02 Feb My top 5 Warsaw restaurants – 2018

Warsaw restaurants are booming right now and if you head there, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to places to eat, which could actually be a problem in itself (a good problem, but a problem nevertheless). If you are only there for a weekend, you can’t afford any disappointing meals! This is why I have put together this short list of my top 5 Warsaw restaurants, which shouldn’t be missed.

During the course of writing this list I discovered that my favourite place – Solec 44 – has closed down. I feel a little bit heartbroken about this – I am going back to Warsaw in a few weeks and was looking forward to taking my parents there. Good luck to Aleksander Baron in his next venture and on we go to my top 5 Warsaw restaurants in 2018…

1. Amaro – This is really fancy stuff, despite the fact that the restaurant is housed in what was previously a public toilet! Even though Wojciech Amaro invents incredible, inventive dishes, he uses typical Polish products in his Mitchelin starred restaurant. This is modern Polish cuisine at it’s best, and if you are on a budget and still want to experience this food theatre, then go for lunch, which is much cheaper.
2. Opasły Tom – The food at this small restaurant – just off Nowy Świat – is divine and the service is lovely (as it is in most places in Poland – Polish hospitality, you know!). Even though I was a little stressed sitting for over an hour next to a wall covered in glassware (see what I mean in the photo down there) with a hyperactive toddler running around, the staff convinced us to relax and stay for coffee and share a dessert. By this time, my toddler was under another table, which I apologised for and made to leave but they were like: “It’s OK, relax, don’t worry about it, we would love it if you could stay and have a coffee”. We shared a dessert, which was some white chocolate, halva, fruity, heavenly dream, so we were very glad we stayed!
3. Zielony Niedźwiedź (featured image) – Even though the staff are so chilled out, you may at times need to approach them (I prefer this to overzealous staff), the food at this restaurant is always delightful, as is the setting, in the middle of a park (near to where my gran used to live, so it has sentimental value for me I admit). Last time I was here I had a plate of smoked fish washed down by Polish white wine, followed by the chocolate dessert you can see in the main picture – that shiny ball was filled with chocolate mousse and prune sauce. I love the fact that you can read about the people who produce the food too!
4. Sam Piekarnia – Sam is the place to go for breakfast. The customers are mainly Polish hipsters and you might even see a Polish celebrity buying their bread downstairs in the lovely (but expensive) bakery and shop (I find you can always recognise a celebrity even if you have no idea who they are).
5. Brasserie Warszawska– The last of my top 5 Warsaw restaurants is in quite a posh part of the city, close the massive Łazienki park (as is Amaro for that matter). Brasserie is a sister restaurant of my old favourite haunt – Rozbrat20 (still awesome) and serves food inspired by both Polish tradition as well as modern European food, always beautifully executed.