Warsaw Restaurants

Warsaw is one of the best places to eat in central Europe. New places seem to open weekly and the choice is considerable. The quality is also high, with some establishments making it into European top 10 lists.

Alongside many restaurants specialising in traditional Polish cuisine, there's a trend towards culinary variety, especially modern European and Mediterranean-influenced dishes. The city has a large Italian business community and some of the best Italian cuisine in the region is to be found here. Asian restaurants are also very popular with good choices from Japanese to Vietnamese.

Where to eat

The Stare Miasto and central business districts are packed with places to eat, and many have outdoor dining areas during the summer months. Most restaurants open at around 11:00 and close at either 23:00 or 24:00. A few restaurants, especially the cheaper places, have relatively early closing times of 21:00.

Prices in Warsaw are slowly creeping up and some restaurants are now as expensive as those in the West. There is still a number of Socialist-era ‘milk bars’, where you are served cafeteria-style and share your table with strangers. They offer traditional Polish food at very cheap prices.

The big fast-food chains are all also well represented here, together with their Polish imitators. You'll find burgers, hot dogs and pizza, both Italian and the Polish variety of zapiekanki, a half-baguette sprinkled with cheese. In addition, there are many kiosks offering sandwiches and take-out salads.

Local cuisine

As far as local cuisine is concerned, rich food and spicy sauces are the order of the day. Traditional Polish dishes include placki (potato pancakes) and kotlet schabowy (pork chops). If the weather is a bit chilly, try a nice warming soup such as barszcz (beetroot soup) or ogorkowa (gherkin and pickle soup).