Vegan Scene

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…

Dziki Królik

Rzeczypospolitej 2A

The four-table intimacy of this timber-encased room charms immediately, and is accented by a neon pink flamingo, fragranced candles from the London-based Pecksniff’s, and a discreet pile of books such as Emily Hanson’s Modern Rustic. Head chef Magdalena Kurowicka mixes familiar faves (Warsaw’s best tacos!) with more fine-handed concoctions that are veganized with love – for example, soy meat bourguignon or scallop-style Eryngii mushrooms in a white wine sauce abetted by chili, saffron, lime and three types of seaweed.

Boca Boca

Mikołaja Kopernika 25

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.

LA VEGANA

Zgoda 4

The menu is a bamboozling work of Byzantine complexity, but think 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. The pho completes your plunge into gentle happiness.

Peaches Gastro Girls

Mokotowska 58

Cooped up during lockdown, flat mates Monika Mazurek and Klaudia Górak began scouring the web for exotic recipes and veganizing what they found. Sharing their creations with friends, the positive feedback led them to open Peaches, a place with a cool, scuffed courtyard and radical orange interiors. Substituting meat with Portobellos, their tacos are as authentic as they come..

Vegan Ramen Shop

Finlandzka 12

We’ve heard some describe Vegan Ramen Shop as serving “the best noodles in the world!” They’re definitely memorable, and the spicy miso ramen will for sure convert those suspicious of this claim. Eat them in a mega cool room divided up by stacks of ‘levitating shelves’ adorned with Japanese nick-nacks.

Yatta Ramen Bbq

Nowolipki 15

Filled with cartoon-like illustrative art and generous slashes of neon, Yatta are the latest Japanese venture to try their hand 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.

Youmiko Vegan Sushi

Hoża 62

Exceptional in every respect, Youmiko’s tasting menu is one of the undisputed highlights of what’s become known as the vegan square mile. “Our aim,” declares their manifesto, “is to mix traditional Japanese approaches with Polish creativity and surprise you with new textures and flavors.” Mission accomplished.