaurants Original Indian Cuisine
a bistro set with green banquettes and Tom Dixon lamps. The wine selection is among the best in the nation, while the cooking has been left to Rafał Hreczaniuk, a workaholic chef with outrageous talent. His zander fillet thrills with every bite. $$ 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. $$ Hala Koszyki (D6) ul. Koszykowa 63, koszyki.com Finally open after years of disruption and destruction, the launch of this food hall was the big story of Autumn 2016. Integrating old with new, this huge project brings together some 18 food outlets inside a busy interior that’s all iron girders and industrial lighting. While there’s a feeling that there should have been a bigger focus on artisan, independent traders, that’s done nothing to dent Koszyki’s astonishing popularity. Units of note include the Gringo Salsownia, Port Royal Fish & Oyster Bar, and the Sobramesa Tapas Bar. $$ 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. $$
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Joseph’s Bistro & Wine (B1) ul. Inflancka 4, josephs.pl Spacious and smooth on the eye, Joseph’s has the feel of a place where good things happen: and indeed they do. For starters there’s a visually enticing tuna tartar, not to mention gherkin with rhubarb and cheese. It’s frankly remarkable with all sorts of tastes popping out thanks to a marinade that involves passionfruit, chili, vinegar and maple syrup. As a main, don’t miss the duck breast: a simple thing of beauty that’s given extra vigor with a star anise demi-glace. $$ Kuchnia Otwarta ul. Klimczaka 1 (Royal Wilanów), kuchni-
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aotwarta.pl Kuchnia Otwarta have created a swell of excitement that’s rippled way beyond Wilanów. Why? Plotted out by Michał Molenda, the menu is a sincere work based around regional, seasonal produce: nothing contrived, nothing forced, it’s a card that roots out the very best that Poland has to offer: in winter, the wild boar stew, served in a cast iron pot, is a dark, delicious work that nourishes the soul. La Brasserie Modern (D3) ul. Królewska 11, 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. $$
Loft (D4) ul. Złota 11, tel. 668 016 964, restauracjaloft.pl Color, that’s what Loft has. It’s everywhere – from the design, which is all bubble shaped lights and splashy, bright cushions, to the drinks: extravagant cocktails that possibly glow in the dark. The menu is full of playful experimentation, something reflected by a seasonal menu that has, in the past, presented such choices as chicken with strawberries. $$ Manoush (D4) ul. Jasna 10, manoush.pl It’s rare to see Beef Wellington on a Warsaw menu, and even rarer to find it executed well. But that’s exactly what Manoush manage to do, presenting prime, pink beef wrapped in a flaky, puff pastry. The rest of the international, bistro-style menu is equally fulfilling, and includes a wondrous halibut. There’s no revolution going on at Manoush, but you sense it’s a place that knows exactly what it’s doing, and is doing it well. $$ Między Ustami (E5) ul. Mokotowska 33/35, tel. 530 323 325 The design joins elements of classic Prague bordello against a London Soho bar, while the international menu features a decent
listings / restaurants steak nicely enhanced by a silky drizzle of demi-glace. With the food out of the way, stick around for some of the better cocktails found in this city. $$
it’s a place that exudes elegance and class. Most of all, however, it’s a restaurant to be enjoyed. Brought to you by the same team credited for Merliniego 5, Mokotowska’s appreciation of steak has been lifted from their elder sister. Yet the virtues of this restaurant extend beyond steak alone: the Insider enjoyed a volley of greats – creamy breaded calf brains, sophisticated smoked eel, and Mazurian crayfish served in a deep, joyous sauce of rowan berry and brandy. $$
MOD (D6) ul. Oleandrów 8, fb.com/MODOleandrow8 Chef Trisno’s menu sets his French culinary training against his Singaporean upbringing. The outcome is a card (actually, a printed sheet of paper) that makes for dangerously enjoyable reading: duck hearts with beetroot / soy emulsion and braised red cabbage; duck confit with pok choy, soy / red wine sauce and spicy cranberry chutney. Moderate prices and funky décor (a retro mirrored wall, upside down plants hanging from the ceiling) give it an ad hoc edge and plenty of character. Note: by day its Warsaw’s top donut store, so visit at night for their proper menu. $$ BEST WAWA 2015 “Newcomer”
Momu.Gastrobar (C2) ul. Wierzbowa 11, tel. 506 100 001, momu. pl Back open after a revamp and a rethink, the biggest talking point has been the star addition of a wood smoker imported from the States. Allegedly the only one of its kind in Poland, the menu has been adjusted accordingly to play to this strength – with this in mind, the ribs are a must-have. $
Mokotowska 69 (E5) ul. Mokotowska 69, mokotowska69.com Set inside a rotunda at the tail end of the street,
Plato ul. Klimczaka 1 (Royal Wilanow), restauracjaplato.pl Conceived as a ‘smart casual’
restaurant, it’s a reasonably compact space with a modern style and incandescent bulbs hanging from a complex cat’s cradle of interweaving wires: classy but nothing too flashy or flamboyant. Then there’s the menu, a strange work that sees Spanish influences brushing shoulders next to Polish and Asian. It sounds silly and preposterous but my God it works. December saw us wowed by beef tartar cut from Polish Hereford, an aromatic oriental brith, and a refined halibut encircled with sage pesto, redcurrants and fresh almonds. Stunning. $$ Północ Poludnie (E7) ul. Bagatela 10, pn-pd.pl Besides the food being colorful and inventive there is a restaurant concept that works here. It has a visible kitchen, which at times is a little noisy, a beautifully designed interior, not to mention an attentive wait staff that are familiar with what they serve. $$ Prosta Historia (H4) ul. Francuska 24, prostahistoria.com
www.focaccia.pl tel.: +48 22 829 69 69, ul. Senatorska 13/15, Warsaw/Old Town restauracja@focaccia.pl, fb.com/restauracjafocaccia
New Menu
Aperitivo Bar
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listings / restaurants Informal-looking with its simple white finishes and stripped wooden floors, Prosta fills a ‘catch-all’ role of cafe/restaurant/ bar/meeting point. And it does all the aforementioned very well indeed, thanks to a skilled chef, a good drinks offer and a continental atmosphere that’s all life and good humor. $$ Qchnia Artystyczna (E6) Al. Jazdów 2 (Zamek Ujazdowski), tel. 22 625 7627, qchnia.pl Even on a cold, ashen day, can you question a view that spills down onto a canal and park way down below? And how about when that view comes from a candle-lit reconstructed castle… Endlessly romantic, this artistic eatery comes with a light look and a creative menu. $$ Rozbrat 20 (F5) ul. Rozbrat 20, rozbrat20.com.pl Much noise has been made about Rozbrat 20’s bread and wine selection, but their food is also something of a standout. Our trip in December meant twirls of herring pickled in vinegar and herbs and surrounded by a whorl of pond green colors; expertly assembled and boisterously flavored Hungarian foie gras; and a roll of gelatinous pork with ribbons of crispy salsify and a reassuring, fleshy taste. Outstanding. $$
Sawa Bistro (C3) ul. Grzybowska 5, sawabistro.pl An unpretentious ride through largely Mediterranean cuisine with standouts including ‘Galicianstyle octopus’ and an Italian tartar with olive powder, shallots in port and balsamic vinegar and a smoked egg. The interiors are stripped to their original concrete and feature an eye-catching mosaic designed in the PRL style, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows and cheerful blue flashes. $$ Secado (D5) ul. Marszałkowska 66, tel. 608 707 799, secado.com.pl Casual, intimate interiors complement a menu that’s expanded from its original Latin leanings. Everything we’ve tried here has been close to culinary gold, and that includes the surf & turf, tortillas and the roast beef. $$ Soul Kitchen Bistro (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 18A, soulkitchen.pl If the
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previous venue was all slanted towards low-pitched business conversation then the new one is positively festive in comparison: scuffed brickwork, tall bar stools, a long communal table, etc. The seasonal menu is a pick-and-mix of small-to-medium plates, including a halibut gravlax, whose delicate taste juxtaposes well against the rougher, earthier kick of the radish, and crayfish presented in a bird’s nest of green beans, fennel and leek. For mains, look for the braised beef. $ Stixx (A4) Pl. Europejski 4A, tel. 22 340 4040, stixx.pl A quite extraordinary concept shoehorned between the Hilton and the dazzling Warsaw Spire, the first thing to strike visitors about Stixx is its size: immense. Despite that, an intelligent, hyper modern design means intimacy is never short in supply. The menu is bold, featuring elements of Polish, Asian and Italian cooking, an idea that sounds absurdly risky – so it speaks volumes for the kitchen staff that they’ve mastered all three. Highlights include a brilliantly composed Polish tapas plate and curries that will knock your socks off. $$
Strefa (C3) ul. Próżna 9, tel. 22 255 0850, restauracjastrefa.pl There’s a swan white elegance here, with lots of pristine colors and smart, smooth-talking service. What a refreshing change. Chef Jarosław Walczyk 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. $$$ Warbuger Na Żelazna (B4) ul. Żelazna 58/62 The easiest mistake one can make is to think this is a burger joint – in part it is, but the whole truth is that it’s so much more. A complete upgrade from their original joint in Mokotów, the real attraction is an enticing page of more-ish, meaty mains: oxtail, beef cheeks and other snips of bits and offal. $$
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. $ DaCurio (E3) ul. Tamka 45A Although it looks small and humble DaCurio have made quick work of amassing an enthusiastic following. Credit for that rests with the Roman-style pizza that comes sold by the slice. Made using Italian oils and flour, the pizzas here deserve the adulation they’ve received. $$ Delizia (D5) ul. Hoża 58/60, tel. 22 622 6665, delizia. com.pl The sheer proliferation of Italian restaurants lends an element of chance to dining out: cut through the noise by visiting Delizia, a place that’s consistently topped polls ever since it launched in 2010. Lorenzo’s cooking is upscale Italian with a contemporary twist, and comes presented by Luca, an ebullient ball of energy who patrols the floor with sparkling good humor. In the hands of these two an unforgettable night comes guaranteed. Top quality imported products, a dimly-lit romantic atmosphere, a tasteful design and faultless food: no wonder so many rate this as their favorite Italian. $$ 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. $$
Enoteka (C1) Rynek Nowego Miasta 13/15, enotekapolska.pl This L-shaped space feels completely correct: tall ceilings, big windows, marble floors and an overwhelming sense of light and sun. The mood is good. Food matches the serious wine list and includes a rich topinmabur soup, creamy Agnolloti pasta and a hearty steak. These are not attempts at a kitchen revolution, rather a concentrated
listings / restaurants focus on a menu that makes sense. $$ 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. $$ La Bufala (B4) ul. Sienna 86, tel. 22 654 3277, labufala. pl Not long back this was the go-to place for Italian expats looking for pizza. What’s gone wrong? No idea, but recent trips reveal a kitchen that hasn’t so much rested on its laurels as died on them. $ La Tomatina (D5) ul. Krucza 47A, tel. 22 625 1047 latomatina. pl Calamitous, slapstick service and accusations pointing to the overuse of readymade ingredients shouldn’t detract from good pizzas served in modern interiors of stark white walls and concrete floors. Our spicy tiger prawn spaghetti was also okay, even if the presentation looked like a student had cooked it. $ Mąka i Woda (D4) ul. Chmielna 13A, tel. 22 505 91 87 Purists applaud an approach that uses a custom-made oven from Naples and imported ingredients such as 00 Caputo flour and DOP certified San Marzano tomatoes. Scrupulously authentic, it’s no wonder that it’s packed to the gunnels every night of the week – even their Facebook page warns of 20-minute waiting times for a table alone. Learning this, some storm off in a huff – they need their heads checked, for this is Warsaw’s best pizza. $ Ristorante San Lorenzo (B3) Al. Jana Pawła II 36, tel. 22 652 1616, sanlorenzo.pl Adorned with crisp, starched linen and Roman frescos this space is almost magisterial in design. The Tuscan menu is flawless and well worth the rather hefty bill. The wine bar on the ground floor features the same standards at a snip of the price, and it’s here you’ll find Italian natives cheering
the Serie A football. Now also on Żurawia 6/12, only with a more modish design clearly targeted at a slightly younger audience. $$ Sexy Duck Pl. Konstytucji 3, tel. 22 400 3737 Marketing themselves as a ‘craft Italian kitchen’, Sexy Duck make a song and dance about artisan this and that while never justifying their own hyperbole. Were they not so keen to tell you otherwise, you’d mistake the food as being something from a mid-market high street chain enterprise. But if their pizza never goes beyond ordinary, that’s done nothing to keep trade from being brisk. Inside interiors filled with aged, raw materials, find a new generation of diners making the most of the low, low prices. $ Si (C3) ul. Marszałkowska 115 From the makers of Secado comes a new downtown venture: Si, a fun Italian stop with homemade pasta, an array of pizza and a hefty choice of cocktails. Geared towards good times, a list of rotating daily offers has done a fair job of drumming up trade. $$ Trattoria Murano (B1) ul. Pokorna 2, tel. 516 754 300, trattoriamurano.pl Boosted by a number of new real estate projects, Muranów is in the midst of an unlikely renaissance. A direct knock-on has been the birth of numerous restaurants, though few can compete with Trattoria Murano. Looking dapper with its zigzagging brick patterns and circular lights, the good mood is further enhanced by a highly credible menu that scores well on the Italian classics. $$
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 forest – you need to see it to believe it. $$ Łuski i Ości ul. Zajączka 9A, luskiosci.pl A fun design (cool wall art and a wraparound aquarium built into the bar) is ably supported by a comprehensive range of sushi – the imaginative presentation is fitting of some of the more unconventional pieces: the Californian rolls aren’t reticent about involving ingredients such as chili, passion fruit and jalapeno. Omami (D5) ul. Mokotowska 29 (enter from Krucza) Sushi has been side-lined and ramen is rising. Opened a few months ago, Omami promise four types of ramen, not to mention steamed buns and other budget-minded Japanese options. $ Om nom nom (D5) ul. Kurcza 41/43, tel. 794 925 075, fb.com/ omnomnom.sushito Japanese meets Mexican: if there’s a more unlikely culinary marriage, then we’ve yet to hear it. Set inside a colorful, wacky space, the specialty here is the sushito, a long sushi wrap filled with the likes of sweetcorn, jalapenos and chicken panko. In the words of one established restaurateur, this is ‘a place for rich kids who don’t have a clue about food.’ That said, it hasn’t stopped the place enjoying massive
japanese & sushi Benihana (C4) ul. Twarda 2/4, benihanapoland.com Fire, flash, show and sizzle: the Benihana experience merges cooking with cabaret with diners sat ringside around teppanyaki grills. These cooking stations are the stage for the Benihana crew to demonstrate their riveting range of nifty knifework and daredevil antics. Outside of the realm of the grill, the sushi is also strikes the right spot. $$ Izumi Sushi ul. Mokotowska 17 (pl. Zbawiciela), tel. 22 825 7950, izumisushi.eu The original location never ceases to amaze with its sushi, www.warsawinsider.pl
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listings / restaurants local success. If you like your eating habits to break the norm, then you could well enjoy it. $$ Sakana Sushi Bar ul. Burakowska 5/7 tel. 22 636 0505, ul. Moliera 4/6, tel. 22 826 5958, & ul. Wąwozowa 6, lok.10B, tel. 22 498 8899, sakana.pl Sushi as a fashion statement? That’s what you find in Sakana, a place where the glam and the great of Warsaw peacock around with feathers on display. Ignoring the general vanity and unpleasantness, one can’t help but applaud the sushi – if there was one winner in the sushi wars of the noughties, then Sakana was it. $$ 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. $$ Shoku (A4) ul. Karolkowa 30, shoku.pl In local terms, this has to be amongst the most blogged about restaurants of the year thus far. While it actually opened several months back, it’s only now that the place is gathering steam and getting recognized thanks to word-of-mouth. In truth, it’s not hard to see what the fuss is
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about: occupying a cool, almost industriallooking spot not far from the Rising Museum, Shoku offers an excellent menu of Asian-style tapas and small plates inside a buzzy background that’s never short of custom. The tuna steak is recommended. $$ 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 one of the No. 1 ex-pat choices. 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 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. $$ Uki Uki (D5) ul. Krucza 23/31, tel. 728 827 705, ukiuki.pl How much do the locals appreciate Warsaw’s original udon bar? Enough to queue outside the door? That’s right. Dining is a close quarters experience here, but is done so without complaint: that electric pasta maker turns out noodles of such chewy goodness that everyone leaves beaming. $$ Wabu (A4) Pl. Europejski 2 (Warsaw Spire), wabu.pl Sushi becomes a heaven’s gate spiritual experience in Wabu with the evening passing in a blur of beautiful compositions, of silky slithers of fish crowned with expert pinches of this, and little brush strokes of that. That’s all elevated even further by deliciously upscale interiors befitting of the Spire location. $$$
Wasabi (D3) Pl. Piłsudskiego 2, tel. 22 314 6963, restauracjawasabi.pl Rated as one of the best value for money deals on sushi you’ll find in the city, the sets offer phenomenally good value. Sushi master Masahiro Ueyama
listings / restaurants knows all the tricks in his book, and his green tea tiramisu is a surprising finish.
jewish Pod Samsonem (C1) ul. Freta 3/5, tel. 22 831 1788, podsamsonem.pl Operating since the 1950s – crazy when you think about it. This is the place for an ordinary meal in an ordinary space. The menu mixes aspects of Polish and Jewish cooking, and fails to do a good job of either. $
korean Miss Kimchi (B4) ul. Żelazna 58/62, tel. 570 186 066 Cheap and cheerful Korean street food served in a small, steamy space that’s frequently packed to the rafters. Box sets come piled high with meat, rice and veg. The spotlight falls on the bibimbap, a satisfying mess of shredded veg, lively spices, a fried egg and beef bulgogi. This is replenishment in its truest form. $ Onggi (D2) ul. Moliera 2 Positive transformations aren’t confined to Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares: after a dreadful start characterized by bland, claggy dishes, this Korean restaurant has spun a U-turn that’s left the competition reeling. The menu is daunting in size, but contains wildly interesting finds such as a streaky bacon stir fry, spicy pickled Daikon radish and lotus root simmered in soy sauce. $$ Sora (A4) ul. Wronia 45 Always bubbling with South Korean customers, their reassuring presence affirms Sora’s reputation as the top Korean restaurant in town. Set in a garish new apartment block, the menu here is as close too authentic as you’ll find in Poland, and includes a fiery kimchi salad as well as an interesting bibimbap: a vegetable mix served in a spicy sauce. Most of all though, you simply have to sample the table grill: a shared bonding experience, it’s even better with copious quantities of Makkoli wine. $$
latin & spanish Casa Pablo (C3) ul. Grzybowska 5A, tel. 22 324 5781, casapablo.pl “We give Spanish food a new
twist,” declares chef Gonzalo de Salas, which explains why, in between pungent cheeses and acorn-fed Bellota ham, we find ourselves demolishing a variety of dishes that buck all notions of tradition: as a starter the beetroot-marinated salmon served with wasabi emulsion is a fine example of this. With de Salas performing balletic tricks in the kitchen, Casa Pablo presents a masterful menu that ripples with adventure. $$ 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 BEST WAWA 2015 mural of Maradona. $$ “Foreign Chef” Tapas Gastrobar (A4) ul. Grzybowska 63, tel. 22 251 1310, tapasbar.pl The engaging design features scuffed timber tables supported by rescued factory metal, open ductwork and elaborate floor tiles of Iberian persuasion. But the food is what everyone is talking about: the first class gazpacho, prepared onsite then served in a bottle, is full of refreshing zing, while the beef cheek is pure melty tenderness. Our favorite, though, are the patatas bravas, perfectly fried potatoes served in a ballsy tomato sauce. Just amazing. $$ Restaurante Bunuel (H4) ul. Walecznych 61, tel. 798 659 554, bunuelrestauracja.com Spanish-owned Bunuel has left many 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. $$
mexican Blue Cactus (E8) ul. Zajączkowska 11, tel. 22 851 2323, bluecactus.pl Combining the barbecuing techniques of the southern states with the humble but potent tastes of Mexico, this veteran landmark is committed to local produce and fresh flavors, the previous chef’s finest moment was hoiking over a wood-fired grill
all the way from Nashville – the steaks will stop you in your tracks. Note: not all recent reports have been positive, with service issues cited as a particular complaint. $$ Dos Tacos (D4) ul. Jasna 22, tel. 22 243 4618, dostacos.pl Who doesn’t like asking for something that’s ‘under the counter’. In the case of Dos Tacos, doing so means inquiring about their range of ‘salsa clandestinas’: extra hot sauces designed for reckless thrill-seekers. But the true secret weapon at Dos Tacos is Isabel Balderas, a Mexican chef that has mastered the bright, bold tastes of her native country. This cuisine has enjoyed a breakout year in Warsaw, but while the millennials clamor over new food trucks and funky little start-ups, Dos Tacos is a timely reminder that the old guard sometimes know best. $$ Gringo Bar (E9) ul. Odolańska 15, tel. 22 848 9523, gringobar.pl A Mexican wave is upon us, and high time too. After years of suffering frozen ingredients, timid flavors and daft Mariachi music to persuade us it’s all authentic, a raft of new cut-price eateries are showing the rest how it’s done. Cooked and folded by fist bumping lads in back-to-front caps and baggy t-shirts, the food at Gringo is fiery, fresh and full of zing. There are detractors who claim this is a Polonized version of this cuisine, but the informal Gringo remains one of the market leaders. $ La Sirena (D5) ul. Piękna 54 Apparently inspired by the ultraviolent films of Danny Trejo, the design finds a middle ground between a traditional cantina and El Chapo’s jail. The menu includes creamy Kermit-colored guacamole, cocktails that are both vicious and delicious, and ‘drunken beans’ full of heart and vim. Does it get better? Yes, particularly with the ‘short ribs burrito’ and a readjusted ‘almost death’ salsa that’s finally learned to say POW. This is the best Mexican food Warsaw is ever likely to see. $$ 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. www.warsawinsider.pl
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IMAGINATIVE POLISH CUISINE
Opened in autumn, Inny Wymiar (Another Dimension), like its name suggests, serves dishes otherwise impossible to find on Warsaw’s culinary landscape... The rare, unknown dishes we refer to don’t hail from distant, mysterious countries, but Poland. At Inny Wymiar we explore our national, natural tastes without relying on molecular pretense, but rather a soft, delicate breath of modernity. Regard our food as a business card to show foreign guests.
A
s the old saying goes, ‘the darkest place is under the candlestick.’ Until recently, that was reflected by modern Warsaw’s lack of... contemporary Polish cuisine. Think about it, just where could you find home-made, heartfelt food prepared with elegance and style. Inny Wymiar has filled that gap, with our team creating dishes that are full of homey warmth. Made using only the finest ingredients, they’re a showcase of our chef’s outstanding skills. On the menu find, among other things, coulibiac with borscht; pork chops with bone fried on lard; and wild boar goulash and dumplings. Staples of Polish cuisine such as herring and tartar are served in a variety of surprising forms, and guests can also enjoy the Polish twist on the classic burger - a minced meat patty served between delicious buckwheat buns. And don’t forget our own national take on pizza, the legendary podpłomyk: a crispy yeast flat-cake sprinkled with delicious toppings and baked just prior to serving. Our kitchen is complemented by a bar serving high caliber drinks befitting of the venue: Absztyfikant, Fircyk, Elegant are composed using ingredients such as seaber-
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BROUGHT TO YOU BY INNY WYMIAR
ries, vodka tea, thyme and lemon cream. The icing on the cake is a cozy interior that’s equally suited to a quick, solo lunch, a gathering of friends and family, or a chilled out evening drink. Decked out with crystal chandeliers, copper counters and wooden furniture, all who leave comment on the convivial atmosphere of our piece of Poland. Inny Wymiar is open to all! Each day we serve two different lunch deals (either a soup, our legendary podpłomyk and home-made kompot for zł. 21 or a soup, second dish, dessert and home-made kompot for zł. 29) and never have a shortage of similar incentives and offers for after-work visits. And soon we’ll be opening up for the best breakfast in Warsaw that will boast not just the best prices, but also the best quality! Inny Wymiar ul. Świętokrzyska 14
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listings / restaurants 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. $ 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. $
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
Urban Burritos (D6) ul. Piękna 22, urbanburritos.pl It’s here, in this unassuming subterranean world, that people gather for what is being hyped as Warsaw’s top burrito. Offering fillings of pork, beef, chicken and Portobello mushroom, wraps come expertly constructed and served with salsas that sing with gusto. Set within shouting distance of the US Embassy, peak times see Urban Burritos fill to the seams with America’s finest. $
middle eastern Falafel Bejrut (B2) ul. Nowolipki 15 Light, bright and buzzing with custom, this cheerful venture has a small scattering of seating and an expanded menu whose talking point is award-winning falafel. The hummus, too, is pretty amazing. $ Falafel Bejrut Moliera 8 (D2) ul. Moliera 8 So what would you prefer – an underperforming steakhouse or what’s commonly regarded as the best falafel Warsaw has ever seen? In all truth, polls are closed on that one. Taking the place of the defunct Muu Muu restaurant, Falafel Bejrut have grown from life as a ‘food bike’ outside Hala Mirowska, to a runaway juggernaut in the heart of Warsaw. Both the falafel and hummus are exceptional, and you’ll find their latest venue also serving artisanal vegan ice cream from Vegestacja. $ 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
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listings / restaurants 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. $$ Marrakesh (E5) ul. Wilcza 11 Swapping their Jerozolimskie address for a Wilcza postcode, the changes at Marrakesh haven’t just been geographical. The nosedive in quality has been painful to watch, with the hummus decried by one Insider as being ‘little better than cement mix’. $ Samira ul. Powsińska 64a, tel. 22 825 3363, samira.pl There was something a little seedy about Samira’s old location, but that’s all forgotten in their new digs on Powsińska. Find this great Lebanese supermarket filling a dual role as an authentic restaurant serving authentic dishes such as kafta and shawarma. $$ 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. $$
pancakes Manekin (C3) ul. Marszalkowska 140, tel. 22 826 0753, manekin.pl Originally founded in Toruń, this pancake house chain is a national phenomenon – there are times when queues for a table snake outside. The menu touts dozens of pancake options served in sweet and savory form (there’s even a spaghetti version…), though not everyone agrees they’re worth the often silly waiting times. $ Mr. Pancake (E3) ul. Solec 50, tel. 501 237 461, mrpancake.pl You’re just going to love their pancakes, with their fun, wacky look and creative toppings (M&Ms, funny faces traced with icing sugar, and lots of chocolatey stuff). They’re the sort of pancakes you’d get if Bart Simpson
got stoned and decided to make some food – brilliant. $
(zł. 80 upwards) aims to ‘rediscover and reinterpret forgotten Polish cuisine’. $$
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. $$$ Bazyliszek (D1) Rynek Starego Miasto 1/3, tel. 22 831 1841, bazyliszek.waw.pl Some parts of Bazyliszek hark to its years as a stately, stuffy restaurant. Now though it’s more earthy, with Jurassic portions of meaty, lardy food best consumed with one-liter beers. The Rynek location and festive atmosphere account for its popularity more than anything that comes from the kitchen. $
Belvedere Łazienki Królewskie ul. Agrykoli 1, tel. 22 558 6701, belvedere. com.pl Set in an imperial age glass orangery, it’s festooned with intricate latticework and botanical exotica. The updated interiors are the work of acclaimed set designer Boris Kudlicka, and lend a fresh, contemporary tone that goes hand in hand with the menu by Marcin Przybysz. But behind the gels and emulsions and pretty little swirls, this is cooking of substantial depth; it’s cooking that takes you to the very soul of Polish nature. $$$ Bez Gwiazdek (E3) ul. Wiślana 8, bezgwiazdek.com.pl Hide the white tablecloth! One of the more discernible trends of 2016 has seen chefs attempt to replicate fine dining standards but in casual surrounds. Few are more qualified to do so than Robert Trzópek, a man whose résumé includes experience gained in Noma and El Bulli. Seeking out produce from specialist local farmers, his tasting menu
Czerwony Wieprz (Red Hog) (B3) ul. Żelazna 68, tel. 22 850 3144, czerwonywieprz.pl Shush! Big Brother is watching in the Red Pig, but the beady-eyed 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! $$ Dawne Smaki (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 49, tel. 22 465 83 20, dawnesmaki.pl At last, a proper restaurant on Nowy Świat! The interiors hark to the past, while the back garden promises an oasis-like experience: if you’re new to Warsaw, it’s actually worth hanging around till summer just to see it. The menu sees Polish dishes modernized while being treated with competence and respect. Recommended: deer steak. $$ Dekagram (C5) ul. E. Plater 9/11, restauracjadekagram. pl Step through the mists of time in Dekagram, a restaurant that evokes the spirit of Warsaw’s inter-war golden age. It’s not just the antique interiors that make such time travel possible, but also a menu that has sought to reprise recipes from a distant age: stuffed goose necks, homemade dumplings and old fashioned żurek complete with an egg. Full review coming soon. $$
Delicja Polska (D6) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 64, tel. 22 826 4770, delicjapolska.pl Looking stately (pink bows, gilt touches and immaculate linen) but never stuffy, Delicja have a modern Polish menu that includes sous-vide salmon marinated in beetroot leaves, then topped with horseradish www.warsawinsider.pl
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listings / restaurants foam and dill emulsion. Brilliant. But then so was everything else we tried, including the exquisite seasoned roast beef. $$ 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. $$$ Dom Polski Belwederska (F8) ul. Belwederska 18A, tel. 22 840 5060, restauracjadompolski.pl Accessed via curling pathways and bursting shrubs this restaurant conjures images of an aristocrat’s manor. The air of privilege matches a menu that’s rich in fanciful classics such as their signature goose. Elegant and exquisite, consider it your default choice for a taste of true Poland. $$
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RESTAURANT &
VODKA
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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! $$
Folk Gospoda (B3) ul. Waliców 13, tel. 22 890 1605, folkgospoda.pl Be honest, sometimes all you want to do is slather lard on a big hunk of bread before
surrounding yourself with little shots of ice cold vodka. You wouldn’t call it cultivated, but there are occasions when a good knees-up around a rough wooden table is exactly what’s required. And while you’re there, why not add platters of meat to the scene, a crackling fireplace and a mountain band. Folk Gospoda do all that making them the default favorite for a traditional night out. $$ 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. $$ Inny Wymiar ul. Świętokrzyska 14 Highly imaginative
listings / restaurants Polish cuisine served inside intriguing interiors. Much blogged about since opening, it’s been noted by many as one to watch. Full review coming soon. $$ Jaś & Małgosia (B2) Al. Jana Pawła II 57, tel. 502 033 711, klubjasimalgosia.pl 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, kafezn.pl 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, 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. $$ Opasły Tom (E4) ul. Foksal 17, kregliccy.pl Sneaked off a lively street, guests duck down into a chain of two narrow-ish chambers that, whilst not exactly casual, feel comfortable and familiar. Agata Wojda’s cooking is sublime, and on our latest trip include a gentle goose confit rested
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listings / restaurants on pumpkin puree and prune sauce and a smoked trout mousse full of unexpectedly vivid flavors. It’d be easy to write this off as just simple stuff done well, but you know that’s not the case: if it really were that straightforward, everyone would be pulling BEST WAWA 2015 “Modern it off. $$ 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. $$ Podwale Piwna Kompania (D2) ul. Podwale 25, tel. 22 635 6314, podwale25.pl Prowling mountain bands generate a beer hall atmosphere, while the courtyard garden – designed to replicate a Mitteleuropa square – is one of the best you’ll find. But the obscene portions can’t mask what is pretty poor food. Go there for the experience, if nothing else. $
Prasowy (E7) ul. Marszałkowska 10/16 Delicate diners turn their back on milk bars, yet this canteenstyle phenomenon, with its history rooted in communism, has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance and a freshly found popularity with a new generation. Sure, the food is an acquired taste and best described using words like ‘basic’, ‘bland’ and ‘honest’, but Prasowy gets our vote for a cool design that’s seen the 1954 interiors sensitively updated. $ Przystawki (B1) ul. Stawki 3, tel. 22 299 1619, przystawki. com Welcome to Muranów: the black hole of local gastronomy. But change is in the air – first came the opening of Jaś i Małgosia, and now comes Przy Stawki. Both keep it simple, gunning for a straight forward menu that presents the kind of cooking you’d like to see at the in-laws: local ingredients cooked with care. In a nutshell, this is Polish home cooking at moderate prices. More places like this, please. $
Restauracja Pod Gigantami (E5) Al. Ujadowskie 24, tel. 22 629 2312, podgigantami.pl The wine list impresses, as do the elegantly fairytale turn-of-the-century interiors. The menu, meanwhile, is almost
ambassadorial in its representation of Polish food: you feel, almost, that these are dishes of the pre-war aristocracy aesthetically updated to suit the moden world. $$$ 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. $$ Słoik (D4) ul. Złota 11, tel. 600 396 688, restauracjasloik.pl Jarheads will love Słoik, a place lined with glass jars brimming with colorful ingredients and bright preserves. Find natural Polish produce and traditional-sounding dishes treated with a careful and contemporary hand. The approach pits modernist against classic, and the winner is, well, you. This is traditional Polish food updated for the discerning, latter day palate – and it’s really quite something. $ Smaki Warszawy (D5) ul. Żurawia 47/49, www.smakiwarszawy.pl Well-known on the Warsaw scene as a delight-
You’ve tried all the rest, now try the best! Le Cedre 61
opposite the zoo Al. Solidarności 61, Praga Tel 22 670 11 66
Le Cedre 84
opposite the court Al. Solidarności 84 Tel 22 618 89 99
www.lecedre.pl
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listings / restaurants ful Polish restaurant, Smaki Warszawy is also renowned for its cakes. Smiling staff pour amazing lattés and serve up slices of to-die-for pistachio cream cake. $$ Solec 44 (F4) ul. Solec 44, tel. 798 363 996, solec.waw. pl 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-to-tail 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. $$
town Poland extends to the alcohol, and no visit is complete without a stiffening drop of vodka. $$
uszwejka.pl Named after the fictional Czech soldier Szwejk, the food here would certainly appeal to the tubby man himself. Bestowed with Prague street signs, the food is a hardy, meaty affair, and arrives in XXXL portions. The price to quantity (Note: not quality) ratio guarantees queues (yes, queues) that stretch out on the street every weekend. $$
Stary Dom ul. Puławska 104/106, tel. 22 646 4208, restauracjastarydom.pl A classic restaurant in style and history: back in the day it was a favorite haunt of jockeys and race goers from the horse track nearby. Pre-war recipes form the basis of the menu, with the team using seasonal produce and the latest technology to bring out its best. $$
Varso Vie (D6) Pl. Konstytucji 2, varso-vie.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. $$
U Fukiera (D1) Rynek Starego Miasta 27 (Old Town Market Square), tel. 22 831 1013, ufukiera.pl New arrivals looking to get a grasp of local cuisine have many options in varying price brackets. U Fukiera is definitely in the big spend category, but visitors come away with a common sense of wonderment. That’s largely due to enchanting interiors that have guests exploring twinkling chambers that unravel like a fairytale. Set in a 500 year old townhouse, the beautiful backdrop is accompanied by a grand menu of duck, venison, veal and lamb. $$$
Specjały Regionalne (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 44, specjalyregionalne. pl To step across the threshold is to leave Warsaw behind: mimicking the look of a rural pantry, Specjały is awash with provincial craft work and traditional dress. A truly ethnographic journey, the menu whisks diners across Poland with its choice of classic dishes and regional ingredients: there is heavy, meaty soup served in a hollowed out hunk of bread; snails farmed U Szwejka (D6) in Warmia; and a warming beef goulash that salto new add.pdf 1 14/12/16 08:26 pl. Konstytucji 1, tel. 22 339 1710, hugs the soul. The commitment to small
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’.
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listings / restaurants 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, 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. In summer, head instead to their glorious garden across the street in the park: adding a sophisticated twist to the holy grill, the skewered lamb is to die for. $$
scandinavian Nabo ul. Zakręt 8, tel. 22 842 0256, nabocafe. pl The décor is, we’re told, typical Danish cafe – bold open windows, simple lines, high
shelves filled with books and games on the table. But what is Danish food? There’s Old Danish on the menu: meatballs and open face sandwiches with meat and fish in various textural configurations and then there’s New Danish: an emerging trend towards fresh, seasonal food (no microwave oven at Nabo), with locally sourced and innovatively concocted ingredients. $$
seafood 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, crab and mussels never disappoint. $$ Lokal na Rybę (D9) ul. Kwiatowa 1/3/4, fb.com/lokalnarybe
Seafood doesn’t play a particularly distinguished role in Warsaw’s culinary history, so the opening of a good fish restaurant tends to get the locals talking. But Lokal isn’t just good, it goes several steps beyond. Open just three days a week (Thu-Sat, evenings only), the rotating menu presents a handful of daily choices against a simple, no pretence interior that’s often packed solid – reservations come recommended, as do the mussel dishes. $$ U Rysia (C4) ul. Marszałkowska 140 (enter from ul. Rysia), urysia.com.pl Devoid of frills bar a glowing neon sign and a brooding mural of Jesus, it looks like a Polish fish restaurant should – basic but with an undercurrent of bustle that keeps the mood bright. It tastes like the real thing as well. Sourcing their catch from the freshwater lakes of northern Poland, the offer is divided into fish that have been smoked, steamed, fried or baked. Check out the perch ‘chips’ fried in batter. $
THE DELICIOUS WORLD OF POLISH CUISINE Discover the delicious world of Polish cuisine at Specjały Regionalne. We source our produce from family-run farms so only the most authentic tastes end up on your table. We also offer classes and workshops that reveal the secrets of the Polish pantry!
44 Nowy Swiat Street, Warsaw +48 662 254 215 restauracja@specjalyregionalne.pl, www.specjalyregionalne.pl
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listings / restaurants steak houses Zmiana Klimatu (D5) ul. Krucza 16/22, zmianaklimatu.pl An interesting looking restaurant that affords diners the chance to climb up some steps and eat inside a boat. The food, frankly, is a different league: a thick, throbbing lemon soup poured carefully over a dust of crayfish; two slithers of seabass layered onto a creamy black risotto; and steak served under a glass dome billowing with Cherrywood smoke. Everything we tried was stunning. $$
specialty food shops Bazar Olkuska (E10) ul. Olkuska 12 Once a sad little side street, Olkuska has evolved to become just about the worst kept secret in Warsaw. Home to the city’s top eco-market, trips here end with shopping bags filled with French cheeses, Italian hams, Hungarian sausages and fresh fruit and veg. Bio Bazar (B4) ul. Żelazna 51/53, tel. 22 318 8855, open Wed, Fri & Sat (see website for details), biobazar.org.pl Fruit and veg in the first warehouse, some of it imported from as far as Argentina. In the second warehouse, find organic cheese varieties from sheep and goats, as well as import brands from Italy, France and the Netherlands. Forteca Kregliccy ul. Zakroczymska 12, kregliccy.eu/forteca Spot the stars of Warsaw’s restaurant scene perusing the stalls at this weekly farmers’ market. Held each Wednesday, look for Pan Ziółko, Poland’s first celebrity farmer (!), Portobello’s from the country’s only organic mushroom farm and the magical yogurts from Mleczna Droga Manufaktura Serów. Le Targ ul. Mińska 25 (Soho Factory), tel. 603 051 116 Find here a rather random array of products: stands display traditional meats, goat’s cheeses, unconventional preserves, Greek products, vegan ingredients… it all still seems a bit like a work in progress. The initiative is noble, however.
Butchery & Wine (D5) ul. Żurawia 22, tel. 22 502 3118, butcheryandwine.pl The Sarf London-born Bertha oven has revolutionized the way steak is cooked, retaining moisture in a way no-one thought possible. Expect robust pieces of animal full of big, brawny tastes, but there’s so much more than just meat: starters involve a sea bass ceviche that pings with citrusy flavor not to mention more-ish pork crackling that pop like fire bangers in the mouth. A place of energy and ambition, it’s a great mix of both new and classic. Bookings advised. $$ Ed Red Warszawa (B3) Pl. Mirowski 1, edred.pl The opening of a branch of Ed Red in Warsaw has been greeted with hysteria. You understand why just looking at the starters: big, juicy marrow bones, blood sausage with onion preserve, and mountain oysters with smoke white chocolate sauce. But for all that, the center stage belongs to the steaks, many of which are made using dry-aged meat for optimum taste. $$ Hoża (D5) ul. Hoża 25A, tel. 603 778 275, hoza. warszawa.pl Wine and steak: it sounds so simple, but Hoża have taken two simple pleasures to another level. It’s an ebullient space with service right out of charm school, and a kitchen team with a real knowledge of cows. A red-blooded affair, the menu is a steak sensation and well paired with a handpicked wine list. $$
‘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
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. $$$
Salto (C6) ul. Wilcza 73, tel. 22 584 8771, saltorestauracja.pl When Martin www.warsawinsider.pl
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listings / restaurants Gimenez Castro scooped top prize in the Top Chef program it simply confirmed what foodies had known for years: that this is a man of some talent. Now leading the kitchen in Salto, the highlight of Castro’s menu is undoubtedly the ‘steak weekends’. We challenge you to find better. During the week opt instead for his South American inspired dishes. Salto has the hallmarks of a success story, and under Castro’s captaincy that’s a certainty to happen. $$$ BEST WAWA 2015 “Foreign Chef”
thai Naam Thai ul. Saska 16, tel. 505 110 100, naam.pl 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: recent reports have not been the kindest. $$ Thai Me Up (E4) ul. Foksal 16, thaimeup.pl Taking the spot once occupied by Papaya, Thai Me Up offers up a far more informal experience than the former, something understood by one glance at the interior: gone are the gloss finishes of yesteryear, replaced by something far more casual, fun and cluttered (check the monkey lights!). As for the food, that succeeds in bringing the fresh, snappy tastes of Asia
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to Foksal. The wok dishes are a forte and deserve special attention. $$ 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 dynamic colors. The Tom Yang Kung, a deeply nourishing fish broth that awakens the senses with a sharp, spicy jolt, is a must! $$
something of a house favorite. $ Wi-Taj (D6) Pl. Konstytucji 4 Despite the name, it’s actually the cuisine of Vietnam that is the dominant entity in this restaurant. There is the odd moment of madness (glazed cherries appearing at random), but in general Wi-Taj does a grand job of representing a kitchen that hasn’t always enjoyed the greatest publicity in Warsaw. The crunchy, perky nem are a fine way to start, but it’s the steaming bowls of pho that have this Insider promising to return.
Thaisty (C2) Pl. Bankowy 4, tel. 730 000 024, thaisty. pl The coup here has been the recruitment of Chanunkan Duangkumma, Warsaw’s favorite Thai chef. The menu has street food inspirations and also includes several recipes passed down Duangkumma’s family line: consider the BBQ beef skewers essential. Vivid colors and a busy open kitchen lend the place a happy buzz that lasts through the day. $$
vietnamese
Why Thai (E5) ul. Wiejska 13, tel. 22 625 7698, whythai. pl A calming, almost holistic interior sets the tone for a meal dominated by the rich and aromatic tastes of Thailand. For a lively, spicy start begin with a mango and cashew salad, before moving forward and onto their celebrated curries. Imported chefs keep the flavors authentic, with the pad Thai being
Viet Street Food Bistro (H4) ul. Królowej Aldony 5/2, fb.com/ vietstreetfoodpl What started out as a roaming food truck has settled down into life as a legitimate restaurant. Widely looked upon as the source of the best Vietnamese chow this city’s ever seen, the small menu reveals steaming bowls of pho and banh mi baguettes loaded with meat and greens. $
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. $
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cafes & wine bars NEW & NOTABLE
desserts 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.
KIELISZKI NA HOŻEJ (ul. Hoża 41, kieliszkinahozej.pl) Warranting a drum roll, the opening of the Hoża branch of Kieliszki was one of the most anticipated events of 2016. Already celebrated for their operation on Próżna, this latest addition continues in much the same vein: classy interiors, a prime location on one of Warsaw’s few surviving pre-war streets and a casual bistro vibe matched up against a glorious Italian influenced wine list. The concise food menu connects local Polish to classic French and adds an interesting modern twist.
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, glassfronted 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. Deseo ul. Angorska 27, deseopatisserie.com Conducting operations from a glassed-off laboratory at Deseo’s mothership in Saska Kępa, watching pastry chef Piotr 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.
HERITAGE SHOP & WINE (ul. Koszykowa 63, Hala Koszyki) Nowhere else in recent years has divided opinion as much as the revamped Hala Koszyki. Yet despite accusations of being sterile, soulless and contrived, it has scored successes, and Heritage is among them. Aside from shelves filled with assorted Italian goods and groceries, find a small menu, a strong selection of wine, and even a few Italian craft beers on tap – they’re leagues ahead of the formulaic brews offered by Bierhalle.
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La Vanille (D5) ul. Krucza 16/22, lavanille.pl Thick with the scent of icing sugar, La Vanille’s big boast are cupcakes that will make you swoon. Find them lined up in precise formation under a glass counter, and don’t forego the cakes in the display case to the right. It looks chic and glossy, but most get the cupcakes packed up to go for private indulgence.
listings / cafés & wine bars 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. Miodowa Cafe (D2) ul. Senatorska 13/15, miodowa-cafe.pl Gone are the days when Warsaw’s dessert / pastry shops were communist relics overseen by half-mad old bats. The rise of upscale dessert stores continues unchecked with the latest, Cukiernia Miodowa, possibly the most exciting launch thus far. Offering five-course ‘dessert tasting menus’, truffles, tarts, pralines and Warsaw’s first cronut, expect to be hearing a lot about this operation in the coming few months. 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. 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. Sucre Various locations, see: sucre.pl While Sucre are best known for their ice cream, outside of summer people flock here on account of their dazzling macaroons.
cafés 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. Bułkę przez Bibułkę ul. Puławska 24 & ul. Zgoda 3, 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. Cafe & Lounge Bar But Good Music First ul. Rydygiera 13 Looking back, it’s been a pretty static year where the cafe scene is concerned. But away from the depressingly familiar sight of a new Starbucks or Costa, there have been some glimmers of hope: the impossibly long name aside, noteworthy features of this suburban star number a stunning David Bowie mural by the street artist Skuha, and an interior composed of raw concrete finishes and beautiful lighting. 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. Czuły Barbarzyńca (E3) ul. Piwna 20/26, 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. How U Doin’ (D4) ul. Zgoda 13 Apparently modelled on the café that appears in Friends, as questionable as the premise might sound there’s no doubting that How U Doin’ have hit the ground running. Packed most hours, while the décor isn’t the most faithful replica of you’ll find of Central Perk, this spot does manage to nail the neighborhood atmosphere down to a tee. And besides that, it works as a café in its own right: great coffee, health kicks and even a few maverick beers to their name. 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. Kos (D4) ul. Chmielna 9A Kos is a place intent on stitching the neighborhood together. That much is made clear by a diverse events calendar that features a panoply of activities: yoga courses to weekend brunches via the occasional kid’s improvisation class. As commendable as these social actions are, it’s the basics that Kos do so well. Drenched in natural sunlight, perch on the windowsill and enjoy swift wifi, award-winning coffee and a menu of homemade snacks and bits. Find it inside the Jewish Community Center. Mała Ziemiańska (D7) ul. Oleandrów 2/4, malaziemianska.pl Sat as it is on a street that’s become the Center of Now, Mała Ziemiańska is a pleasing throwback to slower times. Designed to evoke the artistic spirit of the mid-19th century, this warming café is steeped in shadow and curiosities. A celebration of pre-war Warsaw, the literary pretensions of this bolthole find the walls clad with archaic books and sepia photos of the city that once was. May places like this flourish. Ministerstwo Kawy (D6) ul. Marszałkowska 27, ministerstwokawy. pl Sourcing their coffee from Koppi, an www.warsawinsider.pl
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listings / cafés & wine bars 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 – barista Wojciech Rzytki has earned a reputation across Poland for his expert hand. Rave reviews are standard and appropriate in this standout cafe. MiTo (D6) ul. Waryńskiego 28, mito.art.pl Café, 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. Monsieur Leon (E8) ul. Sulkiewicza 5 Found resting on the corner of a quiet residential street, Monsieur Leon is surely one of Mokotów’s best kept secrets. Here, simplicity is the name of the game, with a brief blackboard menu that involves cheese boards, salads and a hefty croque monsieur. With wine tipping down and conversation wafting around this compact, casual space, it doesn’t take a giant leap of imagination to think yourself in France. 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 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 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. Przystanek Powiśle (E3) ul. Browarna 6 Of the many things to like about Przystanek, it’s probably the desserts that swing it: homemade cakes and flans that cause all life to pause. Perfectly poised
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overlooking Park Kazimierzowski, it’s a popular spot to explore their small range of niche beers and wine. Outside of night time hours, many sing the praises of their creative range of tapas and snacks.
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.
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.
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.
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. Same Fusy ul. Nowomiejska 10 Suffused in a candle-lit glow, this 15th century cellar unwinds to reveal a charming brick room suspended in time. Filled with gnarled wooden oddities and tree stump tables, the sweet aroma of fragrant teas helps amplify the fairy tale mood. 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 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. 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
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. 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
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“We’re here to help people understand wine,” says Szymon, “we’re here to teach them what’s in a glass and what’s on a label – both in specialist stores and restaurants.” To achieve that a typical course includes seminars and workshops as well as numerous English-language materials. A Level 1 entry course assumes no prior wisdom and is aimed at providing students a solid grounding for the future: “we’ll teach them why this wine smells of cat pee,” says Szymon, “or why you can’t order a white Merlot. By focusing on normal situations – such as choosing a wine in a restaurant – we offer a clear path for people to expand their insight.” Higher levels are more time intensive and challenging with Level 3, for instance, concluding with a blind tasting. Despite catering to such a broad range, one common strand connects the different groups: “our basic philosophy,” says Szymon, “determines that theory is based on tasting, and tasting is based on theory.” Further, while the subject matter is serious by nature, the way courses are conducted ensures a stimulating atmosphere. “Our groups tend to vary from eight to twelve people,” says Szymon, “which is small enough to guarantee everyone enjoys personal attention, but also big enough to foster a genuine sense of team spirit.” Most of all though, these courses are about ushering people to the next stage of their relationship with wine. “I often meet people who are intimidated by wine,” says Szymon, “they see a sommelier and think, ‘I can never be like him’. But that’s not true. Wine isn’t some magical entity, and we’re here to show that by demystifying it. It’s possible to learn everything there is to learn, but to become a master, you need to take the first step.”
Wine Republic ul. Anny German 15, winerepublic.pl www.warsawinsider.pl
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listings / cafés & wine bars 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. And the wine 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. Charlotte (D6) ul. Aleja Wyzwolenia 18 (enter from pl. Zbawiciela), bistrocharlotte.com It matters not if you’re easily traumatized by the catwalk parade that is Charlotte. Open from seven on weekdays, it’s the place for a morning croissant. And if you’re armed with the latest Apple technology, all the better – join the other posers at the communal table. Located on Warsaw’s most happening roundabout, there’s no better place to indulge a hangover with a spot of eavesdropping than inside this boulangerie/wine bar. Dekant Wine Bar (E3) ul. Zajęcza 15, dekant.com.pl Set inside
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an attractive open space, the opening of Dekant is a further indication of Powiśle’s shift from hipster epicenter to upscale playground (Robert Lewandowski has been spotted here!). The list comprises over 400 wines from the most prestigious producers in the world, right the way down to tiny, little vineyards you’ve probably never heard of. If the sun is out, aim for a place on their back terrace. Dyletanci (F5) ul. Rozbrat 44, dyletanci.pl Often filled to capacity with crisp, modern citizens that radiate confidence, join them on green banquettes illuminated with Tom Dixon lamps. The wine list is fitting of the A-list, and aside from exceptional international choices, also includes interesting wines from the proprietor’s own label – a frankly superb Polish brand called Dom Bliskowice.
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 wine list from curated by importer Maciej Bomboł. Hoża (D5) ul. Hoża 25a, hoza.warszawa.pl You’ll prob-
ably 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. 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. Mielzynski 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: the concise menu is never too complex while the exciting wine choice presents over 500 labels. This vibrant warehouse-style space promises much. WinKolekcja (E10) ul. Olkuska 7, winkolekcja.pl 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.
The award-winning Enoteka Polska is back, this time with a new location in the heart of Warsaw’s historic New Town. A perfect combo of restaurant, wine bar and wine store, aside from offering excellent Italian cuisine, we are a renowned importer with a portfolio of prestigious wine labels from across Europe. Our direct import policy allows guests to enjoy outstanding value for money. Rynek Nowego Miasta 13/15, enotekapolska.pl tel. 882 048 012
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nightlife NEW & NOTABLE
GRIZZLY GIN BAR (ul. Wilcza 46) More prone than ever to global trends, news that the international gin revival has hit Warsaw comes as no real bombshell. Falling under the patronage of the same owners as Beirut and Kraken, the style in Grizzly is dark and hip with the design largely limited to moody lighting, some witty murals and a bank of outdated TV sets. Serving their own ‘Grizzly lager’ as well as numerous cocktails based on different craft gins, early signs suggest that Poznańska just got cooler still.
bars & pubs The Alchemist (D3) Pl. Piłsudskiego 3, thealchemist.pl How about this then: a tap bar that skips the problem of people bugging the bar staff with stupid questions with a self-service ‘beer wall’. As for the choice, it’s not crazy-radical, but it is interesting enough with plenty of 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. 2Koła ul. Tunelowa 2B Sat, as it is, in the abandoned backspaces and brickyards behind Zachodnia station, 2Koła feels like Warsaw’s dirtiest little secret. Still stained and smelling of grease and oil, this former garage is piled high with dented sofas, warehouse palettes and motorcycling detritus. Yet the supremely friendly owners have turned this shadowy lair into a cult bar that’s specifically celebrated for rowdy jam sessions that cover everything from ragtime to rockabilly. 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 from androgynous staff standing behind a sandbag bar decorated with silver hand grenades and a model tank.
STEAM BAR (ul. Nowogrodzka 23) Tapping into the fashion for steampunk design, this wholehearted effort ensures all of the basic elements are ticked off and present: metallic, industrial leftovers, sprockets and chains, and exposed, weathered walls. The cocktails are the key detail though, and here they’re inventive offerings often presented in ingenious vessels. Best known for its craft beer scene, the arrival of an excellent cocktail bar represents big news for Nowogrodzka.
Bohemia (B4) Al. Jana Pawła II 23, bohemiarestaurant.pl As welcome as the global beer reformation has been, it has had its drawbacks: namely, the number of snobs and zealots found leering over pineapple stouts and impossible IPAs. Sometimes you just want a normal bar with good, clean lager. Bohemia is that place. This is a Czech bar for modern times: stylish interiors of glass and wood and a so-called ‘tank system’ that maintains the beer’s freshness. Try the ‘Mliko’, a full pint of www.warsawinsider.pl
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listings / nightlife creamy foam that can be sunk in a swig. 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. Bubbles (D2) Pl. Piłsudskiego 9, 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. Central Bar (ul. Koszykowa 63 (Hala Koszyki)) Downers include annoying piped music, chairs bolted to the ground and the overriding feeling you are, in fact, drinking in the middle of a food court. And why aren’t there any ashtrays outside? Only once you get your head around all of that can you start appreciating the Central Bar: the beer (supplied by Bierhalle) is fine, and you do get the buzzy sense that you’re in the middle of something that’s captured Warsaw’s imagination. 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. 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.
10% discount* WI/XII-II
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Hard Rock Cafe (C5) ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), hardrockcafe.pl 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. Karmnik (D2) ul. Piwna 4A, karmnik.waw.pl 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. Kraken Rum Bar (D5) ul. Poznańska 12, fb.com/KrakenRumBar 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. Legends (C5) ul. Emilii Plater 25, 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. Presiding over it all is Graham, a seasoned expat and Everton nut. 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. 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
listings / nightlife well-known of the lot. Oleandrów 3 (D6) ul. Oleandrów 3, fb.com/oleandrow3 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. 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 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. Pozytywy (D7) ul. Oleandrów 3 Oleandrów’s rebirth as Warsaw’s axis of cool continues with the opening of Pozytywy, an interesting bar apparently owned by a sound engineer – hence a design that mimics a recording studio. In terms of drinks, it’s probably the most varied selection in the vicinity, with their proposal covering a choice of wines on tap, and dozens of bottled beers from Poland’s new generation breweries. As cool as the interior might be, it’s the terrace that’s the best place to enjoy these.
such that a cocktail party on an oligarch’s yacht comes to mind. There aren’t many better places for a drink when the roof is rolled back and the stars twinkle down. W Oparach Absurdu (F1) ul. Ząbkowska 6, oparyabsurdu.pl 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. 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. Once seen as the hipster Center of Power, it still maintains great popularity with whiskered, tattooed sorts. Żyrafa (E4) ul. Nowy Świat 22 Sucked inside it’s green/ blue glow, visitors all but collide against the bar with a swing of the door. It’s just 15 sq/m, but that doesn’t stop drinkers rolling in. “There’s some nights we’ve had 30 people in here,” says the barman, a thought that both terrifies and exhilarates in equal measure.
clubs Backstage Studio (A3) ul. Chłodna 35/37, backstagestudio.club Snuggled into a row of shabby cabins mostly rented to sex shops and gambling dens, Backstage feels secretive and clandestine. In spite of that, it’s earned a name among the younger generation as one of the best spaces in Warsaw for electro, minimal and techno nights (check their Facebook for upcoming events). Rather bigger than it looks, step downstairs to find chaos unfurling in a labyrinthine basement. 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. Blok (D5) Al. Jerozolimskie 57, blokbar.pl Up umpteen million stairs you go before hitting a stainedlooking venue with plenty of mirrored disco balls and adverts for Mr. Leather. The atmosphere is upbeat and inclusive and the dance floor can get seriously euphoric when the DJs hit their game. And hat’s off to the smoking room, a dark, narrow cell that’s all but bare but for silhouettes and shadows:
Solec 44 (F3) ul. Solec 44, solec.waw.pl A ghastly commieera 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. Stixx (A4) Pl. Europejski 4A, tel. 22 340 4040, stixx.pl It takes a moment to allow the sheer magnitude of Stixx sink in. Having adjusted to the wow factor of the interior – which can best be described as cosmopolitan-industrial – most retreat to the long, all weather deck which in itself is quite something: the aesthetics are
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listings / nightlife through the distortion of the grimy glass, snatch an almost spectral view of the Palace of Culture.
cocktail creations and a program of live music that ranges from jazz and rock to more clubby sounds at the weekend.
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.
Smolna 38 ul. Smolna 38 One of the most secretive clubs there is: operating a strict no-pictures policy, being caught taking a selfie is a crime punished by expulsion – and how good is that! Attracting a hardcore crowd, its a place of real sounds: forget the joke DJs most clubs settle for, Smolna’s agenda has thus far included the likes of Simian Mobile Disco and Ellen Allien.
No Comment (F4) Al. 3 Maja 16/18A, Most Poniatowskiego Found in one of the towers that prop up Most Poniatowskiego, a ‘sense of unknown’ manifests itself inside this weekend’s only club, a bi-level area whose small size adds to the air of mystery and exclusivity. Away from the prying eyes of Joe Public, find glittery, local celebs getting down and naughty. Nowa Jerozolima (D5) Al. Jerozolimskie 57 Once serving as a children’s hospital (and allegedly haunted to high heavens by the screams of its former patients), this tenement has been repurposed as a multi-floored club that feels dank and squalid. The belly of the beast is a main room that rattles with domestic and international electro acts lapped up by a crowd that’s already lost its marbles by 11 p.m. Platinium (D3) ul. Fredry 6, platiniumclub.pl It might have lost its crown as Warsaw’s most glamorous club to The View, but you wouldn’t necessarily know: come weekend and Platinium gets busy with a debauched crowd of champagne popping party people. Ritual ul. Mazowiecka 12, ritualwarsaw.com High on good looks and self-confidence, Ritual is the kind of bar / club crossover that modern Warsaw can’t do without. Catapulting Mazowiecka back into the spotlight, Ritual’s door selection is cut-throat and ensures only the cream of the capital make it through the door. With entry bagged, enjoy beautiful
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The View (C4) ul. Twarda 18, theview.pl Sat on top of the Spektrum Tower this bar/club has reinvented 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. No other club nails the champagne lifestyle with quite the same panache.
cocktails 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 a 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…
Bar & Books (D2) ul. Wąski Dunaj 20, barandbooks.pl Seen THE MOST through a thin autumnal mist, this white REFRESHINGLY CIVILIZED PLACES TO MEET townhouse radiates warmth: lights glimmer, CIGARS & WHISKY piano music tinkles. Wood-paneled and ≈ WINEwith & CHAMPAGNE lined leather-bound tomes, there’s a ≈ COCKTAILS & CUSINE sense of dignity that’s unique to Warsaw’s ≈ TASTINGS cocktail scene. There’s humor, as well, ≈ PRIVATE E courtesy ofVENTS portraits of chimps togged out like ≈ SHOOTS 18thLOCATION century gentry. Similar to a members’ only Mayfair PODWALE BAR AND Bbar, OOKS find ‘classic with a twist’ Wąski Dunaj 20, 00-256 Warsaw cocktails mixed and muddled by the sort Tel.: +48 225.599.199 of charming bartenders you’d trust serving Bond. While bills can become weighty affairs, TM
no one regrets the spend – plus, you can smoke here as well! Bardziej (E5) ul. Marszałkowska 21/25 (enter from Oleandrów) Its 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. Charlie ul. Mokotoska 39 Arguably the best and boldest opening of the year, Charlie presents thrilling cocktails inside an interior that wouldn’t be amiss in Manhattan: there’s even a fountain! Being rich and pretty is almost a compulsory criteria. 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 pretty peerless. Fokim (D5) ul. Krucza 24/26 To like is an edgy interior that includes a neon that urges customers to ‘eat, drink, dance, riot’ and an Asian-inspired drinks list that features sake on-tap, shots with names like Karate Kid, and cocktails with proper verve: e.g., the Marry Me, a bonkers, bastardized version of the Bloody Mary that’s actually better than the real thing. Jabeerwocky Junior ul. Nowogrodzka 12 After a brief summer break Jabeerwocky Junior has reopened… as a cider bar! While the portfolio is still in the process of being finalized, the idea is to carry a couple of tap offerings alongside a bottled collection of Polish and international ciders. Of the domestic brands, Kwaśne Jabłko deserves to become a household name. Enjoy it inside an intimate brick room that feels suitably atmospheric. Karowa 31 (D3) ul. Karowa 31, warsawbarproject.com Warsaw’s original speakeasy grants access
listings / nightlife 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 a dreadlocked Dane called Bram. Kita Koguta (E5) ul. Krucza 6/14 Free from the pompous prattery of Bar Max down the road, there 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: on our last visit, a basic Bloody Mary was turned into an alcoholic carrot flavored fizz. Lazy Dog (D5) ul. Krucza 16/22, lazy-dog.pl For the cocktail bar, visit a small side room that’s attractively decorated with lots of copper fittings, hanging filament bulbs and high-quality bottles.
The cocktails number around ten house specialties with names like Long Island Nice Tea and Have You Been A Good Girl. 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. Pies Czy Suka (D4) ul. Szpitalna 8A, piesczysuka.com Monochrome gun metal grey colors are offset by a young 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. Certainly not as ‘mature’ as the new breed of cocktail bars, but definitely more fun. Syreni Śpiew (F5) ul. Szara 10A, syrenispiew.pl Set in a beautifully restored piece of PRL concrete, Syreni Śpiew tread a line that runs between cocktail bar and club. Whichever you use it for, this is a genuinely unique drinking experience with heavy elements of retro chic. The Roots (C2) ul. Wierzbowa 11 Like the food and beer sector before it, Warsaw’s cocktail scene has been ripped and reinvented by the artisan movement. With a riveting cocktail list that demonstrates the full scope of the staff’s talent, The Roots is the latest in a string of bars to adapt to the times. Sip up inside a delicious interior furnished with glistening
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listings / nightlife collectibles that tell the story behind the arcane craft of mixology.
a modern, glass cube that’s refreshing contemporary.
Weles (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 11, welesbar.pl 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. At weekends this place rocks when DJ Trent gets onto the decks.
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 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.
Woda Ognista (E5) ul. Wilcza 8, wodaognista.com Woda Ognista evokes the jazzy air of a Chicago, Prohibition era speakeasy with a seriously stylish interior that includes a colossal collection of vintage cocktail shakers that glint behind glass. The drinks themselves, rattled up by dapper gents in braces and flat caps, are split between house creations and reprised classics from a bygone era. Some are more successful than others, and it’s a credit to the staff that they’re willing to take comments on board and adapt their precious recipes to suit fussy tastes.
craft beer BrewDog Warszawa (D4) ul. Widok 8 First things first: BrewDog’s beers begin at zł. 17. On learning this there are some who scatter, others who scoff, but the let’s get the facts straight – you’re unlikely to find a cheaper pint of BrewDog in the world! Hailed as one of the top artisan breweries on the planet, quality is the name of the game here: this is a place where the interiors rock and the beers go BOSH. No pub will do a better job this year. 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. But even outside the sweaty months Cuda is worth the visit: drink inside
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Jabeerwocky (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 12, taproom.pl Even in an area bulging with bars, Jabeerwocky has become a point of pilgrimage for beer 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 you have our favorite tap bar of all time! Kufle i Kapsle (D5) ul. Nowogrodzka 25, kufleikapsle.pl 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. Kufle i Kapsle Żoliborz ul Popiełuszki 19/21, kufleikapsle.pl While Nowogrodzka is the beating heart of the tap bar trend, not even the suburbs are safe from this flourishing movement. By expanding out to Żoliborz, Kufle i Kapsle have cornered a captive market. There’s just seven taps here, but they’re a magnificent seven – find a great representation of Polish craft draught, not to mention a satisfying selection of international bottles. The moderate size works it in its favor, lending it a neighborly atmosphere which sees first-timers quickly converted into returning regulars. Piw Paw (D5) ul. Żurawia 32/34 (enter from ul. Parkingowa), piwpaw.pl We don’t like: the
sweaty toilet, strange smells nor the scrum at the bar. 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. Same Krafty (D1) ul. Nowomiejska 10, samekrafty.pl Occupying two narrow, rugged rooms, Same Krafty have rescued Old Town from big beer brands peddling piss. Offering artisan alternatives, this intimate bar has become a magnet for those looking to explore the more subversive side of Polish brewing. That this happens in such an amicable venue makes it all the better, particularly in winter when drinkers squash in to seek solace from the frostbitten streets. Same Krafty Vis-à-vis (D1) ul. Nowomiejska 11/13, samekrafty.pl 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.
for gentlemen 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 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.
shopping accessories Bursztynek Rynek Starego Miasta 4/6, bursztynek.co The largest amber jewellery store in Warsaw, though in addition to that visitors can also purchase unique amber-related souvenirs as well as more classic gifts associated with Poland. 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.
TALK OF THE TOWN HALA KOSZYKI (ul. Koszykowa 63, koszyki.com) It’s detractors call it contrived, overly commercial and claim it’s a missed opportunity to truly represent Poland’s radical artisan renaissance. It’s fans, on the other hand, lionize this upmarket food hall as an international class venue that’s carried Warsaw forward. Although restaurant units form the core of this project, there are also both retail and grocery related options to browse and buy from: Bazar Koszyki Fresh fish, meat and dairy produce from ‘trusted small farms’. Crazy Butcher Warsaw’s most famous butcher offers an amazing choice of meat and is happy to advise on what to do with it. Duka Premium tableware, furniture, textiles and accessories for the kitchen and dining room. Maison De The Over 60 brands of gourmet tea, as well as upmarket ceramics and glassware to compliment your choice. Smak Natury In excess of 3,000 grocery items, all of which comply with the Ecological Farming Act. Swiat Ksiazki Great, little Polish-language bookstore that’s a step up from most chains.
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. 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. 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. 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. Kate Roxs ul. Radna 10, kateroxs.eu Beyond the slightly www.warsawinsider.pl
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EVENTS
In The BLACK
PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOMASZ MATEUSIAK
On November 24th the Klif House of Fashion held a customer loyalty event titled Black Velvet Night. Hosted by Magda Mołek, guests attended the evening wearing black, the most sensual and mysterious of colors.
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BROUGHT TO YOU BY KLIF
Attractions included:
• Special offers from the stores in the Klif House of Fashion • Black manicures by Manilove • Competitions to win gift cards and vouchers to the stores • Sweet, decadent treats • Live music • A ‘Black Challenge’ by Ice-Watch • Concert by special guest star Grzegorz Turnau!
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listings / shopping 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.” Lilou ul. Mokotowska 63, lilou.pl Modular jewelry made simple, and a must for all Warsaw fashionista. Malton & Kielman ul. Chmielna 6, maltonkielman.com This leather workshop and store has a history dating from the 19th century and prides itself on luxury bespoke bags, shoes and accessories whose style is influenced by the classical British and Italian look. 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. Old Silos ul. Hoża 35, oldsilos.pl Relive the glory years of the 80s British ‘football casual’ in Old Silos, a sneaker store specializing in retro classics and Adidas originals.
frames from Paul Smith and many more funky models straight from Paris. Pracownia Szczotek ul. Poznańska 26, khaja.pl Opened in 1952, this bespoke brush store has been passed down from grandfather to father and then onto son. On offer: everything from paintbrushes to moustache combs to hairbrushes. And the owner is a character as well: “I don’t have time for Facebook,” he says, “it would get in the way of my tango lessons!” Pracownia Czasu ul. Wiejska 14, pracowniaczasu.pl A true market leader with brands including Paul Picot, Graham London, Vulcain, Cuervo y Sobrinos, Ulysse Nardin and so many more. 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. 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? 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.
Omega Pl. Trzech Krzyży 16A, omegawatches. com Newly opened, Poland’s first Omega boutique showcases watches, leather accessories and jewelry across 200 sq/m of luxury real estate.
Time To... Design Shop ul. Poznańska 7, timeto.com.pl Discoveries include quirky, spiky bags from MadPax, Haribo jewelry adorned with Gummy Bears and animal print mugs from Pikczersy. Above all though, the place is about timepieces, namely highly individualistic works from the S.T.A.M.P.S brand: averaging around zł. 100, this is as affordable as talking points get.
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
Victoria’s Secret Beauty & Accessories ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy) & ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów) An assortment of Victoria’s Secret Beauty products including fun and flirty fragrances, such as Bombshell, as well as the scented VS Fantasies body care range. For that glam girl-on-the go, expect to find a wide range of Victoria’s Secret branded
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bags, luggage, passport covers and small leather goods to cosmetic bags, bangles and key fobs.
fashion 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. Balthazar ul. Mokotowska 64 (Plac Trzech Krzyży), balthazar.pl An atelier, boutique and private tailor with several unique brands. Book your meeting by calling tel. 535 545 728. 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. Chrum ul. Dobra 53, chrum.com Amid a quirky design that mimics a butcher’s store, find a cult collection of tees and hoodies emblazoned with playful slogans and punchy graphics. Showcasing the fun side of Polski design, Chrum caters to customers who enjoy their fashion with a pinch of humor. 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. Dream Nation ul. Kopernika 8/18, dreamnation.pl Founded in 2011, Dream Nation is a label committed to sustainable fashion. Find colorful dresses and original prints spruced up by the designer’s wild, personal twist. All garments are made using organic cotton. 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,
listings / shopping 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. Gosia Baczyńska ul. Floriańska 6/11, gosiabaczynska.com. pl This elegant boutique on the other side of the river features gorgeous, unique designer pieces. Hamper’s Bay ul. Dobra 11, hampersbay.com Fit out and fit into the local scene by stocking up on clothes from this Powiśle staple. Brands include Komono, Dynomighty, Uggly, Happy Socks and Wemoto. No-one knows why, or too
whom, but they also sell surfboards. 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. L’Aura ul. Mokotowska 26 Warsaw has its modest share of designer boutiques, but L’Aura is the only place in the city where you can find unique pieces from the likes of Hussein Chalayan, Dries Van Noten and Veronique Branquinho. 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. For online shopping, check: sklep.lollypop.pl 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 Birman, Alexandre Vauthier, Anya Hindmarch, Aquazzura, Balmain, Beach Bunny, Buscemi, Casadei, Christian Louboutin, Francesco Russo, Gianvito Rossi, Herve Leger, Isabel Marant, Jimmy Choo, Kenzo, Kotur, Maison Michel, Moncler, One Teaspoon, Simonetta
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listings / shopping 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: Beach Bunny, Buscemi, Canada Goose, Casadei, Christian Louboutin, Dsquared 2, Christian Louboutin, Fay, Gianvito Rossi, Hogan, Kenzo, Kotur, Moncler, Mr& Mrs Italy, One Teaspoon, Ralph Lauren, Simonetta Ravizza, Tom Ford, Tory Burch, Valentino, Victoria Beckham, Yves Salomon. Childrenswear: Burberry Children, 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. QπШ - Robert Kupisz ul. Mokotowska 48/204 (courtyard), robertkupisz.com One of Warsaw’s hottest fashion icons, and a trip here soon explains why. The exclusive, handmade garments are a guaranteed head turner. Reykjavik District ul. Burakowska 15, tel. 501 399 222, 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
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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? Teresa Rosati Al. Witosa 31 (Panorama), teresarosati.com. pl Elegant cocktail dresses, gowns for special occasions and beautiful fabrics from one of Poland’s best-known designers. Ready-towear and custom-made services at discreet location in Sadyba by appointment. 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. Vintage Store ul. Dobra 56/66 (Level 1, University of Warsaw library), vintagestore.pl Since its inception the store has grown in many ways – now, used brands like Burberry, Barbour, dresses from the ’70s, Hermes scarves, snakeskin handbags, or original Adidas sweaters from the ’60s and ’70s (the owner is an avid collector) are not an uncommon find in the shop. 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. Wake Up The Bear ul. Mokotowska 41, wakeupthebear.com Stylish ‘travel practical’ clothes as designed by the acclaimed Viola Spiechowicz. Featuring natural fabrics and multipurpose add-ons, this is the ultimate in comfort clothes. 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.
home 3F Studio ul. Nowolipki 28b, 3fstudio.com.pl Offers furnishings and lighting from top contemporary Italian brands like BB Italia, Moroso, Living Divani, Desalto and Artemide. The in-house design team creates custom interiors for clients. Cotton Ball Lights ul. Chmielna 27/31, cottonballlights.pl Offering 40 different varieties and colors of cotton-wrapped bulbs, these simple lights stand to transform your living space with their soft, gentle glow. Highly adaptable, and capable of slotting into any context, overhauling the whole mood of your home has never been easier… Magazyn Praga ul. Mińska 25 (Soho Factory) A visit to this home design store is guaranteed to transform your apartment. Showcasing emerging Polish talent, the items here are not without humor: ceramic French bulldogs are particularly popular. The Warsaw-themed photo montages by artist Katarzyna Osipowicz are riveting, and a surefire conversation starter. Makutra ul. Oleandrów 5, makutra.com To know and not to cook, is not to know. This store has everything a master chef seeks: from tagines to mezzalunas, it’s got the lot covered. Huge stock of cook books and kitchenware. Nap ul. Mysia 3 Bedtime accessories are the bread and butter here, but there’s also several bits for the kitchen as well: coffee makers by Tom Dixon, posh pans from Baumalu, arty saltshakers from Menu and tableware from Muubs. A true treat for any home. noon/noon ul. Pańska 98 (enter from ul. Prosta), noonnoon.pl Well-balanced as a coffee bar / showroom where you can interact and experience the functionality and quality of the furniture first hand.
family activities Barwy Muzyki ul. Niecała 14, tel. 22 188 18 27, barwymuzyki.pl This informal music school, with highly qualified teachers experienced in the Colour Strings program, acknowledges not every child will be a professional musician but that playing, listening and singing to music is an asset to their development. Group or individual lessons on piano, violin, guitar, cello and flute for 6-12yrs. 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.
PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN DEMARIA
MALL BRATS
When my daughter was in a stroller, I used to zig-zag through the larger shopping malls like Arkadia and Galeria Mokotów with surgical focus: that though has become ever more difficult now she’s walking, talking and suggesting her own ideas while falling in love with everything pink that’s on display. This past Christmas, I had an epiphany after noticing her listlessly touching the shirt sleeves hanging off the clothes racks. The image of her idly filled with boredom instantly sent me back to Alexander’s department store in my home town of Valley Stream, N.Y. circa 1980. I remember the pinging sounds that used to ring out from the beeping bar codes and how I used to collect any loose buttons as souvenirs and bounty. This flashback was enough to remind me that shopping is as boring for her as it was once for me. Trying to inject a bit more fun into her day, I took her to the Inglot nail polish display in the middle of Plac Unii and asked her to pick a favorite color, to which she replied, “but I love all colors!” No problem: thanks to a brilliant cosmetics assistant we ended up painting her nails in a rainbow of shades, something that evidently made her day (my daughter’s, not the attendant’s). For me, it was a valuable lesson: sometimes the smaller malls, such as Plac Unii, are better when it comes to keeping stress to a minimum and keeping the kids entertained – shopping, after all, needs a bit of color. (KD)
Fryzjerkowo ul. Foksal 12/14, tel. 22 827 2744, open Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00; Sat 10:00-18:00, fryzjerkowo.pl This 100% child friendly hair salon with jungle theme interior will guarantee no tears! Whilst having their locks chopped children sit in a toy car and watch a favorite DVD. Mum can peruse the retro toys and classic books on sale. Owner speaks excellent English. Advance booking recommended. Fundacja Atelier ul. Foksal 11, 22 826 8813 or 22 826 9589, open Mon-Fri 10:00- 20:00, Sat 9:30-20:30, atelier.org.pl Situated in an atmospheric 19th century building this foundation organizes affordable/flexible workshops to develop and inspire art education and creative skills (painting/drawing/sculpture/ art history) for children, young people and adults. 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 www.warsawinsider.pl
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listings / family 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. 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 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. Manufaktura Cukierów ul. Tamka 49 (enter from Ordynacka), open Mon-Fri 11:00-18:00; Sat 11:00-17:30; Sun 13:00-17:30, tel. 692 888 751, manufakturacukierkow.pl Sweet making courses in a confectionary factory! Lessons are conducted in Polish, though enthusiasm is more important than a mastery of the language. Mums & Tots mumsandtots.pl A volunteer group for mums (and dads) of all nationalities – coffee mornings, play groups, art and music classes
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and nights out for parents; the list is endless. For more details, as well as their newsletter and schedule check their web. Teatr Guliwer ul. Różana 16, tel. 22 845 16 76/77, box office open 9:00-17:30, teatrguliwer.waw. pl Well worth a visit, even for non-Polish speakers. An exciting colorful premises with creative costumes make this the choice place to introduce the kids to theater. Teatr Lalka Pl. Defilad 1 (Palace of Culture), tel. 22 620 4960 or 22 620 49 50, open Mon-Sat 11:00-17.30; Sun 11:00-15:00, teatrlalka. waw.pl This puppet theatre stages a variation of productions suitable for children aged 3 +. Scenery, props and costume design are impressive but Polish dialogue is challenging! Losing the plot to Hansel and Gretel can happen - prepare to improvise! Tip: organize a backstage birthday party. 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, contact:admissions@aswarsaw.org or 22 702 85 00.
The British Primary School of Wilanów ul. Hlonda 12, bsww.pl, tel. 781 988 000 Following the National Curriculum of England and Wales, this is the first School
in Poland subject to the inspection of the UK Independent School Inspectorate. Pupils receive British and, upon request, Polish reports/diplomas. The school follows a closed admissions policy and limits enrollment of one nationality to below 50% of each class starting from Year 1.
The British School Early Years Centre ul. Dąbrowskiego 84 (Early Years Centre), tel. 22 646 7777, british@thebritishschool. pl, thebritishschool.pl The Early Years Foundation Stage is where a lifetime of learning begins. The British School, Warsaw provides EYFS classes from Pre-nursery (age 30 months) to Reception (5 years old). Children develop quickly and their Early Years practitioners aim to do all they can to help your child have the best possible start in life and become a lifelong learner.
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
listings / family 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.
International Trilingual School of Warsaw ul. Nobla 16, tel. 501 036 637, ul. Karowa 14/16, tel. 503 072 119, ul. Królowej Aldony 23/25, tel. 533 321 084, 3languages.pl/saint-exupery.pl Established in 1994, and formerly known as Ecole Antoine de Saint Exupery, the Trilingual School of Warsaw offers nursery, primary and pre-school education with a French and international curriculum for children aged from one to twelve. The fill-immersion trilingual setting allows for the choice between English, Polish, Spanish / Chinese, or English, Polish, French. Teachers are highly qualified native speakers from the US, France, Spain and China.
movement, sensorial stimulation, storytelling, singing and socialising.
The English Playhouse ul. Pływiańska 14a & ul. Rzodkiewki 18, tel. 22 843 9370, office open 8:00-16.00, 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 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
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
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listings / family 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. 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. Trilingual Pre-school and Nursery “Three Languages” Center
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ul. Karowa 14/16 lok 6 (3-6 year olds); ul. Cicha 5 lok 1 (1-2 year olds), open Mon-Fri 7:30-18:30, tel. 517 872 682, 3languages. pl The only trilingual pre-school and nursery teaching English, Spanish and Polish through total language immersion. All educators are native speaker pre-school teachers. The comprehensive curriculum follows American, Spanish and Polish curriculum standards. The pre-school was awarded European Language Label in 2012.
in Poland subject to the inspection of the UK Independent School Inspectorate. Pupils receive British and, upon request, Polish reports/diplomas. The school follows a closed admissions policy and limits enrollment of one nationality to below 50% of each class starting from Year 1.
schools
The British School ul. Limanowskiego 15, tel. 22 842 3281, open 8:00-16:00, british@thebritishschool. pl, thebritishschool.pl Premium international school established in 1992 by Nord Anglia Education. The curriculum is designed to provide the highest academic quality of education. They follow the English National Curriculum, adapted to the needs of their international student community: from Primary through to the Secondary Key Stages to the IGCSE examinations and a wellestablished International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme.
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.
Casa dei Bambini & Toddler School (multiple locations)
The British Primary School of Wilanów ul. Hlonda 12, bsww.pl, tel. 781 988 000 Following the National Curriculum of England and Wales, this is the first School
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,
listings / family warsawmontessori.edu.pl Casa dei Bambini Warsaw Montessori School are set to open their Erdkinder Montessori Middle School as of September 2016. Located at Tatrzańska 5A they promise an extraordinary opportunity for study, work and for daily living. Guided by trained specialists, students will be responsible for managing their household, operating small businesses, caring for local flora and fauna as well as domesticated animals, taking charge of the younger children and much more. “Adolescence Program” activities, integrated with academic studies, help students discover their inner strength to meet life’s real challenges.
The English Primary ul. Rzodkiweki 18, tel. 784 037 808, jnowak@tep.edu.pl The English Primary is designed specifically for children in the primary education ages, just as children experience in England but in an international community. Pupils are taken through the key learning stages so that they can achieve to the best of their ability through a fun learning experience. The Core Curriculum subjects include English, Phonics, Science, Mathematics, French, PE and Swimming, Music, Personal, Social and Health Education. The school is a member of Council of British International Schools (COBIS).
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.
The Canadian School of Warsaw Middle School ul. Olimpijska 11, tel. 885 420 044 / 885 620 066, secretary.olimpijska@canadian-school.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 Non-Public PsychoPedagogical Counseling Centre ‘Olimpia’ (tel.
Happy New Year
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..
International Trilingual School of Warsaw ul. Nobla 16, tel. 501 036 637, ul. Karowa 14/16, tel. 503 072 119, ul. Królowej Aldony 23/25, tel. 533 321 084, 3languages.pl/ saint-exupery.pl Established in 1994, and formerly known as Ecole Antoine de Saint Exupery, the Trilingual School of Warsaw offers nursery, primary and pre-school education with a French and international curriculum for children aged from one to twelve. The fill-immersion trilingual setting allows for the choice between English, Polish, Spanish / Chinese, or English, Polish, French. Teachers are highly qualified native speakers from the US, France, Spain and China. 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. Willy Brandt Schule Warschau Św. Urszuli Ledóchowskiej 3, tel. 22 642 2705, wbs.pl One of the city’s best renowned
Casa dei Bambini Warsaw Montessori School accepting
applications for all our locations and programs: Infant & Toddler: age 1-2.5, Casa: age 2.5-6 Contact Ela: tel. 692 099 134 office@warsawmontessori.edu.pl Elementary: age 6-9, 9-12 Contact Sylvia: tel. 606 276 112 sylvia@warsawmontessori.edu.pl "Erdkinder" Middle School: age 12-15 Contact Małgosia: tel. 604 137 826 malgosia@warsawmontessori.edu.pl
warsaw montessori school
Warszawa: Szwoleżerów 4, Badowska 19, Tatrzańska 5a, Izabelin-Hornówek: Szkolna 16 www.warsawmontessori.edu.pl www.warsawinsider.pl
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listings / family schools offers a kindergarten as well as primary and secondary education conducted to a German curriculum.
cafes Figa z Makiem (Saska Kępa) ul. Walecznych 64, tel. 512 939 001, open Mon-Sat 10.30-19:00, Sun 11:0019:00, figazmakiem.edu.pl One of the latest and greatest addition to the growing roster of Warsaw kid cafes. Do some well selected designer kids shopping while waiting, or simply browse the books and toys section while your little ones romp in the kids room. 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. Kalimba ul. Mierosławskiego 19, tel. 22 839 75 60 or 501 183 953, open Mon-Fri 9:30-20:00; SatSun 10:00-20:00, kalimba.pl Kalimba café caters to Warsaw’s boho-chic community. Relax with long latte’s or nibble healthy snacks whilst kids climb a spiral staircase to the indoor tree house, role-play in the kitchen area or join creative workshops. The shop,
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with original handmade toys is tempting, but it’s the pick’n’mix candy that’s unavoidable! 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. 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. 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. 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. Mimbla ul.Mokotowska 51/53, tel. 22 629 3065, open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 10:0014:00. Exclusively for kids on Warsaw’s most exclusive shopping street it’s an Aladdin’s cave of quality toys and Polish/English books. Get your gift wrapped here and both mum and child will be happy even before opening it.
health & beauty gyms
Artis Wellness Club For details, see opposite. 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.
PREMIUM GYMS
ARTIS WELLNESS CLUB ul. Klimczaka 1 (Royal Wilanów), artisclub.pl And so here we have a contender for Warsaw’s best gym. Found in Royal Wilanów, this state-of-theart gym boasts the latest technological advances in personal fitness, as well as a massive program of courses that range from group cycling and yoga to Zumba and body combat. Personal training and deluxe spa facilities also available. HOLMES PLACE PREMIUM ul. Belwederska 23 (Regent Hotel), ul. Grzybowska 63 (Hilton), Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott), holmesplace.pl Three ‘premium locations’, with the Hilton and Regent branches housing a 25-meter pool. Sauna and steam room facilities are available in all all three, as are a varied timetable of classes plus personal training. Prices, depending on the gym you choose, range from around zł. 179 to zł. 379 per month. RIVERVIEW WELLNESS CENTRE ul. Emilii Plater 49 (InterContinental), 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 and is almost worth the membership fee alone. Annual prices begin from around zł. 4,000. QUANTUM (ul. Piękna 15, quantumpiekna.pl) Snuck to the side of a glamorous slab of residential new build, Quantum takes the keep fit business to new levels. A place of quiet, understated luxury, equipment is state-of-theart and complemented by expert trainers at the peak of their game. This is the full 24-carat gym experience, and one that comes with the added bonus of a luxury spa and a top-class physiotherapy wing.
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. 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. Ride Warsaw ul. Karolkowa 30, ridewarsaw.com Around twice a day this small studio opens up to the public with group cycling classes overseen by a team of English-speaking instructors. This is not a leisurely Sunday pedal, but a high energy workout with a banging soundtrack and constant interaction with the trainer in charge.
spas & salons Bartek Janusz Salon ul. Mokotowska 19 / ul. Wilcza 72, tel. 22 828 4444, www.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 www.warsawinsider.pl
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listings / health & beauty one Insider: “I’ve never left a salon feeling so happy with my hair.” 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, www.bodyclinic.pl Thorough body care for everyone. From the usual options to a huge variety of massages and some very exotic treatments, BodyClinic covers all the bases. 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. 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. Izar Repechage ul. Moliera 1, tel. 604 209 900 or 22 827 7195, open Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00; Sat 8:0014:00, www.repechage.net.pl A gorgeous city spa which a range of treatments for the whole body. Komiks ul. Radna 12, tel. 881 436 056, komiks.waw. pl You know those weird haircuts that people like David Bowie and Lady Gaga have? Well, here’s the place to make that ultimate fashion statement and get one yourself. Henna art, manicure / pedicure also offered. 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
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Perla’s all three in one!
on Sunday from 10-4).
La Plata ul. Wielicka 42, tel. 517 576 667, laplataspa.pl Manual and mechanized massage in a relaxed space inspired by Buddhist philosophy. Treatments include herbal stamp Thai massage and hot coconut oil massage amongst others.
The Pedicure Place ul. Pokorna 2, lok. u11, tel. 22 241 3000 or 505 828 688, pedicure-place.pl A luxury pedi/manicure clinic with room for 10. All the latest OPI varnishes and over 200 colors guarantee you’ll find the latest in styling and nail care.
Nail & Beauty Bar 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.
Quantum Clinic ul. Piękna 15, quantumpiekna.pl Using first class, pioneering methods and technology, the Quantum Clinic surpasses the norms that Warsaw has become used to. For the full Hollywood treatment, restore and replenish the body at a luxury spa devised to enhance the body and mind.
ouch!
Ouch! ul. Belwederska 32, 22 240 87 67; ul. Bonifraterska 8, tel. 22 298 11 12, ouch. pl Experts in waxing, Ouch! Aim their offer at ‘busy women looking for express treatments with lasting effects who, at the same time, appreciate a sense of intimacy’. High quality waxes, including fast and accurate epilation treatments whose effects last up to four weeks. Wax treatments for the whole body. DEPILACJA WOSKIEM
O Yes Massage ul. Nowolipki 27, tel. 22 400 11 44, oyes.pl Thai & Balinese massage packaged in a European way. The Thai and Balinese therapists represent the heart of this chilled out spot, while the inexpensive prices (starting from zł. 99) and attentive service mark it out amongst others. Buying four massages upfront earns clients a further discount.
PARDON MY FRENCH
manicure pedicure
Pardon My French ul. Belwederska 32, tel. 22 240 62 90; Bonifraterska 8, tel. 22 298 11 10; ul. Mokotowska 56, tel. 22 298 10 10, pardonmyfrench.pl Manicure and pedicure treatments with high quality lacquers and an awareness of global trends: if you need an endorsement, Paul McCartney visited when he was in Poland! Free wifi and coffee, as well as the possibility of hosting baby showers and bachelorette parties. Open from 9-8 during the week and 9-5 on Sat (with the Mokotowska branch also welcoming visitors
Rostowski Barber Shop ul. Koszykowa 58, rostowskibarbershop.pl A true celebration of the vintage barber shop, Rostowski have the ambiance nailed to a tee thanks to a crew that’s ready for banter and an interior replete with jack-up chairs, glinting zinc and restored floor tiles. 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. Sante ul. Jagiellońska 55A, studiosante.pl The dry and wet steam room left the Insider impressed, but not as much as the ‘mood rooms’ – imagine a lunar landscape chamber with a salt-covered floor. The other, meanwhile, comes clad in minerals with recliners hewn from heated tiles. As you stare at the mantra above the mind lets go and you feel almost as if your body is moving. Amazing. 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.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEVIN DEMARIA
in the city
ON INSTAGRAM #warsawinsider
Plunging temperatures did nothing to stop our intrepid Instagram gofer from wandering the city to capture the beautiful, banal and bizarre sides of town. For your daily serving of city happenings, visit us yourself...
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN WARSAW
THE GALLERY OF OLD MASTERS
Opened in December, the Gallery of Old Masters combines collections of European and Old Polish decorative arts, painting and sculpture from the 15th to the 18th century...
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t’s been called exceptional, and that’s just what it is: as of December the National Museum in Warsaw has updated and rearranged their collection, and in doing so merged the former Gallery of Decorative Arts with the Gallery of European and Polish Old Masters to form the new Gallery of Old Masters. Among the stars of this exhibition are Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Bellini, Jacob Jordaens, Lucas Cranach the Elder and Tintoretto, not to mention several painters from Rembrandt’s circle. Mixing various genres, the Gallery of Old Masters presents the basic spheres of social life in old Europe, including such elements as court, religious and urban culture while arranging them in a consistent and coherent narration of past eras. Bringing together various art forms, the Gallery’s curators have moved away from the traditional discourse of art history that separated “high” art (i.e. painting, sculpture, drawing and graphic arts) from decorative arts as understood in utilitarian terms. Such a division
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did not exist in the past: generally speaking, all art forms were perceived as equal. If any of them was considered superior, it was not painting or sculpture, but the arts related to tapestry weaving and goldsmithery. “What was most highly admired in painting and sculpture was precise artisanal expertise and the virtuosity of workmanship,” explains Professor Antoni Ziemba, curator of the Gallery of Old Masters of the NMW. “The representational character of painting and sculpture did not distinguish these genres, either. As our exhibition demonstrates, the majority of examples of old artisanal handicrafts, while undeniably decorative, also featured figurative depictions, which are the quintessence of painting and sculpture.” Decorative arts shared with painting and sculpture their purpose and functions, but also spaces where they were collected and exhibited – palaces, villas, courts, churches, domestic chapels and city buildings. They are displayed in the gallery following exactly this classification.
GALLERY OF OLD MASTERS European and Old Polish Decorative Arts, Painting and Sculpture 15th–18th century at the National Museum in Warsaw National Museum in Warsaw Al. Jerozolimskie 3, mnw.art.pl Facing page, left to right: The Temptation of St. Anthony by Jan Wellens de Cock (painted after 1523); Guitar Player by Jean-Baptiste Greuze (painted 1755-1757); The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist and an Angel by Sandro Botticelli (ca. 1480-1510); .
Culture of the Court
In three rooms (Palace and Villa; The Royal and Princely Court; and the Polish Magnates’ Courts and Nobles’ Manors), are paintings, sculptures, furniture, tapestries, textiles, carpets, examples of goldsmithery, silverware, glassware, maiolica, faience and porcelain that were either signs of luxury and splendour, instruments of moral instruction, vehicles of political propaganda, or simply means of entertainment. All these are present in large-scale Dutch tapestries themed around the Bible (e.g. the tapestry with David and Bathsheba from the early 16th century), secular topics (e.g. The Lion Hunt from the 2nd half of the 16th century) and purely ornamental ones (the floral mille fleurs tapestry from the late 16th century). A plenitude of marble and bronze sculptures and paintings are also displayed, including Cranach the Elder’s Adam and Eve and Paris Bordone’s Venus and Cupid which promoted the ideal of antique beauty and Renaissance harmony. An obligatory element regarding the interior decoration of villas and palaces were portraits of their inhabitants, something exemplified in the gallery by The Portrait of a Venetian Admiral by Jacopo Tintoretto. Visitors can also view the spectacular coronation set of Augustus III (Wettin) and Maria Josepha (the King’s coronation mantle, the King’s and Queen’s crowns, sceptres
and orbs, the throne, the silver fanfare trumpet and the coronation portrait). These are the only preserved Polish regalia beside the Szczerbiec (the coronation sword). Religion and Devotion in Church and at Home
In the following five rooms the Gallery presents “religious culture” from the late medieval and Renaissance cult through the period of the Council of Trent until post-Reformation times, including. In this part of the exhibition, we draw your attention to a magnificent Dutch altarpiece, the Ecce Homo Triptych by Maarten van Heemskerck, and to two masterpieces painted by Italian masters: The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist and an Angel by Sandro Botticelli and Christ Among the Doctors by Cima da Conegliano. The City
The third part of the Gallery, situated in a separate museum wing, demonstrates how decorative arts, painting and sculpture contributed to the formation of upper-class culture in cities. This narration concludes with an exceptional city – Venice: A City for Export. In this section of the exhibition find cityscapes (veduti) and architectural fantasies and capricci by famous Venetian painters such as Bernardo Bellotto (Canaletto the Younger) or Francesco Guardi. www.warsawinsider.pl
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listings / in the city VISITORS accomodation 5-Star Hotels Bellotto ul. Senatorska 13/15, tel. 22 829 6444, hotelbellotto.pl 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
CorstJens Worldwide Movers Group ul. Nowa 23, Stara Iwiczna, tel. 22 737 7200, www.corstjens.com
Regent Warsaw Hotel ul. Belwederska 23, tel. 22 558 1234, reservations@regent-warsaw.com, www.regent-warsaw.com
Euro Move International Movers ul. Kineskopowa 1, Piaseczno, tel. 22 716 5566, www.euromove.pl
Sheraton ul. Prusa 2, tel. 22 450 6100, www.sheraton.pl
Sofitel Warsaw Victoria ul. Królewska 11, tel. 22 657 8011, www.sofitel-victoria-warsaw.com Westin Al. Jana Pawła II 21, tel. 22 450 8000, www.westin.pl
RESIDENTS relocation companies
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.
Relo Planet ul. Batalinou Platerówek 3, tel. 22 658 1958, 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.).
storage
AGS Warsaw ul. Julianowska 37, Piaseczno, tel. 22 702 1072, www.agsmovers.com
Więcej Miejsca Tel. 733 002 014, wiecejmiejsca.pl Offers innovative, convenient, door-to-door storage & moving services. Order via their website or phone and the company’s driver will deliver sturdy plastic, tamper-proof bins
Get 12 issues for the price of 6 (60 zł) WARSAWPASS & CHOPINPASS Valid for 24, 48 and 72-hour periods, the Warsaw Pass enables holders to hop on and off a bus ploughing the main tourist routes, as well as free entry (and the ability to ‘skip the line’) to numerous attractions including Polin, the PKiN viewing platform, Royal Castle, Copernicus Science Centre and many more besides. Discounts for tours and restaurants are also part of the package. For full details, see: warsawpass.com
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE! Email: insider@warsawinsider.pl
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Also, be sure to pick up the ChopinPASS, a package that includes admission to the Chopin Museum and to the birthplace of Fryderyk Chopin in Żelazowa Wola, as well as direct transportation between these two institutions. For details, see: ChopinPass.com
listings / in the city for storing items such as clothes, books, documents, etc. They’ll also store larger items, including furniture, and organize local, national and international moves.
Exhibition to learn first-hand the challenges faced by the blind. This includes everything from crossing the road to ordering a drink in a bar.
museums
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.
Copernicus Science Centre ul. Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 20, tel. 22 596 4100, kopernik.org.pl Interactive, witty and surprising, Copernicus allows visitors to experience an earthquake, blast recyclable objects into space and become a mystery cracking detective. CSW ul. Jazdów 2, csw.art.pl Situated in a baroquestyle castle the center hosts artists from all over the world. The on-site bookshop is of particular interest for artists and intellectuals. Dom Spotkań z Historią ul. Karowa 20, dsh.waw.pl The History Meeting House wins points for frequently excellent exhibitions that cover topics such as ‘rebuilding Warsaw’ and ‘Socialist Realist architecture.’ It won’t take longer than twenty minutes to peruse whatever exhibition is on, but it’s still a very worthwhile diversion and one of the city’s top secrets.
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 – inc. Matejko, Witkiewicz and other such stars. 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.
Invisible Exhibition Al. Jerozolimskie 123A, niewidzialna.pl Nothing challenges the sense of sight more than a total lack of it. Confused? Head to the Invisible
The Warsaw Amber Museum Rynek Starego Miasta 4/6, bursztynek.co Part of Bursztynek, a dedicated amber shop, has been turned into a curious museum
detailing the history of amber. Warsaw Rising Museum ul. Grzybowska 79, 1944.pl Cope with the crowds to discover the definitive story of the 1944 Uprising. 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. And don’t miss the ‘City of Ruins’, a five minute 3D film which takes you on an aerial journey over devastated Warsaw. Wola Museum ul. Srebrna 12, mhw.pl An unexpectedly amazing museum that’s been turned around thanks to its ambitious, young staff. Once a dank, dusty space, the reinvention includes ‘the room of one object’, whose single exhibit changes each month. There’s the New Varsovians exhibition, dedicated to the young students who arrived to Warsaw in the 1860s and 70s, and the Wola Laboratory, a multimedia exhibition with a focus on the district. All this new wave gadgetry is to be augmented by real objects on the first floor, not to mention an archive of amateur film – the first such archive in Poland Zachęta National Art Gallery Pl. Małachowskiego 3, zacheta.art.pl Featuring in the collection are works by ToulouseLautrec, Cezanne, Ernst and Picasso, as well as luminaries of the Polish art scene such as Tadeusz Kantor, Alina Szapocznikow, Katarzyna Kozyra and Zbigniew Libera.
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.
5% DISCOUNT with this ad
Line approved by municipal authorities.
www.city-tour.com.pl
+48 500 033 414
www.warsawinsider.pl
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Witness to History
As Warsaw moves into the future, remnants of its bloody past are becoming few and far between, a point that makes those buildings that survive all the more important...BY STUART DOWELL
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s new towers of glass and steel slot into place like pieces in a giant game of Tetris, it is becoming harder to see direct evidence of the eviscerating scale of destruction that left Warsaw as a disembowelled carcass after World War II. However, take a walk westward down Grzybowska leaving the Westin and Q22 over your shoulder, then turn left onto Waliców. When you face the first building on the left, number 14 with the huge white “kamień i co” mural on the side, you will behold a scene little different to that witnessed by German fire commandos, which were tasked with the purposeful destruction of every building in the city. The worst of the destruction is invisible; the whole front of the building is simply not there. What remains are the raw-brick side annexes of the first yard and the decayed second yard. The exterior wall to the left has great bite marks torn from it. Interior walls exposed to the elements over decades reveal the colors that pre-war
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residents chose for their living rooms. Broken windows with rotting frames sit above doors long since bricked in. It is shocking to think that people lived there until relatively recently. The building is known as the Silent Witness not without reason. Built in 1912-14, it was placed inside the ghetto when it was sealed in 1940 and the ghetto’s border ran exactly along its southern wall. It was removed from the ghetto in 1942 after the murderous transports to Treblinka reduced the population. In September 1944, it became the scene of desperate fighting as insurgents repelled wave after wave of attacks by Nazi units, possibly made up of Ukrainians. The attacks were supported by a Goliath, a devilish remotecontrolled mini tank that, stuffed with explosives, would puncture holes in insurgent defences. Sources speak of a Goliath being responsible for the destruction of the building’s front, others mention a bomb-strike during an air-raid. Sitting gnarled and defiant in an increasingly modern business district, the building is important not just because of what it has witnessed but also because together with the buildings at Waliców 10 and 12 it creates an enclave of old Warsaw in that part of town. Heritage conservators agreed and placed it on a list of protected buildings. Perplexingly though, the list offers little genuine protection and the building has been slated for demolition. City activists have been on the case and the relic has had a first reprieve. Will it receive another? Experience shows that the destruction of pre-war Warsaw is a process that hasn’t finished...
PHOTOGRAPH SHUTTERSTOCK
LOOKING BACK