Coffee Scene

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…

Błysk

Słowackiego

22

Served over a veneered table rescued from the PRL period, Błysk’s tight confines generate a natural air of familiarity that’s as addictive as the coffee. Often standing room only, the buzz and hubbub owes itself not just to the delicious espresso shots, but also the homemade cookies and dog-loving owners that will spoil your pet. Even the ceramics (AOOMI should you ask) are absolutely gorge. Being here, it’s the equivalent of discovering a secret chakra point.

CZYTELNIA 3.0

Kasprowicza 52

Third time lucky? Roaming around Bielany these past few years, Czytelnia’s third location in recent times will hopefully prove to be the last move they ever have to make. Striking in the austerity of its design, the look is softened by a book shelf of coffee table titles, and a coffee offer that has sought to break boundaries – among other things, head here for origami drip sips or coffee from a 3Temp Hipster machine.

Filtry Dobra Kawa

Niemcewicza 3

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 highceilinged unit clad in chess board colors and scuffed PRL flooring – for the city’s coffee afficionados (nay, the country’s!) this is a genuine place of pilgrimage.

Coffeedesk

Tamka 2 / Wilcza 42 / Próżna 7 Ok, so there’s three locations, but being a chain should not count against Coffeedesk. Each touting their own individual style, it’s Próżna that’s become our fave, largely down to the cobbled pre-war street it finds itself perched on. All three, however, excel when it comes to delivering consistent quality. Theirs is a benchmark that many others pursue.

Cophi

Hoża 58/60

Owner Uri Wollner is one of the great coffee influencers of Poland, and his seasonally changing menu includes such winners as Aperol espresso in summer and spiced pumpkin latte in the autumn and winter. This passion project is best appreciated if you can snag one of the few armchairs in this tiny locale.

Dobra Materia

Nowolipki 13

Sleek low-lying black chairs hold the line with the bottom of the window pane encouraging gazing and make for an easy lounging experience. Co-owners Marta and Andrzej have demonstrated a real devotion to detail, with their vegan cakes, non-alc. mulled wines, and cupping sessions all conspiring to make this café one of the secret treasures of Muranów.

Fat White

Andersa 6

Attached to one of the hippest and most Instagram-able barber shops in town, highlights of the adjoining cafe include rocking coffee, the nicest staff you could ever imagine and an almost demented collection of toy figurines (from Simpson models and Marvel heroes 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.

Forum

Elektoralna 11

Forum is the café that has it all: a fashionably frayed interior, friendly dogs nuzzling around (call him Apollo), and a devoted client base that expects nothing but the best – and at Forum, that’s exactly what they get. Proudly marketing themselves as “the home of the Polish Aeropress and Polish Brewers’ Cup Champions”, the individual accolades that have been amassed by the owners and baristas say everything there is to know.

HAŁAS VINYL + COFFEE

Elsterska 10

Half-submerged below street level, this little café is home to a lovingly curated smattering of albums displayed in the first room – Sonic Youth, John Coltrane, Gorillaz, Bjork, Nirvana, etc. Once you’ve made your purchase, retreat to the retro-fitted, lounge-like space in the back to sip what’s known as the best specialty coffee in the whole of Saska Kępa.

Po Drodze

Bagatela 11

Set inside a renewed tenement that leans over Bagatela, this café is decorated in a soothingly Scandi-style: concrete colors, raw timber, and lighting fixtures that are as captivating as the punters. Slouching on sofas or gathered around the oval central table, a rich smorgasbord of Warsaw characters await, usually wearing headphones and tapping into laptops. In this air of calm, work becomes a pleasure.

Relaks

Puławska 48

Any Coffee Hall of Fame just wouldn’t feel complete without the inclusion of this evergreen institution. Jacketed in chipboard panels, vintage armchairs and retro film and theater posters from the heyday of the so-called ‘Polish school of poster’, the buzz about Relaks has lasted so long as to become ingrained in Mokotów’s DNA. Being here, you understand why.

Serso

Szanajcy 16

For reasons that mystify, Warsaw has never really managed to get the bagel right – at least, not until the 2020 opening of Serso. The bad news? To find this little heaven, you need to head from the beaten track. Located in an ascetic space inside a Socialist Realist block, the bagel combos veer from classic to creative and twin well with their coffee. Early closing hours attest to the popularity they have gained.

Tonka

Karmelicka 16

Looking onto the glorious glass cube that is the POLIN museum, Tonka’s crystal white minimalism rules with the monotone palette given punch by subtle zaps of greenery. The coffee – sourced from the likes of HAYB – is excellent, but tastes even better when tested alongside Tonka’s ever-changing line-up of seasonal cakes and pastries. Actually, these are our fave desserts in town!

Par Os B

Tarczyńska 12

Fact: a fantastic café needs a fantastic dog, and at Paręosób that’s just what you’ll find. The adorable black Labrador aside, venture to this off-center locale to soak up its neighborly vibes over consistently great coffee. Once home to tailor’s store, the upended mannequin legs are, presumably, a nod to the heritage of the address.

Stor

Tamka 33 / Bracka 18

For many there is no better café anywhere in Poland than Stor’s original on Tamka. And it’s true, when the sunlight slopes in through the window, there are few finer feelings than idling away in this plant festooned refuge. Although famed for their glorious coffee and detail-driven approach to quality, recognition should also be handed to their devotion to local causes, community actions and zero waste philosophy. You don’t just feel good being here, you’re doing good as well.

Local Favorite

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 in summer whilst its cozy dimensions are ripe for winter.