Eating in Warsaw, Poland

[LainerX]

Hi All, I'm traveling to Warsaw, Poland in January and I want to know where to get some good eats. Has anyone been? I love Polish food, so I'm really looking forward to some great food!

[Jon Tseng]

Hullo

was there summer before last... can't remember much specifics (like most eastern european capitals, with the exception of bucharest [which is a dog-ridden cesspit of hell], warsaw seems to have its fair share of random wannabe posh places, usually in large hotels.

best place for up to the minute recs is probably the inyourpocket guides www.inyourpocket.com - have found these pretty reliable throughout central europe.

only place I really remember is a pierogi (dumpling) joint called U ?Hopfera on the main road into town - lots and lots of cut-price dumplings. need i say more?

cheerio

J

[LainerX]

U Hopfera in the New Town was wonderful. The Golden Soup at Pod Samsonen was to die for - had it 3 times. However, the best meal of my life (no, I'm not exaggerating) was the last night I was there at this little restaurant "around a corner, in a dark alley, in a cellar". Literally, no signage anywhere to be found, and we were the only people in the whole place.

But OH MY GOD, the atmosphere (about 200 lighted candles and fresh flowers, canned and fresh fruit all over the place) and THE FOOD.

Shots of Ice Cold Vodka

Smoked Fishes Salad

Butter Lettuce and Bacon Salad

Veal Stuffed Pierogi

Traditional Roasted Duck Breast with Apples and Potatoes

Roasted Tenderloin with Marinated Peppers and Potatoes

Traditional Polish Apple Gateau with Vanilla Sauce (Oh....My.... GOD! )

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream atop Orange slices with Strawberries and Mint

Shots of Ice Cold Vodka

Espresso

Total Price: $45 USD

If you've not been to Poland - GO GO GO GO GO! It was beyond wonderful. I would make a U-turn right now and go back if I could.

Edited January 21, 2003 by LainerX (log)

[horton]

I am travelling to Warsaw at the end of the month to see a concert and was wondering if anyone has any updates to this topic.

[kerriar]

I am travelling to Warsaw at the end of the month to see a concert and was wondering if anyone has any updates to this topic.

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I'm also looking for updates here - am about to leave for 6 days in Warsaw. Any recent reports welcome.

[grendelyn]

Polska Tradycja is where I always take first timers when I am in Warsaw (I used to live there). They serve really nice typical Polish food for reasonable prices. Excellent for Sunday brunch, or dinner any time.

http://www.restauracjapolska.com.pl/

The in your pocket listings are pretty good and up to date. I have heard good things about Sense, will let you know in December.

[Laibach]

I cannot remember the name of this place but it is extremely easy to find: just on the edge of the Old Town a very traditional restaurant decorated like a country house with game trophies and hunting prints. Delicious goose and huge portions and despite being a touristy area it was not too expensive.

[kerriar]

Here are a few observations from a recent trip to Poland.

Restauracja Polska Tradycja at Belwederska, near the Hyatt, is in a suburban villa decorated in the style of a hunting lodge (or at least what I expect a Polish hunting lodge would look like). Food is of a similar style – venison, duck, and carp – all presented in a way that tells you this is all cold weather food. Wine list is short and looks like something from a run-of-the-mill western supermarket. Most people were foreigners with just the occasional Pole hosting a group of business types - just as grendelyn indicates. Count around 200 zloty per head with wine (a lot more if you opt for caviar and a shot of vodka).

Nothing cutting edge about the place – the food and service are of a sufficient standard to give an enjoyable evening in a Polish athmosphere. The roast duck with apples turns up on almost every Polish menu and invariably confirms the adage about never trying to cook a duck in a single operation – breast and legs/thighs just need different treatment.

La Bohème is in the same building as the Opera on the Place Teatralny. Style is French international and it really could be anywhere. I was there for a business lunch and although competent, there was little memorable about the place.

Further afield on the border with Belarus, the Pension Uroczysko Zaborek www.zaborek.com.pl near the Janow Podlaski stud farm is well run with authentic local food. If you go there, forget about drinking wine but watch the guy with the vodka bottle who fills up your glass whenever he gets a chance.

On wines generally - choice is limited and confirms that Poland is not a mediterranean country. Avoid house wines which generally come from low-end Hungarian or Bulgarian sources. There is still far too much production of wine as a commodity in these Eastern countries and rather little evidence of any drive to upgrade quality.

[ulterior epicure]

Lainer X.

I just got back from Poland a couple of weeks ago (Warsaw). Food is cheap - and you can get good value. However, at the higher end, you won't necessarily get a great deal.

I had a *fantastic* meal at Kurt Scheller's in the Hotel Rialto. 12 course dinner for 180 pzl sans wine (50 Euros/$60). The food was good and very creative... and filling. The dining room is small - but a magnificent art deco throwback. The place doesn't get going until around 9ish, so don't be put off by an empty space if you get there early.

Restaurancja Tradycja was good - more for atmosphere than food. I had about five courses (sans dessert/wine). Everything I tried was good, but not spectacular... I made it out with about 140 pzl (40Euros/$50). Traditional food - regret the "boar roulade" - overdone, and stuffed full of chestnuts and dates (not my taste). The fish, on the other hand, was excellently prepared. Soups tended to be over-salted. Pates were good, but not outstanding. They do salads well. Desserts looked generous, but I'm not a sweet-tooth. *Note - there are 2 locations - I visited the more "homey" place south of Lizienki Park, "Tradycja" on the website.

Delicja Polska was okay- about the same price and menu as Tradycja. They seem to prefer to sauce their entrees on the sweeter side (not a fan, personally). Preferred Tradycja.

99 was a mistake (at least for me). It's a power lunch spot (I had lunch, so I can't speak for dinner). It's trendy and features a more Mediterrannean bent... okay value - but unoriginal. Service is good and atmosphere clean/sleek. This was the only restaurant that I can recall where I wasn't accosted with the ubiquitous second hand smoke that pervades the rest of the city. I think their lunch menu (2 courses) worked out to be around (12Euros/$15).

Hope this helped!

U.E.

Hi All, I'm traveling to Warsaw, Poland in January and I want to know where to get some good eats.  Has anyone been?  I love Polish food, so I'm really looking forward to some great food!

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[Schneier]

I'm heading to Warsaw in a week, so I thought I'd bump this thread to the top. I'll take any new suggestions, and I'll post my reviews when I return.

[ulterior epicure]

I'm heading to Warsaw in a week, so I thought I'd bump this thread to the top.  I'll take any new suggestions, and I'll post my reviews when I return.

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You can see all of the photos of everything I ate in Warsaw on my flickr account.. You'll have to scroll through to find the restaurants - I've done a LOT of eating!

u.e.

[Schneier]

Delicja Polska (ul. Koszykowa 54, Warsaw; +48 22 630 88 50). I don't know if I would go out of my way for a meal, but if you're staying at the Marriott or the Sheraton you need to know about this place. It's a really nice traditional Polish meal. I started with the pickled herring, not because it was the most interesting thing on the menu but because I wanted some pickled herring. Then the "Polish style roast duck with apple pancakes and forest cranberry sauce." There's a version of this dish on pretty much every Polish menu in the country, and this was a perfectly adequate rendition of it. Friendly and efficient service, pretty dining room, reasonable prices, and a ten minute walk from my hotel.

What's not to like?

And, as an added bonus, you can't see the Palace of Culture and Science from the windows. (Unfortunately, you can from my hotel room.)

Edited March 26, 2006 by Schneier (log)

[Schneier]

Restauracja Polska Tradycja (Belwederska Ave 18A, 22 840 09 01). Really nice meal in a very pretty restaurant. I had my first borscht of the trip, served with those Eastern European raviolis my grandmother always called "kreplach." Then a dish of rolled wild boar roulades with a mushroom stuffing, what was called "forest sauce" on the menu, and an array of interesting vegetables around the plate: mushroom, red bell pepper, pickles, pearl onions, currants, plums. I would definitely go back to this restaurant, preferably with a date.

[Schneier]

Restauracja Przy Zamku (plac Zamkowy 15/19; 22 831 02 59). It's hard to find good food in Old Town, because everything is so tourist heavy. Everyone seems to tell everyone else to to U Fukiera, but I heard from locals that it wasn't very good. A friend pointed me to this restaurant, on the square across from the Royal Palace. "Much better," I was told.

The menu was basic traditional Polish. Four pirozhki appetizers, a bunch of soups, four vegetarian entrees, and a nice array of meat, fish, and game dishes. I ordered the pirozhki with cabbage and mushrooms, which were delicious, and the "roasted quails with traditional Polish stuffing, served with saute potatoes and vegetables." The quails were boned and stuffed with a fruit stuffing. The potatoes were no greasy. And the vegetables -- green beans, carrots, and Brussels sprouts -- were not overcooked. A surprisingly nice meal, actually. Recommended.

[Schneier]

Pinakoteka (ul. Hoza 63/37; 22 47 41 400).

Yes, I'm really going to tell you to go to the Red Light district. Even worse, I'm going to tell you to look for a large red sign with the restaurant's name on it. Then I'm going to tell you to walk downstairs and through the basement door, into a room that looks for all the world like a bordello.

Really; trust me on this one.

Pinakoteka really does look like a bordello. It's all dark and red. There chairs are covered in red fabric. There are a couple of settees sprinkled about. There's a small stage, and I think there's entertainment some nights. But the food is good, and you can't beat the price.

I went during lunch, when the hookers aren't out on the street. The menu has salads, meat, fish, and pasta dishes. But there's a daily lunch special: a plate of meat-filled perogi and a glass of beer for 12 zlotny. Very tasty.

Not "very tasty" in the "seek out this restaurant" sense, but "very tasty as in "it's only a few blocks from the Marriott and way better than anything in the hotel or the train station."

They take credit cards, but really prefer cash. And you should pay them cash; it's not that much money.

[Schneier]

Kurt Scheller's (Rialto Hotel, Ul. Wilcza 73; 22 584 87 00). This is probably the most talked about restaurant in Poland. Kurt Scheller is Swiss, and serves what Michelin calls "a modern slant on traditional Polish cooking.

Unfortunately, I lost my notes. And I spent long enough hoping they would turn up that I can't bring enough details to memory. Good food, good service. Not unreasonably priced at all. I remember that much.

Kurt Scheller's doesn't have a Michelin star, but I think it deserves a single.

[Schneier]

I went back to Wasaw a couple of weeks ago. I wish I had better news to report: 1) Kurt Scheller's is closed, and 2) Restauracja Polska Tradycja wasn't nearly as good as it was three years ago.

Bruce

[Tomek]

Did you visit places like:

U Kucharzy

Gar

Polka

Ale Gloria

while you were here ?

[David A. Goldfarb]

I'll be spending a little time in Warsaw in September, and the places one hears about are U Kucharzy and Atelier Amaro, but I'd be interested to hear what else is interesting these days from an eGullet perspective.

[chrismartinuk]

I'll be spending a little time in Warsaw in September, and the places one hears about are U Kucharzy and Atelier Amaro, but I'd be interested to hear what else is interesting these days from an eGullet perspective.

Hi David,

I'm going to Warsaw at the end of this month. Did you find any great places you'd recommend? Or any of the above suggestions still good?

Thanks,

Chris.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Chris--I missed your post back October, but I figure I might as well keep this topic up to date, since I've been to Warsaw a few times since I posted above, usually being led around by colleagues and associates or eating at friends' apartments, and the places I mentioned are still recommended by others, and I still haven't been to them. I tried to get to the cafe at U Kucharzy one morning for breakfast, and it was booked for a special event.

One of two places that I found particularly memorable was Enoteka on ul. Długa, which had a great selection of wild mushroom dishes, quite a good steak, and an interesting selection of wines, which they import themselves. As the name suggests they are also a wine shop. It's a very laid back place. http://www.enotekapolska.pl/

I also managed to get to Różana, which is more formal, such that some find a bit over the top in terms of decor, but for traditional Polish cuisine at the highest level--perhaps so high that it isn't quite traditional Polish cuisine--and outstanding service, it's very much worth a visit. http://www.restauracjarozana.com.pl/

[JTravel]

While others are suggesting nicer places, I would suggest a Milk Bar. I learned about them in this Rick Steves article:http://www.ricksteves.com/news/tribune/milkbar.htm. I only got to one (we were on a tour and got most of our meals included) in Poland but that one was located just outside of Warsaw old town, near the battlements. What I had was tasty, but the experience was priceless. I think the address is in Rick's book.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I haven't been to one since the 1980s, and don't know how much they've changed, but if you can find one, it is sure to be an interesting glimpse of the past.

On my most recent trip, I had the occasion to stay at the Hotel "Hera," which is a University hotel that dates to the era of late Communism, and while the cafe was certainly updated since that era, the ladies working there, judging by a tone of voice familiar from that time, clearly had been long-term employees. I am sure that I was being put up in one of the nicest, recently renovated rooms, which had such amenities as an ensuite bathroom and shower, but there was something about the acrylic orange curtains, the synthetic sheets, and general design that hearkened to an earlier age. I was a guest of the University, but anyone can stay at the Hera, and it's quite cheap, particularly if you want the full experience of a room where you'll have to rely on the shower in the hallway, but you'll have to be able to make a reservation by phone, and I'm not sure the desk staff speak English.

[Food is my Love Language]

We've been living in Poznan, Poland for several years, We are more likely to go to Berlin than Warsaw, but I do have a couple of suggestions. The night my husband arrived in the country, his contact at the embassy took him to Restauracja Esplanada. It's nothing fancy, but generous portions of traditional food very reasonably priced. We've also eaten at the Esplanada in Lodz; they always seem to have a big crowd of locals. As I recall, they don't take credit cards for bring your zloty.

We were in Warsaw last Friday and ate at Atelier Amaro. They just got their first Michelin star this year, the only one in Poland. By Polish standards, it was very expensive, so it was a splurge, but what fun! We had the 8 course tasting menu and loved it. The menu changes weekly.

I cook a lot of Polish food at home, so eating it when we go out isn't always a priority. We had a great meal at a restaurant in the shopping mall near the Central train station. Sorry, I don't remember which one, just that the decor was very red. I must confess, we also eat at the Hard Rock Cafe when we're by that mall because sometimes you just need a good burger.

[js78Gw4e5]

I would advise restaurants in Krakow. Most of them are very beautiful and most importantly they have in their arsenal tasty dishes such as Starka salad, a chopped steak with herb butter and fries, vareniki and even vodka. You can choose from the list of restaurants that suit your taste: The 10 Best Restaurants in Krakow, Poland