A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Warsaw
- Warsaw Information
- Eating & drinking in Warsaw
- Night life in Warsaw
- Getting around in Warsaw
- Things to do in Warsaw
- Where to stay in Warsaw
- Warsaw street map
Polish food has come a long way since the drab days of the Eastern bloc. In the main towns and cities, the choice is surprisingly wide for most budgets and new restaurants seem to open every week.
With the capital fast becoming a dynamic and cosmopolitan city, travelers needn’t necessarily restrict themselves to local fare. Chinese, Italian, Mexican and vegetarian food are all now available, while sushi has also become particularly fashionable.
It would, in fact, be possible to visit the city without ever tasting traditional Polish cuisine. But that’d be a great shame: it's extremely tasty – although, admittedly, some dishes might be a slightly acquired taste. For authentic Polish food, the ‘Stare Miasto’ (Old Town) is full of little restaurants tucked away down its narrow streets.
Dishes like 'barszcz' (an attractively presented beetroot soup) takes pride of place on many traditional menus. Other specialties include ‘bigos,’ a stew of sauerkraut, cabbage, meats and onions which is extremely welcome during the bitter Polish winters.
As a result of this extreme weather, many Polish dishes like ‘zurek’ (a thick soup) and dumplings (‘pierogi’) are on the stodgy side. Washed down with a couple of shots of ice-cold vodka, meanwhile, picked herring is also a particular favorite.
And when it comes to vodka, Warsaw (and Poland generally), has its fair share of flavors. Three popular varities include ‘zubrowka’ or bison-grass vodka, ‘wisniowka’ (cherry-flavored) and the honey-flavored ‘krupnik’.
One thing that the budget traveler will miss from the communist era, though, is the ‘milk bar’ or ‘bar mleczny’. Becoming increasingly scarce throughout Poland, they're one of the best ways to eat out cheaply, although the quality of the food can vary.
These days, travelers are more likely to turn to the humble kebab for budget sustenance in Warsaw. But in keeping with the general wave of activity that has spread across the city, Warsaw is a great place to eat.
It also has a significant advantage over Western European cities: a good meal will rarely leave a huge hole in your travel budget...
