There are plenty of options to choose from when you’re looking for somewhere to eat out in Warsaw. Generally speaking, Poland, and especially its capital, can boast of a rich, nuanced cuisine that uses a range of ingredients and dishes are usually attractively presented.
What’s more, leaving aside restaurants that specialise in typical Polish food (link to corresponding URL), numerous eateries have recently opened in Warsaw that are open to new types of cooking. Their chefs are excited to create fusions with foods from other countries and to experiment with typical Polish ingredients.
Recommended restaurants
Below is a list of restaurants where you can enjoy a fantastic meal out in Warsaw, according to diners and reviews published by food experts, including the leading food guides.
Podwale 25 (Podwale, 25)
This restaurant is a benchmark for food in the capital and the best place to try ham hock cooked in the classic Polish style. i.e. roasted and served with delicious vegetables. The restaurant specialises in beer, so accompany this dish, or any other that you choose, by sampling some of the wide variety of options on the menu.
Restauracja Zapiecek (Piwna, 34/36)
This is one of the most elegant and private places to eat out in Warsaw. It specialises in regional food but the way dishes are presented, and the quality of the ingredients, clearly shows that the chefs’ vision goes far beyond the city’s typical restaurants.
Nuta (Pl. Trzech Krzyży, 10/14)
This Michelin-starred restaurant celebrates international and fusion flavours. Puglia-born Italian chef Andrea Camastra is passionate about Asian flavours and culinary techniques. He also loves experimenting, which should come as no surprise because he has degree in Chemistry from Oxford University.
Stara Kamienica (Widok, 8)
This is one of the best restaurants in Warsaw if you’d like to try a fusion of classic Polish food and trends from other European countries. In fact, chef Paulina Kiwalczyk is open to all kinds of art, influences, and ideas that enrich her way of understanding cooking.
U Barssa (Rynek Starego Miasta, 12/14)
This restaurant in Warsaw’s old town (link to corresponding URL) has been tantalising diners since 1853 (although with different owners and styles). It serves a skilful fusion of local food and popular dishes from the international food scene, such as pasta. The meat section of the menu is of particular interest and features delicious sauces.
Soul Kitchen (Nowogrodzka, 18A)
Seasonal cooking with natural flavours: this is the philosophy behind Soul Kitchen, where the menu changes depending on the produce available at the market. Despite having a menu with options for omnivores, the restaurant takes particular care in creating dishes for vegetarian diners.
Where to eat inexpensively in Warsaw
In Warsaw and the rest of Poland, head to a “milk bar” if you’d like to have an inexpensive meal out. Milk bars are called mlezcny in Polish and the history of these local restaurants dates from the end of the 19th century and the first wave of industrialisation. Their food tends to be basic but nutritious.
There’s no table service and many don’t even have toilets. However, the quality of the food is more than acceptable and they’re a truly authentic Polish experience. Here are some of the most famous:
Prasowy (Marszalkowska, 10/16)
Serves a surprising variety of food, and highlights include the pierogi and pork-based dishes. The prices are fantastic ‒ you rarely pay more than €10-15.
Bar Bambino (Hoża, 19)
Run by the Centrum food cooperative, the daily menu includes many typical Polish dishes, including chops, meatballs, krokiety, and pierogi.
Rusalka (Floriańska, 14)
Rusalka is in popular Praga neighbourhood (link to corresponding URL) and this milk bar still looks like something from the ’60s and ’70s. You can eat high quality food at truly astonishing prices: under €10.
Where to eat typical Polish food
It’s easy to find places that serve typical Polish food in Warsaw. While plenty of restaurants serving international food have recently appeared in the city, most places in Warsaw still serve local cuisine. Here are some of the most famous and highly rated restaurants:
U Szwejka (Pl. Konstytuji, 1)
This restaurant specialises in kotlet schabowy (like a wiener schnitzel) and roasted ham hock. The owners claim it’s the largest restaurant in Warsaw and it’s definitely big…as are its portions!
Bazyliszek (Rynek Starego Miasta, 1/3)
The name of this restaurant translates as ‘basilisk’, a mythical creature that appears in Warsaw legends. People come here to enjoy the duck dishes, which are served with generous portions of beetroot, cabbage, and potatoes. The home-made boar pâté is also highly recommended.
Gościniec (Powdale, 19)
This is the best spot to try Poland’s national dish: pierogi. It serves these tasty little dumplings with the most delicious fillings, such as cauliflower and wild mushrooms, pork, corn and beans, spinach, fresh cheese and garlic, strawberries or with sweet cottage cheese.
Specjały Regionalne (Nowy Świat, 44)
As its name suggests, this restaurant specialises in regional dishes from Warsaw. Its tastiest dishes include golabki (minced pork wrapped in a cauliflower leaf), home-made bigos (sauerkraut with meat and mushrooms), roasted duck and comforting zurek soup.
Cafés for eating and drinking
Like in other Central European countries, in Poland cafés are places where you can enjoy much more than a coffee with something sweet. Many serve other types of food and drinks all through the day. Here are some of the best cafés for eating out in Warsaw:
La Lucy (Pereca, 11)
La Lucy specialises in sweet and savoury crêpes with a wide range of fillings. The best thing about the café is its casual and friendly atmosphere.
Etno Café Marszalkowska (Marszalkowska, 87)
Named after a famous coffee bean brand, this café serves different types of coffee and a wide selection of sandwiches and croissants with varied fillings. Its cakes and other confectionaries are also highly memorable.
Vincent (Nowy Świat, 64)
This emblematic bakery and patisserie in Warsaw has a large menu of sweet and savoury dishes that are perfect for breakfast or lunch. The quiches and soups are a particular highlight.
Where to stay in Warsaw
The Polish capital has many different accommodation options ‒ we recommend the Hotel Barceló Warsaw Powisle. Located in Powiśle, one of Warsaw’s liveliest neighbourhoods, the hotel has 151 rooms and is housed in a former power station.
One of the most eye-catching aspects of this four-star hotel is its decoration, which retains the essence of the building’s industrial past with details such as large pipes and machinery parts.
The hotel’s roof terrace is a fantastic spot with a bar and outdoor pool that is open during the summer months. Guests can also enjoy use of the fully equipped gym and dine at the lobby bar or the main restaurant, which serves a tempting range of Polish and international dishes.
