Bianca – p. 35
Foodie Radar – p. 36 Sakamoto-ya – p. 40
Street Food Roundup: Nowolipki/Jana Pawła – p. 40
Winter Warmers Cocktails/Beers – p. 44
Warsaw Painters. Sketches from art called naive – p. 63
What to do in January – p. 66 Lumagica – p. 68
Editor-in-chief Alex Webber insider@warsawinsider.pl
Art Director Kevin Demaria kdemaria@valkea.com
Publisher Morten Lindholm mlindholm@valkea.com
Content Editor Krystyna Spark kspark@valkea.com
AFTER ALL THAT’S HAPPENED over these last few years, you’ve got to worry a little as to what lethal challenges await in 2023. Nuclear armageddon? Meteors? The return of killer dinosaurs? Personally, I’m sticking my money on all three and I suggest you hedge your bets likewise. One thing we’re not in danger of, however, is starvation – at least not in Warsaw. Supporting that theory, this issue we bring you our deep dive into the street food scene of Jana Pawła. Swapping its peep shows for brilliant hole-inthe-wall ethnic eateries (a fair trade, in our opinion), the area has come to represent the tastier side of Warsaw. Sticking to that district, we also bring you the back story of Muranów, an area that hasn’t always enjoyed the most positive of press. Elsewhere, we present twenty-three urban secrets to uncover in 2023, and also take a lingering look inside some of the city’s most extraordinary bathrooms – in this case, seeing is believing. As ever, I hope you enjoy it, and see you next month – cheers!
Alex Webber insider@warsawinsider.plSubscription
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Set to replace an epic piece of 90s Warsaw, a new investment promises to transform Jana Pawła II and, in the process, create something of a gateway to Warsaw’s CBD…
Warsaw’s silhouette is in line for two more additions after Strabag Real Estate announced plans for a pair skyscrapers that will take root on the site of the Atrium International office complex.
Made public in December, the plans include a 34-storey tower that will top out at 131.5 meters, and a smaller sister that will reach 17 floors. Together, the duo will offer 47,000 sq/m of space.
Designed by Medusa Group, the two towers are set to be completed in 2026 with the taller skyscraper, titled Upper One, reserved for offices and the shorter one most likely serving as a hotel. Łukasz Ciesielski, director of Strabag Real Estate, said: “The old office building has not stood the test of time, and the economic development of the city cannot be stopped. Therefore, we are starting a new stage in the history of this location, which we have called Upper One.”
Continuing, he added: “Our ambition is to respond to the untapped potential of the plot and the growing activity of tenants in Warsaw. We believe that the 131.5 m high office building, the first in the country equipped with a geothermal system and many pro-ecological solutions, will define a new workplace standard and set trends for the real estate industry for the coming years.”
Having already acquired the necessary permits to proceed with the demolition process, the new investment, say the architectural studio, will seek to create “a living façade” with its glass frontage revealing “the building’s function while in motion”. Aiming to be “elegant yet modest”, standout features will include a subtle, wave-like exterior and cascading levels at the top. As part of the project, a ‘green zone’ and small public ‘amphitheater’ will also be built.
Making use of the latest tech innovations, Strabag also stress that Upper One will become the first in the country to be fitted with a geothermal system. Although the news has been welcomed by most, for nostalgists it stands to mark the loss of another iconic piece of 1990s real estate. Debuting in 1995, for many the Atrium complex has come to be symbolic of Warsaw’s wild surge into the free
market world. Notable for its barrel-shaped glass roof, for years it was regarded as a beacon of change.
For expats, meanwhile, it will forever be fondly remembered as the home of 99, one of the first ‘Western-standard’ restaurants that can be credited with transforming the capital’s social life. With the similarly pioneering Ilmet Tower also set to be leveled nearby, fans of Warsaw’s wild 90s have been left looking to the future with mixed feelings.
Sometimes known as ‘the accidental President’, Gabriel Narutowicz is to have his memory honored courtesy of a new monument designed by Józef Gałązka and Urszula Prokop. Fittingly set on Pl. Narutowicza, the work was selected in December nearly 100-years to the day after Narutowicz was murdered. A wildcard candidate, Nartuowicz was the surprise victor in the 1922 elections and became Poland’s first democratically elected President. However, just two-days into his term he was assassinated while attending an exhibition at the Zachęta after rejecting the offer of security.
Four months after construction began, traffic has now been rerouted away from Pl. Powstanców Warszawy as work picks up on a four-level underground car park. Costing PLN 85 million, the project is part of the new vision for Warsaw’s center and will, ultimately, allow the square to take on a more people-friendly role.
Poland’s top cop, Jarosław Szymczyk, found his name blowing up around the internet after he himself was nearly blown to smithereens. Hospitalized with minor injuries, the police commander-in-chief found himself in the headlines after reportedly setting off a grenade launcher that had been gifted to him by his Ukrainian counterpart during a trip to Kyiv. Accidentally firing it on return to his Warsaw office, the event has spawned countless memes with some depicting Szymczyk as Rambo and others as a Simpsons character. Other wags have suggested that he was simply reminding Varsovians not to let-off fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
One person died and scores were injured when a fast thaw left Warsaw’s streets coated in black ice in the lead-up to Christmas. Identified as a 38-year-old male, the person who died was killed instantly after slipping on a street in the Praga district. Illustrating the perils of the Polish winter, the incident led some to criticize Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski for not doing more to safeguard pedestrians – at one stage, local ambulance chiefs stated that 80% of callouts were related to the ice. After several days of heavy snowfall, a sharp rise in temperatures was blamed for a string of other such tragedies across Poland.
Celebrating its tenth year, City Hall have announced they will allocate PLN 101 million to this year’s civic budget. Setting a cut-off date of January 25th for submissions, these proposals will then be studied by a feasibility committee before being put to a public vote. Through the course of its history, the so-called
participatory budget has seen 21,000 idea submitted, with 326 projects selected for implementation last year alone. In the past, successful ideas have included the city floating sauna, numerous murals and neon signs, and a wide range of social, environmental and cultural initiatives.
Revolutionizing the city’s Pilates scene with her non-standard classes, we catch up with Iga Majewska of Warsaw Pilates to learn more about her mission…
WI: What are the principal points of Pilates?
Iga Majewska: Pilates is a low-impact workout method that doesn’t just strengthen and tone the body, but also forces you to slow down and focus. Details are of great importance, that’s why you can forget the whole world while practicing Pilates. Pilates exercises focus on a strong core, i.e. your abdominals, back and glutes. We tone what is weak, and stretch what is tense. Correct posture and technique is everything.
There’s something of a pre-conceived idea that Pilates is ‘for women’. Is there any truth in this?
Pilates takes care of small stabilizing muscles and goes really deep with corrections and small adjustments; we relearn how to move our bodies properly, therefore, sometimes, a client has to expose his or her weaknesses and then work on them slowly and step-by-step. I think women are more liable to ‘dive into themselves’ and make ‘small improvements’, whilst men prefer to work the muscles hard and fast and then go home. Pilates is not competitive – you compete only against yourself – so that’s another reason men might feel less engaged. But it’s important to remember that Joseph Pilates, the founder, was a boxer and one of the world’s first bodybuilders. More and more men are following his steps, and once they realize that Pilates is about more than just stretching, and that it can transform the body and movement patterns, then they become devoted Pilates practitioners.
What has Pilates given you? I’m in my 30s, and my biggest Pilates win has been ending my lower back pain! At first, Pilates gave me a moment of peace after work, then it toned my abs and changed my posture, and now it also gives me endless opportunities to develop and grow body-wise, but also as a Pilates business owner and a creative type. The benefits for those who practice Pilates regularly, preferably two or two times a week, manifest themselves in a better understanding of movement and better control of their bodies. It teaches how to use your deep muscles and engage your
abdominals. You start to use your body wisely, you become stronger, more flexible and less prone to injuries. And for those looking for purely visual effects, Pilates creates lean muscles without bulk.
What’s the story behind Warsaw Pilates?
Pilates was my PE class when I studied at the University of Warsaw. I was nineteen and it was the first movement method I truly enjoyed. Ever. After ten-years of practice, I became a certified teacher and started to spread my passion for Pilates. At the same time, I didn’t want to quit my job in marketing, so holding occasional Pilates popup classes mixed with a regular online offer was the perfect choice.
You’re known for organizing classes in very non-standard spaces – any favorites?
I enjoy the whole concept so I don’t have a ‘favorite child’, so to speak. But I can tell by how quickly tickets have sold what my clients have looked forward to the most and that’s been the 18th century palace in the Łazienki Museum; the 46th floor Skyfall Warsaw observation deck, and then anything outdoors – such as rooftops or boats – as people want to make the most of our summers in Warsaw.
What do you think such locations add to the experience?
I love the summer here and the precious moments of sun and warmth outside which is why, in 2019, I started holding rooftop classes with stunning skylines and sunset views. But when Autumn came I began looking
for other awesome venues that could replace these rooftops in the colder months – as it turned out, Warsaw had loads of these! I’m not much of a party girl, but I love being part of a beautiful event, which I guess is why I created them on my own terms.
I’ve received many rejections –the challenge lies in convincing an institution that we’re low-maintenance and can provide really good PR. I’m usually fine with hearing ‘no’ though – Warsaw Pilates is a passion project, not a life or death game. To make negotiations easier, I’ve partnered with Elle magazine and Projekt Selflove and have found that the more co-organizers there are, then the more ideas, possibilities and network connections you have. Along with Stefania Chiarelli from Nashe Studio, I talked for many months with the National Museum in Warsaw before finally getting the green light. But these are unique and unforgettable places, so they’re worth every minute of paperwork.
What inspired you to look for these unconventional spaces?
The amphitheater in the Royal Łazienki Park. It’s everything that I love in that it’s a noble, calm outdoor space situated on the water and flanked by old trees. It served Poland’s royalty for years and exercising underneath blue skies amid its classicist architectures would be something magical.
warsawpilates.pl
In December, plans for a new eight-story residential building sparked a campaign to protect the historical integrity of the 1950s Muranów Południowy housing estate…
Led by the Mayor of Wola, Krzysztof Strzałkowski, efforts are underway to enter the post-war estate into the register of monuments so as to prevent the unrestricted development of the Muranów area. The calls have come after it was revealed that both developers and the church were seeking to build a 33-meter apartment block in the spare plot next to the Church of St Augustine.
Galvanized by a wave of public support, Strzałkowski has now submitted an appeal to regional authorities to stop the project claiming that the investment will ruin the original architectural vision that has marked Muranów out to be so special. “Muranów’s hallmark has been the way in which its orderly design has traditionally formed a whole,” wrote Strzałkowski.
Michał Krasucki, the city’s conservator, has also gone on record to agree. “The concept [for the area] was not only comprehensive and coherent, but also completed,” he said. “That is why every new development in this area should respect these values and seek to blend in with the existing historical layout. In this proposed case, we are talking about a facility that goes completely against this,” he added.
The news comes amid a swell of affection for an area that has at times felt unloved and forgotten. Taking its name from the Venetian island of Murano, it was this title that was given to a royal palace that was built in 1686 close to the site of today’s Intraco tower. Designed by Simone Giuseppe Bellotti, the Polish Royal Court’s architect, the horseshoe-shaped residence found
Buildings of the Muranów housing estate, 1959
itself increasingly absorbed into the expanding city of Warsaw.
From these beginnings, by the late-19th century this northern outpost had become the center of Europe’s Jewish life with Nalewki street serving as its spiritual core. Here, wrote one chronicler, “elegant tenements and seedy annexes” stood side-by-side, “where beauties mixed with eyesores and the sacred with the profane. Nalewki was a separate universe, a myth, a legend, and the only such street in the world.”
When Warsaw was occupied by the Germans, the entire district fell inside the walled perimeter of the Ghetto; having suppressed a Jewish Uprising in 1943, the Nazi leadership undertook steps to eradicate all traces of Jewish Warsaw by demolishing the district. Methodical in their duty, by the time they had finished much of the area was reduced to little more than a vast sea of bricks. In some parts, it’s said that the rubble stood three to four stories high. This, however, would quite literally serve as the platform for the new Muranów that would rise in the immediate aftermath of the war.
Authored by Boghdan Lachert, his blueprint for the area was made public in 1948 and was the most ambitious of all of the architect’s 150 projects. Using the First Warsaw Reconstruction Battalion to clear the masonry, this work detail was later joined by communist youth volunteers from Yugoslavia, Italy, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. Reliant on tents and equipment loaned to them by the army, together this international team loaded rubble onto a train that chugged up and
down what is now known as Andera street.
Working at breakneck speed, by 1949 enough ground had been cleared to begin construction. Trained as bricklayers and lift operators, women constituted 30% of the workforce and the area soon became a hive of construction. With the press making daily reports on progress, something of a competition erupted between Muranów and work on the Socialist Realist city of Nowa Huta, with both seeking to outdo each other in terms of quotas, targets and personal bests.
To some extent, this actually hampered Lachert’s vision. He had seen Muranów as “an experimental estate-monument”, one that would be noted for its greenery, sunlit recreational spaces, and educational and cultural institutions. Traffic would be segregated from pedestrians, and each micro-area would be able to function in a self-sufficient manner. Although many of these ideas were implemented, others were waylaid as workers raced to meet their deadlines.
Deck accessed apartment blocks were built in a rush, and in March 1950 the first resident moved in – a janitor by the name of Franciszek Klapiński. As others followed, Klapiński was soon swarmed with complaints about damp and heating, points that offset the propaganda triumph that the local officials tried to claim. Regardless, there can be no doubt that, taken at face value, the estate looked impressive.
Largely built using materials saved from the Ghetto, several sections were constructed actually directly on top of compacted rubble. With no large-scale systemic excavations ever
made, it’s unknown how many bodies, treasures or personal belongings lie underneath, but at the time these factors simply did not come into the equation – reeling from the slaughter and devastation of the war, this was a city that had no choice but to look forward.
And this it did. While some of the earliest of Muranów’s constructions were sloppily built, others seemed to capture the essence and ambition of this optimistic era. Nowotki street (today rechristened Andersa), in particular, stood out. Modelled on Berlin’s Karl-Mark Allee, the street was designed to house 15,000 people and it was here iconic landmarks were born such as the grand archway just above Kino Muranów and the quadrangular courtyard further up – it was here that a subway station was to be built.
Looking statuesque in their dimensions and aesthetics, it’s little wonder that people visited from across Warsaw to marvel at “Stalin’s Palaces”. After the bloodletting of the previous years, this was a brave, new world that offered hope and relief. It cannot be argued otherwise, the stringent codes of Socialist Realist doctrine did limit Lachert, but he nonetheless proved himself an exceptional architect.
Moreover, while other capital city investments such as MDM around Plac Konstytucji were unashamedly reserved for the Communist hierarchy, Muranów truly was for the people of Warsaw. As naively Utopian and idealistic as it may seem now, at the time it was positively mind-blowing in its message – this was the face of the new city, and it could not have been any
more different from the dank and squalid slums that once occupied its mass.
Of course, not everything was new – even in Muranów’s case. A handful of buildings had survived, and of these none stood out more than St. Augustine’s, the church currently at the center of the present day row. Celebrating its first mass on December 10th, 1896, this Neo Romanesque landmark was allowed to continue functioning even after the borders of the Ghetto around it were sealed, and its two remaining priests worked ceaselessly to aid their Jewish neighbors – in particular, those that had converted to Catholicism. Their efforts would ultimately cost them: one was shot dead on the steps in 1943, and the other would later perish in a concentration camp. The church, though, survived the razing of the Ghetto and was used by the Nazis as a warehouse to store recovered Jewish loot. When the Warsaw Uprising broke out, a German machine gun nest was placed at the top of its tower, something that made it a target for Polish insurgents.
In 1959, the church returned to the headlines once more, this time on October 7th when the figure of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared hovering over the small globe capping the church’s steeple. News spread like wildfire, and for several days after up to 10,000 people would descend daily on the church to view ‘the Miracle of Nowolipki’. Although plans for the suggested tower have been scrapped quite literally as we went to press, the proposal has left no doubt that the area requires protection.
There’s more to Warsaw than meets the eye – this year, challenge yourself to go below the surface to uncover Warsaw’s biggest (and not so big) secrets…
2Walk behind the Marriott and you’ll no doubt happen across a neon enigmatically announcing, ‘All The Things That Could Happen Next’. Created in 2020 by British artist Tim Etchells, it marks the spiritual entrance to Komuna Warszawa (komuna.warszawa.pl), an art collective based in an abandoned school. Known for its on-edge repertoire, this Berlin-style squat project is a secretive hive of alternative and artsy happenings that will often leave you bewildered and inspired in equal measure.
1Some called him The Prince of the Streets, others The Cosmic Wanderer. All, however, knew him best as Czarny Roman. Passing away in 2017, this eccentric became known for prowling Chmielna and Nowy Świat in immaculate black clothing (occasionally replaced by a pink onesie), shouting about impending meteorites and admonishing underage drinkers. A cult figure, he once turned his attentions to a group of right-wing nationalists, advising them to take-up yoga rather than bothering the public. When he died, obituaries filled the national press, with one commentator even likening his importance to Warsaw to that of King Zygmunt II. Now, this everyday street hero has been remembered via a series of stencils around Chmielna.
3Look around the EMPiK building on the corner of Jerzolimskie and Nowy Świat and you’ll find, to the side, a 1960s mosaic designed Władysław Zych depicting, among other things, a girl with a pistol. Weird, huh? Actually, it honours two wartime attacks by the People’s Guard on a café-bar that once stood on this spot. Frequented by German military top brass, both actions did little more than injure a handful of officers, but these acts were later lionized by a Communist government desperate to find wartime heroes that followed Communist ideology.
4Walk down Karowa from the Bristol Hotel and you’ll suddenly find the street breaking into a helter-skelter thrill of hairpin bends and bumpy cobbles. At its climax, the Stanislawa Markiewicz Viaduct is the iconic mouth of Powiśle with its ornate sculptural embellishments making it a favorite landmark among serious photographers. Opened in 1904 (though the date under one of its statues wrongly declares 1905), it was actually never intended to be such a beauty –originally, it was designed to fulfill a more prosaic function and to simply act as a shortcut for those transferring loads and garbage.
5Open only sporadically to the public, the Filtry Waterworks (Koszykowa 81) are home to a stunning vaulted processing plant that was first constructed in 1886 by the Englishman William Lindley. Looking more like the crypt of a Gothic cathedral, this subterranean world is an ethereal site with the reflections on the water creating a dreamy kaleidoscope effect that feels almost hallucinatory. The reverential silence and still, cool air combine to stop you in your tracks as you admire this feat of engineering.
7If the Polytechnic (Pl. Politechnika 1) looks majestic from the outside, then it’s positively jaw-dropping inside. Designed after the architects toured 11 universities in six countries within a three-week window, what sprouted was an awesome structure inspired by the Italian Renaissance. Opened in 1901, the main building was defined by a cloistered pentagonal courtyard fringed by ornate staircases and capped by a stunning glass ceiling. As you walk around, consider this – alumni include the fictional 007 villain Ernest Stavro Blofeld. According to the books of Ian Fleming, Bond’s nemesis earned a degree in Engineering and Radionics from here during the inter-bellum.
6Of the hundreds of murals that decorate Warsaw, there can’t be many that seem more random or modest than that by the KS Wesola stadium. Dedicated to the American adventurer Merian C. Cooper, this ace pilot was based in Warsaw for a while and played a key role in the Polish-Soviet War before being shot down over enemy territory. Undeterred, he escaped Russian captivity to walk 500-miles to freedom. In later years, his life was no less extraordinary and he survived pirates, a tiger attack and numerous other dramas before one day finding himself walking through New York: “I looked up at a skyscraper,” he later recalled, “and immediately thought of a big ape at the top being strafed by planes.” Within a few years, Cooper had written and directed the film that would come to be known around the world as King Kong.
Anyone who loves a kebab at Efes (and show us someone who doesn’t!) will have noticed the intriguing black-and-white photos of Celina Osiecka that are plastered on the column close by. They’re there to advertise the services of this legendary photographer, a snapper whose studio lies around the corner at Zwycięzców 25. Something of a time capsule, its functioned continuously since 1975. Eschewing modern photographic techniques, Osiecka’s analogue pictures – each of them hand-processed – have made her one of the legendary old school artisans working in modern Warsaw.
9Once numbering 60, today eleven cats guard the Palace of Culture against rodents and other nasties, and they can be found living down in the lower levels of PKiN. Heroes they might be, but the curious moggies have also been known to cause trouble. One year, the building’s entire electricity supply was shut down after one feline chewed through a cable. Another, meanwhile, found itself inadvertently strolling onto the stage while Marlene Dietrich performed in 1964. The incident received more column inches than the concert, prompting to the diva to vow to never sing in Warsaw again.
10For neon overload you could visit the brilliant Neon Museum, but to really feel the magic of Warsaw’s neon you need to see it in its natural habitat. At Szpitalna 6, view what is without fail the most beautiful in the city. Revealed in 1926 after being commissioned by Jan Wedel – the Willy Wonka-style heir of the Wedel chocolate empire – the neon sign crowning the firm’s flagship store was the work of Italian artist Leonetto Capiello. Often regarded as ‘the father of modern advertising’, Cappiello’s design featured a boy on a zebra carrying chocolate bars on his back. Said to symbolize happiness and joy, and consisting of 61 separate neon tubes, the 1.2 ton neon was finally restored to its perch a couple of years back.
11Ever asked yourself where the workers that built the Palace of Culture lived? Of course you haven’t, but the answer doesn’t just make for a nice piece of trivia, but also an enchanting place to visit. Titled Osiedle Przyjaźń (the Friendship Estate), this sprawling complex of timber chalets in Jelonki was reportedly constructed using dismantled materials sourced from the Stalag IB Hohenstein prisoner of war camp. After the completion of PKiN, it housed over 2,500 students and college employees, among them, even, the future President of Mali, the colourfully named Alpha Oumar Konaré. A hotbed of anti-Communist resistance in the 80s, today the wooded paths make a wonderful weekend walk.
12Dubbing itself ‘an interactive museum’, Pinball Station (Kolejowa 8A) glows up inside to reveal dozens of machines from our pre-digital age. Filled with relics in the truest sense of the world, the oldest treasure is a Brillant Torero machine produced in Germany in 1938. A thrilling blast to the past, this cavern-like space is one for the nostalgist. For a flat fee, test your talents on machines such as Dirty Harry, Buck Rogers and Dr. Dude & His Excellent X-Ray (“If you’re ready to get hip,” reads the display, “turn on, power up and drop into my kinetic clinic!”).
13Although not as prevalent as even just ten-years ago, the scars that attest to Warsaw’s wartime trauma can still be found via wartime signs warning of mines, grave markers and, even, graffiti rebelling against the Nazi occupation. More commonplace, however, are the bullet wounds that still pit many of the city’s pre-war buildings. Interestingly, several of these – such as those found on the side of Hala Mirowska – have been discreetly patched with band-aids as part of an artistic initiative to bridge the past with the present.
14Looking like something from an M.C Escher painting, beat the buzzer at Kłopotowskiego 38 in Praga to find yourself at the foot of what is known as Warsaw’s most beautiful staircase. Certainly, it does boggle the mind. Spiraling endlessly upwards, it’s starred in countless films (among them, The Man With The Magic Box, a Polish Academy Award winner about a janitor that travels in time) and is one of the area’s top secret attractions. Once decorated in peeling green paint – an effect that brought to mind a weird David Lynch flick – it’s now been restored to its original state.
15When Pablo Picasso visited Warsaw in 1948 his schedule took him to the WSM Housing Estate. Visiting an apartment inside ul. Deotymy 48, he whipped out a pen and sketched the Warsaw mermaid on the wall. Measuring 1.7 meters by 1.8 meters, one witness was left flabbergasted: “my God, her bosoms were like two big balloons!” News of the work spread like wildfire, and even President Bierut knocked on the door to view it. Fed up with the constant intrusions, the owners applied for the removal of their private ‘Pikacco’ (sic). “Who on earth did that,” said the workman that turned up. “My brother-in-law could do better.”
Known locally as Hong Kong, the Bliska Wola Tower is a surefire winner when it comes to deciding the prize for Warsaw’s most horrific example of modern architecture. The work of JW Construction (a.k.a. JW Destruction on account of their aesthetic style), the devastating ugliness that is this housing project will ultimately house 10,000 people, many inside apartments reputedly no larger than 18 sq/m. But although its battery-farm approach to living has been met with widespread alarm, the twin 19-storey towers have already become a hit with urban photographers looking to capture Warsaw’s dystopian side.
17Completed in 1753 for Count Jan Klemens Branicki, the Rococo-styled Pałac Branickich has regained its luster after being revived as the Hotel Verte (Podwale 3/5). But more than just a stunning stay, its roof is home to one of Warsaw’s most obscure legends. Look to the corner and you’ll see the stone figure of a banana-clenching monkey –
You don’t have to be child or a nerd to enjoy Warsaw’s Railway Museum (Towarowa 1), and that’s thanks to a heap of brilliantly weird things such as complex model trainsets featuring crash scenes and display cases filled with curiosities such as vintage train menus. But outside is where it gets weird, filled as the yard is with German armored trains as well as the sumptuous wagon belonging to Poland’s first post-war leader. As appealing as these are, what really grabs the attention are the rotting carcasses of scores of unloved trains that have been left to die. A remarkable locomotive cemetery, poking around here is a joy in itself.
when Warsaw was destroyed, the palace’s reconstruction was based upon a historic painting by Canaletto. Little did builders realize, though, that the monkey had never actually stood on the palace before. Instead, the artist added it to his painting as a sly joke – apparently, he had a strong dislike for the lady whose bust actually occupied this spot, so switched her likeness for that of a hairy ape.
First built in 1712, the Lubmirski Palace (Żelaznej Bramy 10) is one of Warsaw’s truest oddities. Rebuilt between 1947 and 1950 after being gutted by the Luftwaffe, two decades later it became the subject of a crazy and ambitious project to spin it around to make room for the housing estate being built around it. So it was, on March 30th, 1970, the 8,000 ton structure was mounted onto ten hydraulic jacks, lifted onto a support structure, and then rotated by 78 degrees courtesy of sixteen steel rails. Forty-nine days later, the project was announced as having succeeded.
19Inspired by Wrocław’s now internationally famous trail of gnomes, the suburb of Bemowo has unveiled its own light-hearted version: six jolly bears modelled on Bemiś, a mascot first coined by the district’s former Mayor. Costing PLN 9,000 each, the bronze figures have each been assigned their own unique look so as to celebrate local landmarks and achievements. With a paper airplane in his hand one, for instance, is a tribute to the local airport (where Michael Jackson once performed); another, sporting headphones, references Bemowo’s transatlantic antenna that stood until it was destroyed by German bombing.
21An attempt to “reconcile the independence, spontaneity and anarchy of street art with the limitations enforced by an enclosed exhibition space,” the inception of Galeria Forty/Forty helped transform Warsaw’s alternative arts scene. Taking shape inside Fort Bema – one of the numerous Tsarist forts built in the 19th century to defend Warsaw – the walls became a rich tapestry of stickers, murals, posters and graffiti. The only rule, was that there weren’t any rules. Attracting now legendary names such as NeSpoon, Szum, Chazme and Maniac, this living gallery flourished between 2011 and 2015. But whilst the project came to a close years ago, today its creepy corridors and junky chambers remain a favorite for atmospheric photo shoots.
22Completed in 1888 and 1912 respectively, but collectively nicknamed the Wola Colosseum, the twin brick rotundas that pierce the horizon by Zachodnia served as gas tanks capable of lighting 92,000 homes. Hit by German artillery in 1939, and then damaged again in 1944, they resumed production after the war until being decommissioned in 1978. Currently empty (despite ambitious plans to transform them into luxury apartments), today these decaying hulks attract nosey urban explorers keen to photograph the hollowed-out interiors. When shafts of light seep through the windows, the visual impact is surreal and strangely unsettling. To see for yourself, you will be trespassing, but that hasn’t stopped thousands of people before you – tread carefully, for security and booby traps (read: big holes in the ground) lie in wait.
All gentlemen will know Zaremba, a bespoke outfitter that’s been doing business since 1894. Achieving cult status when he fitted an officer’s suit with hidden armor for a duel, the skills of the founder, Edward, soon featured in the style columns of Moscow, Vienna, Paris and London. Not even communist harassment could keep this family-run atelier down, and it continued to thrive using smuggled British wool that was kept hidden in the store. When the British serial Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson was filmed in Warsaw in 1979, Zaremba were naturally selected to produce the outfits. Elements of this rich history are remembered via the photographs that adorn the walls of the Zaremba cocktail bar on Nowogrodzka 15. Across the road, meanwhile, visit their expanded clothing store to stand in front of a vintage mirror first used by Tadesuz Zaremba in 1956.
It’s no longer enough to settle for bog standard – as such, an ever-rising number of Warsaw hotspots are going the extra yard to provide bathroom facilities that go beyond the norm…
Dobra 42 (Elektrownia Powiśle)
Since launching late in 2021, Dock 19 by Mateusz Gessler has become one of Elektrownia’s anchoring food and drink concepts, something considerably aided by a gorgeous design courtesy of the acclaimed set designer Boris Kudlicka – his vision is a classy ensemble of cinematic-style inspirations that merge well with the building’s post-industrial gait. The toilet, therefore, provides a WTF moment that stops you in your tracks with its graffiti-clad walls – the work of one of Warsaw’s best-known street artists, coming face-to-face with it is a zap, pow, woah moment!
Poznańska
A wacky toilet has become almost a must if you’re running a bar on Poznańska, and that’s amply proved by the existence of Paloma Inn. Better-known for its Jetson-inspired bar and groovy menu of vegan fondue, the Kermit green colors of the bar come delightfully contrasted by a toilet that opens up to present a clockwork orange affair decorated with mandarin colored tiles, oval mirrors and a jolly toilet roll holder. You shouldn’t really hang around in toilets, but in this one you can’t help it.
At Elektrownia, it’s not just Dock 19 that boasts memorable bathrooms. When you need a break from all that drinking and dining in their food hall, weave your way to toilets like no other. First passing old dials and meters saved over from this location’s previous role as a power plant, check into the male cubicles to find framed manuscripts, posters, photographs and time sheets saved over from this address’s previous incarnation. We’re told the female loo is also notable, but we thought better of sneaking in to see for ourselves.
Waryńskiego 9C
Home to one of the most spectacularly operatic interiors to debut last year, the Venetian motif that streaks through Va Bene extends all the way to the bathroom downstairs. Whereas the ground floor presents itself in a flurry of voluptuous shades of scarlet, the descent to the toilet is akin to being submerged in the waters, so dominant are the deep, turquoise shades and wavy neons – it’s the most literal meaning of a ‘water closet’ we’ve yet to find. The biggest surprise though is saved for last – marked by a porthole, you enter to find something completely different – a monochromatic room that’s as classy as modern Italy.
This labyrinthine games bar says FUN in capital letters. Buzzed on shots and cocktails with names like Robot Unicorn Attack and Angry Birds, visitors position themselves around an array of rooms decked out with vintage gaming machines, Pac Man neon, and display cases filled with cosplay ephemera – there’s even a mannequin of Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion. Into the bogs, and males will find their egos boosted by a urinal announcing ‘You’re Breathtaking’ in fluorescent 3D lettering. If you need a sit-down moment, then the throne themed toilet is out of this world.
Poznańska 7 (enter from Wilcza)
One of our favorite bars of 2022 gets it right on oh so many levels – pint-sized it might be, but it doesn’t half pack a punch with its craft beer taps, industrial décor (think corrugated iron and bike pedals for footrests) and young, up-for-a-laugh crowd. Then there’s the toilet itself – signposted by a picture of a spaceman sitting on the lavatory, enter to find a scuffed room designed to evoke memories of Narcos: that means kitchen rolls and toilet paper dangling from rusty old firearms.
Poznańska 7
Winning our coveted ‘top toilet’ prize at the 2022 installment of our Best of Warsaw awards, VHS present a bathroom that is utterly unique. As a bar, this place is a zany homage to 80s pop culture, and they thrash that theme to the max inside a WC adorned with a portable hi-fi, a pair of pink flamingos, a chunky rotary phone and photographs of Mr. T, Mitch Buchanan and other poster boys of the period. Lit with fairy lights, and additionally adorned by a small jungle of plastic plants, there is nothing here that doesn’t make you smile.
For a catch-all solution offering a variety of food, drinks and social experiences under one address, check out the following Warsaw legends…
Finishing the year on a high, Browary Warszawskie were named ‘the best in the world’ after topping the Best Urban Regeneration category at the 2022 edition of the MAPIC Awards. Designed by JEMS Architecki for Echo Investment, the mixed use project beat off competition from French and Spanish entrants to finish top of its class.
Nicklas Lindberg, the president of Echo Investment, said: “We are proud that Browary Warszawskie has been recognized on the international
arena. It’s confirmation that our idea of creating ‘destinations’ – large, city-forming projects that fit into the needs of cities and complement them – is in line with global urban and social trends.”
Lindberg added: “Browary Warszawskie is a perfect example of Echo Investment’s approach to responsible planning and building well-thoughtout urban quarters. This award proves to us that Browary is a new showcase of the capital.”
The end of November saw the first Warsaw Food Hall Social, an event awarding the best owners, operators, vendors and managers involved in the city’s food hall segment. Winners included Uki Uki Kikuya Tokio (Best Asian), Boston Burger (Best Burger), Browary Central Bar and Norblin (Best Bar), Aleksander Koffer-Likus of Browary Michael Motz of Norblin (MVP), Okarima Ramen (Best New Concept), Elektrownia Powiśle (Best Interior), Norblin (Best Food Hall), and Marek Ignaciuk and Linh Nguyen (Pioneers).
Pl. Konesera,
Built in 1897, from its early inception Koneser was built with one duty in mind: to produce vodka. According to one story, as German troops approached the city in 1915, the decision was taken to pour the vodka into the streets so as to prevent their soldiers getting their hands on it; apocryphal as it might be, the move reportedly sparked a riotous freefor-all among the disbelieving and grateful locals. Nationalized after WWII, Koneser only finished producing vodka in 2007; by that time, the plant was in dire need of care and attention and its Neo Gothic architectural details looked destined to rot and die. But not so. Subjected to a seven-year restoration process, it reopened in 2018 as a mixed-use project containing cultural sites, F&B outlets, swanky offices and loft-style apartments – no other investment has had a bigger impact on Praga’s overdue regeneration than Koneser.
ul. Koszykowa 63, koszyki.com
Built between 1906 and 1908, from the outset Koszyki was designed to serve as a market hall. Nationalized after WWII, by the 1960s it was attracting over 3,000 shoppers per day. By the millennium, though, business had slowed with shoppers favoring new generation supermarkets over the grubby old school style offered by Koszyki. Acquired by Griffin Real Estate in 2012, it was under their watch that the main hall was rebuilt and the art nouveau wings restored. Original plans foresaw a retail project taking root, but this was abandoned in favor of what we see now. Revolutionizing Warsaw’s food and drink scene, the 2016 reopening of Koszyki can be considered one of the watershed moments in the city’s gastro timeline.
ul. Żelazna 51/53, fabrykanorblina.pl
Opened on the site of a former metal factory, the scale of Norblin takes a while to sink in. A beautiful combination of new and old, it’s a photogenic example of everything that makes modern Warsaw so captivating. Representing 200-years of history, the two hectare site is riddled with over 50 leftovers from the Industrial Revolution.
Warsaw’s largest food hall has been intelligently designed so as to retain intimacy while never ceasing to remind visitors as to its diverse range of choices – the so-called ‘Asian district’ scores particularly highly. In standalone terms, top marks go to the elegant Piano Bar, the eclectic Uwaga craft beer haven, and the Tex Mex kings at Blue Cactus. Finally, check into the Bio Bazar, a farmers’ market with a reputation that extends nationwide.
Remember when a kids zone meant little more than some tatty coloring books and board games with missing pieces? At Norblin, welcome to the future: functioning under the name of Smart Kids Planet, kids have nine areas to explore over a floorplan of 1,600 sq/m. Featuring themes such as the ‘smart shopping zone’, ‘apple orchard’, and ‘discovery zone’, these have been tailored to promote logical thinking, healthy eating, motor functions, perception and creative thinking.
The lengths Norblin have gone to differentiate themselves have been extraordinary: for examples, refer to the luxury Kinogram cinema (Champagne vending machines, for Pete’s sake!) or the Art Box Experience – an immer-
sive multimedia space that stole our hearts earlier in the year with their look at retro Warsaw. Then, you’ve got the only Apple Museum in the country (as in the tech brand, not the fruit).
Mindful of their own heritage, the launch of a factory museum and guided walks (conducted by app or in person) can be cited as further proof of this project’s appreciation of local history.
ul. Grzybowska 58, browarywarszawskie.com.pl
Established in 1846, the Haberbusch & Schiele brewery that once occupied this plot was the largest such plant in the entire Kingdom of Poland. Later also producing Coca Cola under American license, the complex later fell into complete dereliction. Opened last year after seven-years of work, the resulting Browary Warszawskie has utilized these surviving elements and set them against a swanky backdrop of freshly mapped streets and immaculate new build that feels contextually suited to the district.
Pl. Żelaznej Bramy 1, halagwardii.pl
Built as a market hall during Tsarist times, in later years Gwardii became ‘the home of Polish boxing’ – in 1953, under the guidance of coach Feliks Stamm, Poland’s team triumphed over its Soviet and German counterparts to rack up a horde of nine medals at the European Boxing Championship. Resurrected as a food hall in 2017, its unpolished interiors have helped it retain a gritty authenticity and a lingering sense of history.
Living up to their reputation as Warsaw’s most event-centric hub, Hala Gwardii will host a three-day comic and poster market starting on January 27th. As things stand, organizers have promised separate gastro and chillout zones, a contemporary art market, accessories and stands and stalls devoted to comic books and Polish posters.
ul.
Dobra 42, elektrowniapowisle.comInitially completed in 1904 to serve as Warsaw’s primary source of electricity, Elektrownia appears with frequency in local history books – contested during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising (shrapnel holes still dent the building at intervals), it later powered the Palace of Culture – to this day, the switchboard survives. Deactivated in 2001, the vacated buildings briefly became the home of giant house martens and other mythical urban creatures, before being restored and relaunched in 2020. As smart as its new look is, you’re always touching distance from history.
Lit by a sea of neon, the food hall is a street food mecca with star turns provided by Philly’s Finest Cheesesteak and Uki Uki Kikuya. Bracketed either side by two flagship bars, the smoothness of this operation can’t be questioned. But this is all complemented by standalone restaurant project such as the chic and design-minded Dock 19 and legendary, fun-fuelled Blue Cactus.
Elektrownia’s blended approach deserves to be called out. This includes an exclusive top floor beauty hall filled with cutting edge cosmetic and beauty therapy solutions – that Anna Lewandowska has been tagged here should speak for its pedigree. On the retail front, EP tends to avoid the mainstream to instead slant in on contemporary Polish design, upscale vintage, niche brands and established local talent. Watch, too, for their regular organic markets and ‘slow’ design fairs.
Everyone agrees, Elektrownia Powiśle is a breathtaking work. From the outside, it’s a dazzle of billiard green lawns and spurting water fountains, all hemmed in by smart redbrick buildings trimmed with steel and glass. But inside is where it really gets going – cavernous in its size, and criss-crossed with vertiginous
walkways snaking overhead, it carries the dimensions and impact of a Romanesque cathedral. Historic leftovers abound (such as the blue cubbyhole once used by the plant’s director), as do whimsical pieces of art made from rescued girders. Ingeniously connecting the past with the present, exploring its many corners is fun in itself.
Jan. 27-29
5 years of community building 5 years of respecting history 5 years of helping 5 years of successful partnership with City Hall
Plac Żelaznej Bramy 1 halagwardii.pl
Simple, honest and brilliant at what they do, allow this slice of little Italy to bring some warmth to your soul…
“Icome from Puglia, a region where mozzarella is awarded the same importance as our daily bread,” says Francesco Micaletti, a former consultant that left the office grind behind to launch Bianca Mozzarella along with his partner, Kaja Przygońska. Twinning his business acumen with Kaja’s fantatical knowledge of cheese, the pair found themselves taking Warsaw by storm courtesy of their online service. But what started out as something of an in-the-know secret, soon found itself blowing up as word quickly spread about the quality of the product.
Pairing recipes gleaned from their time in Italy with the best Polish eco-milk they could find, the results floored the foodie public and won a heap of admirers in the process – from Kukbuk to Vogue. In fact, so bowled over were the latter, they called it “the most sought-after cheese in Warsaw”. They weren’t wrong, either.
From this success, a stationary store was born – one in which visitors could have a glass of something sparkly and some little bites of this and that. Opened a few months back, already it has proved a resounding hit. Set in a corner unit just off Koszykowa, this bi-level space has an easygoing charm: tall windows, soft tunes, and a welcoming simplicity that feels right for the brand – décor wise, there’s not much more than some plants on the walls and a bit of art here and there. It doesn’t need any more.
Visually dominated by the counter at the end, it’s here
– and from the shelving to the side – that visitors pick from their signature mozzarella or stop to stock up on jars of caramelized onions or tomato confit. But with purchases made, linger longer to enjoy the moment over niche Italian wine or a glass of bombardino – a wintry drink with brandy, advocaat and whipped cream on top. Served hot, you feel your immunity boosted on a sluggish day.
The food front, too, is worth attention: that means a range of
focaccias with an array of fresh, seasonal toppings, pasta served in a pleasurable cheesy goo (cue round of applause for their scamorza), and burrata baked with veg sourced from Pan Ziółko, the closest Warsaw has to a celebrity grocer. Reassuringly busy with regulars popping in and out, it’s the kind of place that Warsaw needs more of: seamlessly blending the functions of store and hangout, it’s a venue that lifts your mood instantaneously.
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I come from Puglia, a region where mozzarella is awarded the same importance as our daily bread...
Two Warsaw restaurants have been included in La Liste’s rankings of the world’s Top 100 Restaurants. Making the cut were Epoka with 85 points out of 100 and Nolita, with 75. Also representing Poland, Zakopane’s Drukarnia Smaku Kristina was included on the shortlist (84.5 points), as too were Water & Wine in Drzewce (75.5) and Trzy Rybki in Kraków (75). Joint top with 99.5 points, pole position was shared by Stockholm’s Frantzen, New York’s Le Bernardin and Guy Savoy in Paris.
In what’s being touted as a Polish first, global logistics firm Panattoni have added a new string to their bow after entering the F&B market with a café concept called, fittingly, Panattoni. Found on Krochmalna 58, the café is aimed at more than just firm employees with added appeal given by a smart interior designed by the 370 Studio (whose past triumphs have included the commission for Robert Lewandowski’s Nine’s sports bar) and a menu touting craft beers, specialty coffee, fancy desserts and quick bites such as bacon waffles.
High on next month’s ‘to do’ list is KUK, the principal F&B point inside the new Verte Hotel. The first address in Poland from the Marriott’s Autograph Collection, the restaurant will be overseen by Maciej Majewski, a chef with a rich stack of accolades to his credit, as well as numerous TV appearances. “Our philosophy,” say the management, “combines neo-bistro style dishes prepared from seasonal produce using haute cuisine while playing with form and content.”
What’s hot, what’s not and what’s happening around
Warsaw’s Japanese wave grows stronger yet with the opening of Sakamoto-ya…
TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEVIN DEMARIA
After the sushi explosion that began at the start of the millennium, Warsaw’s mania for Japan found itself sizzling down like a willow firework in the hazy winter sky – some exceptional restaurants aside, mediocrity became the bi-word. To this day, a small scattering of restaurants that slice it up to a pretty high standard have remained, but the focus has now shifted towards places that offer a more unique approach to Japanese culinary culture.
BY KEVIN DEMARIAZgoda 3, sakamotoya.pl/en
For example, there’s the robatayaki-grilled dishes of Japonka and the onigiri (think rice hot pockets shaped into triangles wrapped in seafood) of Niigata; and who can forget, of course, the premium dining at Nobu, a place that’s recently expanded on its Japanese credentials to open a deluxe sake bar. Then, for the DIY experience, there’s no shortage of pop-up markets selling artisanal Japanese prod-
ucts – in this case, Hala Gwardii and Mysia 3 spring to mind. But what’s really stolen our heart of late? Well that’s the Sakamoto-ya store.
Sporting a traditional noren in the doorway with two crossed arrows to symbolize truce or friendship, Sakamoto-ya is a small shop that’s big on premium Japanese products. Proudly
stating that they are the number one importer of sake from Japan, you see from their selection that that’s definitely more than just a sales pitch – moreover, don’t be surprised to be engaged in tasting a few should you share an interest in these high quality items.
Another highlight is their own Japanese tea brand MON TEA as created by the owner, Mr. Sakamoto himself. Choices of matcha are available, though for our favorite look to the genmai cha (green tea with roasted rice). Keeping on the theme of beverages, the Owa beer is also of interest – a Japanese-Belgian collaboration brewed in the latter, and a good substitute given the hardships involved in importing beers straight from Japan.
The onigiri is a must for a quick bite, but do also stay for their authentic udon bowls – for sure, you’ll be stocking up on ingredients after to see if you can replicate their version at home. And for the sweet-minded that dare try new things, try their mochi – a glutinous rice cake that carries a high wallop of sweetness that’ll brighten even the greyest of days.
Keep an eye on their Facebook to partake in events such as their shochu v sake tastings –attending is like an invitation to a masterclass in Japanese culture.
Forming an inverted L-shape, the area around Nowolipki and Jana Pawła has become something of a mecca of authentic street food tastes…
Jana Pawła 41A
This lively little joint gives Japanese food a new spin with its presentation of on-the-run fried foods served in various combinations. Topped with swirls and slashes of mayo and ‘secret spicy sauce’, the JFC (Japanese Fried Chicken) is a particular best-seller and addictively more-ish. On the beverage front,
plunge into the unknown by ordering a fruit-flavored soju. For many, this place is Jana Pawła’s biggest star.
Jana Pawła 41A
It was last month’s visit to Delhi 6 that kick-started the idea behind this feature, which should hint at how much we liked it. Tight, narrow and sparingly decorated with pictures of urban Indian life, the non-standard menu includes curry rolls wrapped in delicious parathas, crispy fried puffs and delicious tawas. Easily our favorite budget-end discovery of 2022, the atmosphere is enhanced by the Bollywood beats and high headcount of Indian food couriers – but they’re not here to collect food for delivery, they’re here on their breaktime to eat it themselves. If that doesn’t reveal the kind of place this is, then nothing will.
Jana Pawła 45A
Think of Kerala and you think of fish, an item that’s suspiciously absent from the menu. Even so, this place nails the other tastes of southern Indian well with high marks going to the beef parotta – it’s arguably their biggest seller and for very good reason. Featuring also pancake-style dosas and thicker uttapams (think Indian-style pizza!), this is a place that adds to Jana Pawła’s rich variety of ethnic eateries. Served on steel prison trays, this cheap and cheerful venue deserves to flourish in 2023.
Nowolipki 15
You could argue that it was Kura
that first started to revolutionize the area when they first opened a few years back. Serving posh American friend chicken along with double-fried Belgian-style chips, we’ve also got to give a nod to their crispy jalapeno poppers and exhaustive range of homemade sauces – the spicy ones are of particular note, and these include the delightfully tangy Challenger No. 3 and the
tart and sharp The Bomb. It says much that Kura have become the Insider’s favorite hangover solution: this is post-party soakage the way it’s meant to be!
Jana Pawła II 46/48
For many, Sapko is Jana Pawła’s defining bite. Around for years (we remember it back when it was a shack standing on
“The rather simplistic name hides what has come to be known as one of the city’s favorite vegan haunts.
the other side of the road!), this local institution comes with a reassuringly seedy air positioned as it is next to the area’s few surviving sex shops. Attracting a high head count of Middle Eastern punters gesticulating over glass cups of tea, its super late hours make it one of Warsaw’s favorite ports of call once the clubs begin to close. Touting a basic, wipeclean interior, the kebabs are among the better in the city though the smart choice is the Iskender lathered in piping hot tomato sauce.
Jana Pawła 45A Lit by a green neon cactus in the window, Taco Loco looks cheap and cheerful so the big surprise here is that out-punches many of Warsaw’s more high income Mexican venues. The chili-jalapeno poppers have that crispy, gooey bite, and there’s little faulting the tacos and burritos. Even their range of salsas go beyond the call of duty – for something that sends a brief electric current down your spine, order the Carolina RIP to go with your handheld pieces of Mexican goodness.
Al. Jana Pawła 52
The rather simplistic name hides what has come to be known as one of the city’s favorite vegan haunts. Though found with outposts elsewhere (i.e., the original in Saska Kępa and also Mokotów), it’s the Jana Pawła branch that gets the most custom – queues often snake onto the street. Sparingly adorned with a Street Fighter arcade machine,
a pink surfboard and some token Japanese trimmings, the lo-budget austerity is offset by the cool crowd, LOUD sounds and huge, full-fisted flavors. The ram’n’cheese with marinated jalapeno is great for those who like something a little maverick, though there’s also a good range of milder choices.
Definitely a little more upmarket than the others on our list, Vegan Sushi serve surprisingly complex sushi arrangements inside an interior scuffed concrete walls, flashes of neon, hip trails of greenery and dangling lights that look like Japanese baskets. In a sector dominated by stalwarts such as Youmiko and Edamame, the vegan sushi here is every bit as good as that found in the aforementioned legends. Featuring fresh, inventive tastes, it’s already a well-loved addition to the area.
Filled with cartoon-like illustrative art and generous slashes of neon, Yatta are the latest Japanese venture to try their luck in this area. Highly competent in their execution, the busy, youthful vibe reflects the mood, philosophy and quality of the food. Heaped with pickles, spring onions and squirts of chili mayo the Soboro fries are essential. Given their name, the ramen is of course the main reason to visit, but do also scope out their ribs and chicken skewers. There’s something good happening here, and it’s not just the people of Muranów that know it!
Put your resolutions on hold – filled with warmth, a fleet of bars and pubs await those looking to banish those wicked winter blues…
cast a spell with its plush fabrics, muted lighting and flickering fireplace, but it’s the drinks that have the final word. Using pedigree ingredients to maximum effect, this upmarket venue is unimpeachable in winter.
Wojciecha Górskiego 9
Such is the standard, it’s impossible to call out Warsaw’s best cocktail bar, but somewhere towards the top invariably stands the intimate El Koktel. Starlit with Edison bulbs, and touting a palm-sized mezzanine over which you can peer at the bar, the rich midnight colors of El Koktel are paired with a sublime drinks offer that takes you down almost impossible twists and turns.
Jassmine Wilcza 73 (Nobu Hotel)
With the snow piles mounting outside, who doesn’t love shuffling down icy streets before making their way down into a subterranean jazz den. If that’s you, then look no further than Jassmine, a premium address that could serve as a backdrop for a David Lynch project. Classy and intriguing, the enveloping darkness of this venue is pierced by dozens of orb-like table lamps
Koszykowa 49A
Opened at a time when Warsaw was going through its speakeasy phase, Back Room owes its continued success to more than just its jazzy, Prohibition era vibe. True, its decadent interior doesn’t half
and overhead lights that bring to mind a dazzling star fall. The drinks are expertly fixed and sip all the better when paired with live music.
Piano Bar Żelazna 51/53 (Norblin Factory)
Norblin’s Piano Bar works all-year round, but in winter its sense
of easy prosperity provides a glint of optimism when skies are bleak. Dazzling with its 12-foot chandelier, the Gatsby vibe is given added oomph by a design that makes use of chessboard floors and wisely-chosen extras. The program of concerts elevate the weekend atmosphere with funks and blues jams something of a forte.
Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44
Perched inside the luxurious Bristol Hotel, the womb-like warmth of Lane’s could have been designed with Warsaw’s cruel winters high in the mind – looking floaty with its peachy pink colors and generous poufs, it’s a bar that ensconces its patrons from the gloom outside.
Specializing in cocktails made from exclusive small-batch gins, the perfect proportions of this bar are more in tune to a private members club. Gently riffing on the building’s Art Deco and Art Nouveau design, you settle in here to bask in the good life.
Nowogrodzka 11
Named after the Slavic god of the underworld, find Weles discreetly located in a basement down a hidden side alley. Plunged down a dark stairwell, it’s a place born with indulgence in mind. Touting a zinc 1920s ceiling imported from the States, a crystal chandelier and a wooden bar carved from a British carousel, it’s truly a work of refined craftsmanship. Untwining across different levels, even the toilet here is a joy. Sophisticated and inventive, the cocktails provide the final reason why this bar has long been regarded as one of the best in its class.
Wilcza 8
Evoking the hedonistic climate of inter-war Warsaw, the esteem that Woda Ognista is held in is underlined by its Facebook following of 13,000 plus – not bad at all for a bar submerged below street level on an otherwise quiet stretch of Wilcza. Concocted by dapper, waistcoated gentlemen, the cocktails are exquisite and include such sips as Fuchs & Synie. Named after a pre-war chocolate factory, it’s a beautiful mix of double cream Belvedere vodka, grainy chocolate liqueur and coconut foam. It’s all the better being served up in an extraordinary interior that involves pre-war photos of showbiz stars, antique cocktail equipment and a preserved tiled stove.
When temperatures nosedive, who doesn’t love a subterranean dive buried down a narrow set of stairs. Looking almost cave-like, there’s a spirit here that puts you instantly at ease. Run by a team of Belarussian exiles (Lukashenko Out!), the welcome from the owners is warm and sincere, and their presence has helped create a friendly but rowdy community of drinkers that hail from Poland’s eastern borders. Craft beers are present, but so too are more standard lager. That said, as the night draws in, don’t be surprised to find yourself swapping them for shots whilst all hell breaks loose.
Haberbuscha
It’s a tribute to Browar’s designers that, in spite of its multiple levels, huge sparkling windows and quite enormous size, it is a place that affords a sense of intimacy. As swanky as it is, private nooks abound, and added character is lent by plenty of vintage sprinkles. Moreover, the brewing vats lend a centralizing element that naturally draws you in. Though rarely radical, the 18 house beers are brewed to craft practices and are nobly twinned with an exhaustive drinks choice that includes great cocktails and elite spirits that recognize that not everyone you hang around with is interested in beer alone. By being cozy but cosmopolitan it’s achieved the impossible.
We will never tire of recommending GZ. Seen as a greenish glow from afar, this pokey pub is an
institution with over 25-years of service tucked below its belt. Decorated with hundreds of beer mats and number plates (leftovers from its distant stint as an American pub!), the cramped, woodsy interior is ideal to rub shoulders with its regulars. Despite carrying many epic beers from Poland’s rebel brewers, there’s nothing faddish about GZ
and it’s this sense of normalcy that lends it its enduring appeal.
Nowogrodzka 25
One of Warsaw’s oldest craft bars excels when in terms of atmosphere. Respectful of the building’s pre-war heritage, the brick interiors are thick with noise, clamor and the reassuring
smell of spillage. But whilst the window-side front part is the most popular, in winter make your way to the back to discover an intimate space sprinkled with vintage armchairs and wonky old lamps set at a natural tilt. Often packed, the beers are among the most radical found in Warsaw.
Same Krafty Nowomiejska 10
Jammed between the Barbican gateway and the Rynek, Same Krafty’s Old Town location does nothing to harm its candidacy as one of Warsaw’s best January pints. An unflinchingly jolly refuge from the frostbitten streets, it’s the place to head for seasonal beers produced by Poland’s rebel brewers. On a cold day, not much beats a chocolate chili stout served inside a raucous and rugged tavern-like bar.
When it opened, we said straight away that it was the kind of place that would come into its element once the cold snap hit. And we were right! Set in a row of mews-like buildings, enter under a funky, photogenic neon before entering an area filled with carpenter-style workbenches and plush, comfy seats in eclectic clashing colors. Windowless as the main seating area is, this alone engages via the warmth of its vibe. Pouring some great craft beers, explore further to find a vaulted side room with creaking floorboards.
Ząbkowska 6
Regional and craft beers lurk within the fridge, but for the seminal Absurdu experience you’ll need to order a tray of vodkas before bulldozing through the crowds that gather to listen to Balkan rock and Afro-Latin bands. Somewhere, hidden deep beneath the creaking antiques and moth-eaten Persian rugs, you might be lucky to find a wood-carved bar, and just exploring this musty space is an adventure in itself. Emitting the kind of alternative Boho spirit more frequently found in artsy places like Kraków, delve further still to uncover a mouse hole of a smoking room packed with excitable regulars.
From the mainstream to the maverick, we present some of our solutions for your big weekend out…
not to finish the evening in their connecting venture, the Pirates of the Caribbean-style Kraken Rum Bar. Everybody else does at some stage or other, with evenings often dissolving into a wild, happy whirl of international voices.
CHMURY / HYDROZAGADKA
11 Listopada 22
Set in a fleapit courtyard, it’s hard to tell where one begins and the other ends, but both are spiritually cojoined by a devotion to eclectic live music. Tight and crowded, it’s a place where audience and band become one, feeding off each other to generate an electrifying atmosphere.
Wilcza 9A
Zwycięzców 49
An offbeat locale inside a recharged 1950s pavilion, find Towarzyska crowned with a tilting neon sign. Offering a fridge full of craft beer, competent cocktails, homemade lemonades and other alternative-minded drinks, it’s the best late night in Saka Kępa – true, it’s just about the only one, but that’s beside the point. Soak up the offbeat vibe inside an ascetic interior of bare concrete, chipped furnishings and retro tile-work dating back from when this was reputedly a butcher’s store.
Hoża 61
Seemingly based upon the kind of Tijuana dive bar you’d have happened upon during the Miami Vice era, Pacyfik is all candy floss pink and shades of teal: a raw-looking den that looks purposefully imperfect. Keeping the hip international crowd on the wrong side of drunk are kick-ass drinks such as their Clamado Michelada or Kimchi
Bloody Mary – three sips and you think you’re Superman.
Poznańska 12
Somewhere, amid all the junk relating to the Lebanese conflict (grenades, sandbags, ammo boxes, a rocket…), you’ll find the spirit of Poznańska contained within this long, skinny bar. As fashionable now as it was when it opened, forget
You know it’s been an epic weekend when you wake up on Monday knowing that Foton was involved. Conversation with strangers is natural after a few of Foton’s cocktails, and these are enjoyed to a cool backdrop made up of fleet of tumbling plants perched on steelframed irrigational contraptions.
Słowackiego 16/18
Set on the first floor of a PRL era tower, the super cool interior offers up a coherent display of retro posters, luscious plants and light wood trimmings that are respectful of this space’s former life as a 1960s cafe. Perched among hip freelancers and theater types learning their lines, sip away on trendy bio wines, adventurous lemonades, craft swigs or specialty coffee sourced from local roasters.
Emilii Plater 25
Run by Graham, an ex-embassy bod and devout Everton fan (well, someone has to be), this Brit pub has become the de facto choice when the football is on. Or the rugby. Or the cricket. Or just about any other sport that expats care to
watch. Whether it’s the Champions League or Bristol City on a wet, Tuesday night, there’s just no better space for boozy banter while the match unfolds.
Haberbuscha i Schielego 6 (Browary Warszawskie)
Owned by Robert Lewandowski, and named Nine’s in honor of the number he’s worn ever since starting his career at Znicz Pruszkow, this four-floor project has become Warsaw’s sports bar of choice. Filled with memorabilia (e.g. the boots Lewy wore when he broke the Bundesliga scoring record), features of this mega-pub include goal nets to act as petitions between seating booths, bar stools redolent of the plastic seats seen in stadiums, and tables embossed with pitch markings and other such frills. And on the top floor, a large screen facing onto seating that mimics the tribunes found in football grounds.
Nowy Świat 26
For the highest condensation of bars in the capital head to ‘the pavilions’, a collection of ramshackle drinking cabins, shot bars and sheesha lairs inside a tight grid of shadowy back alleys. 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 and chaos.
Al. Armii Ludowej 14
Despite the upgrade in surrounds, they’ve retained the leftfield spirit of their old haunt thanks to flexi hours, a commitment to obscure sounds, and a well-spaced interior that references their former venue through its decadent color scheme and wall of favored musicians. The air of friendly, unforced cool is unmatched in the city!
Wyzwolenia 18 (Pl. Zbawiciela)
Plan B is the quintessence 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 to this hive of debauchery.
Mazowiecka 12
Looking dark and sensual, this two-level space unwraps before you like some elaborate adventure. Candles flicker, atmosphere crackles – moving towards the bar, slinky, sultry club creatures of unfathomable beauty prowl past with drinks poised in hand. Heating up gradually as the night progresses, Ritual moves organically from being a
voluptuous bar to a spicy club as the night ebbs towards its heady conclusion.
The Shamrock is little more than a shabby bare room lit by a greenish Carlsberg sign. But the dearth of aesthetic thrills is compensated via its atmosphere. Find a melting pot of nationalities slopping beers over each other while shouting their orders to Curtis and his family behind the bar – high on noise and bellowed banter, the atmosphere cranks yet further whenever Curtis grabs his guitar to lead his audience in song. Paying more attention to craic than interior bric-a-brac, it’s a lively night and one enjoyed by an audience that’s largely under 30.
WOZOWNIA
Pl. Trzech Krzyży 16
Festooned with herby plants, it’s a luscious backdrop to drink, one that’s lent a gritty urban contrast by the shabby walls of the tenements that frame the courtyard. As for drinks, there’s some classic cocktails which you’ll need to order from the bar inside the 200-year-old carriage house at the end. Warning: cards only!
Warsaw’s coffee culture has exploded, a point reflected by its number of specialty cafes – of course there’s more, but here’s a handpicked selection of tried and tested faves…
capable of holding a laptop should you fancy a bit of remote working. Coffee comes from the likes of HAYB, Heresy, Five Elephant and the Bydgoszcz-based Norwegian roaster Audun Sørbotten, though the cakes should not be overlooked either.
FAT
ul. Andersa 6 Attached to one of the hippest barber shops in town, highlights of this adjoining cafe include a rocking cold brew, wickedly friendly staff and a half-mad collection of toy action figures (from Simpson models to a bad ass Al Pacino in full Scarface mode!). Tiny in its footprint, what it lacks in size it makes up for in heart: find a beauty of an interior that’s all swan white colors with walls graced by bookshelves and contemporary art that references Muranów’s past.
ul. Niemcewicza 3
ul. Elektoralna 11
Born with Instagram in mind, Forum has it all: super cool Afro-haired staff, a fashionably frayed interior, and a devoted client base that’s all about out-sized headphones and razor-thin laptops. Changing weekly, the big pull is a menu of specialty coffees from acclaimed roasters such as Five Elephant and The Coffee Collective fixed up by Poland’s AeroPress and Brewers Cup champion.
ul. Próźna 7 (also on Wilcza 42)
Already established thanks to an uber-cool location on Wilcza, discover their latest outpost sitting on gloriously restored cobbled prewar Próżna street. Featuring brick finishes, warm woods and elegant lighting, the commitment to quality is underlined by a wall of coffee ephemera, a pair of La Marzocco machines and a glassed-in coffee lab set aside for trainings and
workshops. For a more ascetic style, but more of the same quality, check their original address on Wilcza.
ul. Nowolipki 13
Sleek low-lying black chairs hold the line with the bottom of the window pane encouraging gazing and making for an easy lounging experience. Hits of yellow in the porcelain cups provide a nice little accent, whilst there’s a few tables
Launched in 2007 by Konrad Konstantynowicz, Filtry was the original specialty coffee café, a groundbreaking operation that led by example. Enjoy your coffee in a high-ceilinged unit clad in chess board colors and scuffed PRL flooring – for the city’s coffee afficionados this is a bona fide place of pilgrimage.
FORUM ul. Elektoralna 11
Born with Instagram in mind, Forum has it all: super cool Afro-haired staff, a fashionably frayed interior, and a devoted client base that’s all about out-sized headphones and razor-thin laptops. Changing weekly, the big pull is a menu of specialty coffees from acclaimed roasters such as Five Elephant and The Coffee Collective fixed up by Poland’s AeroPress and Brewers Cup champion.
ul. Elsterska 10
Divide Hałas into two sections: first, a small chamber selling collectors classic vinyl and coffee sourced from some of Europe’s top roasters. Then, smuggled in the back, discover a Nordic-style living room arrangement that encourages afternoons spent sipping coffee whilst catching up on email. It’s a beauty.
KAWIARNIA KAWAŁEK ul. Łucka 18
This neighborhood café offers a human touch in an area filling itself with gleaming glass blocks and gated compounds. Acting as a magnetic force, the homemade nitro machine (“I just like making things,” says the owner), is a thing of legend.
PO DRODZE ul. Bagatela 11
Decorated in a soothingly Scandi-style, here it’s all concrete colors, raw timber, subtle splashes of art and lighting fixtures that are as captivating as the punters: headphone wearing digital nomads, exchange students flicking through their notepads, couples playing catch-up and influencers shooting videos for their next Tik Tok hit. As for the coffee, they work real magic with Ethiopian beans in particular. With winter hitting, its proximity to Łazienki make it a perfect stop after a crisp, chilly walk.
RELAKS ul. Puławska 48
An evergreen institution, the specialty coffee at Relaks commands respect across Poland. Jacketed in chipboard panels and retro posters, the buzz has lasted so long as to become ingrained in their DNA.
ul. Wilcza 17
An updated upgrade of the original Relax found downtown, this modern day success story maximizes all available space and light with a clean-lined interior that’s embellished by a scattering of
coffee tomes and a statement mural by Mariusz Tarkawian. A cracking edition to the capital’s line-up of alt. coffee haunts.
ul. Schroegera 80
Set in the heart of Stare Bielany, there’s something about Roślina that everyone loves. Using their shoestring budget to maximum effect, the plant-filled, concrete interior feels social and creative, though it’s the magical garden that everyone talks about – even with the
first frosts hitting, it’s a beauty to look out onto.
ul. Tamka 33The freelancers and people watchers that gather here do so to bask in natural light amid outbreaks of greenery and quirky design touches: over some of the best specialty coffee in the city, time runs away here and before you know it hours have passed. Though it feels like a neighborhood warrior, it comes as no surprise that Stor’s patrons hail from all over Warsaw.
ul. Łucka 18
This neighborhood café offers a human touch in an area filling itself with gleaming glass blocks and gated compounds. Acting as a magnetic force, the homemade nitro machine (“I just like making things,” says the owner), is a thing of legend in summer whilst its cozy dimensions are ripe for winter.
To find the essence of Poland, visit any one of these restaurants – ranging from elegant to shabby, discover these for a 360 view of Polish cuisine…
most incredible schabowy we’ve yet to taste: this flattened portion of pork is monstrous in size and marinated overnight in buttermilk ensuring that the meat stays moist and tender when fried. Coated in challah breadcrumbs mixed with dried podgrzybki, the flavors are electrifying.
Brzeska 29/31
The specialty here are pyzy, homemade dumplings that are squished into jars and lathered with various toppings. Budget-minded in both cost and appearance, it’s become one of Praga’s worst kept secrets with several of Poland’s top food writers praising it to the hilt. Filled with a wide cast of characters, nowhere does a better job of expressing the district’s soul than this ramshackle eatery.
Marszałkowska 10/16
Madalińskiego 7
This charming brick-lined recess has a magical intimacy primed to cheer you up in the miserable months, and a menu that’s the epitome of rustic purity. The cooking here sings of care and freshness, and it becomes a pleasure to pick your way through a seasonal menu of homespun tastes. The beef cheeks are exceptional, but we’ve also taken great joy in balls of black pudding with panko and apple sauce – this is the gastro equivalent of a hug between friends.
Wiślana 8
Focusing each month on a different region of the country, Robert Trzópek’s tasting menu takes diners to the very heart of the Polish soul and does so via tastes that betray his fine dining background: delicate and precise, it’s the polar opposite of the mundane Polski feast. For many, it’s the best restaurant in the city!
Mokotowska 8
Preaching a message of farm-tofork, this ambitious eatery takes its produce seriously – to the extent
they have their own farm in the lake district to the north. Adjusted with the seasons, the menu on our visited included a roe deer stewed in Ukiel beer and served in a pan under a light puff pastry. Using chunky woods, copper light fittings and black and white floor tiles, the interior finishing leaves no doubt you’re somewhere upmarket.
Wilcza 29
AWarm and homely with its woodsy finishes and empty pans hanging from the walls, Patelnia Patera deserve credit for creating the
Some know Syty Chmiel as a craft multitap, but the truth is it’s also so much more. Better-known as Pan Tasak, co-owner Wit Szychowski has devised a menu that champions Poland’s rural greatness, with star cameos including blood sausage pancakes with caramelized apples. Hearty yet surprisingly sophisticated in its presentation and tastes, this is the kind of food befitting of the sound of clinking glasses.
Targowa 81
Hardwood floors, exposed pipes and a flurry of plants equip an open area decorated with blasts of contemporary art, recycled furnishings and extravagant light installations. Menu-wise, the food lights the soul. But more than just celebrating the power of local produce, there’s a refinement at play that speaks of a kitchen team that aims for the exquisite. For us, the pierogi with mushroom stock and smoked cottage cheese remain a favorite memory.
For tastes that go beyond the norm, look to the following to brighten your day…
Taking shape inside a corner unit of Elektrownia, the new look venture touts glass walls, a tiled bar and lively open kitchen. Though looking contemporary in its styling, nods to the past are plentiful and include such elements as the original chairs. But if it vibes well, it eats even better – the tacos and burritos are already vying for the title of Warsaw’s best, and their cause is helped by some banging salsas.
Twarda 4
With Argentine chef Martin Gimenez Castro injecting his passion and personality into the venue, this is an address that punches through the greyness of everyday Warsaw. Ceviche is naturally the default order, and here its served in around five different forms. However, the main menu has also been extended to include such hits as beef tenderloin and grilled dorado. The happening, cosmopolitan vibe is reflected by a sublime cocktail offers that mixes South American and Japanese influences.
Żeromskiego 81 & ul. Hoża 54
Al. Jerozolimskie 87
Deviating from the more standard Indian menus (if you’ve seen one you’ve seen ’em all), order here for self-proclaimed “immunity boosting” dishes such as prawn garlic curry; lamb and spinach deewani; or chicken in a rich mango sauce. Specializing in delicious southern Indian dishes, find also a number of non-standard curries and starters including fluffy lentil pancakes and dosa stuffed with cheese.
Unii Lubelskiej 1
Relocated to the historic tollbooth on Pl. Unii Lubelskiej, Ahaan serve mostly authentic street food from northern Thailand – that mean more herbs (ginger and lemongrass) and more earthy flavors. That the owners have also sourced holy basil, a much sought-after ingredient, speaks much for their passion. Breathing new life
into one of Warsaw’s most iconic roundabouts, Ahaan will wok your world!
Zajęcza 2B (Eletrownia Powiśle) & Fabryka Norblin
Shut after a 20-year run in 2017, for many the closure of the Cactus felt like the end of an era. But they say legends never die, and so it’s proved with the return of this institution.
Ask for something extra hot in Curry House and by Suresh that’s what you’ll get. Yet at Curry House there is more to sing about than j ust Poland’s highest voltage vindaloo. The curries are rich and sumptuous and consistently cited as among the best in the city. If in doubt, the chicken tikka masala is a fail-safe request.
Grzybowska 56Omakase refers to the Japanese tradition of putting your life in the hands of the chef in front. Given carte blanche by the punter, it falls to head chef Dawid Uszyński to create magic based on intuition and product availability – this he does inside a vibey interior featuring magenta neon, terrazzo floors and an intricate cat’s cradle of bold red shelving. This place lives in ‘the now’!
Broad as Europe is, we’ve cherry-picked some of our favorite specific tastes to be relished in Warsaw…
Nowogrodzka 10
Preserving the prewar heritage of the building, the warm interiors of Bibenda feel ripe for a special night out with friends – with no reservations taken, queues can snake outside the door. Working both as a bar and restaurant, the vegan menu is creative and deals only with the best small-scale suppliers.
Haberbuscha i Schielego 2
Breeze blocks, exposed metal girders, hovering steel lights and concrete surfaces inject a strong industrial aesthetic into the visuals, but these are softened by a proliferation of warming touches such as lavishly upholstered seats, leather banquettes and tiny antique details. This place is beautiful. But while most visit for the beer, the food is a winner as well. Of the highlights, find a range of steaks that include thwunking big Tomahawks to Wagyu beef, not to mention the best fish’n’chips we’ve had outside of England.
When Butchery opened in 2011 it completely transformed the way Poland viewed its steak. The first ‘new wave’ meat joint in the country, it’s launch lit the fuse for a steak revolution. Now an institution in its own right, this cosmopolitan spot remains one of the most sought out bookings in the capital.
Grzybowska 43A
Poznańska 37
Touting a high end interior of raw brick, white tablecloths, heirloom pieces and vintage pictures of Italian entertainers, La Luce unfurls in a series of chambers that soothe the soul; this look is in character with a menu that presents sophisticated Italian dishes, own-made black pasta, premium seafood, house focaccia and an outstanding Black Angus striploin. The sophisticated negronis crown this pleasure well.
Decorated with gleaming golds and rich, dark shades of forest green, Frank has a quite sense of luxury. But having adjusted to the shine and gloss, one sees it for what it is: a place of good mood and food. For the latter, thank Aleksander Baron, a chef that’s reimagined German cuisine in an almost tapas-like form. Hits include
Bavarian cheese Spätzle, superb sausages and Flammkuchen (a.k.a. German pizza).
Jazdów 1B
Named after the illuminated maple tree outside, the parkland setting proves a brilliant backdrop for this dark and arty restaurant. Chef Michał Gniadek has lived up to his early potential to build a small menu that is international in scope but (mainly) local in its components. The flavors are exceptional and are a fantasy of skill.
For foodies, the lynchpin that holds the food and drink offer together is Koneser Grill. Belonging to the portfolio of Ferment Group (owners and creators of Rozbrat 20, Butchery & Wine and a string of other essential eateries), enjoy a sophisticated, meat-centric menu amid smooth lighting, blond woods, metal fixtures and outbreaks of rich teal colors. Their steaks are legendary, and these peak out (both in terms of experience and expense) with the A5 class Wagyu Hokkaido.
You enter to be greeted by an installation featuring a tower of assorted ceramic waste before turning into a long, narrow room decorated in soothing forest shades. Evoking images of starry nights, the lighting casts a pleasing glow on a dining area whose statement piece is a beautifully backlit bar. You’ll love the interior, but the food even more. Last year, that meant small starter plates that introduced nibbly bits of modern Italy followed by a creamy, thick porcini risotto with chestnuts and a beef fillet with raisins, pine nuts and shallots.
Walecznych 64
To some, it’s the best butcher for miles. To others, one of the greatest informal restaurants that Warsaw’s ever had. The truth is, Mięsny is actually both: where the latter is concerned, their steaks have no peer. For the budget-minded, the daily-changing lunch deal often hits perfect marks.
Londyńska 16
Festooned with potted shrubs, the outdoor wooden deck is one of Saska’s finest outdoor check-ins. If that’s packed – and it often is –head inside where an atmosphere of gentle chaos reigns in the noisy open kitchen. Eschewing warmth and authenticity, the atmosphere fits the Greek food well. Feasting down on skewers of meat and pillowy pittas you start to feel like part of the owner’s extended family.
Puławska 24
Spliced with a glitzy leopard-shaped pizza cutter, the pies at Polly have attained quite a following ever since this place burst onto the scene. Featuring CBD oil, the Legalize Marinara is indicative of their slightly wacky approach – as too is a design that includes disco balls, cord banquettes, neons and other retro-cool touches.
Ostrobramska 73E
Found in Warsaw’s deep east, the greatness of The Eatery isn’t up for discussion. On our visit, nothing scored less than full marks: a pitch perfect tartare; sourdough mushroom soup of awesome oomph and flavor; and pork gołąbki with a demi-glace of such depth and taste we wanted to force our way into the kitchen and hoist the chef on our shoulders. Intimate and friendly, it’s one of the most unexpected pleasures we’ve enjoyed over these last couple of years.
When second best just won’t do, hit up these big guns for a meal to remember…
feature a wine store, kitchen and dining room(s) that somehow feel organically joined. The atmosphere is lifted by faultless cooking that combines a little bit of Polish with a little bit of eclectic: it’s a combination that works and often magnificently well.
Ossolińskich 3
Preserved 19th century cornices and baroque-style drapes lend an enveloping sense of luxury inside this A-Class space. Epoka’s menu is based on Polish cookbooks from different epochs (hence the name, dummy!), with the dishes reconstructed in a way that’s innovative, unexpected and a roller coaster of thrills. Oh gosh moments include jellied apple compote; a sweet and boozy pumpkin pottage; razor thin chestnut with marinated celeriac; and bigos like no other. You want to pause the evening for at least forever.
Krakowskie Przedmieście 13
Ossolińskich 3
Preserved 19th century cornices and baroque-style drapes lend an enveloping sense of luxury inside this A-Class space. Epoka’s menu is based on Polish cookbooks from different epochs (hence the name, dummy!), with the dishes reconstructed in a way that’s innovative, unexpected and a roller coaster of thrills. Oh gosh moments include jellied apple compote; a sweet and boozy pumpkin pottage; razor thin chestnut with marinated celeriac; and bigos like no other. You want to pause the evening for at least forever.
Mokotowska 48
Regularly adjusted to utilize the best items the season has to offer, the menu is a triumph of expertly balanced tastes and is admired for some of the most interesting cooking in the city – think elegant with a localized twist. Rounding out the experience is an intimate, labyrin-
thine design that’s ideal for when it’s cold and grim, and a shaded courtyard terrace that’s perfect for when it’s not.
Rozbrat 44A
The epitome of the neo-bistro style, find an attractive space that’s been seamlessly designed to
Decked out in tan and vanilla shades, hexagonal lighting installations, glinting mirrors and bold, blue ceramics, there’s a character that bridges the classic with the contemporary to magnificent effect. Basque chef Beñat Alonso gives regional suppliers an all-star role, and though the menu has been significantly simplified since the lockdowns, it remains an artistic undertaking never short on surprises.
Jagiellońska 22
Heading the kitchen is Witek Iwański, a chef whose past accolades include our very own ‘Top Talent’ title in our Best of Warsaw issue last month. And wow, this newbie is also one to watch and not just due to a stunning design: think tan, beige and white colors embellished with moonshaped mirrors, gleaming lights and statement art. Priced between PLN 22 and 41, diners are encouraged to
fill up on four to five a’la carte courses that appear like miniaturized works of art – think of each course as a micro bomb of sophisticated goodness. The veal was our highlight when we visited in May, just shading the icy strawberry-themed dessert.
Pl. Trzech Krzyży 10/14 Extraordinary in every respect, Nuta is a place where the impossible happens – no surprise given that Andrea Camastra is cooking. Rated among Le Liste’s Top 100 chefs in the world, his cooking is a world class experience that involves dizzying takes on Polish classics as well as a couple of favorites from his previous restaurant, the Michelin starred Senses. Highlights are too numerous to mention, suffice to say this is the best restaurant in Warsaw – and most likely Poland. Enjoy it in an interior that feels sophisticated but never ceremonial. Bookings mandatory.
Powstańców Warszawy 9 (Hotel Warszawa)
Humongous in size, the vast spaces and lack of natural light never feel an issue. Loaded with slick finishes and polished raw materials, find this subterranean venue unraveling amid the giant original foundations that support this pre-war skyscraper. Divided into ‘snacks’, ‘plates’, ‘sides’ and ‘desserts’, big shouts go to a golden schnitzel the size of a tricycle wheel as well as the spicy pork dumplings served in a vibrant essence of paprika. It’s exceptional.
Rozbrat 20
This busy neo-bistro fuses upmarket, casual styling with an exciting wine list, interactive service and the kind of atmosphere you can’t get enough of. Under chef Bartosz Szymczak’s leadership, Rozbrat’s grown to become one of the blogospheres favorite write-ups. Never the same, if there’s a consistent thread to visits
then it’s the playful inventiveness that has come to define Szymczak’s cooking.
Powstańców Warszawy 9 (Hotel Warszawa)
Found on the sixth floor of a 1930s tower that was, for a time, ranked Europe’s second tallest building, Szóstka’s fan base is all thanks to Dariusz Barański, a highly skilled chef fond of presenting such dishes as crab meat toast with lime and mango.
TUNA Elektryczna 2
Resembling the scales of a fish, Tuna’s core decorative element are 18,000 tuna cans that sheathe the walls. Smartly appointed in dark metallic colors, punches of wood add warmth to the aesthetic. Specializing in ‘doing the unexpected’ with fish, chef and co-owner Martin Gimenez Castro has created an exhilarating menu that includes salmon jerky, tuna sausages, an elaborately reconstructed dorada tail and the best-selling chili con tuna. An ecstasy of tastes, Tuna succeeds in reimagining everything you thought you knew about eating fish.
Mokotowska 48
Regularly adjusted to utilize the best items the season has to offer, the menu is a triumph of expertly balanced tastes and is admired for some of the most interesting cooking in the city – think elegant with a localized twist. Rounding out the experience is an intimate, labyrinthine design that’s ideal for when it’s cold and grim. All of a sudden, you don’t mind so much that the shaded courtyard terrace is closed for the season.
Mokotowska 54
Billing itself as “a place for people who value pleasant moments with a glass of good wine,” this somewhat modest description undersells what is sure to become one of Warsaw’s big check-ins.. A place of subtle and calming class, their philosophy moves in rhythm with a design authored by the Moszczyńska Puchalska studio – featuring ceramic floor tiles and an inter-connected table arrangement, it’s an intimate space (30 sq/m!) that softly whispers goodness. Set with easy colors, there is nothing that overpowers the chief attraction: gorgeous wall fittings that are home to wines handpicked from trending vineyards in France, Italy and beyond.
Mokotowska 39 & Pl. Defilad 1
Occupying the first floor of a pre-war tenement, there’s a magic here that summons the age of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Karim Bibars, the man behind it all, is one Poland’s best-known cocktail kings, and his drinks are the personification of liquid elegance. Opened in Feb, now find Charlie’s little sister inside the Palace of Culture: espousing an air
of cinematic cool, it sets itself up for comparisons to The Gold Room in the Overlook Hotel.
Wojciecha Górskiego 9
The pert and pretty are here, so too the well-groomed modern man, but there’s a balance to the crowd that prevents any whiff of snob. As a bar it feels open-minded, engaging and intelligent, and those are traits that rub off on those present. Drinks
are insanely good, and served in a small, high-ceilinged interior busy with framed vintage posters, cyan-colored wallpaper, baffling photos of Lynch-esque scenes and gleaming strainers and shakers.
Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44
Featuring no shortage of brass, glass, stone and satin, the floaty, peachy-pink ambience is lent further oomph by what we reckon to be the best lux cocktails in the city. Perfectly proportioned, Lane’s is intimate enough to feel like a private members club, and that sense of personalization peaks when you discreetly enquire about their little black book. Within this secret tome lie recipes scrawled down by the regulars.
Wilcza 43 NOLA: as in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz! Hedonism! Etcetera! Almost identical to its predecessor, Koko & Roy, the intimate interior has seen a few nips and tucks – vinyl records, cymbals and some black and white pics added to the walls. Dark and shadowy, its proved popular with the younger expat generation who gather here for drinks that include the Americanized version of Pimm’s and exotic creations with names like Absinth Frappe.
Poznańska 21
Inspired by The Jetsons, the moon landings and the atom, Paloma Inn is a groovy blast of lunar lines, pea green colors and furnishings and fittings that are retro-futuristic. The experience is compounded by easy listening muzak, 70s menu faves like fondue and mega fun cocktails like the Green Bubble (melon liquor, cognac, tarragon, lemon juice and fizzy water).
Moliera 6
One of the year’s hottest openings, Rascal is reputedly Europe’s largest bar specializing in natural wines. Looking stripped down to maximize the original accents, what was once reputedly a canteen for ballet dancers today features a mix and match of tables, plenty of exposed concrete and a tall entrance curtain through which to swish. Crowned with a veneered, marble-topped bar, it’s a beauty to behold – a point not lost on the Vogue staffers that have made this their domain.
Koszykowa 1
Hip and happening, the concept at Reginabar is a wacky amalgam that mixes elements of New York’s Little Italy with China Town next door. The menu rocks, but find it augmented by a dynamic cocktail list that reflects the crazy things happening in Warsaw’s world of drinks: that means, a ‘Girls on Top’ menu featuring drinks such as Baby One More Time and Wannabe. Lap these up in an interior that joins the retro with the avant garde.
Wilcza 73
Filled with light during the day, come dusk the curtains sweep shut to close guests off from the outside world. Sensual fragrances waft around, complementing a luxury menu touting bottles of craft sake that peak at PLN 3,000. Fixed by immaculate staff, cocktails are also prominent and are seasonally inspired.
Zajęcza 1A Bathed in the soft light of the 70s style vintage lamps scattered about, the tone is set out front by the wacky board signboard that likens switching to natural wine as “travelling from black and white to intense psychedelic”. As fun as this trip in time is, the wines are of the cutting edge and are ably supported by the cooking of co-owner Oleg.
Waryńskiego 9C
Rich in golds and operatic reds, the stylish Venetian theme includes table legs painted in gondola stripes and a signature mural made from mirrored shards. Drinks are works of art. Tailored around Italian ingredients, these number six interpretations of negroni and a concise roll-call of Prosecco and Martini-based drinks. The speed with which they’re fixed belie the quality at play.
Nowogrodzka 15
Black and white photos referencing the history of this former gentleman’s atelier gaze from the walls onto an interior heaving with brass, terrazzo and blue velvet finishes. A café by day, come evening Zaremba moves into cocktail territory with craft ingredients resulting in drinks like the Hemingway (Maraschino, house-made clarified grapefruit juice, coconut sugar and Zaremba’s own rum blend).
Koszykowa 1
Hip and happening, the concept at Reginabar is a wacky amalgam that mixes elements of New York’s Little Italy with China Town next door. The menu rocks, but find it augmented by a dynamic cocktail list that reflects the crazy things happening in Warsaw’s world of drinks: that means, a ‘Girls on Top’ menu featuring drinks such as Baby One More Time and Wannabe. Lap these up in an interior that joins the retro with the avant garde – for a more subtle style, though shorter hours, check their younger little sister in the Mysia 3 department store.
Over 40 craft beer bars thrive in Warsaw, and you’ll find them all listed on the ontap.pl app – below are some of our faves, and you’ll find more in our Winter Warmer section…
Flying in the face of fads and fashions, it’s a bar that feels honest and comfortable in its own skin. Looking pleasantly worn-in after nearly nine-years of service the rotation of beers is brilliantly balanced between new finds and traditional top-sellers from the canon of Artezan, Pinta and other A-class Polish breweries.
4
Replicating the look of a disused power station, the Double D is a place of rugged brickwork, steel girders, vintage voltage meters and, get this, clanky toilets disguised as elevator shafts. Set over three floors, the 14 craft taps are largely committed to the wild tastes of modern Poland.
HOPITO Żurawia 32/34
Nowogrodzka 12
Good old Jabbers will never let you down. A Warsaw institution, the adventurous choice of beers gives nods to international pioneers, domestic talents as well as their own house beers. Pre-war floors and the welcome smell of spillage give it a great atmosphere that becomes a boisterous babble of international voices the later it gets. For something quieter, take your pint next door to their sister bar, Jabeerwocky Junior.
Andersa 23
Humble and unpretentious, CBM’s rising stock has been reflected by their growing reputation as one of the finest tap bars with a suburban postcode. Split over two levels, as basic as the aesthetic is (screechy chairs and some murals that reference the brewing process), it’s an atmosphere that feels warm and clattery and like a local pub should.
CUDA NA KIJUNowy Świat 6/12
Opened in 2013, Warsaw’s first legitimate tap bar looks just as edgy as ever slotted inside a glass prism hidden within the megastructure that once housed the Communist Party headquarters. In fact, with so many youthful bars now neighbouring it, some would say it’s never enjoyed greater popularity. Notable for its glass walls, spirally staircase and pinball machines, find 15 taps keeping guests amused.
Grzybowska 2 (through the side
We don’t know for sure, but we suspect that Hopito was launched to open up the craft scene to the Gen Z crowd. Certainly that’s reflected by a fun interior decorated by Poland’s biggest street artists, as well as other additions such as a beer slushy machine and fun Neapolitan pizzas. And there’s the beers themselves – known for their wacky tastes, this bar’s namesake brewery specializes in logic-breaking brews such as their blueberry & blackcurrant coffee sour pastry ale.
Though undeniably large, intimacy isn’t short in supply, and that’s down to the comfortable armchairs, framed pictures, atmospheric lo-lighting and some personal trinkets to reflect the passions of the owners (skateboards, for instance). There’s twelve taps in total, and these offer a rotation of craft goodness that ranges from wacky to understandable. It’s not just about drink, either. Co-owner and chef Pan Tasak has created a menu that’s a celebration of Poland’s rural greatness.
Reflecting Warsaw’s dynamic, modern spirit, the city is officially ranked by the HappyCow portal as the ninth most vegan friendly cities on the planet – we need a telephone book to list all the worthwhile restaurants, so instead make do with a slimmed down selection of Insider stars…
of that as a charming quirk – as it turns out, it contains treasures galore. Alive with fragrant, fresh flavors, the nem rolls, tofu bulgogi and yuba cha (fried tofu skin) all come recommended, as does the house kimchi: a pungent, tangy mass of spiced, fermented cabbage.
Poznańska 13Geometric patterns, plant arrangements and the large format illustrative artwork of Dominique A. Faryno decorate Leonardo Verde, an upmarket – but inexpensive – Italian joint. Pizza is the forte, and you’ll see why after ordering the ‘hot romantic’.
Krucza 23/31
Rzeczypospolitej 2A
Where does Warsaw get its vegan ideas from? We’ve no idea, but Dziki Królik breaks new boundaries in more ways than one. Set far from the vegan heartland in the center, this Wilanów locale touts a truly mind-altering menu composed of vologenese, mushroom scallops, tacos, and inspirational seafood dishes such as beer battered tofu ‘cod’ fillet. Cooked by Lady Jazz, enjoy these spectacular finds in a charming wood-paneled interior tricked out with plants and charms.
Anchored by a geometric mural that declares ‘Guilty Pleasure’ in glowing pink letters, this pocket-sized locale exudes a sense of fun. Written up on the blackboard, the menu casts it net over the biggest comfort foods known to man, and these include empanada – small, tasty pleasures with a puff pastry shell holding the goodness together inside. And there’s the Not Dog, a vegan hot dog forged from marinated carrots, onions and red cabbage.
Wilcza 11
Sushi without its star ingredient sounds ridiculous, but this vegan sushi joint manages to out-maneuver its traditional competitors by replacing below-par fish with fresh, vegetarian produce: pak choy, shiso, avocado, eggplant, oyster mushrooms, asparagus, etc.
Zgoda 4
The menu is a bamboozling work of Byzantine complexity, but think
Aside from a small menu consisting of standard vegan offers, this stalwart keeps Homer Simpson characters in mind with regular guest slots for ‘junk food’ that’s given a full vegan makeover. Offhand, that’s meant vegan kebabs, cheesesteaks, burgers and zapiekanka, all of which have been pretty darn fabulous.
Poznańska 16
You don’t need to be vegan to enjoy Momencik, for such is their magnificence that this meat-free establishment outranks many of the ‘proper Mexicans’ in town. Limiting their menu to tacos, burritos, gringas and tostados, this pokey subterranean den has come to be regarded as one of the city’s cult addresses.
Koszykowa 49A
Brought to you by Taira Matsuki, the owner of the outrageously successful Uki Uki, the menu includes alternatives such as kimchi-cheese gyoza dumplings, spiced soy meat and ‘vegan eel’. The real plaudits, however, are reserved for the ramen. Tag yourself up in an interior that’s big on Japanese wood joints and concrete finishes.
Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego
KEVIN DEMARIA
TEXT BY KEVIN DEMARIA
outsider art has always had a certain appeal – unsurprising given the spoke it grants artists to defy traditional conventions. Occasionally, if not often, driven by the purest of intentions, this so-called naïve art sails closest to the artist’s true spirit.
Curated by Alicia Mironiuk Nikolska, the Ethnographic Museum’s current exhibition displays three artists whose works were originally together at the Zachęta in 1965 as part of the ‘Others. From Nikifor to Głowacka’ exhibition coordinated by Aleksander Jackowski, a keen proponent of this artistic genre. Halina Walicka was later added to the trio’s circle, and Jackowski himself later included it in his seminal 1996 book The Art Called Naïve.
Of all four artists it was Maria Korsak who used Warsaw as the most central theme in her work: swans in Łazienki, as well as people strolling in Ujazdowskie or New Town. Compositionally sophisticated, her harmonious colors and playful impressions shine through in her depiction of Warsaw life in the 1960s and 70s. Originally from a small village near Nowogroódek, she painted wall hangings and practiced weaving at a very early age. After moving to Warsaw she joined the Center for Arts & Crafts located on Elektoralna street. Although she treated her art seriously, it remained a hobby until she drew the eye of domestic and international critics – in 1963, works from her oeuvre were displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in Miami.
A native of Warsaw, her mother advised her to study medicine which she eventually resigned from. After having her life put on hold because of WWII she joined the Center for Arts & crafts in the early fifties. Her mentor there, Marian Tomaszewski once said, "this is an injustice. I dedicated my life to art. I painted hundreds of paintings and you, know
things which I don't know". Having a father who worked as a gardener and later in life purchasing land to work as a gardener with her husband, Leokadia’s sensitivity to nature is prevalent in her work. Her masterful handling of abstract themes is strong and her use texture and simplicity of shapes in her drawings proves that her talent holds up to the test of time.
Moving to Warsaw in 1912, the 18-year-old Mickiewicz began her life in the city working in fashion houses embroidering and creating flowery decorations. Surviving a stint in Ravensbruck concentration camp during WWII, she returned to the Polish capital in 1956 and began creating embroidered pictures for her friends and family. Her passion for this grew yet further when she viewed an exhibition featuring the Wawel tapestries after they were returned from Canada in 1961. A giant in her field, Mickiewicz authored 80 words – unfortunately, only five are displayed and these are behind glass thereby making it difficult to denote the delicate
intricacies of her craftsmanship and the subtle shifting of the blue hues in her landscapes.
Born in Warsaw at the beginning of the 20th century, Walicka worked as a nurse and it was only after she retired – and on the persuasion of her daughter, a trained psychologist – that she began painting to fill the void that had been left after losing her husband, father and three brothers in Auschwitz. Unsurprisingly, her work often focuses on memory, with subject matter including her visions of the landscapes she saw during her childhood in Russia as well as the wilderness of the Polesie region. Walicka’s handling
of paints and colors evokes echoes of Henri Rousseau, whilst her compositions and symbolism have the ability to remind of Giorgio de Chirico’s surrealist paintings.
Outsider art has always had a certain appeal –unsurprising given the spoke it grants artists to defy traditional conventions
Aimed at the indoorsy, check out our to-do list of January pursuits…
For bookshop browsing Warsaw’s English-language options are limited, but that’s not a problem when you have a place like The Books (Puławska 134A). Moving 100-meters in December, the new addy is crammed with preloved books that cover a variety of genres. This labor of love is the kind of bookstore that deserves to be treasured – and don’t use economics arguments as an excuse not to visit: prices begin at PLN 10.
When the cold snap sets in,
there’s little to rival gathering around a board game with friends and booze. There’s a few decent options in Warsaw to do just that, and these include the youthful, modern minded Cybermachina (Nowy Świat 54/56) and the more traditional spit and sawdust confines of the fantasy-slanted Paradox (Anielewicza 2).
Or how about baking yourself to a crisp inside the public sauna moored on the banks of Port Czerniakowski (Czerniakowski 136)? Created as part of the city’s Civic Budget, and over-
seen by the team at Miami Wars, the project is being dubbed the first floating sauna on the Wisła. Offering icy waterfront views of the harbor, the intimate facility is open from 6 a.m. to midnight. For more: saunawisla.pl
Submerge yourself in culture by checking into Kino Amondo (Żurawia 20), the smallest of Warsaw’s arthouse cinemas. Projecting indy films inside a 20-seater and 25-seater screening room, other perks include a tiny café area with a VHS rental service.
What’s January without rooting through old stuff to add to your living space. At Antykwariat Grochowski (Kickiego 12) you can do just that by exploring a maze-like space filled with 130,000 used books and heaps of vinyl, graphic art, disintegrating photographs, old currency and the occasional medal. Or how about adding some retro glam to your life by heading to a vintage design store such as Vintage Kolektyw (Waszyngtona 30/36): stock up on glowing figures of the Virgin Mary, Marilyn clocks, porcelain puppies or Jetson period chairs.
Unleash the artist within by attending one of the classes held by Wino Grono Art (wino-grono.art). Overseen by a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, sign-up for a two-hour evening of wine and painting. Providing everything from paints to aprons, the only thing you’ll need to bring yourself – and yes, for better or for worse, you will get to keep whatever it is you doodle.
Temida is a small and creative company from the Lublin region. In our atelier we create unique handcrafts from natural soy wax. Our candles are made from the highest quality products to ensure maximum burning time. The wax we use is ecological, biodegradable and environmentally friendly, which also translates to your health.
temidastore.com IG/temida.store FB/temida.store
Look to Lumagica to light up your January…
Set on the edge of Łazienki Park, the University’s historic Botanical Gardens has long enchanted visitors with its scenic trails and striking flowery arrangements. This winter, however, an added sprinkle of magic has been provided by Lumagica, a seasonal installation that has seen the garden transformed into a spectacular sea of light.
Using energy efficient LED technology, this after-dark sensation promises an evening to remember with several landmark structures lit with dazzling illuminations – among them, a life-size mammoth and a hummingbird in flight. Featuring also a bed of glimmering, outsized tulips and a spectacular rainbow, find these strategically set amid other marvels of nature.
Complete with surreal outbursts such as a heart-crowned bench and a ‘tunnel of light’, this extraordinary experience comes capped by an interactive phone game that will help visitors unlock the secrets of the natural world. Best enjoyed whilst crunching over a fresh layer of snow, when you’re done seek some winter warmth by lining up for waffles, hot chocolate and something enigmatically titled ‘magic potion’.
Where: Al. Ujazdowski 4 (Botanical Gardens of the University of Warsaw)
Cost: single tickets from PLN 20 to PLN 85 (family tickets from PLN 83 to PLN 95).
Buy: lumagica.pl or branches of EMPiK
When: visit between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. from Tues to Thurs, and from 3 p.m. till 9 p.m. on Fri through till Sun.
Closed: Lumagica is closed on Monday and will close for the season on Feb 26th.
zuile, the Goddess of love. Also playing its role in the graphic identity of the brand are the works of Cupid, an artist whose work can often be found on sale on the streets of Port-au-Prince and Jacmel.
Creamy’s offer includes natural facecare cosmetics based on high-quality oils. These are oils for washing the face and removing make-up, oil serums with active ingredients, creams and pure oils. The offer is further supplemented by products for which the absorption of oils is problematic, including, for example, moisturizing rice essences or hydrolates.
Creamy uses the highest quality materials that are subject to the strictest controls. The overriding principle of Creamy is precise minimalism and balanced compositions without unnecessary fillers. Creamy uses almost 100% natural ingredients in its recipes without sacrificing the effectiveness of its cosmetics. Furthermore, all cosmetics are vegan and non-animal tested.
APolish-Haitian natural cosmetics brand, Creamy was founded by Zofia Pinchinat-Witucka to express her Caribbean roots and skincare expertise. Using unrefined oils imported from, among other places, Haiti itself, the natural ingredients favored at Creamy are combined with scientifically proven knowledge so as to provide for the best possible beauty care that today’s modern woman demands.
Inspired by the colorful culture and environmental richness of Haiti, this much is evident not just in Creamy’s aesthetics but also the composition of its cosmetics. Importing from Haiti the most important raw material of them all – moringa oil – all cosmetics are then produced in Creamy’s Warsaw lab.
Drawing on the culture, art and local beliefs of Haiti, the logo was inspired by the veve, the symbol associated with Er-
Always packaged in reusable glass, for each returned package we donate PLN 1 to the MARE Foundation whose goals include the protection of the Baltic ecosystem. Socially and environmentally aware, all our products are sent in recyclable paper. What’s more, through its importation of moringa, Creamy are proud to support Haitian women, for whom moringa cultivation is often the main source of income.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY Creamy Atelier & SPA ul. Chmielna 6, creamy.pl
Students aged 3-5 are encouraged to try new things, ask questions, and take risks in a nurturing environment in which they learn life skills alongside academics. Following the Primary Years Programme (PYP), our young students become caring, active participants in a lifelong journey of learning. Contact admissions@ aswarsaw.org
A values-driven school offering a world-class education based on the best of British Education. BSW is the first school in Poland to be accredited as Compliant by the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). Based in a purpose built premises in Wilanow BSW is accepting applications from Nursery to Year 9. Please email admissions@ bswilanow.org to organise a visit.
Welcoming students from the ages of 2.5 to 6 years old, currently 45% of their admissions are international students. The dedicated, IB-trained teachers deliver an innovative program (PYP) in English designed for modern world needs. The program offers a combination of Literacy, Maths, Social Studies, Science, Physical Education, Art, Music & Rhythmics, French and Polish classes. ul. Ignacego Krasickiego 53, tel. 697 979 100, canadian-school.pl
(multiple locations) Casa dei Bambini and Toddler School have three green and harmonious locations in Mokotów and Izabelin. The school in Izabelin is set in the quiet of the Kampinos Forest just outside the city. Teachers are fully trained in early-childhood education in English according to the Montessori philosophy. Registration open to children 12 months to 6 years of age. ul. Badowska 19, ul. Tatrzańska 5a (Mokotów), ul. Szkolna 16, (Izabelin), tel. 692 099 134, wmf.edu.pl
Our Early Years Foundation Stage provides a play-based learning curriculum full of curiosity, wonder and discovery – the perfect springboard into Primary education. ul. Dąbrowskiego 84, tel. 22 646 77 77, thebritishschool.pl
Established in 1994, The Trilingual School of Warsaw offers nursery, primary, and pre-school education with an international curriculum for children aged from one to 15. The full immersion trilingual setting allows for the choice between English,
Polish, Spanish or Chinese, French or Japanese. Teachers are highly-qualified native speakers from the US, France, Spain, China and Japan. ul. Nobla 16 (tel. 501 036 637), ul. Karowa 14/16 (tel. 503 072 119), ul. Krolowej Aldony (tel. 533 321 084), office@3languages.pl, itsw.edu.pl
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 call Justyna Nowak on tel. 784 037 808 or email:
jnowak@theenglishplayhouse.com ul. Pływiańska 14a, tel. 22 843 9370, tep.edu.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). ul. Piechoty Łanowej 46A (entrance from Rotmistrzowska/ Petyhorska), tel. 531 599 444, mapletreemontessori.pl
An intimate, international, English-speaking preschool located in Powsin that follows the Montessori philosophy which emphasizes the individuality of each child. Children from the ages of 1.5-years-old to 6-years-old are welcome, with the school’s goals aimed at facilitating the individual development of the child, both physical and mental, through a system that is focused on the spontaneous use of the human intellect. ul. Przyczółkowa 140, tel. 728 939 582, montessoristeppingstones.pl
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. ul. Rzodkiewki 18, tel. 784 037 808, tep.edu.pl
Located on two campuses in the Mokotów this is the only authorized IB School with PYP programs taught
in English and Polish. French is taught as a third language. Offers a wide range of extra activities, a summer school, and employs a full time psychologist. Provision is made for additional Polish and English support. International staff, cultural events and challenging student initiatives create the perfect learning environment. ul. Bełska 7, tel. 692 411 573 / 885 420 044, secretary@ canadian-school.pl or secretary. olimpijska@canadian-school.pl
School of Warsaw offers nursery, primary, and pre-school education with an international curriculum for children aged from one to 15. The full immersion trilingual setting allows for the choice between English, Polish, Spanish or Chinese, French or Japanese. Teachers are highly-qualified native speakers from the US, France, Spain, China and Japan. ul. Nobla 16 (tel. 501 036 637), ul. Karowa 14/16 (tel. 503 072 119), ul. Krolowej Aldony (tel. 533 321 084), office@3languages.pl, itsw.edu.pl
Established in 1994, The Trilingual
Located in Mokotów, the Monnett is the only school in Poland that implements the International Baccalaure-
ate Program from kindergarten level all the way through to secondary school. The fully-qualified staff are committed to delivering only the highest standards of education. ul. Stępińska 13, tel. 22 852 06 08, maturamiedzynarodowa.pl
Treating pupils with mutual respect but not at the expense of being demanding, the methods used are hard on the problem but soft on the person. Taking into account what students think, feel, learn and want for themselves and their world, Joy Primary teaches important life skills as well as respect, care for others, problem solving and co-operation. Here, children are challenged to discover their abilities and competences, while encouraged to explore personal strength and autonomy. ul. Syta 131A, tel. 722 305 333, sekretariat@ joyprimaryschool.pl
Guided by trained specialists, students are 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 real life challenges. ul. Tatrzańska 5A (grades 5-8), tel. 604 137 826, wmf.edu.pl
Stores inc. Calvin Klein, Hollister, Hugo Boss, New Balance, Royal Collection and Timberland. ul. Wołoska 12, galeriamokotow.com.pl
Warsaw’s original luxury shopping center has a line-up of top boutiques that include Max Mara, Paul & Shark and Pinko. ul. Okopowa 58/72, klif.pl
Over 200 stores, restaurants and cafes, plus the Multikino cinema and the Pure Jatomi Health and Fitness Club. ul. Złota 59, zlotetarasy.pl
A leader in the field of Montessori education, well-trained teachers guide students to independent and successful learning with both English and bilingual classroom provided. Located just steps from Łazienki Park the school resides in vibrant surroundings near to museums, embassies and natural settings which provide students with learning outside the classroom. ul. Szwoleżerów 4 (grades 0-4), tel. 608 488 420, wmf.edu.pl
Warsaw Montessori High School aims to teach students the values which Maria Montessori outlined in her educational philosophy such as: responsibility for one’s own development, care for others, honesty, empathy, and service. The school continues to meet the principles of Maria Montessori through implementing the IB Diploma Program principles and practices. Warsaw Montessori High School is an authorized IB World School for the Diploma Programme – code 061201. ul. Pytlasińskiego 13A, tel. 787 095 835, wmf.edu.pl
Not many Polish malls do it better. Stores inc. Mango, Lacoste, Guess, Hilfiger and Peek & Cloppenburg. Al. Jana Pawła II 82, arkadia.com.pl
What looks like a soggy tent city transforms each Sunday morning into a hopelessly addictive flea market offering wartime militaria, religious icons, chinaware, furniture from unverified periods of history, and even the occasional suit of armor. ul. Obozowa 99
Antique books, faded photographs, yellowing maps and dog-eared magazines – the atmosphere is timeless. The PRL-era lifestyle magazines are an amazing insight into the past. ul. Wilcza 29
Cavalry swords, pre-war Judaica, Orthodox icons, books, scrolls, helmets, cameras, chess sets, jewelry… The opportunities for rummaging are endless. ul. Nowomiejska 15/17
At the top end of the scale the German-run Prima Porta specialize in pieces from ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia and Asia. ul. Moktowska 71
The 18th century Ostrogski Palace is the perfect foil for the ultra-modern content of this multi-sensory space. The personal items are captivating (his death mask, gifts from his muse, etc.), but the big victory here is the museum’s ability to suck visitors right back into the times of Chopin through the use of interactive sights and sounds. ul. Okólnik 1, chopin. museum
A deeply personal insight into the former system by allowing visitors to view what Communism meant to the everyday person. Here, rifle and rummage through a room mockedup to resemble a typical household apartment, watch propaganda films, peer inside a phone box, paw at vintage keep-fit gear or covet the ladies fashions of the time. ul. Piękna 28/34, mzprl.pl
Reprised as a maze-like treasure filled trove glimmering with curiosities, thousands of objects have been gathered here to detail the
story of Warsaw in a non-linear style that can at times feel overwhelming. Peculiar souvenirs, scale models, old postcards and recovered works of art all combine with a mass of trivia to leave visitors boggled with knowledge. The vertiginous views of the Rynek below are worth the admission alone. Rynek Starego Miasta 28-42, muzeumwarszawy.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. That’s reason enough for many, but for others the museum’s ace card was revealed at the end of 2017 with the opening of the Gallery of Polish Design. Al. Jerozolimskie 3, mnw. art.pl
Playing a key role in the government’s attempts to fuse socialist ideology with consumerism, the campaign to ‘neon-ize’ Poland saw gloomy cities still bearing the scars of war boldly gleam once more under lights designed and produced by many of the leading
artisans of the time. ul. Mińska 25 (Soho Factory), neonmuzeum.org
Composed of eight galleries, this architectural marvel covers different stages of local Jewish history, from the middle ages to the present day. Highlights of this museum include a staggeringly beautiful replica of the ceiling of Gwoździec synagogue, and a ‘remake’ of a typical inter-war Jewish Warsaw street. That it was named the European Museum of the Year in 2016 such much for its ambitions to focus on more than the Holocaust alone. ul. Anielewicza 6, polin.pl
If the throngs and sheer informational overload can often be daunting, it remains the most important museum in the capital, and quite arguably the country. Points of interest are rife and include a lifesize replica of a B-24 Liberator plane as well as a claustrophobic ‘sewage tunnel’ through which visitors squeeze to get an idea of the kind of conditions combatants once faced. ul. Grzybowska 79, 1944.pl
Warsaw’s rich history and cultural significance has left it with no shortage of museums to visit. Offering a well-rounded view of the city’s past and present, these are the seven you just shouldn’t miss…
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1
Designer Outlet Warszawa ul. Puławska 42E, designeroutletwarszawa.pl
2
Elektrownia Powiśle ul. Dobra 42, elektrowniapowisle.com 3
Galeria Mokotów ul. Wołoska 12, galeriamokotow.com.pl 4
Galeria Północna ul. Światowida 17, galeriapolnocna.pl 5
Klif House of Fashion ul. Okopowa 58/72, klif.pl 6
Koneser Pl. Konesera, koneser.eu 7
Plac Unii ul. Puławska 2, placunii.pl
8
Mysia 3 ul. Mysia 3, mysia3.pl
9
Vitkac ul. Bracka 9, likusconceptstore.pl 10
Westfield Arkadia Al. Jana Pawła II 82, pl.westfield.com/arkadia
11
Złote Tarasy ul. Złota 59, zlotetarasy.pl
4
Fryderyk Chopin Museum ul. Okólnik 1, chopin. museum 5
Neon Museum ul. Mińska 25 (Soho Factory), neonmuzeum.org
6
Museum of Warsaw Rynek Starego Miasta 2842, muzeumwarszawy.pl
7
POLIN ul. Anielewicza 6, polin.pl
1
National Museum Al. Jerozolimskie 3, mnw.art.pl.pl 2
The Warsaw Rising Museum ul. Grzybowska 79, 1944.pl 3
Museum of Life Under Communism ul. Piękna 28/34, mzprl.pl
1
Discover brands, places and events with the Insider’s Instagram guides – find our regular thematic round-ups now easily accessible right on the Insider’s Insta profile.
From hidden murals to under-the-radar stores and cafes, unlock the city’s secrets by visiting the Insider’s Insta page. Offering a 360 view of the capital’s curiosities, find the city at your fingertips whether it be the trendiest cocktail bars or the funkiest exhibitions – updated regularly, visit for wacky archived images to essential listicles, we’ve got Warsaw covered in a way that no-one else has.
Based around the concept of sharing, Michał Gniadek’s contemporary menu challenges diners to see food through a fresh, new prism. Flexitarian in approach, enjoy his unique flavors inside a chic space found in our quiet, green enclave of the city center.
Inquiries about reservations should be sent to the following e-mail address: rezerwacje@klonn.pl
ul. Jazdów 1B, klonn.pl
