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The Warsaw dining scene has developed in spades over the recent years and offers an assortment of cuisines to suit various budgets and objectives including lounging, power-brokering, romancing or delighting in something gastronomically unique.

These restaurants are divided into five categories: Gourmet, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The categories serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. They are listed alphabetically.

The restaurants below have been classed into four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over ZL160)
$$$ (ZL90 to ZL160)
$$ (ZL40 to ZL90)
$ (up to ZL40)
These prices are based on an average three-course meal for one person; they do not include drinks, tax or service charge/tip.

Tax is usually included in the price of the food and gratuity should be included at your discretion; 10 to 15% is considered adequate. Note that Polish cuisine is not just kielbasy (sausages) and potatoes! Soups are typical, as well as placki (potato pancakes), golabki (stuffed cabbage), pierogi (potato ravioli with various fillings) and sledz (herring). If you need a quick bite and don’t want to sit down, try a zapiekanka (an open-faced baguette-style bread grilled, or microwaved, with cheese, mushrooms, ketchup and mayo).

Gourmet

Roma
An intimate space with only nine tables, Roma delights customers with fresh pasta and meat dishes. In spite of the bijou cosy space and green plants in the big window, the atmosphere is more conducive to laughter and fun than a romantic evening out. There are two other Romas in Warsaw, but this was the first and it’s the best. Reservations strongly suggested.

Ulica Grottgera 2
Tel: (022) 841 0133.
Website: www.restauracjaroma.pl  
Price: $$

Trendy

Boathouse
This highly rated restaurant is pleasantly placed on the banks of the Vistula River north of the Old Town. Its nautical theme extends not only to the décor but also the menu, where the range of Mediterranean dishes is largely dominated by Italian cuisine. In summer there’s no better place to be than on Boathouse’s large terrace, with a seafood platter, glass of wine, and live jazz in the background.

Wal Miedzeszynski 389A
Tel: (022) 616 3223.
Website: www.boathouse.pl
Price: $$$-$$$$
Living Room
A hip space, with muted colors and candlelight, on a stylish street, the Living Room caters, predominantly, to a lunch and late dinner and cocktail set. The menu is varied from meats to light salads, and they also have a juice bar serving fresh fruit and vegetable drinks. Dining al fresco is available in warm weather.

Ulica Foksal 18
Tel: (022) 826 3928.
Website: www.livingroom.pl  
Price: $$$
Sense
Although billed as a restaurant, with an interesting fusion menu, there’s no doubt that Sense really shines at night, even if you just come for cocktails. The food reflects influences from Malaysia, Poland and Thailand. You can watch the chefs work in an open kitchen and a visit to the somewhat disorientating toilets are a must.

Ulica Nowy Świat 19
Tel: (022) 826 6570.
Website: www.sensecafe.com  
Price: $$$-$$$$

Budget

Greenway
Part of the chain currently sweeping Poland, this attractive, modern cafe/restaurant offers a wide range of healthy dishes, including Mexican goulash, Indian vegetable kaftans, and a selection of samaras. There’s no table service; just join the back of the queue and wait to take your pick.

Ulica Hoax 54
Tel: (022) 696 9321.
Website: www.greenway.pl
Price: $
Krokiecik
The tradition of ’milk bars’ (bar mleczny) in Poland is fading slowly, as it’s no longer easy for the government to subsidise cheap food in prime locations that could make a lot more money. That said, places like Krokiecik fill in the gap, as it’s best considered a tasty, clean, bright and modern ’milk bar’, in spite of being privately owned. Self-service allows you to choose from an array of home-cooked Polish food.

Ulica Zgoda 1
Tel: (022) 827 3037.
Price: $
Qllinarnia
Another of Warsaw’s surviving ‘milk bars’, this time located in a line of sex shops and liquor stores. Don’t let the neighborhood put you off though; many suits dine here on a regular basis. Why? Because there’s no beating the price, quick service, and exceptional home-cooked Polish and European dishes. Smiles and warm welcomes however are not Qllinarnia’s strong points.

Ulica Zielna 5
No telephone.
Price: $

Personal Recommendations

Coffee Karma
This popular cafe overlooks circular Plac Zbawiciela, one of the few remnants of Socialist architecture. Its coffee is strong, its smoothies creamy and thick, and its light snacks run the gamut from healthy sandwiches to home-made cakes and cookies. Take a pew inside on winter days or grab a table outdoors in the warm summer months.

Plac Zbawiciela 3/5
Tel: (022) 875 8709.
Price: $
Co Tu
It’s been hard going for Asian eateries in Warsaw’s dining scene, but Co Tu has been making leaps and bounds in the popularity stakes with the city’s young, artistic crowd. The fresh dishes that arrive steaming from the kitchen are the key to this tiny diner’s success (of course the price and speedy service help); there’s an abundance of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes to choose from, and vegetarians are well catered for. Co Tu is hidden amongst a row of bars just off Ulica Nowy Świat.

Hadlowo-Usługowe 21
No telephone.
Price: $
Warsaw Tortilla Factory
What started as a mission to fill a gaping culinary hole in the mid 1990s, resulted in a Tex-Mex institution, loved by both expats and locals alike. The tortillas are indeed made in Poland and the burritos are both filling and scrumptious. Informal and friendly setting. It’s likely to be the only place in Warsaw where you can choose how spicy you want your hot sauce to be.

Ulica Wilcza 46
Tel: (022) 621 8622.
Price: $$



Nightlife:

Warsaw has hosted dingy to modest bars to outrageous clubs and pubs. Some have closed as quickly as fads change and others have built enough of a reputation to weather the fickle tastes of those on the scene. It’s comforting to know that no matter what your style, Warsaw does have a night spot to suit your needs.

The ’hipper’ places are either truly worth visiting or too full of bravado, velvet ropes and bouncers with no necks. Posing comes in high doses in many places, so be prepared to see lots of well (or barely) dressed women, and men in shirts and shoes. Trainers and jeans are often frowned at, but, once again, it all depends where you go. Big name DJs do make their way to Warsaw, and in the summer, many night spots offer outdoor drinking areas. Non-smokers should be aware that clubs can get particularly fumy.

There are no licensing hours and many bars and clubs stay open until the last guest leaves. The minimum age for purchasing alcohol is 18 years. Door staff often insist that all coats and bags be left in club cloakrooms - for a fee of course.

A good source of information on cafes, pubs and clubs is Warsaw Insider, which has a monthly printed version as well as a website (www.warsawinsider.pl).

Bars: Warsaw offers everything from spit and sawdust drinking dens, right through to ultra hip lounge-style bars with a myriad of cocktails and live DJs. Enjoy cocktails in a cool but forgiving atmosphere at Paparazzi, Ulica Mazowiecka 12, where the trendy meet the tourists, or sample a well-mixed drink with Warsaw’s socialites at Między Nami, Ulica Bracka 20, which also doubles as a fine vegetarian restaurant.

John Bull Pub, in the heart of the Old Town at Ulica Jezuicka 4, has been in operation for years and serves one of Warsaw’s finest pints along with views of the Vistula, and Chimera, Ulica Podwale 29, just outside the Old Town, has a wonderful courtyard for spending a couple of hours in. In the southern reaches of the city, Plan B, Aleje Wyzwolenia 18, attracts a young, studenty crowd with regular DJs and a bohemian air.

Clubs: As varied as the bar scene, the late night Warsaw clubs cater to the commercial music lovers, kitsch 70s and 80s evenings as well as hardcore electronica and trance. The place to find DJs and an edge are at Piekarnia, Ulica Młocińska 11 (website: www.piekarnia.pl), and Luzztro, Aleje Jerozolimskie 6 (website: www.luztro.pl), which is best on weekends and is also gay-friendly. Both are well established and attract hordes of revelers.

Klubokawiarnia, Ulica Czackiego 3/5 (website: www.klubo.pl), is a basement club with a mix of music flavors and regular fancy dress parties, while M25, Ulica Mińska 25 (website: www.m25.waw.pl), is the king of electronica in Warsaw and commands the best sound system in the city. Praga, Warsaw’s rough district east of the Vistula, is slowly filling with galleries, restaurants, and progressive clubs - Fabryka Trzciny, Ulica Otwocka 14 (website: www.fabrykatrzciny.pl), is a stalwart of the area’s art scene, and hosts immensely popular clubbing nights every few weeks.

Live Music: When the big names in rock and pop hit town, they often perform at either Gwardia Stadium, Ulica Raclawicka 13, or Tor Stegny, Ulica Inspektowa 1. The big jazz names tend to be billed at the newly reopened Akwarium Jazzarium, Ulica Zlota 59, Poland’s original jazz club, but there are other quality clubs for jazz in the city, namely Jazz Café Helicon, Ulica Freta 45/47 and Klub Tygmont, Ulica Mazowiecka 6/8.

For a taste of live music around town on any given night, you might get lucky at Dekada, Ulica Grojecka 19/25 (website: www.dekada.pl). It hosts live rock/pop bands in a setting of 1950s and 60s Americana. Fashionable venues for domestic rock and lesser-known foreign bands include nightclubs Stodola, Ulica Batorego 10, and the vast Proxima, Ulica Zwirki I Wigury 99A.

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