Where to eat and drink in Warsaw
Eating and drinking is always one of my favourite parts of a holiday. And while we only had three days in Warsaw, we still managed to explore plenty of bars and restaurants. These were our favourites.
GOŚCINIEC Polskie Pierogi
Despite being a chain that you’ll find dotted all over the city, Gościniec was recommended by a native Polish friend, so we went for breakfast one morning. We ordered an amazing spread of pierogies and potato pancakes that left us full for hours. If you’re visiting in winter, this kind of filling and hearty food is especially welcome. It’s not the healthiest, but it tastes so good and you’re on holiday so it doesn’t count.
Karmnik
Located on the same road as our Airbnb was Karmnik, a cute Polish restaurant that serves burgers, soups, salads, meat and fish dishes, and obviously pierogies. It’s a great spot for a romantic dinner, and they were also able to fit in 8 of us at fairly short notice. The staff are friendly and the cocktails are great.
Viadomo
We stopped at Viamodo for a drink after the Neon Museum and ended up staying for pizza. Fresh and delicious, their menu has classic toppings as well as some Warsaw specials. Be sure to remember the name of your order and listen out for it, as they don’t serve to your table – they call out the name in Polish and you have to go and collect it.
Kawiarnia Patio
Another spot that we found thanks to how close it was to our Airbnb. In fact, our kitchen overlooked it. The arched walls or Kawiarnia Patio give the cafe a Mediterranean feel, and this was one of the only places where we didn’t eat traditional Polish food. The menu is fairly healthy – we had burrata salads, avocado open sandwiches, and shakshuka. Plus they serve homemade cakes with teas and coffees. It does get busy, so head there early or make a booking.
Bar Studio
On the ground floor of Warsaw’s Palace of Culture and Science you’ll find Bar Studio. A cafe by day and club by night, this is a popular venue with tourists and Warsaw natives alike. On a Saturday night it was busy, but there was no queue to enter. Expect a long one for the cloakroom in winter though! The drinks are cheap, the music is fun to dance to (if not great), and the vibe is friendly.
Klepsydra
Just off of Nowy Swiat is Klepsydra, a cosy bar that has a cool yet relaxed feel. We spent a few hours here on our first night in the city, enjoying the cheap beer, home-brewed vodka and, at the end of the night, a burger from the Ukrainian-run Burger Boss van outside.
Muranow Craft Beer
After a few hours in the POLIN Museum, we stopped for some craft beers at Muranow Craft Beer – Beer World. The bar has an open, spacious feel that similar to many of the breweries in London. They had a wide range of beers as well as ciders and wines that are all affordable. We also had some of the snacks from their bar menu, which were needed after an afternoon walking through the snow. If you’re looking for a relaxed place to drink, this is it.
Nocny Market
Eating and drinking at the night market came highly recommended, so we headed there on Saturday evening. What we didn’t think to do was check if it was open. The market sits in an old railway building, next to the train tracks and under a railway bridge. It was snowing heavily the day we went and we found the market was closed.
It’s hard to tell when they’re open, and their Google hasn’t been updated for winter hours. But if you’re visiting at the right time, this is meant to be a great place for street food, beers, and games.
Planning a weekend in Warsaw? Read our full itinerary here.