Warsaw Insider October 2012 #194

Haunted Warsaw

Paranormal Experts page 22

page 25

Travel: Otwock page 26

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OCTOBER 2012

FRIGHT NIGHT As October closes, so does Poland. While Halloween signals party time way out west, in Poland it sparks a mass migration as whole families reunite for All Souls’ Day. Finding a bar that’s open is hard, finding a party is even harder. Fortunately, there are options that go beyond sitting on the sofa with a bag of beers, and we’ve set about finding them.

GHOST TRACKING

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PHOTOGRAPH BY ED WIGHT

s it too early to start writing about the first winds of winter? I don’t think so. Like my shower, Poland knows only two temperatures: scalding hot or bloody cold. Well, it certainly isn’t warm right now, and considering that snow has already been reported in the Tatras I’m declaring the official start of winter. But that’s not the only chill in the air…

Halloween is upon us, and as such this issue we’ve loaded the magazine with Warsaw’s spookiest stories; like the Scooby Doo team, we’ve traveled to asylums and unraveled mysteries. It’s been hard work, and I’ve learned valuable life lessons along the way: i) ‘Keep out’ signs are there to be respected, and ii) if you don’t, then do at least ensure your medical insurance is in good nick. Having left half my arm hanging off a fortified fence, I’ve spent this issue writing with one hand and a chopstick.

Intrepid ghost hunts haven’t presented the only threat to my physical good shape. September saw a spate of bomb alerts in Warsaw, with construction teams making an alarmingly regular habit of happening on unexploded ordinance saved from the war. The frequency of such discoveries has been startling, and it’s a credit to the city that each time the emergency services have, quite literally, diffused the situation. Warsaw might be a future forward city of corporate towers and ambitious projects, but the ghosts of the past hang heavy in the air. Yet it’s this bridge to the past that gives Warsaw’s its color and its spirit – an indefinable quality that hooks all who visit.

Enjoy this issue, and remember to subscribe to our weekly e-letter for the hottest restaurant openings and latest bar launches. Judging by the plagiarism, even our competitors rate it! Join them on our mailing list at: newsletter@warsawinsider.pl.

Alex Webber

awebber@valkea.com

on the cover It’s Halloween month! And as part of our investigation into the paranormal, we’ve also found just where you can stock up on fun, scary outfits for the night in question . See page 65 (Illustration by Michał Miszkurka)

Paparazzi It all started with this lot. Warsaw’s original Halloween party remains its best and you can expect a night of nailed on carnage. Expect cocktail specials, DJs and a make-up artist to contribute to its success, and don’t be shy about turning up dressed as a gorilla either – this is one place where fancy dress costumes are expected: from the extravagant to the ridiculous. For further details look these guys up on Facebook closer to the time and make room in your diary .

Warsaw Tortilla Factory Every year I promise to stay in for Halloween and every year I promptly end up in Tortilla Factory. If Paparazzi is Warsaw’s best known Halloween party, then Tortilla Factory isn’t far behind. At press time they had absolutely zilch sorted out, but judging on past experiences one can look forward to full-on fancy dress, live music and the sort of messy results you’d expect when Warsaw’s most multi-national crowd congregates to party.

Stocking up on aspirin isn’t just advised, it’s mandatory.

Jerozolima Something of a wild card entry. Nowadays you can expect a fair number of Warsaw’s clubs to be throwing some sort of event, but none can compete with Jerozolima in terms of creepy authenticity. Rough and ready, that this place looks like a giant squat shouldn’t deter a visit. After all, it’s located in a former hospital that’s allegedly been privy to some pretty diabolical supernatural happenings.

Even now, some clubbers speak about strange, weird feelings when wandering around this cavernous tenement. If you’re looking for something totally off the wall, let Jerozolima be it.

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what’s inside

OCTOBER 2012

LISTINGS

Culture

Restaurants

Cafes & Wine Bars

Nightlife

Shopping

Children

Lifestyle

07 O pener Warsaw Film Festival 07 Calendar Music, art and events around town 10 Museums Dates and shows 31 I nsider’s Pick Casa Pablo 38 Luncheonettes

Pico Cuadro 50 Top Shop

Piwonia

51 Insider’s Pick

my’o’my

26 INfront

13 News in Brief

Bombs, drought, theft, and news 16 Trends

Warsaw goes raw 18 Relics of the PRL

Sporting pantheons of the past and

and a towering Cold War spy cell 20 National Holidays

Rembrance of people gone pastw

Editor-in-chief

Art Director

Editor

Editorial Intern

Publisher Advertising Manager Key Account Manager Distribution Manager

61 Insider’s Pick

UEG

FEATURES

22 Haunted Warsaw

The capital’s spookiest structures

Plus: The Insider talks to

two experts on the paranormal pg. 25 26 Travel: Otwock

Inside Otwock’s abandoned asylum 80 Why Warsaw?

Matthias Renz of Prima Porta Antiquities

Alex Webber awebber@valkea.com Kevin Demaria kdemaria@valkea.com Iza Depczyk idepczyk@valkea.com Karolina Kalinowska Morten Lindholm mlindholm@valkea.com Jowita Malich jmalich@valkea.com Maria Pięta mpieta@valkea.com Krzysztof Wiliński kwilinski@valkea.com

Contributors: Bartosz Bajerski Gill Boelman-Burrows Kit F. Chung David Ingham Michał Miszkurka Paula Rewald Agnieszka Le Nart Ed Wight

65 Insider’s Pick

Wypożyczalnia- Art 69 Insider’s Pick

Holmes Place 76 Street Index 77 Classifieds 78 Warsaw Map

Subscription 12 editions of the Insider zł. 99 (inc. VAT) in Poland. Orders can be placed with amichalik@valkea.com, tel. 22 678 9912

Printed by Zakłady Graficzne TAURUS tel. 022 783-6000

VALKEA MEDIA S.A., ul. Elbląska 15/17, Warszawa, Poland; tel. (48 22) 639 8567; fax (48 22) 639 8569; e-mail: insider@warsawinsider.pl Information is accurate as of press time. We apologise for any errors, but cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies. All information ©2012 Warsaw Insider.

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

PHOTOGRAPH BY ED WIGHT

55 Insider’s Pick

Champagne Bar

Reviews: 28th Warsaw Film Festival 7

CULTURE EVENTS 7 / MUSEUMS & GALLERIES 10

EVENTS THIS MONTH

Insider’s Pick

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BEER FESTIVAL Oktobeerfest Fantasy Park in Sadyba Best Mall The event promises, “a wide choice of Bavarian beers, beautiful waitresses, and a relaxed atmosphere.” To attend, all you need to do is show up! For more information search for it on Facebook.

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SHOW

OCTOBER 12-21 FESTIVAL

Cinema goers waiting at last year’s 27th Warsaw Film Festival

Chippendales Sala Kongresowa, PKiN, pl. Defilad 1 Twelve over-built, greased up guys dancing/stripping on stage, is definitely not the sort of thing the Insider was into prior to watching Magic Mike. But since seeing Channing Tatum strut his stuff, our opinion has slightly shifted and we may just have to grab our girlfriends and give the Chippendales a shot. Warning: leave mom at home! Tickets from zł. 60, and available at ticketpro.pl

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ORGANIZERS OR ARTISTS

28th Warsaw Film Festival PKiN’s Kinoteka, and in Mulitikino Zlote Tarasy

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hough it started out as a small scale student gig, the Warsaw Film Festival has since evolved into one of the most prestigious festivals that Warsaw has on offer, something now recognized globally - in 2009 the WFF became one of 14 events endorsed by the International Federation of Film Producers Association.

The festival showcases the best of Polish, European and international cinema, with a mission statement to increase international awareness of Polish film and culture. “We still have a lot of catching up to do culturally speaking,” says Stefan Laudyn, director of the WFF. “During the wars Poland was completely cut off from culture. Now it is our chance to catch up with the rest of the world and that is something which is speeding right ahead.”

During the festival, the audience will also be offered the chance to get involved by voting for the best foreign film, and interaction is further encouraged by a series of meetings and seminars with those involved in the film industry. Divided into different categories, such as best screenplay, director, documentary, etc., overall winners will be chosen by a selected jury. The screenings are set to take place in PKiN’s Kinoteka, and in Mulitikino Zlote Tarasy. To register for the festival, click to: www.wff.pl. (ID)

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CONCERT Preach / Imber / Monoscream Progresja, ul. Sylwestra Kaliskiego 15A All three bands are Swedish, all three specialize in death metal, and all will perform in Klub Progresja as part of the Swedish Mayhem Metal Tour 2012. Tickets from zł. 30, available on the door.

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CULTURE MUSIC AND DANCE Colors of Hope Sala Kongresowa, PKiN, pl.

Defilad 1 Through the interplay of colors, lights and music, the show portrays a human who is lost and confused but ultimately strives to achieve his aims and goals.

Tickets from zł. 70, available at ticketpro.pl

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CONCERT Anathema Progresja, ul. Sylwestra Kaliskiego 15A These British pioneers of the death-doom metal genre are considered by some as Britain’s top rock band. Tickets from zł.

109, available at ticketpro.pl

even though the band’s original front man died in 1994 due to a drug induced heart attack. Now the band is set to perform their songs accompanied by a symphonic orchestra. Tickets from zł.

95, available at ticketpro.pl

CONCERT Rival Sons Hydrozagadka, ul. 11 Listopada 22 This American hard-rock and blues band were created in 2008, but have quickly gained fame after supporting names like Alice Cooper and Kid Rock. Their most recent album, Head Down, came out in September and it’s this they’re here to promote.

Tickets from zł. 65, available at ticketpro.pl

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CONCERT Royal Republic Hydrozagadka, ul. 11 Listopada 22 This alternative garage / rock band is set to play in Poland for the first time as part of an international tour promoting their new album. Tickets from zł.

45, available at ebilet.pl

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CONCERT Ladies’ Jazz on Tour - Club des Belugas featuring Brenda Boykin Palladium, ul. Złota 9 This lot combine contemporary Lounge and Nujazz with Brazilian rhythms as well as Swing and Soul from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Now they have singer Brenda Boykin on board, one of America’s most popular contemporary jazz singers.

Tickets from zł. 100, available at eventim.pl

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CONCERT Dżem: symphonically Sala Kongresowa, PKiN, pl. Defilad 1 Dżem remain one of Poland’s biggest and most talented rock and blues bands. Born in 1973, they continue playing to this day,

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CONCERT Nguyen Le – From Hendrix to Jazz Palladium, ul. Złota 9 This Vietnamese guitarist has become a sensation on the European and American stage and has worked with the Yellowjackets, Johnny Griffin and Randy Brecker. Tickets from zł.

120, available at eventim.pl

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FESTIVAL Free Form Festival Soho Factory, ul. Mińska 25 The best modern and independent music is presented at this festival, with all the latest global trends in the music and art industry promoted. Those booked to appear inclide Bloody Beetroots, Little Boots and Jazzanova. Tickets from zł. 110,

WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

available at ebilet.pl

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CONCERT Tori Amos Sala Kongresowa, PKiN, pl. Defilad 1 After the success of her previous concert in Poland, Tori Amos is back, and this time supported by the Metropole Orchestra directed

by Jules Buckley. Tickets from zł.

209, available at livenation.pl

with their charismatic singer Dolores O’Riordan, arrive in Warsaw to whizz through the hits that made them famous: Zombie, Linger, Dreams etc.

The band will also be debuting songs from their latest release: Roses. Tickets from zł. 150, available at ticketpro.pl

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FOOTBALL Poland v England Stadion Narodowy, ul. Poniatowskiego 1 As has become tradition in recent decades, England face the Polish in yet another major qualifier.

Tickets for the game start at zł. 90, available from kupbilet.pl

CONCERT CONCERT We Are The Ocean Hydrozagadka, ul. 11 Listopada 22 We Are The Ocean is a UK posthardcore band. The band will be promoting hits off their latest album Go Now And Live. Tickets from zł. 39, available at ebilet.pl

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DANCE WORKSHOP Gypsy Dance Workshop OSiR, ul. Redutowa 37 Want to impress your significant other with some exotic new dance moves? Join the Gypsy Dance Workshops. Admission from zł. 55, sign up by email: aya. orientpoint@gmail.com

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CONCERT Film Music Concert Sala Kongresowa, PKiN, pl. Defilad 1 The orchestra is set to play music from Superman, Star Wars, Gladiator, Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump and Titanic among other blockbusters. Tickets from zł. 49, available at eventim.pl

CONCERT The Cranberries Torwar, ul. Łazienkowska 6 This iconic Irish rock band, along

Therion Stodoła, ul. Batorego 10 A third Swedish band this month, and this time there’s no death metal involved! Instead, these chaps offer something called ‘symphonic metal’. Tickets from zł. 90, available at ticketpro.pl

CONCERT Brit Floyd Torwar, ul. Łazienkowska 6 Apparently the best Pink Floyd tribute act out there, Brit Floyd play Poland as part of their international A Foot In The Door tour. Tickets from zł. 154, available at livenation.pl

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CONCERT Lento Hydrozagadka, ul. 11 Listopada 22 An Italian post-metal band known for high-energy, unconventional performances. Tickets and availability unknown at press time.

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CONCERT Lacuna Coil Progresja, ul. Sylwestra Kaliskiego 15A Lacuna Coil are an Italian Goth metal band formed in 1994. While they’ve changed their name twice since then, they’ve stayed true

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF ARTISTS OR ORGANIZERS

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to the genre. Tickets from zł. 90, available at biletin.pl

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MOVIES OPENING THIS MONTH

CONCERT

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Team Me Hydrozagadka, ul. 11 Listopada 22 This indie/pop/alternative Norwegian band has been declared one of the most successful indie bands of 2011 by music bloggers and journalists. Tickets from zł.

39, available at tickepro.pl

The Possession (Klinika Opętania) Horror. USA. Dir. Ole Bornedal, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick, David Hovan

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CONCERT Steve Vai Stodoła, ul. Batorego 10 Known as one of the world’s top guitarists, Vai was taught by Joe Satriani, and at the age of 18 was appearing alongside names like Frank Zappa. A true talent, he’s recorded over 60 albums and won a list of awards – Grammies included. Tickets from zł. 120, available at ebilet.pl

Taken 2 (Uprowadzona 2) Action/Thriller/Crime. France.

Dir. Olivier Megaton, with Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace

Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present (Marina Abramovic: artystka obecna) Documentary/Biography. USA. Dir. Matthew Akers, with Marina Abramovic, David Blaine, James Franco

12 Premium Rush Thriller/Action. USA. Dir. David Koepp, with Joseph GordonLevitt, Dania Ramirez, Aasif Mandvi Beasts of the Southern Wild (Bitwa z Południowych Krain) Drama. USA. Dir. Benh Zeitlin, with Quvenzhane Wallis, Dwight Henry

Take This Waltz Comedy/Drama. Canada. Dir. Sarah Polley, with Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman Paris Manhattan Romantic Comedy. France. Dir. Sophie Lellouche, with Alice Taglioni, Patrick Bruel

Bait (W szczękach rekina 3D) Thriller/Action. Australia. Dir. Kimble Rendall, with Xavier Samuel, Julian McMahon, Phoebe Tonkin The Angels’ Share Comedy/Drama. UK, France, Belgium, Italy. Dir. Ken Loach, with John Henshaw, Roger Allam

26 James Bond – Skyfall Action/Thriller. UK, USA. Dir. Sam Mendes, with Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem

The Moth Diaries Horror. Canada, Ireland. Dir. Mary Harron, with Lily Cole, Scott Speedman, Sarah Bolger

19 Looper Action/Sci-Fi. China, USA. Dir. Rian Johnson, with Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt

Keep the Lights On (Zostań ze mną) Drama. USA. Dir. Ira Sachs, with Julianna Nicholson, Zachary Booth, Thure Lindhardt

ESCAPE THE CITY TRAFFIC, GET ON THE OPEN ROAD AND EXPLORE POLAND WITH GREAT CAR RENTAL OFFER. Contact: +48 22 572 65 65 www.avis.pl

reklama W_INSAIDER_05_2012_v2.indd 1

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CULTURE MUSEUMS & GALLERIES Copernicus Science Centre ul. Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 20, tel. 22 596 4100, www.kopernik.org.pl If you thought the Chopin Museum was space age then just wait till you visit this place. Interactive, witty and surprising, Copernicus allows visitors to experience an earthquake, blast recyclable objects into space and become a mystery cracking detective.

From October 2: Interactive Music Exhibition. Is it possible to see sound? To touch it? To walk on it? Apparently so – and the Copernicus Science Center can prove it! Through its new, interactive exhibition, created

by German musician and music teacher Michael Bradke, visitors can learn about the science behind the music…

CSW ul. Jazdów 2, www.csw.art.pl Situated in a baroque-style castle the center hosts artists from all over the world (Annie Leibovitz, Yoko Ono, Wilhelm Sasnal, Andy Warhol). The on-site bookshop is of particular interest for artists and intellectuals.

Ongoing until October 7: My very own cinema - the photography

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by Józef Robakowski. Ongoing until November 18: Freedom Club - paintings by Radek Szlaga.

Ongoing until November 25: Auroryt – photographic work, animations, video and collage by Agnieszka Polska.

The Fryderyk Chopin Museum in Warsaw Ostrogski Palace, ul. Okólnik 1, www.chopin.museum.pl Recognized as one of the most hi-tech museums in Europe, the world even, computer chip tickets allow visitors the chance to personalize the museum experience as never before.

Over 5,000 objects are present, among them his pocket watch, last piano, a lock of hair and even his death mask.

Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw ul. Pańska 3, www.artmuseum.pl The very first museum of modern art in Warsaw, still fighting for a proper location, bravely manages to provide the visitors with a display of contemporary art, including works of Alina Sapocznikow, Zbigniew Libera, Paweł Althamer, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Katarzyna Kozyra and Artur Żmijewski. October 12-December 9: “Building

Warsaw: A City for Sale”. Billboards have become an integral part of Warsaw’s city life. They will be the focus of this year’s festival, with the mission being to illustrate how advertisements have come to dominate public space (hosted at Emilia, ul. Emilii Plater 51).

National Museum Al. Jerozolimskie 3, www.mnw.art.pl Celebrating its 150th birthday, the National Museum opens for business on the Night of Museums following a thorough refit. Famed for its collection of Dutch and Flemish masters, it’s also the final word in Polish art, with all the greats represented – inc. Matejko, Witkiewicz and other such stars. Ongoing till 23 September: The Dignified – from the Pharaohs to Lady Gaga, is a great exhibition dedicated to the ‘iconography of power’.

Warsaw Uprising Museum ul. Grzybowska 79, www.1944.pl Cope with the crowds to discover the definitive story of the Uprising. Exhibits range from a full size replica of a Liberator plane, to a sewer beneath the cinema screen and a slice of bread preserved from 1944.

And don’t miss the ‘City of Ruins’,

Warsaw Jewish Film Festival since 2003 Dedicated to Coen Brothers

a five minute 3D film which takes you on an aerial journey over devastated Warsaw. Outside, check the Nazi bunker behind the office, the panoramic view tower and the original statue of Prince Poniatowski – now a ripped metal hulk. Throughout October: Weapons. While the weapons are safely glassed off, a 3D system allows for the detailed study of each weapon. From October 3: Codename: Legelization, is an exhibition which aims to show counterfeiting techniques of the Polish Underground State during WWII. Zachęta National Art Gallery (Zachęta Narodowa Galeria Sztuki) Pl. Małachowskiego 3, www.zacheta.art.pl One of the most famed galleries in the country, with a plethora of international and Polish modern art to peruse.

Featuring in the collection are works by Toulouse-Lautrec, Cezanne, Ernst and Picasso, as well as luminaries of the Polish art scene such as Tadeusz Kantor, Alina Szapocznikow, Katarzyna Kozyra and Zbigniew Libera. Ongoing until October 21: Keeping a person away from nature could lead to degeneration - drawings by Jaśmina Wójcik.

October 25 - 30, 2012

Kinoteka Movie Theater Świt Targówek Movie Theater

Joel and Ethan Coen are awarded the 2012 Honorary David Camera for their courage and insight in showing issues related to Jewishness as well as their unique contribution to world cinematography. WJFF is the first Jewish film festival in Eastern Europe. The programme includes „Barton Fink”, “Footnote” (a nominee for Oscar 2012 & Palme d’Or 2011, awarded for the best screenplay Cannes 2011), “The flood” (Israeli Film Academy 2011 Award, Berlinale 2011: Crystal Bear), “Invisible” (Awards: Haifa Int.FF 2011, Berlinale 2011) as well as docs like “Under African skies” (about one of the world’s best album “Graceland” by Paul Simon) and “The collaborator and his family” (on life of Palestinian agent who has worked for many years for Israeli government and now tries to live normal life). Guests: Alex Claude, an Israeli world-known sound designer (“Footnote” & “Sharqiya”), Polish stars: Mateusz Damięcki, (“Remembrance”) & Ryszard Ronczewski (“Kaddish for a friend”).

More information: www.wjff.pl.

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

WARSAW INTERNATIONAL

Following weeks of cloak and dagger negotiations the Insider marked its new partnership with the InterNations networking group in style this September.

While the rest of Warsaw sat watching television, great things were happening at the Pure Sky Club. Celebrating their fifth year of existence, the InterNations mixer group partied till the early hours as over 250 leading professionals from home and abroad came together to toast this landmark occasion. With a mission that aims to bring together ‘global minds’, the InterNations group has assumed major importance on the social and corporate circuit, and has become one of the keynote highlights of the monthly Warsaw calendar. For more information on forthcoming networking events, including how to become a member, check: www.internations.org

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A graduate of the prestigous Westminster College London, Botswanan born Joseph Seeletso needs little introduction.

A frequent fixture on Good Morning TVN, the celebrity chef opened Joseph’s last year, thereby achieving his ambition of having his own private space to create “heavenly combinations” of meals and wine. Set in a former warehouse, the cosmopolitan Joseph’s is the effortless epitome of ‘loft cool’, and has taken Warsaw by storm with a non-standard menu that reflects Chef Seeletso’s creativity. And it’s not just the level of Polish gastronomy that has been raised with the success of Joseph’s. Wine plays an equally key role, with sommelier Rafał Kiś on hand to aid with your wine choice.

• SUNDAY THEMED FAMILY DINNERS – UNIQUE MENU FROM DIFFERENT CUISINES OF THE WORLD CREATED BY OUR CHEF JOSEPH SEELETSO. • COOKERY CLASSES WITH JOSEPH SEELETSO • 700 WINE LABELS • WINE TASTING CLASSES WITH A QUALIFIED SOMMELIER • ON-SITE SHOP • LOYALTY PROGRAM Duchnicka 3 Street 01-796, Warszawa mob. 48 501 491 396, tel. 48 22 320 2988 duchnicka@josephwinebar.pl www.joseph.seeletso.com www.josephwinebar.pl

INFRONT CITY 14 / EXPLOSIVES 14 / NATIONAL HOLIDAY 20 / NEWS 14 / NIGHTLIFE 14 / PRL 18 / TRANSPORT 14 / TRENDS 16

HISTORY

PHOTOGRAPH AGNECJA GAZETA

Wisła Reveals Buried Treasure

This summer’s drought hasn’t jus meant good news for those topping up their tans, with history buffs also getting their fair share of positives as well. This is because the record low levels of water in the Wisła this year have revealed a treasure trove of historical artefacts previously hidden from view. Among the numerous finds are intricately carved pieces of marble which previously formed parts of pillars, fountains, and stair cases in Polish castles and stately homes. The stonework is believed to have lied undiscovered for over 350 years, after being stolen by 17th century Swedish raiders who looted the country during the Polish-Swedish wars. The greedy invaders lost some of their haul when their overloaded boats, which were being used to transport the booty back to Sweden, sunk under the weight of the loot.

The stone pieces were taken during the so-called Swedish Deluge, a series of raids on the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which took place between 1655 and 1660. During this period Warsaw was ransacked and its pre-war population was reduced from 20,000 to just 2,000. As well as these older finds more recent historical relics from the capital’s bloody past have also been dredged up as the Wisła’s water dropped to its lowest level in 200 years. Among the other historical pieces revealed were an unexploded WWII bomb and fragments of Jewish gravestones used to pave the river bed after it was damaged by the Nazi’s sustained bombardment of the capital. (DI) facebook.com/warsawinsider

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INFRONT

BRIEFING ED WIGHT’S NEWS BITES Bone Collector Oddball Jerzy Wołski claims to have the largest collection of phallic-shaped objects in Poland.

The 54-year-old bachelor says his whopping assemblage includes willyshaped ashtrays, teacups, watering cans and playing cards. “I’ve got over 100 and I bet no one in Poland has more than that,” he boasted, adding he also had one given to him by friends that’s a caricature of himself.

The Tech-xorcist NIGHTLIFE

Hipster Cross the Line PKP Powiśle, the hipster haunt located in a former train station ticket office, is the latest establishment to come under threat of closure from city authorities. The bar, which is a favourite with cardigan clad, Ray Ban-wearing trendies, has come under fire from local residents who are miffed at the all-hours parties, as well as the smell of urine on adjacent streets the morning after the night before.

Luckily for the owners stars such as TV loud-mouth Kuba Wojewódzki, who surprisingly likened PKP to the great literary hangouts frequented by boozy writers such as Charles Bukowski and Hunter S. Thompson, waded in to the debate and the council eventually backed down - but, on the condition that drinkers stay behind a perimeter line at all costs.

Chłodna 25, another bar which has seen business nosedive since it had its alcohol license revoked, could also be back to doing what it does best in the near future with the owners expected to win back their license soon. (DI)

OA-Pee A granny who insisted on riding her bike drunk and urinating in public is facing three years in jail. The 73-yearold OAP from Kopacz was arrested after cops spotted her swerving across the road, tumbling into a ditch and relieving herself. A police spokesman said: “This is not the first time she has been caught doing this.”

Rumpy Bumpy

Warsaw’s new city bike system has proved a hit with the capital’s criminal fraternity with zł. 40,000 worth of bikes stolen during the first month.

70 bike bells 40 baskets 20 lights Items also nabbed or damaged

Hapless lover Marcin S. was covered in bruises after falling out of bed 20 times while getting amorous with his missus. The 44-year-old pig farmer said he eventually gave up and went to sleep in the living room. “I love her to bits but I can’t take falling out of bed all the time,” he explained.

EXPLOSIVES

Bomb-Tastic Discoveries The construction of Warsaw’s long-awaited second metro line is throwing up a few dangerous surprises for local builders. In recent weeks workers have come across a 300kg unexploded bomb under one of the city’s main shopping streets – ul.

Marszałkowska. This was then followed by a massive two tonne device which was dug up in September under Pl. Powstańców. Both bombs date back to WWII when 84% of the capital’s buildings were destroyed by Nazi and Soviet troops. (DI)

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEVIN DEMARIA

TRANSPORTATION

zł.40,000

A tech-savvy priest has turned to Facebook to deal with exorcisms. Father Michał Misiak from Łódź explained: “I trace the sign of the cross in front of the screen and then press send. It’s very popular. Within days of setting it up I had 250 people contact me.”

“ONLY FOR WI READERS: 20% promotional discount on entire orders at sklep.cerafino.pl use WI20OFF at checkout” offer valid till 31st November 2012”

www.cerafino.pl

INFRONT

TRENDS

BY AGNIESZKA LENART

Raw Deal

The raw foods trend isn’t particularly revelatory on a global scale but for Poland, the land of bigos, it certainly is something of an epiphany. foodies like to get creative in the kitchen and make unexpected dishes that marry a whole plethora of ingredients and flavors. Raw foods go beyond vegetarian, beyond vegan, but those in the know promise that it’s far from boring as innovation is key.

The recently-opened Surya Restaurant (Wałowa 3) has taken pole position on Warsaw’s raw food scene, declaring itself Warsaw’s first ‘vitarian’ restaurant. The homey ambiance is reminiscent of a hippie cottage, while the menu boasts new options for healthy living like a raw pizza, with a crust of raw carrot and plenty of raw toppings. The fruit tarts are amazing, with a base of gluten-free flour that is baked at the lowest temperature possible (42°C) to maintain its raw food status. Affiliated with one of Warsaw’s most respected yoga studios, this is one of the first legit spots in this city to offer the raw foods promise of better health and increased energy. It’s certainly worth a try, particularly with the sleepy days of autumn and winter on the horizon.

Pizza Raw from Surya made with cashew-nut cheese and fresh and sun-dried tomato sauce

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN DEMARIA

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eedless to say, it hasn’t exactly been embraced with open arms as you don’t see many Poles eating fruits or veggies unless they’re wrapped in a buttery layer of dough. But there are an increasing number of people on the scene who want to pursue a healthier lifestyle and are beginning to reach for alternative nutritional options.

As a New Yorker, I got a taste of raw foods over a decade ago when I was dating an actor who felt the pressure to keep fit at all costs. He was dedicated to raw foods, and soon enough his diet interfered so much with his work day that he had to quit, move to California and start a raw juice business. For me, the lifestyle never stuck, but I was always intrigued.

Juices are actually a great gateway to the raw lifestyle.

Aside from the burgeoning crop of juice bars, even Warsaw’s cafe establishment, the likes of 6/12 (Żurawia 6/12), Zwyczajna (Wspólna 54A) or Ministerstwo Kawy (Marszałkowska 27/35), offer invigorating concoctions like fresh ginger-apple or carrot-beetroot. Yet real raw

INFRONT

PRL PAGE (’52-’89)

Fields of Dreams and field honed their talents, among them pole vaulter Władysław Kozakiewicz – a familiar name amongst all patriots, Kozakiewicz famously caused an international storm with an ‘up yours’ gesture directed towards a hostile Russian crowd during his gold medal winning performance at the Moscow Olympics.

Now a ghostly reminder of the golden years promised by The Party, the vast expanses of SKRA emit a forlorn, almost eerie air. And it’s while walking through its dusty, empty car parks that visitors will note a particularly poignant point of interest – a statue of a grimacing boxer, down but not out. Erected in 1985, it commemorates the victims of a 1980 plane crash at Okęcie, among them 22 members of the US amateur boxing team.

Around the corner, access to the stadium itself can be gained, with urban explorers afforded the opportunity to climb amid the broken benches and crumbling concrete. Promised renovations to turn it into a EURO2012 training ground never really got off the ground, and sitting amid the smashed and rotting benches, watching the odd jogger panting round the track, is a surreal experience.

Soviet Twin Towers

Built in the 1970s, the gloomy block of flats at Sobieskiego 100 cast a deep shadow over lower Mokotów. Featuring two separate blocks linked by a bridge-like structure at the top, this was Warsaw’s original gated compound. The property of the Soviet Embassy, it was exclusively populated

by Russians, and aside from serving as a luxurious residence for shady diplomats it also allegedly functioned as a safe house for Cold War spies. The block was officially vacated in the 90s, yet even so a secret Russian club continued to thrive behind the gates well into the noughties. To this day, the mysterious plot remains closely guarded with roundthe-clock security and CCTV.

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PHOTOGRAPHS TOP (2) AGENCJA FORUM, BOTTOM ALEX WEBBER

Lovers of socialist ‘statement architecture’ shed a tear when Stadion Dziesięciolecia was torn down a few years back to make way for the new National Stadium. More recently, another sporting great has found itself a victim of the bulldozers.

Up until recently residents of Mokotów would have been familiar with a remarkable phantom rising in the air – the skeletal remains of a ski jump completed in 1959 (ul. Czerniowiecka 3). For 30 years the 32 meter Skocznia ski jump (above right) dominated the skyline with crowds of up to 7,000 gathering to cheer on commie era sportsmen.

Now completely dismantled, only a steep, hair-razing hill has survived the destruction.

Solace, however, has been provided by the continued existence of the SKRA stadium (above left), a disintegrating sports arena whose unlikely survival is all the more surprising on account of its address – bang in the center on land jealously coveted by the real estate Gods.

Found on Wawelska 5, SKRA started life immediately after the war, with the crowning glory being an athletics / speedway stadium that, at one point, held over 35,000 fans. It was here that Polish stars of track

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INFRONT

HOLIDAY

BY KIT F. CHUNG

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here will be light, candlelight, as October gives way to November. Every year, a congregation of flickers carpets the cemeteries across the country as the nation marks All Saints’ Day (Dzień Wszystkich Świętych, November 1st) and All Souls’ Day (Dzień Zaduszny or Dzień Wszystkich Zmarłych, November 2nd). During this period, the cemeteries literally take on a glow, not just from the multitude of candles shining through colored lantern-like znicze, but also from the blooms – mainly white and yellow chrysanthemums. This is a time for witnessing Polish Catholic tradition at its most impressive, as well as an excuse to visit the city’s great characters from the past.

One of the busiest sites will be Powązki Cemetery, the resting place of scores of illustrious Polish figures, from the blue blooded

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

Augsburg Protestant ul. Młynarska 54/56 Cemetery Mausoleum of the Russian Army ul. Żwirki i Wigury 10 Italian Army ul. Marymoncka 40 Jewish ul. Okopowa 49/51 Military ul. Powązkowska 43 Orthodox ul. Wolska 138/140 Protestant Reformed ul. Żytnia 42 Powązki Catholic Cemetery ul. Powązkowska 14 Tartar Muslim ul. Tatarska 8 Warsaw Insurgents ul. Wolska 174/176

PHOTOGRAPH SHUTTERSTOCK

Shine On

As October closes so does the country – namely to celebrate and contemplate All Saints’ Day, a national holiday that carries as much importance as Christmas.

(relatives of Stanisław August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland), to heads of states, politicians and Nobel laureates (Władysław Reymont), to countless beautiful minds of arts and science. The Avenue of Merit (Aleja Zasłużonych) honors the citizens who had made their country proud. The tombstones range from modest to ornate, grand mausoleums built by the top craftsmen of the time.

Though not as famous, the Augsburg Protestant and Protestant Reformed cemeteries have interesting histories to tell. Both bear headstones engraved in foreign languages, including English, French, German and Russian.

Imposing chapels of the Halpert and Jung clans, and the Wedel (the premium chocolatiers of Warsaw) family tomb are located in the Augsburg section. At the Protestant Reformed segment, you’ll find Celtic crosses and graves with no religious elements that reveal the cemetery’s policy of granting sanctuary to all faiths.

In comparison to Powązki Cemetery, the Jewish Cemetery will be poignantly deserted. In Jewish practice, visitors leave small stones behind. But on All Saints’ Day, well-wishers break from Jewish tradition and leave burning candles.

Assimilating to Catholic traditions is the small but atmospheric Tartar Muslim Cemetery, established for Muslim soldiers serving in the Tsarist Russian army. Epitaphs here still speak loudly of the heartaches of travelers pining for homes too far.

The Orthodox Cemetery came to be after the failed November Uprising (1830-1831) a massive Russian influx to Warsaw. Interspersed among Catholic crucifixes are three-bar papal crosses, with much of the older masonry inscribed in Cyrillic script.

Since armed conflicts are a recurring theme in the capital’s history, there are numerous military burial grounds with Powązki Military Cemetery one of the largest.

The Warsaw Insurgents Cemetery bears the ashes of the fallen heroes of the Warsaw Uprising while the mass graves of over 21,000 Russian soldiers perished in WWII are found at the Cemetery Mausoleum of the Russian Army – the cemetery is notable for its Socialist Realist architectural elements. At the Italian Army Cemetery, rows of identical, plain crosses commemorate the over 2,000 personnel killed on Polish soil during the two world wars.

HAUNTED WARSAW

IT’S A SCREEEEEAM…

An owl hoots. A floorboard creaks. This issue, with Halloween upon us, the Insider shines a torch on the spooky houses found around town.

BY ALEX WEBBER

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

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HAUNTED WARSAW

“ Maybe he’s trying to tell us something. Maybe he’s trying to tell us where his victims are buried”

UL. TULIPANOWA 12 There’s scary houses and then there’s really scary houses.

Tulipanowa fits the latter description. Set down a mud track in the middle of a forest, this Anin property hits Fear Factor Ten no matter what time of day. Remember the house at the end of the Blair Witch Project? Welcome to the Polish equivalent. And should you ask what kind of madman would ever live in a place like this, then the answer is, well… a madman.

Internet rumors assert the owner flipped in the early 90s after being dealt a bad hand by the Money Gods, then butchered his wife and kids before hanging himself in the basement. The property has stood empty ever since, and is now being slowly eaten by nature itself. But wait a second, all is not what it seems. Paranormal experts insist there’s no trace of ghostly activity, while locals fervently deny all knowledge of any mass murder. But then they would, wouldn’t they? Whatever the truth is, on a misty moonlit night it’s one hell of a place.

UL. MORSKIE OKO 5 The scene of Warsaw’s most famous haunting, we first wrote about Morskie Oko last year. “Visit after a few dusk drinks at nearby Regeneracja,” we urged, “and then slip through the hole(s) in the fence.” Harmless advice, so you’d think. Not so, and this time round it’s time for an official retraction. On a recent reconnaissance, having first ingested a few of those recommended beers down the road, the Insider’s mission fell foul at the first hurdle.

Actually, make that on the first hurdle. Now firmly blocked off, our exploits ended in a bloodbath after I stuck my hand through a spike on the fence.

Had fortune not been so kind, you’d have found me joining the current resident of Morskie Oko, a mournful young girl by the name of Hanka. Her story is thus: when the ’44 Uprising broke out this once handsome villa became an insurgent stronghold. During a lull in fighting Hanka strayed into the garden to pick flowers for her boyfriend only to be taken out by a stray bullet. Since then, countless reports have placed her ghostly form standing balefully on the balcony. Don’t try and join her.

UL. NOWOGRODZKA 14 A good old-fashioned ghost is what we like, and you’ll find just that on the ground floor of Nowogrodzka 14. Once the

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dwelling of actress Maria Wisnowska, the glamorous 19th century actress was a classic femme fatale with a tortured soul, an obsession with death and an appetite for opium.

So the story goes, on the night of July 1st, 1890, she was visited by her lover – Aleksander Bartaniew, an officer in Warsaw’s Tsarist garrison. Some claim he bottled out of a suicide pact, others that he was racked with jealousy.

Either way, the 22 year old toy boy put a bullet through her heart. In the decades that followed, residents of the now largely derelict Nowogrodzka 14 have accused her of teasing them with cheeky morning pranks; her continued presence on earth is further confirmed by the occasional barfly at Pub Norka next door.

UL. NIECAŁA / UL. B. PRUSA Konstancin is best known as Poland’s millionaire’s row; a dignified enclave of wedding cake villas and big blackedout Mercs. But not all is tranquil. The innocuous tobacco colored house on the corner of Niecała has, for many years, been home to several unexplained phenomena. Currently unoccupied – by people at least – for years the property fulfilled a function as the local police station. Appropriated after the war by the Soviet NKVD, it’s alleged interrogations and worse were conducted on the first floor.

For years local feds spoke of being disturbed by mysterious footsteps and other weird happenings. Then, in 2001, one cop came ‘face to face’ with a uniformed phantom sat hunched at his desk. “It’s possible he was the ghost of an NKVD officer,” explains medium Alicja Ziętek. “He’s trapped in the house and can’t get to the ‘other side’ because of the crimes he committed. He’s afraid, and wants to repair the harm he caused; he knows he needs to be forgiven.”

“According to the medium he executed people – but now he’s the victim,” adds Marcin Mizera of the NPN organization. “Maybe he’s trying to tell us something. Maybe he’s trying to tell us where his victims are buried.”

AL. JEROZOLIMSKIE 57 There’s a good chance you know about Jerozolima, but there’s a better chance you don’t. Launched earlier this year it’s an In The Know ‘creative space’ featuring workshops and studios, and an edgy hipster club. But this brooding tenement also has a dark side. Until 2003 it was home to the Omega children’s hospital. Following its closure those who entered the premises spoke of nefarious, spine tingling experiences – you know, stuff like bloodcurdling screams, objects flying through the air and children walking through walls; basically, a director’s cut of The Exorcist. Since reopening as Jerozolima it appears paranormal events have ceased – even so at night, when the courtyard windows are bathed in red and blues, it’s not hard to feel a certain chill in the air.

PHOTOGRAPH PREVIOUS SPREAD BY ED WIGHT

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ou don’t have to dig deep below the surface to find Warsaw’s more sinister side. Built on a firm foundation of suffering and tears the city is, to all intents and purposes, a giant cemetery. Out here, skeletons in the cupboard come as part of the rent.

So with Halloween approaching, and hounds howling in the night, we bring you… Warsaw’s Most Haunted…

Ghostbusters! A load of mumbo jumbo? Or is there really something out there?

The Insider discusses the supernatural with two local experts.

What sparked your interest in UFOs? My grandmother always told me stories about them. She told me she once saw a flying saucer when I was seven, and I believed her because she was such an honest person - really, she didn’t even know how to lie.

I’ve had many experiences with the paranormal since and once saw a ghost.

It was during a conference at a castle near Warsaw. So we get to the castle and I saw a person standing there. I just thought it was another one of the hacks, but when I approached him I realized what I was seeing was only the upper torso of his body! He had no legs, and was floating in the air. I was so scared I ran away!

Robert Bernatowicz is a journalist, economist and UFOlogist. A presenter for Polsat News, he also works with Nautilus – Poland’s top paranormal organization.

What’s the most incredible experience that you’ve had with the paranormal?

The most fascinating experience was with Avatar – and I don’t mean the film.

The Avatar that I’m talking about is God personified. In other words, the God who visits us in human form. In India, a friend of mine met up him... I invited this friend on a radio show and we were chatting about this Avatar. My mate told me the Avatar was all-knowing: he knew that a

Ghosts – what are they, where do they come from?

Hmm. I believe that we all have souls which are immortal. This immortal soul exists even after our body dies. When our bodies die, our souls continue living on.

The ghosts that we as living humans see, feel and hear sometimes are the souls of people who have passed on but who are still trapped between two worlds: that on Earth among the living, and the so-called afterlife.

Marcin Mizera is a journalist and publicist, as well as a project manager at NPN, an organization that documents paranormal activity.

So not all souls are trapped?

No. Some, most, go straight to the afterlife.

Those who become trapped in the world of the living, that is amongst us, are usually those who have died suddenly: in accidents for example. This person doesn’t know what’s happening to them and still thinks that they are alive. And by giving signs of their presence, by haunting us, they are letting the living know that they are trapped and need our help to get to the afterlife.

Tell us a spooky story then…

There’s a place in Otwock, called Zofiówka.

Me and my crew went there to film a documentary about the place. At one

mouse was dying somewhere in a field, and that some girl was madly in love with some boy. He knew everything, all at once. So I asked him, if he knows that we’re doing this radio show right now, whether he could send us a sign to show he was enjoying it. My friend said no problem, if that’s what I wanted.

Three minutes after the show, my assistant brought me a post card: on it was a picture of this man, this Avatar. The postcard had been sent by the friend I was interviewing nine months before – but it was only delivered that morning, the moment the show ended. I’m taking that as a sign…

Another amazing experience was meeting a child who remembered who he was in a previous life. It was 1997 and the boy was three. He was telling me a story about how he was a knight, and had a wife called Gizelda. He gave me all these details from his past life that were just impossible to invent: it was way too detailed. When I asked him why he was back here, on Earth, he told me that we all have to come back at some point – because we all have to learn. That was a life-altering experience, talking to this boy.

point I was doing a stand-up in front of the camera, in the building’s basement, and then suddenly the producer said he saw a light shoot out from behind my head.

Nobody else noticed it, so we decided to check if the camera registered it. It did!

There was clearly a small ray of light which came out from behind my head and stayed there for half a second. I’m not saying this is proof of ghosts, but it was certainly an eerie experience.

But it didn’t end there though. Once we decided we had enough on camera we thought it’d be good to chat to some of the locals – you know, ask them whether they’ve experienced anything strange.

Well there was a house which looked pretty run down, and had it not been for a woman walking around in the garden we would have thought it was abandoned.

I approached her to ask a few questions about the history of Zofiówka. She told us loads of strange things happened around here but that she couldn’t talk now. Come back later, she told us. Well, when we returned she was gone. We asked the neighbors where she was and they told us that the house had been empty for seven years, ever since the woman who owned it died.

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TRAVEL OTWOCK

HUNTING FOR HAUNTINGS Thirty minutes from Warsaw, deep in the dark forests of Otwock, something truly terrifying lurks - an abandoned asylum famed for it's spirits... the Insider investigates...

BY ALEX WEBBER | PHOTOGRAPHS BY ED WIGHT

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

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TRAVEL OTWOCK

I

don’t like hospitals. I don’t like ghosts, either. I remind myself of this, but by now it’s too late. I’m standing outside a derelict psychiatric hospital and there’s no way back – literally. The taxi driver has sped off, and he’s been told not to come back for another three hours.

To award it its full name, I’m outside Zakład dla Nerwowo i Psychicznie Chorych Żydów Zofiówka. Founded in 1908, thanks to the charitable donations of Zofia Endelman, ‘Zofiówka’ originally functioned as a sanatorium for Jews with nervous and psychiatric conditions. Seen as a modern institution, it embraced techniques of the time such as electroshock therapy.

Then came the Germans, and you don’t need Google Translate to read between the lines of that one. Under the shadowy charge of Dr. Walbuma Jost, Zofiówka became the only Jewish mental health institute in occupied Poland.

Conditions were brutal, with starvation rampant and disease treated with either a bullet or a phenol injection to the heart. But it was to get worse. On August 19th, 1942, the hospital was emptied as part of plans to liquidate the Otwock Ghetto. Up to 140 patients were shot outside, among them Adela Tuwim, mother of author Julian. The remaining Jews were transported to the gas chambers of Treblinka.

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The Nazis then found a new use for Zofiówka. For the next couple of years, Aryan-looking Polish children were brought up here as part of plans to ‘Germanize’ them.

Alongside them, 100 German mothers reared 150 children under the guise of creating a master race fit to rule the future Nazi empire. Indeed, the story of Zofiówka is not a happy one.

After the war the complex was used to treat tuberculosis patients, as well as addicts and children with mental health issues. In the mid-90s the sanatorium was finally closed, but by then the hauntings had already began.

“A nun working at the hospital was discharged with schizophrenia,” says Marcin Mizera, “and hung herself a few weeks after.” After that, a chain of events unfolded that went beyond comprehension. “Paintings hanging on the walls were moving around, night watchmen were too scared to work alone.”

Long since abandoned to nature, Zofiówka is penned in by tangled trees and dense vegetation. The buildings that survive appear suddenly, as if unannounced, following a short crunch through narrow woodland paths. Throughout the thirty minute journey from Warsaw, the Insider has been swapping stories of the night before and catching up on ex-pat intrigues and anecdotes. Frankly, it’s all been a good laugh. Up until now. Now we are silent. Ahead of us

stands the shattered shell of Zofiówka, its black, empty windows daring us to enter.

Climbing through one, we stumble over broken masonry and rotted wooden panels. Clearly, we’re not the only ones who’ve visited, and that’s confirmed by a gun target left behind by some paintball enthusiasts. Moving upstairs, gingerly at first, the peeling plaster walls present a jigsaw mix of perfectly preserved tiles featuring intricate patterns and psychedelic graffiti of occult-like shapes. The effect is unsettling. But, stood on the balcony, we realize this is only the beginning. Peering above the trees looms the main building, a hulking structure that breathes menace into the air.

This time, no Chuck Norris moves are required. The metal door has been smashed down, allowing easy access into the guts of the structure. A long corridor stretches into the distance, and it’s tip-toeing down this we note with alarm that we’re definitely not alone... Otwock, I guess, has a limited nightlife and as such the local boys have declared the hospital their hangout. Aware of our need for a quote we approach a lager-sipping gang of floppy haired teens.

“Alright lads, you live round here then?” They answer in teenage monosyllables. We persevere. “So, erm, seen anything scary?” “All the time,” answers the leader, before slouching off to put an aerosol up his nose.

Not to be defeated by the lack of action we venture forth, the sound of our new friends fading in the background.

Labyrinthine in its floor plan, the layout becomes more disorientating the further we advance. A warren of chambers unfolds before us, sucking us deeper and deeper into the back of beyond. “Well,” booms the photographer suddenly, “I wouldn’t like to get chased around here by a madman with an axe.”

Up until now the experience has been odd but largely unemotional. I think, in part, that’s been because it’s been impossible to decipher the role of any single room. The bathroom, however, is unmistakable with its fractured fittings and porcelain touches. The sight of it sends a jolt through me. I’m reminded Zofiówka wasn’t built as a horror film set; it was a real place, of real trauma. The realization is uncomfortable.

It’s with this feeling that we scramble to the half collapsed roof. Up here, with the trees swaying below us, the nuances of nature feel more acute and pronounced;

head of us stands the “ Ashattered shell of Zofiówka, its black, empty windows daring us to enter

”

every whistle of the wind and every craw of the crows is amplified. Once again we fall silent. It feels strangely peaceful; sad but serene.

The same can’t be said of the basement. Rule No. 1 of any horror film firmly states ‘Do Not Go Downstairs’. It’s a rule that applies doubly in the case of former psychiatric hospitals – in these places, even rats avoid the cellar.

There’s a reason for that: edging your way down into the blackness everything stands still. You can hear yourself breathing. Every little sound makes you jump. And once the torch beam settles on a set of mysterious metal hooks protruding from wall the tendency is to panic. Scenes from Hostel play through your mind and all of a sudden you know ghosts are real…

Info box Getting to Otwock is dead simple and involves a 25km journey heading in a south easterly direction from the Praga side of Warsaw; journey time cuts in at just over thirty minutes. For a return trip you'll be needing less than zł. 50 for petrol money.

• Quick pick up and drop off • A selection of new cars that will impress • For reservations call: +48 22 572 6565 • Friendly English speaking staff Locations: Warsaw Chopin Airport & Marriott Hotel, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY: ENOTEKA

Top Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Roger Sabon

WARSAW INSIDER READERS CAN CHOOSE FROM A SELECTION OF THESE THREE OUTSTANDING WINES:

Many years ago I tasted Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Prestige 1998 and it was love at first sight. Therefore, I just had to add such an outstanding wine to my portfolio! by maciej bombol, owner of enoteka

C

hâteauneuf-du-Pape is a historic town in the southern Rhone Valley in France, famous for its rich, full-bodied, spicy and hedonistic red wines. The name means “New Castle of the Pope” and refers to the fact that the town, located just north of Avignon, was chosen as the home for the Pope's court in the early 14th century.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape - the most famous wine from the south of the Rhone Valley - is made of several or even a dozen or so (up to 13, in fact) grape varieties, but the leading grape is always Grenache. The soils of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are pebbly and sandy, which is very characteristic for this appellation and allows Grenache to express the most aromatic nuances.

The next most important red grape varieties are Syrah and Mourvedre.

The Sabon family is one of the oldest documented landholders in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. They have controlled vineyards in the zone since 1540! They have also cultivated the vineyards for several generations to preserve the cult of the wine, which is said to turn the worker into an artist.

Today the property, run by three brothers Jean-Jacques, Denis and Gilbert Sabon, comprises of 15 ha in AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape and also 17 ha of vineyards in Roquemaure, which is where Lirac and Côtes du Rhône wines are made.

As always, Enoteka offers very competitive prices for all these outstanding wines. The Roger Sabon selection is as follows: Plaisir Blanc (zł 34.50), Plaisir Rouge (zł 34.50), Côtes du Rhône (zł 39.75), Lirac Chapelle de Maillac (zł 57.00) and three classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge: Les Olivets 2009 (zł 99.75), Réserve 2009 (zł 125.25) and Prestige 2009 (169.50 zł, 96 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate). The most famous Sabon wine, Le Secret de Sabon (regularly 96-100 points from Robert Parker), needs to be ordered in advance, as demand exceeds supply.

The importer of these wines is Enoteka Polska, ul. Długa 23/25, Warsaw tel. 22 635 55 10, www.enotekapolska.pl Enoteka is one of the best restaurants in Warsaw, ranked in 9th position amid over 700 venues in Warsaw by TripAdvisor

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

Plaisir Rouge 2010 (extremely tasty wine at only zł 34.50)

Côtes du Rhône Rouge AOC 2010 (fullbodied Côtes du Rhône priced at zł 39.75)

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Olivets AOC 2009 (classic Châteauneufdu-Pape for the bargain price of zł 99.75)

Reviews: Casa Pablo 31 / Plus:

* 12 updates

RESTAURANTS

AFRICAN 31 / AMERICAN & TEX-MEX 31 / ASIAN 35 / BALKAN & RUSSIAN 36 / BRITISH 36 / FRENCH 37 / FOOD SHOPS 50 / GREEK & MIDDLE EASTERN 37 / HOME DELIVERY 36 / INDIAN 38 / INTERNATIONAL & FUSION 39 / ITALIAN 43 / JAPANESE & SUSHI 45 / JEWISH 46 / LATIN 46 / POLISH 47 / SCANDINAVIAN 50 /SEAFOOD 50 / STREET FOOD 40

KEY

Insider’s Pick

$ zł. 30 (per main)

BOW 2011 Winner.............

Breakfast menu .............

Business meetings.......... $$$ over zł. 55 Child friendly...................

Insider writers do Delivery............................. not accept any Free wifi.............................. form of payment in Map location pg. 78 ...... (A1) return for favorable Romantic.......................... reviews.

Vegetarian friendly........... $$ zł. 30-55

PHOTOGRAPHS OPPPOSITE PAGE COURTESY OF ENOTEKA

AFRICAN

Casa Pablo ul. Grzybowska 5A, tel. 22 324 5782. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-last guest; Sun 12:00-18:00.

La MaMa Africa (C1) ul. Andersa 23, tel. 22 226 3505, www.lamama.eu. Open Mon-Sat 11:00-last guest; Sun 13:00-24:00. The exteriors don’t go beyond some tribal paintings and exotic lamps, while parts of the menu will frighten the life out of you – baked cow back, for example, sounds like a cooked spinal cord.

Our beef/tomato stew was excellent, but the goat meat saw plenty of tactical napkin use.

And good luck with the gizzard. $$

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AMERICAN & TEX-MEX

aving stood in the shadow of other Mediterranean cuisines, it’s finally the turn of Spain to have its day in the sun. With four or five new restaurants to report over the space of the summer, Iberian food is finally trending; even so, it’s impossible to imagine this princely kitchen ever dominating the culinary map in the same manner as, for instance, sushi or Italian. So to find Casa Pablo opening practically opposite another Spanish joint is a surprise. Come on guys, what happened to solidarity? But brevity aside, there’s a lot to admire about this hot newcomer.

Set to the flank of a glinting office building, it’s easy to miss Pablo’s, a fact that explains why the previous two tenants – among them French chef Michel Moran – have failed to survive. On the Insider’s visit, the historic problem of vacant seats had yet to be resolved.

Even so, empty spaces in this eclectic looking spot are unlikely to be a long term concern. The reason for that is a menu that delivers on its promise to provide ‘creative Spanish cuisine.’

Page one is dedicated to tasty sounding bites, among them croquettes filled with béchamel and acorn-fed Iberico de Bellotta ham. The Insider ordered a plate to share, and what developed was a fast moving game of chess: the nine pieces vanishing in a rapid fire tit-fortat. This was followed by a chilled tomato soup with quail egg and ham: a tiny portion, yet thick, gooey and completely heavenly.

The bar was raised further by the mains. The partner’s scallops in chick pea wasabi (zł.

69) were declared a success, though not by me – with just seven on the plate I was ordered to keep my hands to myself. Instead, I was left dealing with something I hadn’t expected in a Spanish restaurant: a duck breast burger with Mahon cheese, raspberry ketchup and truffle sauce (zł. 65). Unbelievably, it was even better than it sounded, even if the price was audacious and the serving small and precise. It was down to a rich dessert of ‘Spanish custard’ to plug remaining gaps, and this it accomplished, acting as the perfect sign-off. (AW)

Amigos American Steakhouse (B5) Al. Jerozolimskie 119, tel. 22 629 3969, www.restauracjaamigos.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-24:00; Sat-Sun 11:00-23:00.

Sometimes, all you need is a good steak to make everything okay. This is not the place to find one. Usually disappointing, occasionally catastrophic, this Wild West eatery gets nil points for style, and even fewer for service. $$

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Barn Burger (D4) ul. Złota 9. Set to open on Złota at the start of October Barn Burger have emerged as the outright victor in the summer battle for Warsaw’s best burger. Served on wooden trays, burgers include the messy ‘Muppet’, a tasty affair loaded with sasla, jalapenos and BBQ sauce. $ Champions Sports Bar (D5) Marriott Hotel, al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. 22 630 5119, www.champions.pl. Open

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RESTAURANTS 11:00-23:00. Long-known on the Warsaw scene as a sports bar – ideal for large groups of large guys drinking large amounts of beer and watching a large-screen TV. $$ Dos Tacos (B5) Al. Jerozolimskie 123A, tel. 22 243 4618, www. dostacos.pl. Open 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:0024:00. Warsaw’s newest Tex Mex outing has been earning perfect 10s from the Insider’s who’ve visited. $ Hard Rock Cafe (C4) ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), tel. 22 222 0700, www.hardrockcafe.pl. Open 9:00-24:00.

Instantly recognizable by the giant neon guitar outside, this leviathan touts excellent burgers and a pierced staff of skater boys and rock girls. Rock’n’roll swag numbers Joplin’s blouse, Prince's guitar and Shakira’s pants. $$ Jeff’s (B8) ul. Żwirki i Wigury 32 (Pole Mokotowskie Park), tel. 22 825 1650, www.jeffs.pl.

Open 10:00-24:00. Warsaw’s best

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breakfast aside, head to Jeff’s for megasize portions of American classics of the burger-ribs variety. Find their twin branch in Galeria Mokotów, along with an identical roadhouse design of blinking neon. $ Sioux (D4) ul. Chmielna 35, tel. 22 827 8255, www.sioux.com.pl. Open 10:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-23:00. You might want to point the shotgun hanging on the wall at the chef.

Decorated with horseshoes and feather headdresses, the only reason to show up is to humor a nagging infant. Food-wise, it’s little more than a cowboy-themed version of Sphinx: mass market food for those who don’t know better. $$ Someplace Else (E5) Sheraton Hotel, ul. Prusa 2, tel. 22 450 6707, www.someplace-else.pl. Open Mon 12:00-24:00; Tue-Thur 12:00-01:00; Fri & Sat 12:00-02:00; Sun 12:00-23:00. After a summer sabbatical, SPE are back, touting a new edgy look that makes use of concrete colors and exposed pipes. The spicy, sizzlin’ Tex-Mex

WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

is fab, and added incentive provided by the rousing rock bands. $$

*

Tex Mex ul. Zwycieczów 11. Open Mon-Sat 10:0022:00; Sun 13:00-22:00. Featuring a street level take out window and a glum looking basement area, Tex Mex is an underwhelming experience where everything from the tortillas to the salsa taste like something you’d pick up in a supermarket. And, of course, there’s the obligatory dollop of Polski-style salad loaded with gherkins. $

Warsaw Tortilla Factory (D5) ul. Wilcza 46 (entrance from ul.

Poznańska), tel. 22 621 8622, www.warsawtortillafactory.pl. Open 12:00-last guest. The habanero salsa looks and tastes like molten lava, and is just right when paired with their hefty burritos. But it’s more than Warsaw’s premier Tex Mex joint; a firm ex-pat bastion, the barometer goes off the scale at weekends when live bands entertain a mixed bag of jiggling foreigners and hot locals. $$

ASIAN Asia Tasty (C3) pl. Żelaznej Bramy 1, tel. 22 654 6120.

Open 9:30-21:00. One of the great secrets of culinary Warsaw – for those In The Know this is the place for cheap, cheerful Asian food. Not that it looks like much, this is as basic as interiors get; leave the hot date outside while you pick-up a takeout. $ Bar Sajgon (D4) ul. Bracka 18. Open Mon-Thurs 9:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 9:00-24:00; Sun 13:00-21:00.

A cult budget eatery once found in the defunct Russian Market. Two years after the original went pop they’re back with a neat looking effort on Bracka. Decorated with palms and mint colors, this double decker restaurant gains particular approval for its pho dishes. $

Loving Hut (B2) Al. Jana Pawła II 41A, tel. 888 555 568, www.lovinghut.waw.pl. Open Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00; Sun 12:00-20:00. What looks like just another Vietnamese greasy spoon is, in fact, part of a global chain backed by a spiritual master. The reading material is creepy and cultish, but the vegan food is good if you’re that way inclined. $

Bliss Restaurant (D2) Rynek Mariensztacki, tel. 22 826 3210. ul. Twarda 42 (off Rondo ONZ), tel. 22 620 3519, www.blissrestaurant.pl. Open daily 12:00-22:00. Longevity aside, Bliss (alive since ’95) boast classically cliche interiors that make dramatic use of dragons and buddhas. Inconsistent accuse some, though you’ll struggle to find better Chinese-style ribs. $$

Natara (B3) Al. Solidarności 129/131, tel. 666 101 500.

Open 10:00-22:00. With a few wilting orchids and some symbolic pics of Buddha this bi-level restaurant won’t be in the running for any style prizes. The food is spot-on though, and after a brief panic during which we considered ordering everything – it all sounds so good – the Insider settled for duck in wine and a classic green curry. The results were outstanding: rich, velvety flavors and complex tastes. $$

Canton (B2) ul. Smocza 1, tel. 22 838 3823, www.canton.warszawa.pl. Open daily 11:0022:00. Here’s what Chinese restaurants used to look like in the days of Bruce Lee: filled with dragons and lanterns, this place is an outright assault on your sensory system. Wokking away for over a decade, it’s actually not a bad place if you want an MSG booster. The Gong Bao chicken gets approval. $$

The Oriental (E5) The Sheraton Hotel, ul. B. Prusa 2, tel. 22 450 6705. Open Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00, 18:00-23:00; Sat 18:00-23:00; Sun 12:0016:00 (brunch). Dark, intimate and very quiet hotel restaurant serving Thai, Philippine, Singaporean and Japanese dishes. The waiters are well versed in what the menu offers, so trust their recommendations. $$$ BEST WAWA 2011 “Sunday Brunch” Winner

China Garden ul. Kazachska 1, tel. 22 241 1010, www.chinagarden.pl. Open daily 12:0022:00. Allegedly the first Jiangsu cuisine restaurant in Warsaw, the tastes at the China Garden are indeed unique. On show here is everything from bull’s testicles boiled with soy sprouts, goose jaws and stewed bull’s penis with radish – I dare you. $$

Papaya (E4) ul. Foksal 16, tel. 22 826 1199, www.papaya.waw.pl. Open daily 12:00-24:00.

Papaya’s uncluttered, contemporary club-style space is classy with hints of luxury imparted by the strategically placed, top-notch cognac and sparkling wine. The Pan-Asian menu favors Thai and Japanese, but there’s also Chinese dim sum and Peking Duck. $$

Du-Za Mi-Ha (D4) ul. Widok 16, tel. 22 826 1871. Another Vietnamese joint, this one notable for fresh, healthy nem filled with crunchy, perky fibers.

At 2 zlot per pop, there’s no excuse to miss it. $

Little Thai Gallery (D3) Pl. Dąbrowskiego 2/4, tel. 22 827 4410, www.littlethaigallery.pl . Open Mon-Sat 12:0022:00; Sun 13:00-21:00. High gloss violet interiors and cute elephant candle holders lend this place no shortage of style. The food can be a hit and miss affair, though the curry dishes are usually every bit as good as they sound. So too the green tea ice cream. $$

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Shabu Shabu Hot Pot ul. Mokotowska 27, tel. 535 685 750. Open 12:00-23:00. Each table has its own set of hot pots installed and once you choose your broth and extras, you are the master of your

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RESTAURANTS Home Delivery Delivero www.delivero.pl Here’s the score: enter your postcode, then wait for the computer to kick into action and spit out the restaurants covered in your delivery zone. In general, the restaurants now err to the side of pizza and sushi choices. Internet ordering only, with no English language option.

Dominos Multiple locations, tel. 22 209 0000, www.dominospizza.pl. Open 10:00-23:00. They’re back! Years after shutting shop the Dominos crew return to Warsaw, and this time they’re better than ever. It’s strictly takeaway/delivery only (unless you count the stand-up table outside), but these guys get listed for what amounts to the best delivered pizza in the history of Poland.

Pizza Portal www.pizzaportal.pl Nationwide service and similar to Delivero: tap in your postcode then wait for a list of choices to crunk out of the machine. As the name suggests, pizza is the forte, though there are also a heavy selection of randoms – kebabs, sushi, pierogi. 24hr pizza delivery options also available.

Room Service tel. 22 651 9003, www.roomservice.pl.

Deliver to over fifty restaurants under their umbrella, and can also turn their hand to delivering wine, beverages and flowers.

Web and phone orders taken in English and Polish, with delivery charges tagged between zł. 13 to zł. 25. Find venues like Blue Cactus, Le Cedre, Namaste, Sense, Sushi Zushi, Tomo and The Warsaw Tortilla Factory.

Royal Menu tel. 22 244 2121, www.royalmenu.pl.

Phone and internet delivery options, plus English language website and English speaking telpehone operators. Min. order of 50zł, with delivery charges ranging from 10zł to 24zł (Warsaw outskirts). Credit cards accepted for orders of 80zł plus.

Restaurants covered by this mob inc. players such as India Curry, Na Zielnej, Osteria, Papaya and Sakana.

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own culinary destiny. We chose some seafood and some greens and were served a dish that was not quite a pad thai, but incredibly tasty all the same. A simple meal, but satisfying nonetheless. $ Sunanta Thai Restaurant (D5) ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 22 434 2216, www.sunanta.pl. Open Mon-Fri 12:00-23:00; Sat 13:00-23:00; Sun 13:00-21:00. Small but perfectly formed interiors and a menu that’s widely hailed by Thai devotees. The green beef curry is outstanding. $$ Suparom Thai (D6) ul. Marszałkowska 45/49, tel. 22 627 1888, www.suparomthaifood.pl. Open daily 11:00-23:00. Lovely interior with Siamese gold ornaments and gleaming dark wood.

The shrimp cakes are always worth a try. $$ Suparom Thaifood II ul. Wałbrzyska 40, tel. 22 853 3087, www.suparomthaifood.pl. Tiny, when compared to its parent on Marszałkowska, and distinctly unassuming. Suparom’s green curry is the ‘best in the world’ according to one reader, and while such a superlative begs for a challenge, none is forthcoming – not from us, anyhow. $$ Tien-Tien (C2) ul. Długa 29, tel./fax 22 635 3888. Open daily 10:00-22:00. A stained and seedy haunt that will look immediately familiar to readers who’ve strayed before inside Warsaw’s Vietnamese joints. Some rate the food - we don’t. $ Yummy (D5) ul. Wilcza 20. Open 10:00-22:00. The Insider’s favorite budget Asian eatery, even if the empty tables suggest dark forces at work in the kitchen. Modern and minimal, the lemon chicken is delicious. $

BALKAN & RUSSIAN

ul. Krucza 41/43, tel. 22 625 1040, www.babooshka.pl. Open 10:00-22:00.

This is one of those places that you enter knowing straight away that you want more.

Try the bacon-and-tomato-scented Solanka soup and the pielmieni “Moskiewskie.”

The no-frills interiors buzz with vodka tinged high jinks. $ Gemo ul. Minska 25 (Soho Factory), tel. 22 468 1876, www.gemorestaurant.pl. Open 12:00-last guest. At last, a Georgian restaurant without gnarled furniture and peasant fabrics. Located inside Soho Factory, Gemo has severe, industrial style accented further by steel lights and exposed pipework. The menu is modestly priced, yet includes several dishes to return for: the szaszlyk, for one. $ U Madziara (B3) ul. Chłodna 2/18, tel. 22 620 1423, www.umadziara.pl. Open 11:00-21:00.

Looking at it you wouldn’t expect much, but there’s a reason the homely U Madziara has won the applause of Maciej Nowak – Poland’s toughest food critic. That reason is Gabor, a top chef who’s happy to join customers for a drink… but only after he’s done the biz in the kitchen. The salmon tartar is a great starter, but nothing compared to his signature goulash.

Good luck finding a better deal in Warsaw. $ Varna (D6) ul. Lwowska 4, tel. 22 468 8792. Open 12:00last guest.There’s a few Bulgarian joints in town, but none that look this good; decorated with rich, ruby colors and Balkan embroidery the interiors are primed for an all-singing Balk-fest. The menu is cheap and cheerful, with the full list of hearty, homey classics.

The musaka is peerless. $

BRITISH

Banja Luka (E8) ul. Szkolna 2/4, tel. 22 828 1060, www.banjaluka.pl. Open 12:00-24:00.

Numerous meaty dishes from Serbia and Croatia are served inside a Banja Luka, a Warsaw stalart who’ve moved with the time and... moved. The new, central location is as pleasing as the last, with lots of clunky timber and imported ceramics. $$

The British Bulldog (D4) ul. Krucza 51, tel. 22 827 0020, www.bbpub. pl. Open 8:00-1:00. The pub design is wonderful, and straight out of Midsummer Murders with its Chesterfield sofas and Cutty Sark mirrors. But it’s been a downhill disaster since they lost the original management team. What could have become Poland’s original gastro pub now serves greasy burgers and, judging by the stench at the bar, lots of food that’s way over-fried. $$

Babooshka (E3) ul. Oboźna 9, lok. 102, tel. 22 406 3366;

Legends (C5) ul. Emilii Plater 25, tel. 22 622 4640,

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

www.legendsbar.pl. Open 12:00-last guest.

It’s a British pub first and foremost, but don’t forego the kitchen either. The all-day breakfast is a great way to stoke up your drinking powers, while other dishes of note inc. pies, sausages and mash and, of course, fish and chips. $$

FRENCH Bistro de Paris – Michel Moran (D3) Pl. Piłsudskiego 9, tel. 22 826 0107, www.restaurantbistrodeparis.com.

Open Mon-Sat 12:00-24:00. Bistro de Paris has always won the highest accolades from reviewers ranging from the Insider to Michelin. Here the food is exquisite, dynamic and flawless; whilst the service itself shines through all on its own. Perfect for dinner with the boss or wining and dining clients. $$ L’Arc (E8) ul. Puławska 16, tel. 503 171 682, www.larc.pl. Open 10:00-last guest. An elegant white/black eatery with elaborate plate presentations and crustaceans lurking in the water tank – the house specialty is lobster, and they’ve got it to a tee. $$ Saint Jacques (D4) ul. Świętokrzyska 34, tel. 22 620 2531, www.saintjacques.pl. Open 12:00-23:00.

Warsaw’s had a long liaison with France, yet the cuisine remains under-represented. This bistro plays the right notes with an intimate interior sprinkled with street signs and life-size

black and whites of distant day Paris. $$ Willa Borówka Hotel & Restaurant

Otherwise, just settle for the best Lebanese food in CEE; of particular note, the charcoalgrilled lamb chops. $$

(Milanówek)

ul. Królowej Jadwigi 5, tel. 22 425 3881, www.willaborowka.pl. Restaurant opens Mon 17:00-last guest; Tue-Sun 12:00- last guest. A wonderland outside of Warsaw. This beautifully-restored manor offers a wonderfully rich atmosphere and wonderful Belgian and French cuisine with delicious beers like the Blanche de Namur. $$

GREEK & MIDDLE EASTERN El Greco (B3) ul. Grzybowska 9, tel. 22 654 0458. Open 11:00-23:00; Sat-Sun 12:00-23:00. The grapevine was right – there’s a new Greek in town and it’s the best of the bunch; the souvlaki are ace and the interiors modern, intimate and a pleasant departure from the Greek caricature.

Plate smashing allowed and encouraged. $$

Le Cedre (F1) Al. Solidarności 61, tel. 22 670 1166, www.lecedre. pl. Open daily 11:00-23:00. With the decadent dazzle of a bedouin tent, nights in Le Cedre are best celebrated with blasts on a sheesha and their Friday night belly dancer.

Le Cedre 84 (B3) Al. Solidarności 84, tel. 22 618 8999, www.lecedre.pl. Open 11:00-23:00.

Legendary Le Cedre have a new venture, and this one looks even better than the original over the river. Deep plum colors work well inside, and we recommend turning up with a group of friends and splitting the Baalbak (six cold starters) or Byblos (six hot starters) menu. Aside from a candid A-Z of this cuisine, it’s a great opportunity to cover the tables with fancy little plates before causing a right mess amongst you as you share and share alike. $$ Paros (D4) ul. Jasna 14/16, tel. 22 828 1067. Open 12:00-23:00. Out of all of the Warsaw’s Greek contributions Paros dazzles most, with a glitzy look that’s a complete u-turn from the typical tawerna look. Owned by the same team behind El Greco, the menu is identical, as is the quality – good to excellent. $$ Samira (C7) Al. Niepodległości 213 (behind the National Library), tel. 22 825 0961, www.samira.pl.

Open Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00; Sun 12:00-18:00.

If you make the effort to find it, you’ll spot ambassadors, celebrities and artists scarfing down their excellent Lebanese kofta. Here you will find chickpeas, tahini paste, bulgar

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RESTAURANTS wheat, grape leaves, rose and orange flower water. Fresh cheese (Lebanese and Bulgarian) can be bought by weight from the deli counter. $ Santorini (Saska Kępa) ul. Egipska 7, tel. 22 672 0525, www.kregliccy.pl/santorini.php. Open daily 12:00-23:00. Forgetting the rather dubious exterior, Santorini – decorated like a Greek fishermans tavern – remains one of the top restaurants of its ethnic class. The lamb chops are fab, but for a real plate licking experience order the milfei as dessert. $$

Tawerna Patris Miedzeszyński 407, tel. 22 357 11 11, www.tawernapatris. pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00; Sun

Food, libation, atmosphere and joviality. We all deserve and need to nourish the body as well as the soul – and The Luncheonettes are here to help you do just that.

Pico Cuadro ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 81, tel. 22 826 1524, www.picocuadro.pl. Open 10:00-23:00.

C

arnivores rejoice. Pico Cuadro has you in mind. The sudden preoccupation with beef in particular in Insider land is no mystery. Until last year, any self-respecting food snob would have shunned the stuff, with the exception of perhaps the finest restaurants in town.

Common knowledge held that the Polish cattle industry didn’t understand the difference between beef and milk herds. But as with almost everything else in this magical country, that has changed.

Manager Francisco Lopez gives credit to both the Argentinean origin of his beef selections and the knowledgeable hand of their chef who spent twelve years cooking in Spain.

The Beef Cheeks (zł. 45) accompanied by old-fashioned mashed potatoes were tender and flavorful. The Oxtail (zł. 40), looking like pot-roast, fell apart in mid-air; it was reminiscent of grandma’s recipe, always a favorite.

We started with the Iberian Platter, paper thin slices of chorizo, salchichón and Spanishcured jamón. It was accompanied by a fine hard yellow cheese, olives, and a fresh tomatoolive oil salsa for dipping which nicely set the mood in the smallish and lofted location only a few steps from Zygmunt III Vasa’s column.

But the best was dessert – a divine chocolate mousse torte on a delicate cookie crust made in house. Not too sweet, not too thick, just right! Next time touring in Old Town, we recommend stopping in Pico Cuadro for a little pick-me-up of dessert and whatever wets your whistle, if not stopping for the whole meal. Your whistling will definitely improve with a bit of the house deep red Tempranillo wine.

Only open for five months, Pico Cuadro is still young enough to show its insecurities.

Much of the cuisine seems tempered to the so-called Polish palate, meaning it's not as free with the foreign flavors, combinations or presentations. While a Polish-Iberian fusion is understandable and safe – many of the items for the luncheon prix fixe menu are of Polish origin – Warsaw always warmly welcomes the more adventurous eateries. We are keeping an eye on this one.

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

12:00-22:00.

Looking dusty and disheveled from the outside, Tawerna surprises everyone who visits. Decorated with white plaster walls and pics of Greek harbor towns, the seafood starters are something else. It’s impossible to judge what’s better: the mussels in tarragon or the marinated octopus. With prices this moderate, we suggest you order both. $$

INDIAN Bombaj Masala (B3) Al. Jana Pawła II 23, tel. 606 688 777.

Open 11:00-23:00. A definite applicant for Poland’s best looking Indian, and instantly superior to Warsaw’s more shabby curry houses. The tikka masala is love at first bite, though the spice lever on the Madras needs jacking up. $$ Buddha (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 23, tel. 22 826 3501, www.buddha.info.pl. Open daily 11:00-23:00.

The days of the Raj are recreated in Buddha, a fine-looking curry house with intricate interiors and top-drawer curries. The murgh masala jhodphur is our favorite, a bottom burning curry that appears as ‘ouch’ on the spice scale. $ Curry House ul. Żeromskiego 81, tel. 508 870 774. Impossible to locate and rather seedy looking, this remote Indian impresses nonetheless with red hot Madras and delicious tikka masala. If only they could move closer…

Ganesh (D5) ul. Wilcza 50/52, tel. 22 623 0266, www.ganesh.pl. Open 12:00-24:00. When the service isn’t clanking around, dropping things or misplacing orders, they’re weaving between tables delivering what’s a definite candidate for Poland’s top curry. Inconsistencies abound, but the Madras is superb and the interiors chic, dark and moody. $$ Ganesh Express (A4) ul. Grzybowska 61, www.ganeshexpress.pl.

Open 10:30-22:30. Dinky, readymade portions aimed for a lunch-on-the-run crowd. Yes, the meals are pre-cooked, but the standard has been raised, alcohol introduced and the prices moderated. $ Himalaya Momo (F1) ul. Ząbkowska 36. Open Mon-Thur 11:00-21:00; Fri-Sun 10:00-22:00. Tiny Indian puppets hang from indigo walls inside what some term as Warsaw’s best Eastern food. The point is moot, but nevertheless disappointments are rarely found on the Tibetan/Indian menu. Only four tables, so don’t linger. $ ul. Żurawia India Curry (D5) 22, tel. 22 438 9350, www.indiacurry.pl. Open daily 11:00-23:00. Under new management, Warsaw’s most upmarket Indian restaurant is the corporate choice for when suits want it hot.

Never short of excellent, the prawn curries are something else. $$ Maharaja India (D6) ul. Marszałkowska 34/50, tel. 22 621 1392, www.maharaja.pl. Open daily 12:00-23:00.

A bedraggled looking old-timer set inside some showpiece Soviet concrete. Oily, unstimulating curries are the order of the day, so it’s surprising to learn the butter chicken is amongst the best in the city. $$

Open Mon-Thur 11:00-23:00; Fri-Sat 11:0004:00; Sun 12:00-22:00. If waiting times are anything to go by this is quite probably the most popular curry in town, and yes, pretty much everything they make is of gold star standard. Find the original, more modest version on Nowogrodzka, and a (very) slightly more upmarket offering in Old Town. $ Saffron Spices (D6) Pl. Konstytucji 3, www.saffronspices.pl.

Open 11:00-23:00. Set on two floors Saffron has a menu more limited than most, though they have at least finally introduced alcohol.

The murgh makhani is fiercely inconsistent, and the chicken, in the words of one reader, ‘strange’. Nonetheless, we like it – when the chef does get it right, this place scores well. $$

INTERNATIONAL & FUSION 12 Stolików (D5) ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 519 151 504. Open 9:0023:00. Affecting a chichi style, the look here is clean, crisp and scattered with lifestyle titles and autumn leaves. And forming the central element is the kitchen – yes, here’s a place that embraces the credos that cooking should be theater. The menu comes chalked up on a board, and while the alio olio was a little overcooked, the big guns were out for the steak – fabulous. Definitely one to watch. $$ Bagno Food & Wine ul. Bagno 2, www.bagno2.pl. Open Mon-Fri 7:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 12:00-22:00. With its huge windows and stark style you can’t help but think Bagno would work best in summer; all it takes is a grey Warsaw day to cloak this place in gloom. Which is a shame, as the food (and wine) really work here.

Our steak was nicely done, with a flavorful mushroom sauce and thick baked potatoes on the side. $$

Mandala (C4) ul. Emilii Plater 9/11, tel. 662 019 666, www.mandalaklub.com or www.indiaexpress. pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-22:00; Sun 13:0021:00. Whether the Madras is Poland’s hottest curry is a moot point (we say not). What isn’t up for debate is its popularity. Keen portions ensure you’ll be leaving with a doggy bag, and while we’ve yet to have anything outstanding, neither have we experienced anything under par. Internet ordering and delivery through their India Express catering service. $

Bio 33 ul. Grzybowska 61, tel. 22 409 9605, www.bio33.pl. A space age looking restaurant in the Platinum Towers complex next to the Hilton. Making use of organic products, the premise is simple: three salads, three soups, three fish dishes, three meat etc. The results are marvelous, but the prices are daft. Zł. 26 for tomato soup!? $$

Namaste India (D1, D5) ul. Piwna 12/14, ul. Nowogrodzka 27, tel. 22 696 3856, www.namasteindia.pl.

Bistecca ul. Branickiego 11, tel. 22 258 1243, www.bistecca.pl. Open 12:00-23:00.

WE WELCOME YOU TO BISTRO WARSZAWA FOR DELICIOUS MEALS AND LIVE CONCERTS. Old Town Square Tel. +48 (22) 635 37 69 Mob. +48 501 438 007 bistro@bistrowarszawa.pl www.bistrowarszawa.pl facebook.com/warsawinsider

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RESTAURANTS Street Food Bar Turecki “Efes” (H4) ul. Francuska 1, tel. 22 616 2580. Open daily 10:00-20:00. So it’s a kebab shop, but when the kebabs are this good they’re well worth the listing.

Either join the queue outside, or head indoors to sample the smattering of grill food and salads. $ Cheng Way (D4) ul. Chmielna 10, tel. 22 899 1626.

Open 11:00-20:00. Imagine a Franco/ Vietnamese translation of Subway and you have Cheng Way. Loaded with generous Asian fillings and sauces, the baguettes here are spot on. $ Okienko ul. Polna 22, tel. 603 771 483.

Open 9:00-22:00; Fri 9:00-24:00; Sat 10:00-24:00. Food through a hatch with pride of place going to fantastic Belgian-style fries served with a comprehensive choice of sauces (top marks to the jalapeno). Large portions are zł. 10, and do just the job on post-pub munchies. $ Soul Food Bus Corner of Mazowiecka & Świętokrzyska.

Open Fri & Sat 22:00-4:00. You can’t miss this place: it’s a big red truck/ bus. Their m.o is simple enough.

Eleven types of burgers, and seven quesadillas, served from late until even later. Note they do move around and the open hrs are subject to change – Facebook them for their latest GPS. $ To Tu Dumpling Bar ul. Niekłańska 33, www.chinskapierogarnia.pl. Open 10:00-21:00. Set in a ropey looking pavilion To Tu excels when it comes to dim sum. The kim chi soup is pretty special as well. $ Wurst Kiosk (H4) ul. Zwycięzców 17, tel. 606 133 134.

Open 11:00-22:00; Sat 12:00-24:00; Sun 12:00-19:00. Authentic German sausages served through a holein-a-wall with big dabs of mustard and fresh bread. The currywurst is fabulous, and there’s also Belgianstyle fries. $

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A warm and welcoming meat-themed restaurant, featuring one of the largest pieces of steak we’ve ever seen. But if you don’t fancy being chef for the night, stay away from the mixed grill – after a few moments of confusion we realized we were meant to finish the cooking process ourselves; a novel idea, but not what we had in mind when we went out for the evening. $$ Boathouse (G4) ul. Wał Miedzeszyński 389a, tel. 22 616 3331, www.boathouse.pl.

Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00; Sun 12:0022:00. For the supersize treatment head to Boathouse, a leviathan restaurant set in three acres of riverside parkland – perfect for lazy Sundays with family and friends. Freshly re-opened after a winter break, during which time Chef Luc has traveled the Mediterranean sourcing the best ingredients and snooping out new recipes. $$ Bufet Centralny (D5) ul. Żurawia 32/34, tel 523 749 160. Open 12:00-2:00; Sat 12:00-6:00; Sun 14:00-24:00.

With white tiles, an artsy carpentered bar and draftsman desk lamps hanging from the walls, Bufet certainly gets points for design.

The Hungarian fish soup is delicious, while the chocolate soufflé is airy, gooey and all things nice. But choice diminishes quickly – get there early to order the ribs. $$ Butchery & Wine (D5) ul. Żurawia 22, tel. 22 502 3118, www.butcheryandwine.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-22:00. A year on and this is still the restaurant everyone is talking about.

Having scooped the award for Gazeta Wyborcza’s restaurant of the year, reservations are essential. Served on wooden boards by staff in butcher’s aprons, the steaks are beyond reproach. $$

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Brasserie Warszawska ul. Górnośląska 24, www.brasseriewarszawska.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-22:00. A classic looking brasserie with crisp shirted staff and a chessboard color scheme. We recommend you start with a crab cocktail before moving on to the grill dishes. At zł. 110 the New York steak is a splurge, but well worth the not too modest outlay. $$

C.K. Oberża (D4) ul. Chmielna 28, tel. 22 828 4585, www.ckoberza.pl. Open Mon-Sat 11:00-24:00; Sun 12:00-24:00. A wood-looking eatery where towering plates of food present

WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

considerable challenge to carnivore appetites – come hungry. All the basic culinary needs are covered, while the Cesarska Deska Mięs features practically every animal to ever come out the wrong end of an abattoir. $$ Concept 13 (D4) ul. Bracka 9, tel. 22 310 7373. Open 12:0023:00. Perched on the fifth floor of the Vitkac luxury department store, Concept 13 has a look that’d be approved of by any lifestyle mag: hardwood floors, glass and plenty of open spaces. The menu is contemporary and cleverly direct, five course set lunch menus from zł. 50. Modern designer dining rarely gets better. $$$ Downtown Restaurant (C4) ul. Emilii Plater 49 (InterContinental Hotel, level 2), tel. 22 328 888. Open daily for Breakfast 6:30-10:30; Mon-Fri Business Lunch 12:00-15:00, Sat Lunch 12:00-15:00, Sunday Brunch 12:30-16:00. Dinner 17:30-22:00 every Mon-Thurs. There’s now a few candidates for Warsaw’s best steak, and Downtown have certainly upped the erm, stakes, with their new menu. Appealing to the serious spender, the US Longhorn (a cool zł.

185) is utterly unforgettable. Try it with orange whiskey sauce. $$$ Flaming & Co. (E6) ul. Chopina 5, tel. 22 628 8140, www.flaming-co.com. Open 7:30-24:00.

A superb eatery seemingly styled by Ralph Lauren. Winning rave reviews across the board, find a strong international offering and even a small playground in the park that it views. $$ Grill & Co (B9) ul. Żaryna 2B (Milllennium Park, Building C), tel. 22 646 0045, www.grill-co.com.

Open 12:00-last guest. Featuring plexiglass seats and clean, dark woods this place could easily be mistaken as one of the trend dens on Mazowiecka. A top (m)eatery, the filet mignon is perfect, and served with generous sides. Prices, too, are pleasingly moderate. $$ Groole (D6) ul. Śniadeckich 8, tel. 795 633 626, www. groole.pl. Open 12:00-20:00. You’ll find potatoes served everywhere in Poland, just not in the way we like them: i.e., with a crunchy, crispy skin and lots of hot, melted goo. Groole fill that gap with jacket spuds loaded with toppings such as spicy cherry tomatoes or chicken curry. A revelation! $

Kaprys (D5) ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 22 578 2232, www.restauracjakaprys.pl. Open 12:00-last guest. Like their service, Kaprys have had a slow start. We had a five minute wait for the menu, in spite of being the only customers.

The design looks formal and unimaginative, and the menu includes a bit of everything – it’s hard to define the cuisine. Our beef carpaccio was tasty, but sea bass – served with head, eyes et al. – was off-putting, and the potato wedges almost certainly from a bag. $$ Kultura (D2) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 22/23, tel. 784 044 051. Open 11:00-23:00.

An initiative from the connecting artsy cinema. Looking slick and polished, creative effect is added by the use of colorful umbrella-style lights, while away from the frontline find the hard work done by the former chef at Dyspensa. And yes, it’s a dream team in the kitchen, with desserts and cakes fixed by those who made Café Misianka the legend it is. $$

La Rotisserie (C1) ul. Kościelna 12 (Le Régina Hotel), tel. 22 531 6000, www.leregina.com.

Open Mon-Fri 6:30-10:30, 12:00-23:00; Sat & Sun 7:00-11:00,12:00-23:00. Incorporating ‘French techniques, Polish products and Italian influences,’ chef Pawel Oszczyk has created one of the top dining rooms in Warsaw, a comfortable space that’s both intimate and plush without ever appearing over-indulgent. The the tuna tartar is a magnificent starter, and the venison faultless.

Enhancing the chef’s talents is Andrzej Strzelczyk, one of Poland’s top ranked sommeliers. $$$ Likus Concept Store (D3) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 16/18, tel. 22 492 7409, www.likusconceptstore.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00. This former bath house is adorned by columns and handpainted glazed ceramics. A fine menu of fusion fare with an ‘artsy flair’ is guaranteed, with creative desserts to follow with. Over 300 Italian wine labels (not to mention tipples from Spain, France and Austria), as

well a selection of cigars make Concept a number one choice for that all important meal. $$$ Masz Gulasz ul. Piękna 15, tel. 22 370 2550. Open MonSat 11:00-22:00. Magda Gessler continues her campaign to takeover Warsaw with the opening of Masz Gulasz, a warm looking midmarket eatery whose menu comprises chiefly of thick stews and goulash.

Merliniego 5 (E10) Restaurant and Wine Bar, ul. Merliniego 5, tel. 22 646 0849, www.merliniego.pl. Set up like a New York bistro, Merliniego 5 is a cross between a whisky bar and steakhouse. It’s sophisticated, but not snooty and has some truly excellent steak and salad. $$ Nowa Kuźnia ul. Stanisława Kostki-Potockiego 24, tel. 794 16 019, www.nowakuznia.pl. Open 12:00last guest. Mere steps from Wilanów’s 18th Century church, this former blacksmiths passes muster with excellent steak and a

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RESTAURANTS cocktail list invented by Richard Winkler – former mastermind of Paparazzi and Porto Praga. The fish too is fantastic and fresh, meaning even without their clincher – the summer garden – it’s very much a destinaBEST WAWA 2011 “Kid tion to follow. $$ Friendly” Winner

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Pan Ziemniak Al. Jana Pawła II 41A. Open Mon-Sat 11:0021:00. With a custom-made cast iron potato oven and a menu that changes daily it’s not hard to see the draw. There’s usually about 16 toppings chalked up on the board, and these range from norm (tuna mayo) to the unexpected (chicken curry). $

Passe Partout (H4) ul. Zwycięzców 21, tel. 22 616 2882, www.passepartout.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00; Sun 12:00-22.00. The diverse, international menu has in its number some delicious ribs in BBQ sauce. The interiors are pleasant and non-offensive, though pale in comparison when put head-to-head with the garden; a lush sanctuary, it’s one of the best around. $$ Platter by Karol Okrasa (C4) InterContinental Hotel, ul. Emilii Plater 49, tel. 22 328 8734, www.platter.pl. Open 12:00-16:00,17:30-23:00. The hotel has roped in celebrity chef Karol Okrasa to head their revamped dining room. As a temple of nouveau Polish, the new layout isn’t a dramatic change from the previous occupant, Frida Restaurant - but the food is faultless. In

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particular, the herb garden salad with prawns comes immaculately groomed. An already excellent experience has been raised to talking point level. $$$ Porto Praga (F1) ul. Stefana Okrzei 23, tel. 22 698 5001, www.portopraga.pl. Open Mon-Thur 12:001:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-02:00; Sun 12:00-24:00.

Bathed in rich, ruby shades and Art Deco swirls, PP looks classy and elegant yet never too formal. Different species of Warsaw life happily co-exist here, enjoying a revamped menu courtesy of chef Marcin Wojtczak.

The cocktails are amazing as well – Bloody Mary is our standard bar-ometer, and here it passes the test with flying colors. $$$ Qchnia Artystyczna (E6) Zamek Ujazdowski, Al. Jazdów 2, tel. 22 625 7627, www.qchnia.pl.

Open 12:00-24:00. Suitably artistic eatery with imaginative dishes, lots for vegetarians, and a lovely park view from the terrace. $$ BEST WAWA 2011 “First Date” Winner R20 (F5-6) ul. Rozbrat 20, tel. 22 628 0295. Open 7:3022:00; Sat-Sun 9:00-22:00. This top-notch, casually elegant restaurant offers a concise, tantalizing selection of food with signature recipes from the head chef. Strongly recommended is the mouth-watering baked duck with orange and homemade ravioli. $$ Restauracja 99 (B4) Al. Jana Pawła II 23, tel. 22 620 1999,

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www.restaurant99.com. Open Mon-Thurs 8:00-23:00; Fri 8:00-24:00; Sat 15:00-24:00; Sun 12:00-22:00. The feeding trough of the business class. Back sporting a futuristic look, 99 have been pleasing diners since opening in the 90’s. The good news is they’re better than ever, with a modern international menu that includes one of the finest steaks in town, and the perfect margarita. $$ SAM (E3) ul. Lipowa 7, tel. 600 806 084. Bistro, bakery, hangout. However you choose to label SAM, it’s the talk of the town. Noisy Charlotte won all the press last summer, this time round its SAM. The cooling concrete interiors buzz throughout the day, with touches like communal tables well suited to the ascetic style.

Owned by the same lot in charge of 6/12, there’s a similar commitment to good, healthy eating employed here. $$ Solec 44 (F4) ul. Solec 44, tel. 798 363 996, www.solec.waw.pl. Open Tue-Sun 12:00-last guest; Mon 16:00-last guest. The minimalist and laid-back interior comes courtesy of Martin Walli, a Swiss-Polish game freak, and kitchen guru Aleksander Baron. The casual bistro-cum-bar they built is a reflection of their passions, a place serving up a small, daily-changing menu of soul foods made from fresh, seasonally appropriate ingredients, complimented by a massive selection of board games, cards and logic puzzles... $

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Soul Kitchen

ul. Noakowsiego 16, tel. 519 020 888, www. soulkitchen.pl. Open Mon-Thur 12:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-23:00; Sun 13:00-22:00. Set over two dining rooms the design is elegantly uncluttered: raw brick and vanilla colors. The menu is concise, but involves lots of ingredients picked from the finest local producers - some of it custom-grown especially for them.

This is contemporary Polish / international cuisine whose presentation is magnificent. A foodie draw. $$

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Sowa & Przyjaciele ul. Gagarina 2, tel. 795 505 152. Open 12:0023:00. The restaurant everyone is talking about. Opened to much acclaim in September, TV chef Robert Sowa announces his arrival with cracking dishes like guinea fowl with caramelized carrot puree with lavender and vanilla sauce – even better than it sounds.

Book ahead to enjoy. $$$ Tamka 43 (E3) ul. Tamka 43, tel. 22 441 6234, www.tamka.43.pl.

Open Mon-Sat 10:00-23:00. With a location looking at the Chopin Museum you may assume this place is all about boring food at tourist prices. Wrong. Chic and shiny, and with a cool glass frontage, chef Robert – a veteran of the El Bulli kitchen – does the rest with delicate dishes that could pass for art. $$ U Kucharzy (D3) ul. Ossolińskich 7, tel. 22 826 7936, www.gessler.pl. Open 12:00-24:00. Literally translated as ‘with the cooks’, you find your-

self in the thick of the action here, with diners planted in the kitchen area of the former Hotel Europejski. There’s a great atmosphere of orchestrated chaos here, with food served straight from the pots. Some are calling this the best meal in Warsaw, and it’s certainly up there…. even if the cocktails aren’t. $$ BEST WAWA 2011 “Restaurant Design” Winner

great words about Arse, and while the food remains fine there’s a distinct impression that their finest hour has long since passed.

A great play area for kids, it’s still not a bad option if you’re heading from Old Town with accompanying bambinos. $$

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VegeMiasto ul. Chmielna 9A, tel . 607 031 114. Open 12:00-21:00; Sun 12:00-18:00. A giant red mural flags VegeMiasto, making it impossible to miss. Acting as flypaper for student types, the menu is a vegan, largely gluten-free affair. Even staunch meat eaters should visit for the smoothies and shakes. $

Bacio ul. Wilcza 43, tel. 22 626 83 03, www.bacio.pl.

Open Mon-Fri 12:00-23:00; Sat 13:00-23:00; Sun 13:00-22:00. Under new management the new look Bacio has been decluttered and simplified and now features a tripped down look and a menu that peaks with the duck in red wine risotto. Portions are huge, and are matched by a quality that’s seen this once ailing giant reinstalled as one of the top eats in town. $$

Ye Goode Foode ul. Zamiany 12, tel. 22 254 4025. Open 11:00-last guest. YGF are back, this time in an off-center location in the middle of the ’burbs. Making use of unrefined oils and organic produce these guys take their cooking seriously – even the soups are made from spring water. The menu might not be as extensive as before, but it’s not a bad shout if you’re in the hood. $$

Bellini (D1) Rynek Starego Miasta 21, tel. 22 831 0202, www.restauracjabellini.pl. Open 12:00-23:00.

Queen of cuisine Magda Gessler brings her magic to the realm of Italian cooking with this spacious, enigmatic cellar restaurant just a few doors down from U Fukiera. Brilliant pizzas, especially the signature white pizza, with fresh mozzarella, provolone, rucola, pear slices and pine nuts. $$

ITALIAN Arsenał (C2) ul. Długa 52, tel. 22 635 8377, www.restauracjaarsenal.pl. Open 10:00-23:00. It’s been years since we heard

Delizia (D5) ul. Hoża 58/60, tel. 22 622 6665, www. delizia.com.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-22:00.

Scene of this Insider’s meal of the year, circa 2010. Unassuming at first sight, it takes seconds to notice that something is very, clearly wrong – the tables are full and the

Le Cedre 61

Al. Solidarności 61, Praga Vis a vis Bears Tel 22 670 11 66

Le Cedre 84 NEW

Al. Solidarności 84, Centrum Vis a vis Court Tel 22 618 89 99

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RESTAURANTS diners having fun. There’s two reasons for that, and they’re called Luca and Lorenzo.

Luca is the showman and waiter supreme, while Lorenzo the culinary master behind this much talked-about venue. Fish is their forte, with deliveries from Italy arriving Tuesdays. $$$ Enoteka (C2) ul. Długa 23/25, tel. 22 635 5510, www.enotekapolska.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-24:00; Sun 14:00-22:00. The menu is updated quarterly and beefed up with the harvests of the season. The house specialises chiefly in Italian labels whose BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

La Fromagerie Bistro & Deli ul. Burakowska 5/7, tel. 22 465 23 24 Open Mon-Thurs: 9:00-20:00; Fri: 9:00-21:00; Sat: 10:00-21:00; Sun: 11.30 - 16.30

Over the years there has been heated argument over who first created Vacherin, the French or the Swiss. The Swiss have finally conceded that the French were the first. Mont d’Or is always presented in a wooden box and bound with spruce hoops. These should never be removed, even when serving, as they enable the cheese to be contained. It is sheer delight on the palate... a taste that lingers, a taste one never forgets.... velvety and buttery. The surface of the cheese is moist, with a rind that is golden and slightly reddish. The pate is a soft yellow and creamy.

Find it now available at: La Fromagerie.

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price tags range from “what a deal!” to “worth it for a celebrity splurge.” The minimalsitic rustic interior is just the right spot after a stroll in the neighboring Old Town. $$ La Bufala (B4) ul. Sienna 86. Open 10:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 11:00-22:00. On the right day you’ll find the ex-pat proprietors of Warsaw’s more refined Italian eateries using this for their pizza fix. It might not look like much, but its reputation speaks for itself. $ La Tomatina (D4) ul. Krucza 47. Open Sun-Thurs 11:00-23:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-1:00. Calamitous, slapstick service and accusations pointing to the overuse of readymade ingredients shouldn’t detract from splendid pizzas served in a modern interiors of stark white walls and concrete floors. The spicy tiger prawn spaghetti is also great, even if the presentation looks like a student cooked it. $ Mezzo Italian Steakhouse ul. Sienkiewicza 5 (Konstancin-Jeziorna), tel.

22 756 3343. Open Sun-Thu 12:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-22:00. Tucked at the tip of Konstancin’s park, Mezzo’s wood-burning brick pizza oven constructed in the garden gets all the thumbs up. Also novel to the community is a chance to enjoy top-notch beef – using filet from Poland and T-bones from Irish Hereford cattle, Mezzo’s newly designed kitchen uses a lava grill to ensure excellence each time. $$ Nonsolo Pizza (A6) ul. Grójecka 28/30, tel. 22 824 1273. Open Mon-Sun 12:00-23:00. Design doesn’t figure highly here, instead the onus is on food – the salads are good, but the pizzas even better; maybe even the best in the city. Who says so? Only about a zillion Italians who order from here. $ Parmizzano’s (C5) Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel, Floor 1), tel. 22 630 6306. Open 12:00-23:00.

The prices are highly intimidating, but are offset by cooking that never falls below brilliant. Hotel restaurants get a bad rep, but in the formal surrounds of Parmiazzano’s diners can expect Italian food at its very best. $$$ Pomidoro (Konstancin-Jeziorna) Al. Wojska Polskiego 3, tel. 22 702 8777. Open daily 12:00-last guest. An authentic Italian restaurant located in a renovated paper mill.

WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

Chef Ricardo whips up some of the best pizzas, pastas and steaks you’ll find in this city. Try the spaghetti alle vongole or the bistecca alla fiorentina for a real taste of Tuscany. $$ Punta Prima ul. Obrzeżna 1B, tel. 22 406 0886, www.puntaprima.com.pl. Open 11:00-last guest. A formal looking space with wood walls and important chests and cabinets.

Start with a glass of prosecco before being blown over by mains like guinea fowl with truffle puree and caramelized beetroot – even better than it sounds. $$ Ristorante San Lorenzo (B3) Al. Jana Pawła II 36, tel. 22 652 1616, www.sanlorenzo.pl. Open 12:00-last guest.

Adorned with crisp, starched linen and Roman frescos this space is almost magisterial in design. The Tuscan menu is flawless and well worth the rather hefty bill. The wine bar on the ground floor features the same standards at a snip of the price, and it’s here you’ll find Italian natives cheering the Serie A football. $$$ Rusticoni Restaurant (C4) Złote Tarasy, tel. 22 222 0550, www. rusticoni.pl. Italian specialities, right in the heart of Warsaw. Choose from a wide variety of pizzas and pastas, as well as an assortment of meat and fish dishes, and a range of desserts, including home-made tiramisu. $ Trattoria Rucola na Miodowej ul. Miodowa 1, tel. 888 574 4357, www.trattoriarucola.pl. Open 12:00-22:00.

Firmly established in Saska, Ruccola have expanded to cover the West side.

The M.O is very much the same, with huge wall prints of verdant forest scenes, and a menu that impresses across the board – the pizza in particular gets our seal of approval. $ Venezia (E7) ul. Marszałkowska 10/16, tel. 22 622 1537, www.venezia.com.pl. Open noon-23:00.

What happens when a restaurant hits the skids? They call Magda Gessler, or more specifically her Polski version of Kitchen Nightmares. Reinvented under her guiding hand, Venezia are back with an exciting menu and an informal design that includes Venetian murals and a stone lion. Can Venezia reclaim their reputation? The grilled sirloin with chili says yes. $$

Vera Italia (Ochota) ul. Sąchocka 5, tel. 22 823 8380, www.veraitalia.pl. Open 11:30-23:00.

Where Warsaw’s Italian and other expats craving the real thing gather for Italian food.

Note that its popularity makes booking ahead a must. $$

JAPANESE & SUSHI Akashia (C4) Al. Jana Pawła II 61, tel. 22 636 6767; Złote Tarasy, ul. Złota 59, tel. 22 222 0333, www.akashia.pl. The glory years are over, especially if a visit to the Złote Tarasy outpost is anything to go by. We like our duck to be crispy, but this could have been blowtorched – we didn’t need chopsticks, we needed a chisel. The W.C could benefit from a lick of paint and all. $$ Besuto (E4) ul. Nowy Świat 27, tel. 22 828 0020, www.besuto.pl. Open 12:00-23:00; Sat 12:00-24:00; Sun 13:00-23:00. After years

trading in one of the grubby pavilions behind Nowy Świat, Besuto have upped chopsticks and moved onto Nowy Świat itself. The sushi is as good as ever, only now so are the views.

You’d have expected the prices to climb north to reflect the change in address: they haven’t. $$

tel. 22 825 7950, www.izumisushi.eu.

Open 12:00-23:00 or last guest. Izumi’s décor is a mix between modern design and Japanese style, which means it’s easy on the eyes but lean enough for you to concentrate on the yummy food. Plus, it’s a major spot for celeb-spotting in the city. $$

Hana Sushi (A1) al. Jana Pawła II 82 (Arkadia), www.hanasushi. pl. Dated decor of bamboo shoots and bonsai trees is made to look good by dreadful service and irritating elevator music. But it’s hard to dislike Hana – the ‘gunkan special’ is out of this world. $$

Kaizen ul. Świetlicowa 7/9 (Konstancin), tel. 607 128 840. Open 12:00-22:00. Dark woods and orchids warm the characteristically minimal Japanese design. The traditional sushi is delicious; however they also step in uncommon directions as they cater to Western tastes, with additional sauces, innovative inclusions and elegant plate ensembles. $$

Inaba (B5) ul. Nowogrodzka 84/86, tel. 22 622 5955.

Open 12:00-23:00 (kitchen closes at 22:00).

Located in an office building, this place is surprisingly quiet. The miso soup will have you licking your bowl and the sashimi and sushi sets are perfect. $$$ Izumi Sushi (D6) ul. Mokotowska 17 (pl. Zbawiciela),

Sakana Sushi Bar (D2, A1) ul. Burakowska 5/7 tel. 22 636 0055; ul. Moliera 4/6, tel. 22 826 5958, www.sakana.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00; Sun 13:00-22:00. If there was one winner in the sushi wars of the noughties, it was Sakana. Many claim it’s the best in the city, a stand that’s hard to dispute. Practice

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RESTAURANTS nimble chopstick moves among other aficionados while sushi rolls sail by on tiny, little boats. $$ Sushi 77 (B4) ul. Żelazna 41, tel. 22 890 1811, Al. KEN 49, ul. Polna 48, ul. Nowogrodzka 38, C.H. Skorosze, ul. Gen. F. Sławoja-Składkowskiego 4, www.sushi77.com. Open 12:00-23:00. Not the best in town, but definitely the best deal in town. Prices have been slashed 40%,

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Masz Gulasz Bistro invites you to taste over 30 kinds of stews, all unique dishes from one pot. Made only from natural ingredients.

Served with groats.

Quick lunches and delightful dinners.

Flavours from different parts of the world: Seafood stew, Pork stew with sauerkraut, Mix of beans with Viennese sausages, Pork stew with chorizo sausage, Green vegetables stew, Pork meat balls in hot tomato sauce, Hungarian goulash, White beef strogonoff with vodka, Pesto, Turkey curry…

Masz Gulasz, 15 Piękna St. Phone: 22 370 25 50 www.maszgulasz.com

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meaning you’ll get a highly acceptable sushi fix for an economy class bill. $

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Sushi Club ul. Stawki 3, tel. 22 114 1414. Open 12:0023:00. A couple of dining rooms to choose from, including one found in a restorative salt cave. The lack of English on the menu may leave you bamboo-zled, but the overall quality is rewarding. We keep coming back for the salmon nigri and tuna hosomaki. $$ Sushi Zushi (D5) ul. Żurawia 6/12, tel. 22 420 3373, www.sushizushi.pl. Open Mon-Thur 12:0023:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-03:00; Sun 13:00-22:00.

The No. 1 ex-pat choice, so it seems, with a front cover crowd who could model for Elle.

Survey the slicing skills of the sushi chefs from stools by the moat, and don’t shy away from their more creative inventions – find fish, fruit and cheese inside their Class A rolls. $$ Tomo (D5) ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 22 434 2344, www.tomo.pl. Open 12:00-23:00. Excellent.

While Warsaw’s other sushi stops gather cobwebs Tomo packs out each night – that should say enough. With the maki, sushi and sashimi bobbing past on wooden platters, this place aims for fast, maximum turnover without ever making the diner feel second best. $$

JEWISH Pod Samsonem (C1) ul. Freta 3/5, tel 22 832 1788, www.podsamsonem.pl. Open 10:00-23:00.

Operating since the 1950s – crazy when you think about it. This is the place for an ordinary meal in an ordinary space. The menu mixes aspects of Polish and Jewish cooking, and fails to do a good job of either.

Entertainment is provided by the staff: find them frequently at war with the people they serve. $ Rambam ul. Grzybowska 4, tel. 22 243 2693, www.rambamrestaurant.pl. Open Sun-Fri 11:30-23:00. Kosher-certified, though by no means the exclusive domain of the Israeli coachloads who tour the district. A chic look with Middle Eastern accents is paired off with exotic dishes that include a lamb burger with red onion chutney and mint sauce. $$

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LATIN Blue Cactus (E8) ul. Zajączkowska 11, tel. 22 851 2323, www.bluecactus.pl. Open Mon-Fri 8:0023:00; Sat 9:00-23:00; Sun 12:00-22:00.

A lasting legend and something of a favorite for after-work informal drinks, though recent reconnaissance has revealed plenty of deficiencies – our burrito was tiny, and not so much over-cooked as blowtorched: if it’d been human, you’d have needed dental records to identify it. Service can be calamitous, making the 10% added to the bill the subject of hot debate. $$ El Popo (C2) ul. Senatorska 27, tel. 22 827 2340. Open daily 12:00-24:00. The food is consistently inconsistent. Great guacamole, lovely margaritas and pleasant waitstaff. But that’s about it. $$ El Toro Steakhouse ul. Wiejska 13, tel. 22 625 7698, www.eltororestaurant.com.pl. Open 12:00-23:00. Decked with stone cladding, wooden supports and a mural of a Mexican desert scene, El Toro is a valuable discovery for meat loves out there.

There’s seven steaks to saw through, and they reach a hefty zł. 157 for the Porterhouse. A whole lot cheaper are the delicious Louisiana Hot Wings, though for fans of the Mex part of Tex-Mex the authenticity is open to discussion. $$ Frida Nowy Świat (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 34, tel. 691 343 434. Open SunThur 11:00-24:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-02:00. They’ve sussed the design and the location, but the food is more Pol-Mex than Tex-Mex. Bland flavors and tame salsas don’t encourage return visits. $$ Ole Tapas ul. Bracka 2, tel. 519 875 767, www.ole-restaurant.pl. Open 12:00-23:00.

A dual level wine bar and restaurant with a modern spirit and a Flamenco vibe. Don’t let the name fool you: while the tapas are good, it’s the steak most people come for.

Choice here includes aged Spanish beef and Kobe cow. $$ The Mexican (E4) ul. Foksal 10a, tel. 22 826 9021, www.mexican.pl. Open Sun-Thur 11:0024:00; Fri and Sat 11:00-01:00. Style-wise this place is fab, complete with an adobe courtyard and Corona chandeliers. But the authenticity crashes into calamity with the

food, which frequently appears as a mysterious gloop served with mashed cabbage.

The locals love it. $$

(E5)

Atelier Amaro (E6) ul. Agrykola 1, tel. 22 628 5747, www.aterlieramaro.pl. Open 12:00-15:00; 18:00-22:30. Nigel Slater recently called Atelier, “the most extraordinary meal of the trip,” and The Guardian’s gastro guru has hit the nail on the head. Find a menu of slow food enhanced by modern techniques (e.g. blasts of nitrogen), with each course interspersed with occasionally bizarre molecular interludes – you bet we didn’t expect to be served a fizzy aloe leaf. This is Poland’s finest restaurant, and a real contender for the nation’s first Michelin star. Bookings essential. $$$

Al. Ujazdowskie 13, tel. 22 523 6664, www.kprb.pl/amber. Open for lunch MonFri 12:00-15:00, dinner Mon-Fri 18:00-22:00, Sat 19:00-22:30. The Amber Room is, indeed, a bit of a treasure. Chef Robert Skubisz has excelled himself in creating a menu that injects upmarket Polish dishes with contemporary flair. Set inside a

Belvedere Restaurant (F8) ul. Agrykoli 1, (entrance from ul. Parkowa), tel. 22 558 6700, www.belvedere.com.pl.

Open daily 12:00-last guest. Set in an atmospheric greenhouse, known as the ‘New Orangery’ in the Royal Łazienki Park, this landmark fine dining establishment

POLISH Ale Gloria (E5) Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3, tel. 22 584 7080, www.alegloria.pl. Open daily 11:00-23:00.

Who said romance was dead? Here wedding white colors are fused with a strawberry motif inside this gourmet fave. Keeping patrons returning are aromatic dishes with a contemporary twist – try the duck in rose sauce. $$$ Amber Room at the Sobański Palace

RISTORANTE SAN LORENZO

majestic mansion, the recommendation they’ve received from Michelin is justly deserved. $$$

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features renditions of Polish, European and Nouvelle Cuisine, within elegant red, gold BEST WAWA and black interiors. $$$ 2011 “Business Venue” Winner Biała Gęś (F8) ul. Belwederska 18A, tel. 22 840 5060, www.bialages.pl. Open 12:00-last guest.

All the props and staff of its predecessor (Tradycja Polska) are present, with the conspicuous add-on being flocks of white geese.

And indeed, goose is the big draw here – t hese guys can fix you a whole bird if you book in advance (zł. 460 for four). As can be said of all places bearing Magda Gessler’s initials, the desserts are something else. $$$ Bistro Warszawa (B1) ul. Jezuicka 1, tel. 22 635 3769, www.bistrowarszawa.pl. Open 12:00-24:00.

The menu cites pre-war recipe books as its influence, and on it you’ll find such dishes as goose in thyme sauce with pear and zucchini.

The interiors are strictly contemporary though, with vanilla colored furnishings, wine racks and walls papered with hundreds of theater scripts

TEL. 22 652 1616 WWW.SANLORENZO.PL facebook.com/warsawinsider

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RESTAURANTS and book pages. Regular jazz performances draw crowds from across the city. $$ Chłopskie Jadło (D6) pl. Konstytucji 1, tel. 22 339 1717; ul. Wierzbowa 9/11, tel. 22 827 0351. A chain enterprise designed to mimic a peasant inn, what with all the clunky pots and rustic supplements. And if it’s farmers fare you’re after then the food isn’t bad either, with thick, lumpy servings of countryside classics. $ Delicja Polska (D6) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 45, tel. 22 826 4770, www.delicjapolska.pl.

Open daily 12:00-last guest. It’s one of those few places where the food is fabulous, service efficient and discreet and the interior reminiscent of a fairytale dining room. $$ Dom Polski (H4) ul. Francuska 11, tel. 22 616 2432, www.restauracjadompolski.pl. Open daily 12:00-last guest. Built for moments when nothing but the best will do. Prices are premium, but this piece of high society features an aristocratic temperament and fine Polish cuisine served with an elegant flourish. $$$ Dyspensa (E5-6) ul. Mokotowska 39, tel. 22 629 9989, www.dyspensa.pl. Open 12:00-23:00.

Back after a refit, Dyspensa now looks altogether sharper, cosmopolitan even.

There’s great people watching to be had from the raised window seating, and a menu of fine Polish fare with international accents. $$ Folk Gospoda (B3) ul. Waliców 13, tel. 22 890 1605, www.folkgospoda.pl. Open 12:00-midnight.

If it’s the all-singing, all-dancing village experience you’re after then consider this place. Clad in wood and rural debris the food is what you expect: bulky portions of farmyard kill. $$ Grand Kredens (B5) Al. Jerozolimskie 111, tel. 22 629 8008, www.kredens.com.pl. Open Mon-Fri 10:00-last guest; Sat & Sun 11:00-last guest. Delicious traditional Polish dishes such as golonka, żurek, karkówka and kaszanka, served in hearty portions in very eclectic interiors. $$ Honoratka (C2) ul. Miodowa 14, tel. 22 635 0397, www.honoratka.com.pl. Open daily 12:00last guest. This place has been around since 1826 and has played host to many famous guests, including Chopin. Honoratka serves

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delicious traditional Polish dishes and international courses. Live music every day from 18:00. $$ Inn Under the Red Hog (B3) ul. Żelazna 68, tel. 22 850 3144, www.czerwonywieprz.pl. Open daily 12:00-24:00. Bathed in red banners and propaganda paintings the Red Hog is your one stop shop for some socialist socializing. The menu is comically split between dishes for the proletariat and those for the dignitaries: the final result though is middle-of-the-road stodge. People – us included – return for the atmosphere rather than the food. $$ Lokal Bistro ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 64. Open 10:00-24:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-1:00. Dentist colors and voluminous ceilings lend an austere but pleasant look to this Polish-style burger bar.

Sit outside at the woodchip tables (oww! watch for splinters…) to enjoy burgers that incorporate Polish Red Angus, Baltic cod and mountain cheese. Our tip: order a towering double burger with red onion marmalade and homemade ketchup. Delivered on a thick wooden board it’s completely delightful – if not a little messy. By the end of the meal the table will look like you’ve just given birth. $ MG Eat Gessler (D4) ul. Chmielna 32. Open 10:00-23:00.

Now MG is not your signature Gessler venture; lacking the OTT interiors and flamboyant prices this is a clear departure from what we’re used to. In fact, you couldn’t even call it a restaurant, more a bio café/deli. The ciabbattas are great, and the FroYo outstanding. $ Na Zielnej (C4) ul. Zielna 37, tel. 22 338 6333, www.nazielnej.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-24:00; 12:00-22:00. Earning plaudits from all corners of the press is Na Zielnej, a dining diva which sources only the finest Polish produce.

Split into a restaurant and (marginally cheaper) bistro, the menu has had foodies raving, and includes divine dishes such as pheasant’s breast. And the interiors hit the mark as well – making use of the space vacated by KOM, Na Zielnej touts an edgy, engaging design of bare bricks and violet BEST WAWA 2011 flourishes. $$$ “Address to Impress” Winner Podwale Piwna Kompania (D2) ul. Podwale 25, tel. 22 635-6314, www.podwale25.pl. Open Mon-Sat 11:00-01:00; Sun 12:00-01:00. Set through

WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

a courtyard that replicates a Mitteleuropa square, Podwale has a beer hall atmosphere that’s further exaggerated when mountain bands circulate. Food is of average standard and served in portions that are obscene – finishing the wooden platters can be seriously traumatic. Go there for the experience, if nothing else. $ Restauracja Pod Gigantami (E5) Al. Ujadowskie 24, tel. 22 629 2312, www.podgigantami.pl. Open 12:00-last guest. Despite being judged worthy of a recommendation by the scouts at Michelin, Pod Gigantami divides local opinion; it’s not just the Insider that’s found the food only satisfactory. But the wine list impresses, as do the painfully ornate turn-of-the-century interiors. $$$ Restauracja Polska “Różana” (E8) ul. Chocimska 7, tel. 22 848 1225, www.restauracjarozana.com.pl. Open 12:00last guest. It isn’t just the impressionable tourists and new-in-town expense account communities that are swept away by Różana’s charms. It features starchy white table linen, floral pieces, flickering candles and live piano solos to a posse of attentive waiters. The prices are fair and the menu is a thoughtful selection of dishes from “Old Poland.” $$ Rialto’s Restaurant (D5) ul. Wilcza 73 (Rialto Boutique Hotel), tel. 22 584 8771. Open Mon-Fri 6:30-22:30; Sat-Sun 7:00-22:30. Bathed in toffee and vanilla hues, the restaurant in this Art Deco hotel has a solid claim as one of the top meals around. The pan-seared duck breast with honey pumpkin and figs is every bit as inspired as it sounds. $$$ Słony (D5) ul. Piękna 11, tel. 22 629 0364. Open Mon-Wed 8:00-23:00; Thu-Fri 8:00-1:00; Sat 9:00-1:00; Sun 9:00-23:00. The design is kitsch but classy, with mirrored touches and striped wallpaper set against upside down lamps and nudes of Josephine Baker. Polish canapés costing zł. 8 are stored behind glass counters here, and make for great bargain snacking – the eggplant is delicious. And yes, it’s got Magda Gessler’s name stamped on it. $ U Fukiera (D1) Rynek Starego Miasta 27 (Old Town Market Square), tel. 22 831 1013, www.ufukiera.pl.

Open 12:00-last guest. This townhouse has 500 years of history behind it, during which

RESTAURANTS time bills have been settled by princes and presidents, models and musicians.

Reminiscent of a stately home, this maze of enticing alcoves wins for an extravagant menu of locally sourced game. $$$ U Szwejka (D6) pl. Konstytucji 1, tel. 22 339 1710, www. uszwejka.pl. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-24:00; Sat 10:00-24:00; Sun 13:00-24:00. The place is named after a tubby fictional Czech soldier, but the grub is hearty Polish, XXXL portions at bargain prices. At zł. 15 per litre of beer, the mugs are constantly refilled to wash down the feast of sausages, ribs and pork knuckles. $$

Zapiecek Locations inc. ul. Wańkowicza 1, Al. Jerozolimskie 28, ul.

Podwale 1, Freta 18, Freta 1 & Świętojańska 13, www.zapiecek.eu. Open 11:00-22:00. Six Warsaw locales, with our favorite found in the vaulted passages of Świętojańska. The menu is highly traditional, with courses ‘cooked to grandma’s recipes’. It’s for the pierogi though for which they’re famous; find approx. fifty types delivered by servers dressed like saucy country maids. $

SCANDINAVIAN

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Nabo ul. Zakret 8. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-21:30; Sat – Sun 9:00-21:30. At last, Warsaw’s Scandinavian population has found a home.

Featuring a modern aesthetic the slick interiors contain a communal table and white brick walls, while the menu includes apple pancakes, salmon with chicory and the rather fab Nabo burger. $$

SPECIALTY FOOD SHOPS Bio Bazar ul. Żelazna 51/53, tel. 22 318 8855, www.biobazar.org.pl. Open Sat 8:00-17:00.

Fruit and veg in the first warehouse, some of it imported from as far as Argentina. In the second warehouse, find organic cheese varieties from sheep and goats, as well as import brands from Italy, France and the Netherlands.

British Shop ul. Emilii Plater 8, tel. 692 240 804.

British food and beverages inc. cider, bacon, sausages, gluten free ready meals, confectionary etc. Run by the same team who once operated Fish & Chips on Koszykowa, the offer has now expanded to cover non-food items inc. Royal Wedding souvenirs, England football paraphernalia etc.

Kuchnie Świata Various locations, www.kuchnieswiata.com. pl. The first stop for most ex-pats, with an offer that includes food and drinks from across the globe. The choice is vast. Internet ordering now also available.

La Fromagerie ul. Burakowska 5/7, tel. 22 465 2324,

Top Shop

Piwonia Al. Jana Pawła II 43A (Pasaż Muranów, Floor 1), tel. 664 137 277, www.piwazdusza.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:0020:00; Sat 11:00-17:00.

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www.lafromagerie.pl. Open Mon-Thur 9:0020:00; Fri 9:00-21:00; Sat 10:00-19:00; Sun 11:30-16:00. Top quality cheeses produced by small, artisan producers from England, the major regions of France as well as several other countries. Also, grourmet specialities like Italian parma ham, Spanish chorizo, French sausages, and hard-to-find luxury brands from France, Italy, Greece and more.

Marks & Spencer Various locations inc. DT Wars & Sawa, ul. Marszałkowska 104/122, tel. 22 551 7553, www.marks-and-spencer.com.pl. Visit the Marszałkowska location to take advantage of the on-site bakery, but visit early as choice diminishes the later it gets. Aside from baked goods, find an excellent frozen food section, as well as an off-license, tinned goods, ready BEST meals, confectionary and preserves.

WAWA 2011 “Gourmet Grocery” Winner Piccola Italia & Mediterraneo Locations on ul. Emili Plater 47, ul. Egejska 17, Al. KEN 85. Over 1,700 products, inc. cheeses from Lombardy, coffee from Florence and Olives from Puglia. And not just Italian: find a range of foods from both Spain and France.

Polna Market ul. Polna 13, Open Mon-Fri 7:00-19:00, Sat 7:00-17:00. Known as ‘Warsaw’s Market’ during communism, this was the place to get treasured goods from the West. Find a couple of wine stores, an outstanding butcher, and a fab produce stand selling only the freshest vegetables, but at a cost.

ive years back Polish off-licenses were a depressing experience.

In fact, most still are. No matter what clever ad campaigns the bods at Warka and Żywiec come up with, there’s no hiding the final result tastes like cheap aftershave. So to find most bottle shops stocked exclusively with such super brands is suicide stuff. Welcome, therefore, to Piwonia, a fab offy who specialize in artisan beers – the focus is Polish, but the rest of Europe isn’t ignored either. The shop itself – found upstairs in the Pasaż Muranów complex – is tiny, but they’ve found space for Europe’s greatest beers. Stuff from BrewDog, for instance, as well as the excellent AleBrowar range (check the Rowing Jack), and the largely unknown Kaszubska Korona beers. That you’ll recognize but a scattering of labels matters not. In fact, part of the fun lies in bagging up an array of alien lagers, before waddling home with bags clinking for a night of serious sofa drinking. That their e-shop and delivery service cuts out the walk is even better. In fact, the only way this place could improve, would be if they opened a bar. If there’s a better off-license in Warsaw, we’ve yet to hear about it. (AW)

Reviews: my’o’my 51 / Plus:

* 1 update

CAFÉS & WINE BARS CAFES 51 / WINE BARS 54

KEY

Insider’s Pick

Insider writers do not accept any form of payment in return for favorable reviews.

BOW 2011 Winner.............

Breakfast menu .............

Business meetings..........

Child friendly...................

Delivery.............................

Free wifi..............................

Map location pg. 78 ...... (A1) Romantic..........................

Vegetarian friendly...........

CAFÉS 5.29 (D4) ul. Krucza 51 (corner of Widok). Open Mon-Fri 8:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-18:00. Stuffed in an area of 5.29 sq/m, here’s a candidate for Poland’s smallest café. Maybe the world’s. But there’s not just great espresso to knock back while standing, but a great oven knocking out foccacias, bagels and fresh French pastries.

my’o’my ul. Szpitalna 8 (enter from Górskiego), www.myomy.pl. Open Mon 11:00-22:00; Tue-Thu 10:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-24:00; Sun 10:00-21:00.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KAROLINA KALINOWSKA

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y’o’my is easy to miss and quite easy to dismiss but you’ll be passing up quite a good opportunity to keep your taste buds happy should you do so. The space may be small but its kitchen is mighty and contributes to a perfect lunch-time break. It churns out tortillas stuffed to overflowing with all sorts of yummy fillings, and the same goes for their burgers… except they’re not so typical here, so don’t be surprised to find yours arriving on a bagel! Their smooth and creamy soup creations and spice teas come recommended for the colder months. It’s these simple yet satisfying food choices that definitely give my’o’my an extra dimension that most cafes in Warsaw lack.

Recently, I’ve discovered that behind most of the mouth-watering tarts and other baked goods that we always see in Warsaw’s cafes stands one brave girl - Zofia Różycka. Finally, my questions as to why they always look equally appetizing, no matter the place, have been answered. My’o’my is no worse off, Zofia is connected to them in two ways: through the oven and through her pen – her signature style can be recognized in the logo and the artful menus.

It’s easily the coziest place around, slightly rustic in design, with flower-patterned pillows, wooden panels painted white and winding stairs that lead to a charming second floor. Be sure to head upstairs if you’re looking for more privacy (an escape from the young and hip crowd that has chosen m’o’m as their go-to everything place – and justly so)… or if you happen to come in with a larger group of friends as the bottom floor may feel slightly claustrophobic. Even though one cannot hope for a patio lit up with strings of bulbs come autumn, staying inside with a slice of pumpkin white chocolate pie and a pot of tea isn’t a bad second – not to say a guaranteed way to warm up any rainy autumn day. (KK)

Antrakt (D3) pl. Piłsudskiego 9, tel. 22 827 6411.

Open daily 12:00-last guest. Intellectuals and playwrights gather in Antrakt, a quirky cafe that groans with antiques and artwork.

The presence of the theater next door keeps the IQ level high.

Aroma ul. Krucza 6, tel. 22 376 5475, www.aromaespressobar.pl. Open 7:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 9:00-20:00. An attractive Israeli owned spot with white painted walls and a busy café atmosphere – hissing coffee contraptions and lively sounds. The sandwiches are nice enough, but we like this place for their other offerings: cinnamon twisters, Belgian waffles and chocolate croissants.

Blikle (D3) ul. Nowy Świat 33, tel. 22 826 6619, www.blikle.pl. All-day breakfast: Mon-Sat 9:00-last guest, Sun 10:00-last guest. There’s a cultured, pre-war look to Blikle, a proud cafe with a 100 year history. Famous former clients include Charles de Gaulle who had a fondness for their donuts.

Bubbleology ul. Chmielna 26, www.bubbleology.pl.

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CAFÉS & WINE BARS Open 11:00-23:00. Looking like a 26th century version of Willy Wonka’s factory (psychedelic colors, Japanese lettering, and doors marked Top Secret), this place is no ordinary café.

But that’s down to the drinks, rather than the décor. ‘Bubble Tea’ is the beverage here, with an arsenal of fruit flavors made by zany lab coated staff.

Café 6/12 (E5) ul. Żurawia 6/12, tel. 22 622 5333,

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Słony Magda Gessler invites you for the best breakfast in Warsaw in the morning and for snacks served with wine and ‘shots’ of lager in the evening and night.

We recommend:

• “Sznytki” - small canapès with spreads (also available for takeaway and catering) • The best white sausage in Warsaw • Herring served in different styles • Viennese specialties: leberkäse, debreciner and Frankfurter sausages • Breakfast sets and breakfast à la carte.

On the weekends served till 4 p.m.

• Wide selection of gluten-free dishes Słony, 11 Piękna St. (crossroads of Piękna St. and Krucza St.) Tel. 22 629 0364; 506 052 093 www.slony.pl; slony@slony.pl

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www.612.pl. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-23:00; Sat 10:00-24:00; Sun 10:00-23:00.

Famous for dispensing complicated fruit and vegetable smoothies, 6/12 have even introduced a full diet plan: pop-by for breakfast, then grab a goodie bag packed with balanced meals and snacks for the day ahead. Being healthy has never tasted better.

Or looked better for that matter; still very much the choice haunt for the in-team.

BEST WAWA 2011 “Cafe Culture” Winner Café Galeria Sztuki (F1) ul. Ząbkowska 13, tel. 22 619 8109, www. caffee.stanowski.pl. Open 9:00-last guest; Sat-Sun 10:00-last guest. Located in a restored tenement, Sztuki is defined by raw brick, whitewashed walls and antique furniture… with price tags attached. Yes, if you like the chair you’re sitting on, feel free to buy it. The summery iced lattes are divine.

distant memory, replaced instead by a middle class crowd and a cleaned up look. On this occasion, change has not been for the better.

Coffee Karma (D6) pl. Zbawiciela 3/5, tel. 22 875 8709, www.coffeekarma.eu. Open Mon-Fri 7:3022:00; Sat 9:00-22:00, Sun 10:00-22:00.

Order a smoothie, switch off the phone, open the book – it’s that sort of place.

Concerts and art shows figure in their repertoire, as does rather good coffee. But to see Coffee Karma at her best, wait for the spring terrace.

Czuły Barbarzyńca (E3) ul. Dobra 31, tel. 22 826 3294, www.czulybarbarzynca.pl. Open Mon-Fri 10:00-22:00; Sat 10:00-23:00; Sun 12:0022:00. A very charming bookstore and café in one.

Café Lorentz Al. Jerozolimskie 3. Open Mon 10:00-20:00; Tue-Sat 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-21:00. Set at the front of the National Museum this place has a nice indoor area with high ceilings and minimalist decorations and a green outdoor area populated by wickers chairs and hammocks. As is the rage in Warsaw, the menu is light, natural and healthy.

Dziurka od Klucza (E3) ul. Radna 22 881 8677. Open Mon-Sun 12:0021:00. Dziurka serves an ambiguous role as a bar, restaurant and cafe. Curious doors sit embedded on the wall, as if waiting to be opened by the keys that hang on the tree outside.

Flowers, plant pots and violet splashes give it a cheerful spin, while the Italian inspired menu isn’t short on creative flair.

Café Próżna (C3) ul. Próżna 12, tel. 22 620 3257, www.cafeprozna.pl. Open Sun-Thur 10:0023:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-24:00. Ignoring the fact that most of this street looks ready to fall down, the artsy-looking Próżna comes with a chic, ice white look, and a stack of hard-back tomes to compliment the homemade desserts. Even better at night, when soaked in the glow of dozens of candles.

Haagen Dazs (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 36, tel. 22 826 3052.

Open 10:00-20:00. The mango sorbet is out of this world, albeit served inside generic, showroom interiors.

Café Vincent (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 64, tel. 22 828 0115.

Open daily 6:30-24:00. A must-stop, Cafe Vincent is your ultimate French connection: a bakery, pastry shop and bistro. It offers freshly baked treats from almond croissants to delicate brioches.

Chłodna 25 (B3) ul. Chłodna 25, tel. 22 620 2413, www.chlodna25.pl. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-last guest; Sat & Sun 10:00-last guest. Once known for its battered look and antiestablishment attitude, C25 has undergone gentrification. It all began with losing their alcohol license. Now, all the dreadlocks, piercings and second hand furniture are a

WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

Kafka Café (E3) ul. Oboźna 3, tel.22 826 0822, www.kawiarnia-kafka.pl. Open Mon-Fri 9:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-22:00. Floor-toceiling glass walls, retro checkered floor tiles and rows of pre-loved books lining shelves characterize this café hotspot. They serve salads, pastas and pancakes and tote plenty of “free” factors: free wi-fi, smoke-free interiors and attitude-free waitresses.

Kawiarnia Ogrody (D2) ul. Mariensztat 21A, tel. 22 826 2898, www.kawiarniaogrody.pl. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-22:00, 9:00-22:00; Sun 11:00-20:00.

The black and white decor manages to strike a perfect balance between grungy and chic. Kawiarnia Ogrody is located on the beautiful, old-timey Mariensztat, and serves a selection of coffee drinks, shakes, snacks and pastries. Watch out, the ‘large’ coffee is actually huge!

KluboKawiarnia Towarzyska ul. Zwycięzców 49, www.klubokawiarnia.net.

Open 9:00-last guest. Urban cool penetrates Saska. With an interior modeled by John Strumiłło, this 50s pavilion has an ascetic design defined by polar white interiors.

Contrast is provided downstairs, with deep magenta walls and retro armchairs. Concerts, screenings and art happenings have launched it into local conscience.

La Vanille (D5) ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 22 578 2233, www.lavanille.pl. Open 8:00-20:00. In much the same way Charlotte is so much more than a bakery, La Vanille is definitely more than your standard confectioners. Thick with the scent of icing sugar, it looks sharp and sleek with glossy lifestyle mags tossed on battleship grey sofas. But it’s the counter that acts as a magnetic force, and it’s here you’ll find fantastic cupcakes of all color and flavor spread out in precise military formation.

Limoni Canteri 1952 (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 52. Open 8:00-22:00. What appears as a run-of-the-mill high street cafe is anything but. The ice cream here is sensational, with unconventional flavors that deviate from the norm – really, have you ever ordered a cone of tomato and beer flavored ice cream? Italian run, it’s a must in the summer.

Lody na Patyku (E3) ul. Lipowa 7A. Open 10:00-23:00. One of our favorite openings of the summer; selling ice lollies of every shape, size, flavor and color,

this unexpected project is an initiative of the guys who run Warszawa Powiśle and Syreni Śpiew. Looking clinical and white, it’s a star of the summer.

Magiel Café ul. Stępińska 2, tel. 22 841 0016, www.magielcafe.pl. Open Mon-Sat 11:0022:00; Sun 12:00-21:00. Situated in a former laundrette, sweet looking Magiel comes crowded with rusting mangles and vintage posters advertising soaps and powders.

Featuring some delicious homemade meals inspired influenced by both the Polish and Mediterranean spirit, this place also gets noted for estoreric Polish beers, as well as a series of French wines sourced from private vineyards.

a painfully vogue crowd comparing boutique buys over gourmet coffee.

MiTo (D6) ul. Waryńskiego 28, tel. 2 629 0815, www.mito.art.pl. Open Mon-Fri 7:00-22:00; 9:00-23:00. Café, gallery, bookstore. Sure, we’ve seen that concept before, just not done in this style. Stark white backgrounds are offset by modern art, lending the place a Tate Modern feel.

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Moments ul. Nowy Swiat 6/12, www.tastylife.pl. Open Mon-Thu 7:30-22:00; Fri 7:30-24:00; Sat 10:00-24:00; Sun 10:00-22:00. A prime location in the ingenious construction of a twostorey glass prism under the Financial Center’s Między Nami (D4) arcades. So forget the gloomy, dusty corners of ul. Bracka 20, www.miedzynamicafe.com, Warsaw’s cafes and immerse yourself inside tel. 22 828 5417. Open Mon-Thur 10:00-23:00; a sleek space bathed in light that comes Fri-Sat 10:00-24:00; Sun 13:00-23:00. One of streaming through all four walls. Moments Warsaw’s enduring legends, and as popular at knows many incarnations and slides with ease night as it is during the day; media types love between cosmopolitan cafe, modern eatery it, and you’ll find them pecking on quesadilla and communal wine bar. type snacks inside a hip, white interior.

Petit Appetit (D4) Ministerstwo Kawy ul. Nowy Świat 27, www.petitappetit.pl. Open ul. Marszałkowska 27/35, tel. 512 091 840, 6:30-23:30. Cartoon murals, brickwork and www.ministerstwokawy.pl. Open Mon-Fri that must for the season – a communal 8:00-21:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-22:00. Were it not table – all contribute to marking Petit Appetit for the fact MK opened after voting had closed, as something of a winner. Their real success you’d have bet your bottom zlot this would though is as a bakery: loaves, baguettes, have romped home with our ‘best café’ award. pastries are produced to expert standard.

Decorated sparingly with white wall tiles and wooden floors, this newbie numbers some ace Piaskownica (E3) ul. Lipowa 7A. Open 9:00-last guest; Fri-Sat fruit drinks amongst its greater glories. Find

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CAFÉS & WINE BARS 11:00-last guest. During daylight it’s a coffee bar; come nightfall beer becomes the choice of the people. Popular with college kids, find announcements like ‘Tofu Attack’ chalked on the blackboards.

Prosta Historia (H4) ul. Francuska 24, tel. 505 277 660. Open Mon-Fri 12:00-22:30; Sat-Sun 10:00-22:30.

An attractive Saska café decked with pale white colors, and steel lights overhead.

Service can be frustrating, and some call the food overpriced, factors which are offset by a high street location: perfect for a spot of people watching.

Przystanek MDM ul. Waryńskiego 9/1, tel. 509 031 062. Open 7:00-24:00; Sat-Sun 9:00-24:00. A retro themed café with its feet firmly planted in the 50s – check out the gaudy PRL armchairs and the giant black and white of pl. Konstytucji.

The range of unfiltered local beers makes it that bit more than just a café.

Saint Honore (D3) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 20/22, tel.

508 143 987, ul. Grzybowska 61 (Platinum Towers), www.saint-honore.pl.Open 8:0021:00. Accept no imitation, here’s the best bakery around. And aside from fresh baguette sandwiches, find authentically French cakes, croissants and pastries. Śniadaniownia ul. Dąbrowskiego 38, tel. 507 513 502. Open 8:00-15:00; Sat-Sun 9:00-17:00. A bright looking breakfast bar with pale woods and pot plants to offset any early morning trauma.

The day’s breakfast sets are scrawled up on a blackboard, and usually involve a number of healthy living options to kicks start the day.

Socjal (E4) ul. Foksal 18, tel. 601 318 966. Open 9:00-4:00.

Looking raw, industrial and refreshingly ascetic, the principal feature of Socjal is the long communal table – who you end up talking to is down to the dice. There’s few better places to order the Prosecco and act oh so continental.

Sto900 (E3) ul. Solec 18/20, tel. 787 696 241. Open 9:0022:00; Fri 9:00-24:00; Sat 10:00-24:00; Sun 10:00-22:00. A fabulous café/restaurant with a spontaneous design that jumbles bricks and wood with mismatched furniture. From the outside, this place looks like the entrance to a squat, so be surprised to learn it’s not just

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the atmosphere that’s ace. The menu changes daily, but usually involves commendable burgers (with a daring but successful addition of beetroot) alongside more unexpected dishes: e.g. eko-falafel.

WINE BARS Charlotte (D6) pl. Zbawiciela, tel. 22 628 4459. Open MonFri 7:00-24:00; Sat 9:00-24:00; Sun 9:0022:00. Further proof of Zbawiciela’s rising star is Charlotte, a trendy boulangerie/wine bar. With seating spilling out underneath the colonnades outside, this was easily the hit of the summer. Pandering to the hipsters and trendies, you’d expect this sort of place BEST WAWA 2011 in Hoxton, London.

“Newcomer & People Watching” Winner Enoteka (C2) ul. Długa 23/25, tel. 22 635 5510, www.enotekapolska. pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-midnight; Sun 14:0022:00. Located just outside the Old Town, this minimalist wine bar is a great place for a date.

Wines from top European wine makers are impressive and the prices are very decent.

Esencja Smaku (D9) ul. Odolańska 10, tel. 22 845 0944, www.esencjasmaku.pl. A small bistro characterized by a casual décor and a laidback atmosphere. Includes a seasonal menu of light dishes.

Joseph’s Wine & Food ul. Duchnicka 3, tel. 22 320 2989, www.josephwinebar.pl.

Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00. This newlyopened restaurant, bar and wine shop features great atmosphere and amiable staff. Don’t come here for a quick dinner. Instead, come here to drink the wine and savor the rich and inventive meals. Service is slow, but rightly so, leaving guests with just enough time to regain their appetite for seconds. Being firmly tucked away from the center in a renovated factory allows you to easily whittle away the hours.

Jung & Lecker (C5) ul. Emilii Plater 14, tel. 22 866 6749, www.prawdziwewina.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-20:00; Sat 10:00-18:00. J&L’s new wine bar on ul. Emilii Plater 14 offers

WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

minimalist, café-style chic. The locale offers daily specials that feature two four-course menus. The shops’ wines are sourced directly from 15 wineries in Germany’s famed Pfalz, Rheinhessen, Rheingau and Mosel regions.

The summer courtyard garden is a particular standout feature.

Les Secrets de Vin ul. Walecznych 68, tel. 780 578 571, www.secretsduvin.pl. Open Sun, Tues-Thurs 11:00-20:30; Fri-Sat 11:00-24:00. A small enterprise run by a pair of wine lovers – one of them, a certified graduate from l’Universite du Vin. The menu comprises of tapas snacks, and they also run wine tasting classes and Mediterranean language courses.

Merliniego 5 (E10) ul. Merliniego 5, tel. 22 646 0849, www.merliniego.pl. Set up like a New York bistro, Merliniego 5 is a cross between a whisky bar and steakhouse. It’s sophisticated, but not snooty and has some truly excellent steak and salad.

Mielżyński Wine Bar (A1) ul. Burakowska 5/7, tel. 22 636 8709, www.mielzynski.pl. Open daily 9:00-24:00 (kitchen closes at 23:00). Some call it the best wine bar in Warsaw, others the best in Poland.

Either way, this place hits the right notes with a wonderfully simple gourmet menu, old and new world wines and a chic warehouse design filled to bursting with crates and boxes.

Vinoteka 13 + Wine Bar (D3) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 16/18, tel. 22 492 7407, www.vinoteka13.pl. Open Mon-Sun 11:00-last guest. This premium wine shop and bar is tucked away in the beautiful Likus Concept Store. It sports a wide selection of fine wines from Italy, France, and Spain, along with some stronger spirits and Cuban cigars at a varied price range. Also serves a tasting menu of cheeses and deli meats.

WinKolekcja (E10) ul. Olkuska 8, tel. 22 646 8742, www.winkolekcja.pl. Open 11:00-23:00; Sun 12:00-20:00. You can’t pick your neighbors...

In WinKolekcja’s case, that means a kebab shop opposite and a bottle bank with a constant stream of street bums. But in spite of the curious location, this new wine bar/ store looks set to thrive; the wine choice is comprehensive, and the food excellent. The design has the routine look of a club class lounge area; even so, it’s a timely addition to an area not rich in options.

Reviews: Champagne Bar 55 / Plus:

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NIGHTLIFE BARS & PUBS 55 / CLUBS 58 / GENTLEMAN’S CLUBS 60

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Insider’s Pick

Insider writers do not accept any form of payment in return for favorable reviews

BOW 2011 Winner.............

Food Served....................

Free wifi..............................

Live Music..........................

Map location pg. 78 ...... (A1) Romantic..........................

BARS & PUBS Bar Tektura (D5) ul. Poznańska 12, tel. 22 702 9647.

Open 12:00-last guest. Here’s a hyper cool haunt with a look anchored by brick and cardboard as the main decorative element (check the ornamental bison’s head), with additional touches including taps for coat hangers and Banksy-style wall art. And creativity is encouraged among the regulars – find pencils and papers on each table.

The ‘Polski tapas’ are great, yet not nearly as good as the Estonian cider.

Champagne Bar ul. Mokotowska 43, tel. 22 625 0818. Open Tue-Sat 12:00-2:00; Sun 13:00-20:00.

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here’s a few bars I hold in contempt, and my sixth sense suggested the launch of Champagne Bar would inflate the figure further; the name alone conjures vulgar visions of leering footballers and blinged up rappers. To be honest, even before stepping foot in here I pondered sending them a pipe bomb. I’m glad I didn’t, because that act of terrorism would have deprived Warsaw of a magnificent bar. Yep, my intuition was wrong.

Firstly, you won’t find any reality TV airheads in here. In fact, you won’t find many people: over two long visits it’s only been the Insider on the paying side of the bar. Clearly, it’s not just us intimidated by the name. Yet aside from sounding pretty prohibitive, the name is also misleading.

Of course, champagne does play a big role here, and as the Dom Perignon branded directors chairs indicate, all the big brands are present. And while it’s easy to break the bank (bottles of Krug Rose weigh in at a stonking zł. 2,100), it’s also possible to enjoy a glass of fizz for a very fair zł. 50. Pair that with oysters and you have a nice start to the night.

But the real sparkle doesn’t come from the bubbles it comes from the bar tenders – a fantastic double act who’ve mastered mixology. Yes, give the champagne a go, but the moment you’ve had a glass put your flight goggles on and get ready for the cocktails; nowhere in town comes anywhere close. I’m a fan of the Flaming Pimms, but even so, you’re missing out if you stick to the menu. These guys love a challenge, and it’s their off-list creations that go the extra mile.

Complimenting their skills is a design that looks classic and elegant with chessboard tiling and crystal clear mirrors. So it’s a shame that the effect is seemingly spoiled by pictures of Roger Moore & Co. winking from the walls: do we really need that to emphasize its class? I’d say no. But that’s a trifle; in the shape of Champagne Bar Warsaw has a bar that, in terms of quality, could compete on a European stage. (AW)

Bastylia (D6) ul. Mokotowska 17, tel. 22 825 0157. Open 8:00-23:00. Before Zbawiciela became The Center of the World, Bastylia was an unassuming pancake shop with a militant lesbian following. Smelling money it’s done a 180 turn and been reinvented as a champagne bar with whitewashed brickwork and mandarin sofas. For all the effort it just doesn’t feel right – and the staff get plenty of big red crosses.

Beirut (D5) ul. Poznańska 12. Open 12:00-last guest.

One of the hits of 2012, Beirut has walls dusted with cult album covers, documentary film posters and some token pics of military hardware (pointing at Tel Aviv Cafe across the road). Androgynous staff deal out Lithuanian beer and Lebanese starters from behind a sandbag bar in this standout café-bar.

Bierhalle (A1) Al. Jana Pawła II 82 (Arkadia). Open 11:00last guest. It’s been five years since Bierhalle tapped their first beer, and in those five years they’ve nailed the market. Fantastic Pils served in a boozy, Bavarian atmopshere, and a decent menu to iron out any hunger issues.

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NIGHTLIFE Browar de Brasil (D5) ul. Marszałkowska 76/80, tel. 534 600 990, www.browardebrasil.pl. Open 12:00-last guest. Four house lagers served by sexy soccerettes dressed in tight Brazil tops. Featuring blood rose colors and deep, dark woods (a glass floor, even!), the interiors combine well with the copper brewing vats. The food though is amateurish, and at times inedible.

The British Bulldog (D4) ul. Krucza 51, tel. 22 827 0020, www.bbpub. pl. How fickle this city can be. Two months ago we were proclaiming the launch of the Bulldog as one of Warsaw’s finest moments

– then, inexplicably, the ownership got shot of the manager who’d made it the success that it was. Cue outrageous service, an ex-pat boycott, and a future that looks grim.

Browarmia (C3) ul. Królewska 1, tel. 22 826 5455, www.browarmia.pl. Open daily 12:00-last guest. An industrial looking microbrewery filled with mysterious pipes, valves and gauges. The summer terrace is great, making it one of the best places around for a brew with a view.

Bufet Centralny (D5) ul. Żurawia 32/34, tel. 523 749 160. Open 12:00-5:00 With its harsh lights, white tiles and collapsible tables this could pass for a school canteen – at least it would if the customers weren’t too cool for school.

There’s serious posing going on in between drinks, and you’re clearly a no-mark if you weren’t at the launch. Still in their infancy, prepare for teething problems: e.g., running out of lager.

Café Colombia (D5) ul. Krucza 6/14, tel. 22 627 3770, www. colombiabar.pl. Open 8:00-23:00; Sat-Sun 11:00-23:00. Vast windows, vibrant colors and wide open spaces make it the polar opposite of the covert cocktail dens we usually like. But my God, the drinks here are special.

The Chili Manhattan Dream is outstanding, and the Espressotini to die for – and after ordering eight we nearly did. Also on the roster, a range of impressive international beers.

Chwila (B3) ul. Ogrodowa 31/35, tel. 22 401 1754.

Open 12:00-last guest; Sun 15:00-last guest.

Entered under a red, cabaret-style awning, Chwila is a reject factory space turned good.

Furry cushions, patchwork quilts and student art vie for attention alongside iron girders and industrial leftovers inside what is becoming known as one of the top alternative music venues this side of the river.

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Czarna Bar ul. Sienkiewicza 4, tel. 22 416 2467. Open 12:00-23:00; Sat 10:00-23:00; Sun 10:0021:00. Sienkiewicza has stagnated a little since the naughty noughties, so Czarna Bar has opened just in time to stop the decline.

With its concrete accents and hospital tiling it’s a stark clever space complimented by houndstooth cushions and a glass box for smokers.

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Czeska Baszta Tower 22A, Most Poniatowskiego. Open TuesThurs, Sun 16:00-23:00; Sat-Sun 16:00-24:00.

Set in one of those towers that props up Most Poniatowskiego, its surroundings look grim – at night even scary. Bathed in a yellowish glow, it’s actually warm and welcoming, and the reason for that soon becomes apparent: everyone is drunk! There’s 80 Czech beers to pick from, and they do more than enough to distract from the rattle and rumble of overhead trams and a swamp monster toilet.

Czysta Ojczysta (G1) ul. Ząbkowska 27/31. Open Mon-Fri 18:00-4:00; Sat-Sun 12:00-4:00.

Here’s a turn up for the books: a Praga bar that doesn’t look infected. Set in a one-time vodka factory, this white-on-white haunt features little more than soothing colors, iron posts (watch them), and a whole wall of vodka. Expect the party to spill out into the courtyard, itself utilized for maverick events like bicycle polo.

Dorum Art (G1) ul. Ząbkowska 27/31, tel. 601 220 895, www. dorumart.pl. Open 10:00-last guest. Entered through a clunky set of metal doors, this space is everything you expect (iron posts, rough plaster, raw concrete) as well as a lot that you don’t. Fulfilling a joint function as an art space, interiors glitter and glow with the illuminated stained glass pieces of Katarzyna Czajka – horses heads, an elephant and a throne. It’s like waking up in a David Lynch film.

Flaming & Co. Champagne Bar (E6) ul. Mokotowska 43. Open 12:00-23:00.

Checkered floor tiles, pristine whites and classic pictures of the rich and famous announce Flaming. The guys look like Bond villains and the gals just like Bond girls, but don’t think it’s a closed shop. With glasses of Moet starting below zł. 50 it’s accessible to all.

But forget the champagne, it’s their cocktails we love. Order oysters and let the night take its course.

Hydrozagadka ul. 11 Listopada 22, tel. 502 070 916, www.hydrozagadka.waw.pl. Open MonThur 18:00-1:00, Fri-Sat 18:00-5:00.Even in an area known for its dive scene Hydrozagadka stands apart as something a little different.

Competition is cutthroat in Praga, but even so this place wins the gong for most dismal interior – congrats. Looking like it’ll fall apart at any given signal, The H earns plaudits for weekends that whizz past in a blur of hedonism.

Jimmy Bradley’s (C4) Warsaw Towers (ground floor), ul. Sienna 39, tel. 22 654 6656, www.jimmybradleys.pl.

Open Mon-Fri 10:00-last guest; Sat & Sun 12:00-last guest. Ex-pat Warsaw hit meltdown earlier this year when it was announced that landlord Kevin Bradley had left the pub bearing his name. Along with the new man come plenty of promises for more music, more TVs and a more family friendly atmosphere. We don’t care if they let serial killers in, as long they keep serving Poland’s best Guinness.

Karmnik (D1) ul. Piwna 41, tel. 22 468 0664. Open 11:00-last guest. Complimented by soft, lazy grooves, conversation comes fuelled by a fridge filled to bursting with diverse labels from Łomża and Gniewosz. Rounding out the art-mosphere, find a tubby looking dog nosing happily under tables. Decorated with birdhouses and wobbly plastic seats, it’s further proof that Praga cool has penterated mainland Warsaw.

Kwadrat (D5) ul. Poznańska 7, www.kwadrat.waw.pl.

Open 12:00-last guest; Sat 18:00-last guest; closed Sun. Dwarfish in size, Kwadrat offers a magnificent selection of quirky beers from the lesser known breweries of backwater Poland. Arty in spirit, but never pretentious, it’s the neighborhood bar you wished you lived next to.

Legends (C5) ul. Emilii Plater 25, tel. 22 622 4640.

Open Mon-Thu 11:00-23:00, Fri 11:00-02:00, Sat 12:00-02:00, Sun 12:00-23:00. A place that just keeps growing on us; there’s a segregated smoking chamber, traditional dartboard (no stupid electronics here), Sky Sports and a menu that’s as authentically English as the Downing Street cat. In charge of it all is Graham, a seasoned ex-pat with an embassy background.

Lolek (A8) ul. Rokitnicka 20 (Pole Mokotowskie), tel.

22 825 6202, www.lolekpub.pl. Open daily 11:00-03:00. A boisterous pub with a Bavarian, bacchanal spirit and a park-centered location.

Strangers squish together on shaky benches while sausages grill over an open fire, inside this classic rough-and-ready drinkery. Catch it at its best in summer when the outdoor seating is thronged.

Lorelei (D4) ul. Widok 8, tel. 605 066 775. Open Sun-Thu

12:00-01:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-05:00. A brill place with black and white interiors touched up with cool lighting and walls layered with comic strip pics. The real plus are the people, an approachable bunch always happy to practice their English.

Małe Piwo (D7) ul. Oleandrów 4. Open 17:00-last guest.

Lots of middle aged hipsters wearing Teletubby t-shirts here, but they’re easy to ignore after beer No. 5. Touting sixty regional beers, the design doesn’t evolve beyond jam jars for lights and a blackboard for prices – it doesn’t need anything else to work; similar to a backstreet New York dive, it’s got an effortless cool and a permanent buzz.

Meta na Mazowieckiej (D3) ul. Mazowiecka 16/22. Open 11:00-6:00.

Filled with Breznev-era leftovers the latest venue from the Meta brand is a larger version of the Foksal original. Posters and vinyl (even a motorbike) from the PRL years decorate the walls, with the bulk of the action taking place in the smoking room in the back.

Molly Malone’s (D2) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 41, tel. 693 333 954, www.mollymalone.pl.

Open 12:00-24:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-2:00.

You’re not going to miss it: standing on street level, an elderly gent in top hat and tails waves customers in. Resist. Set over two floors, ground level features a narrow wood carved bar, while upstairs find music paraphernalia, benches and, in our case, a band called Gangbang rehearsing for later. Forget the name, it’s a Polish pub for local students.

Na Lato ul. Rozbrat 44, tel. 692 280 094. The former HQ of the SLD political party now finds itself utilized as a bar. Their success though is largely due to the shaded park outside. Filled out with deckchairs, it’s come to resemble a giant, beery picnic.

Nowy Świat ‘Pavilions’ (D4) Enter from ul. Nowy Świat 26. Enjoy while you can – slated for demolition in the coming years, the pavilions represent underground Warsaw at its raffish best. A low rent maze of dark, budget bars await, including the celebrated Klaps with its vibrator beer taps.

Panorama Bar and Lounge (C5) Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel.22 630 6306, www.panoramabar.pl.

Open Mon-Sun 18:00-02:00. An elegant bar that would easily pass for the VIP room of a well-to-do club. A floor 40 location makes it great for a date: the sunset views are dazzling.

Paparazzi (D3) ul. Mazowiecka 12, tel. 22 828 4219, www.paparazzi.com.pl. Open 9:00-last guest.

Engage in suicidal cocktail consumption alongside high rollers and genetic miracles.

Slick and smooth, Poland’s original cocktail chain continues to set the bar high with formidable cocktails (Pimm’s included!) and a smoking section that encompasses everything but the front door.

Pardon To Tu (C4) Pl. Grzybowski 12/16. Open 9:00-last guest.

Decorated in voluptuous Bordeaux colors, the design involves mismatching seats and tiled lampshades, and a relaxed arthouse look popular with creatives, musicians and other fringe dwellers. A big friendly dog l oafing around and improvised music nights round out this Insider legend. And when they say they’re open to last guest, they really do mean it.

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Pies Czy Suka (D4) ul. Szpitalna 8A. Open 11:00-last guest.

Monochrome gun metal grey colors are offset by a fashionable crowd attired in red shoes, pink trousers and blue headphones.

This clean, concrete space is speckled with plaster moldings of reindeer heads, and excels on the cocktail front. Order from an iPad menu, before settling back for cocktails made using mad scientist, molecular techniques that involve foam, vapor, beakers and other things you’d usually find in Professor Yaffle’s lab.

Pijalnia (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 19A, tel. 796 110 000. Open 24hrs. For a contrived look at what drinking was like in Warsaw, circa 1980, a trip to Pijalnia is a must. Bow tied staff serve vodka shots and pickles from behind a tiled bar, to a crowd that gets younger as the day grows older. In design terms it’s the polar opposite of Sense next door, but claims a similar crowd as the night hits fever pitch. In quieter times, checks the newspapered walls to read up on commie sports reports.

Plan B (D6) ul. Wyzwolenia 18 (Pl. Zbawiciela), tel. 508 316 976. Open Mon-Sat 13:00-last guest; Sun 16:00-last guest. Plan B is a

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NIGHTLIFE byword for everything that’s hip and happening in Warsaw. Design doesn’t even come into the equation in this grubby upstairs bar, but the free spirits can’t get enough of it.

Po Drugiej Stronie Lustra (F1) ul. Jagiellońska 22, tel. 501 048 471. Open 12:00-last guest. A collective groan was issued when their premises on Ząbkowska closed, so it’s three cheers to learn they’re back at a new address. Looking more sanitized than the shabby original, the standout feature of this dark-looking, brick-ceilinged haunt is what ranks as Warsaw’s best collection of craft beers.

Porto Praga (F1) ul. Okrzei 23, tel. 22 698 5001, www.portopraga.pl. Open Mon-Thurs 12:001:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-2:00; Sun 12:00-24:00.

Some of Poland’s finest cocktails knocked up by a crew who learned their trade in some of the world’s top bars. Looking ruby red and vaguely art deco, Porto is a one stop destination: a top restaurant and bar shaken into one.

Resort (C2) ul. Bielańska 1, tel. 535 350 997. Open 12:00-last guest. One of the best designs of 2011, with pretty much all interior features made from reusable materials: seats from shopping trolleys, tables from street signs and a bar from books. Shame about the one dimensional beer choice, therefore.

Sketch (E4) ul. Foksal 19, tel. 602 762 764, www.sketch. pl. Open daily 12:00-1:00; upstairs bar open Fri-Sat 20:00-1:00. Cool, sophisticated and fun. The international spread of beers is impressive, practically unbeatable in fact, and served inside edgy minimalist interiors.

SomePlace Else (E5) ul. B. Prusa 2 (Sheraton), tel. 22 450 6707.

Open Mon 12:00-24:00, Tue-Thur 12:00-2:00, Sat 16:00-2:00, Sun 12:00-23:00. SPE have a new cosmopolitan look that makes use of a glowing bar, Minsk grey colours and exposed piping. Certainly the hippest of the hotel gang, live music and expert cocktails make sure it draws more than the lodgers upstairs.

Spiskowcy Rozkoszy (D5) ul. Żurawia 47/49. Open Sun-Thur 15:0023:00; Fri-Sat 15:00-1:00. The intimate layout makes use of wobbly antiques, sofas covered in velvety fabrics and weird extras like a mannequin donning a Russian hat with furry,

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flappy ears. Nights typically involve lots of yet-to-be-famous beers (e.g. Stare Misto from Ukraine), while the lamp-lit toilet, seemingly built into a pre-war fireplace, is like stepping through the looking glass.

Spotkanie ze Szpiegiem (D6) ul. Marszałkowska 27/35. Open Mon-Fri 8:00last guest; Sat-Sun 10:00-last guest. You’d usually be right to avoid a place where the main decorative element is a fridge. But when that fridge is home to umpteen beers from Poland’s best, alternative breweries you know you’re on a winner. Little more than a small, rotund room, it’s immediately likeable – it’s got the ‘artistic’ spirit of the nearby Plan B, yet none of the vomit.

Syreni Śpiew ul. Szara 10A, tel. 602 773 293, www. syrenispiew.pl. Open Sun-Thurs 17:00-1:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-4:00. Brought to you by the creators of Warszawa Powiśle you’ll find this place housed in a hideous concrete monster born in the 70s. An over 21 door policy and over 80 types of whisky lend it a mature, affluent look. The interiors are cool and retro, much like the people. The prices, though, aren’t so much modern as they are totally futuristic – bring plastic.

Szparka (E5) Pl. Trzech Krzyży 16A, tel. 22 621 0370. Open 24hrs. A highly generic looking bar whose location and opening hours are enough to warrant it a place on any Going Out list. Recovering addicts might not appreciate the toilets – they’re decorated with fake lines of sniff.

Warsaw Tortilla Factory (D5) ul. Wilcza 46, tel. 22 621 8622. Open SunThu 12:00-24:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-03:00.

More than just a Tex Mex joint, this is the working model of the expat stronghold; they’ve got the food, the live music, a strong group of regulars and, better still, a spread of Sky Sports screens zapping in goalmouth action from across the world.

Warszawa Powiśle (E4) ul. Kruczkowskiego 3B. Open Mon-Fri 7:00last guest, Sat-Sun 10:00-last guest.Located in a former ticket shack, this place is all PRL concrete and peeling signage. Looking cheap and chipboard, visual diversions are limited to frayed posters promoting upcoming bands.

Instead, the eye candy comes in the form of the people.

Znajomi Znajomych (D5)

WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

ul. Wilcza 58A. Open Sun-Thurs 16:00-2:00; Fri-Sat 16:00-5:00. We’re not sure what kind of design they’ve opted for on the ground level, but either way it doesn’t work. Head upstairs instead to join the hipsters spread across a host of (smoking) rooms. It’s here Zna Zna comes into its own, with a set of chambers decorated in eclectic retro style – including one room which some would describe as a Ron Jeremy orgy room. Things get hot and sticky on their weekend club nights.

CLUBS 1500m2 (F4) ul. Solec 18, tel. 22 628 8412. Open Fri-Sat 22:00-06:00. Set in a former printing factory, 1500m2 has been central to the rise of Powiśle. The industrial space has a real Berlin edge to it, and events range from weekend flea markets to teeth shattering, dusk-tilldawn electro events.

Capitol Theatre and Club (C3) ul. Marszałkowska 115, tel. 22 826 8570, www.clubcapitol.pl. An extravagant dance space with sparkly chandeliers, regal staircases and a modern Moscow, over-the-top style. Mark the Hed Kandi events in your diary.

DeLite (E5) ul. Marii Konopnickiej 6, www.deliteclub.com.

Open Fri-Sat 21:00-last guest. Exposed brick pipes, raw concrete and an interesting mirror set-up in the bathrooms add to the futuristic, pretty-in-pink, spaceship interiors. Joining the top table of Warsaw’s other ‘uber klubs’ De Lite gets even better once access to the VIP room is scored.

Enklawa (D3) ul. Mazowiecka 12, tel. 22 827 3151, www.enklawa.com. Open Wed-Sat 21:004:00. Enklawa borders its glitz on kitsch but every weekend, it manages to draw in big crowds with its lineup of club and pop hits.

The dance floor is always packed, even on weekdays, and it’s a surefire winner as the top Wednesday in town.

The Eve (D3) Pl. Piłsudskiego 9 (corner of ul. Wierzbowa), tel. 22 827 5242, www.theeve.pl. Open Wed-Fri 17:00-last guest; Sat 20:00-last guest. Beauty and booty come first in The Eve, a blinged up offshoot of Platinium nearby. A cutthroat door policy ensures plenty of egos crash and die at the door, and it’s got a Bac-

chanalian reputation for champagne popping high jinks. Observe them through the one way mirror in the VIP room.

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Foksal XVIII ul. Foksal 18. Open Fri-Sat 10:00-4:00.

Composed using chandeliers, bricks and velvet this classy space has gone head to head with The Eve as Warsaw’s flashest venue: breathe deep and smell the money.

Cardboard animal shapes hang from the bar, adding some surreal humor to the seriously competitive air.

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Jerozolima Al. Jerozolimskie 57. Set in a Gotham City tenement this former children’s hospital fills a daytime role as a ‘creative space’ for artists and architects. As evening counts down find numerous club events and music nights taking shape amid the atmospherically lit, half-derelict looking confines. Keep up to speed with what’s on through Facebook.

Klubokawiarnia (D3) ul. Czackiego 8, www.klubo.pl. Open daily 21:00-last guest. If you ignore the latent fire

hazard presented by this basement dive club then a Warsaw stalwart awaits. Writhing like a can of sweating worms, find a mid-20s party crowd enjoying house sounds inside a scabby looking space with flea bitten pics of Lenin & Co. Enter via a side door in the courtyard gateway and let the battle begin.

Luzztro (E4) Al. Jerozolimskie 6, www.luzztro.pl. Open Tue-Sun 23:00-last guest. Feeling naughty?

Then check Luzztro, a grim, grotty den where rules don’t apply. Embedded in folklore, this

NIGHTLIFE Shot Bars Bar Warszawa ul. Miodowa 2, Tel. 504 320 497.

Open 24hrs. Creak upstairs to find a womb-like space filled out with sofas and nostalgic decorations like vintage radios, pics of old stars and black and white images of bare-breasted ladies.

Run as a side hobby by a TV producer, the opening hours meet with full approval.

Meta ul. Mazowiecka 11 & ul. Foksal 21.

Open 11:00-6:00. Affecting the style of a PRL era bar, these twin venues feature a raft of keepsakes leftover from the old days – right down to chains of bog paper that commonly retailed.

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Między Wódką z Zakąską ul. Chmielna 13. Open 10:00-24:00.

Like most of its ilk, design never gets involved here. But that doesn’t stop one of the most diverse crowds in Warsaw gathering: on our visit, that meant Hilfiger clad preppies arm-wrestling (and winning) against the local hoods Go Tommy! The five zlot plastic glasses of Brackie get the job done, and fast.

Pijalnia ul. Nowy Świat 19. Open 24hrs. Bowtied staff serve vodka and pickles from behind a tiled bar to a crowd that gets younger as the day gets older. In quieter times, check the newspaperd walls to read up on 1980s sports reports.

Przekąski Zakąski/Bistro ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 13, tel. 22 826 7936. Open 24 hours. Shots of vodka and plates of Polish stomach liners are dispensed inside a mirrored environment with droopy plants. It’s an after club must, with stern service guaranteed from agitated oldies dressed in tuxedos. Packed to the brim come three, four even five am.

Warszawska Pl. Zbawiciela 5, tel. 600 121 240. Open 24hrs. When Plan B closes the hardcore head here. Little more than a grey concrete room, this newbie is winning the war as the city’s favorite shot bar.

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after-party legend really kicks off at around 5am, when troglodyte club creatures emerge to put the finishing touches to their saucereyed stare. Your No. 1 choice for electro and minimal, it’s the full-tilt clubbing experience.

Your head will hate you.

Opera Club (D2) Underground of Teatr Wielki, Pl. Teatralny 1, tel. 22 828 7075, www.operaclub.pl. Open Fri & Sat 22:00-last guest. A labyrinth of passageways and chambers await in Opera, a subterranean club located underneath the National Theater. Touting an exotic, far eastern look, it’s one of the best designed clubs you could imagine.

Organza ul. Mazowiecka 12, www.kluborganza.pl.

Open Wed-Sat 19:00-4:00. The layout is basic: set over two floors lit in Organza’s signature orange/black colors, there’s not much to comment in terms of design – it’s shiny and new and all things Warsaw. The crowd though likes to party and lacks the airs and arrogance of neighboring establishments.

Platinium (D3) ul. Fredry 6, tel. 22 596 4666, www.platiniumclub.pl. Open Wed-Sat 20:006:00. The place if you’re rich or beautiful – but preferably both. Large and spectacular you’ll need to be dressed to the nines to reap the rewards that lie inside: featuring the most eye candy per sq/m in Europe, you might not find Mr/Mrs Right, but you will find Mr/Mrs Right for Now.

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Room 13 ul. Mazowiecka 13. Open Weds-Sat 22:13-7:00. Archways lead from one room to the next inside a design den defined by the fluffy clouds painted on the vaulted ceilings.

At times, the dance floor looks like a giant audition for X Factor, with the fallen angels on the wall looking on with feigned interest.

Silk Pl. Powstańców 2. Open Fri-Sat 20:00-6:00.

There’s a sense of the exclusive about Silk, what with its black canopied entrance and blinged up crowd. Inside exposed pipework and glittery pillars fit along nicely with the pop art murals and hip hop sounds – the dance floor is an extrovert’s arena.

Space Club (A5) ul. Kolejowa 37/39, tel. 606 617 228, www.club-space.eu. Open Fri-Sat 23:00-6:00.

A true techno club with crazy lights, a great

WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

sound system, big name DJs, and lots of room to waggle about and enjoy Ibiza flashbacks.

Utopia (D3) ul. Kredytowa 9. Formerly of Jasna, Warsaw’s first club to bring in serious door selection is back, and this time within a throw of the main party drag. Flying under a pseudo pink banner, it’s a love or loathe venue full of A-Z list stars and their hangers on.

Watch Me ul. Mazowiecka 6/8, www.watchmeclub.pl.

Open 19:00-4:00. Watch the lack of customers, more like. Seen as a glass block from the outside, Watch Me unravels into a multi-level club space, one with a sunken dance pit and a neon stripped stairwell. When the Insider visited, staff outnumbered the guests.

GENTLEMAN’S CLUBS Hustler (E4) ul. Nowy Świat 3, www.hustlerclub.pl. There’s a good dozen clubs jostling for the title of Warsaw’s top strip club, but this newly launched gents club is better than most. Find top notch talent swinging their hips for tips, and an XXX Factor that shoots off the scale. If strippers are judged by looks, this place earns a ten.

New Orleans ul. Zgoda 11, tel. 22 826 4831, www.neworleans. pl. Open 21:00-4:00.

High rollers looking to clinch a deal in unusual surrounds should consider doing so in New Orleans: a gentleman’s club with a seriously VIP dining area. Cheaper snack and sandwich options available should you prefer to spend your money on the real reason you’re here…

Playhouse Al. Solidarności 82A, www.playhouse.com. pl. Housed in a former bomb shelter, would you believe it. Now though the talk is of bombshells, namely the 57 they’ve got on their books. Like most clubs, this place features a distinctly Slavic lineup of Poles, Russians and Ukrainians.

Sin ul. Marszałkowska 99/101, www.sinclub.com. pl. One of the biggest and best dance stables in town offers a pleasingly international lineup that demonstrates a serious recruitment drive. You won’t find a more central strip club in town.

Reviews: UEG 61 / Plus:

* 4 updates

SHOPPING ACCESSORIES 63 / FASHION 61 / SHOPPING MALLS 64

Insider’s Pick

FASHION Ania Kuczyńska (E5) ul. Mokotowska 61. Open Mon-Fri 12:0019:00; Sat 12:00-16:00. Ania Kuczyńska is becoming well known for her highly fashionable, minimalist clothing designs.

The store also carries adorable baby clothes and various accessories.

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Be Eleven ul. Wilcza 11, tel. 794 347 928, www.beeleven.pl. Set yourself apart from the crowd with original jewelry, excusive accessories and clothing provided by both established and upcoming names in the world of fashion. After perusing labels brought to you by the likes of Sandwich, Joseph Ribkoff and Fleur de Lis, take time out for a glass of wine in their elegant looking ‘chillout room’.

UEG ul. Mysia 3, http://ueg-store.com. Open Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00; Sun 12:00-18:00.

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et in the trendy Mysia 3 shopping mall, UEG is one of the more unique places on the Warsaw shopping scene. Minimalist in design, from the cut to the stitching to the colors (which are predominantly black and white) and the fabrics (like the water-resistant tyvek) this is not the place you go to pick up an ordinary ‘pretty’ dress. Rather, this is a store where each item, though simple in design, has something so striking about it, that it is no longer the Lady in Red who draws the attention, but the lady in UEG’s perforated, waterresistant tyvek ‘Psycho Dress’ that steals the show.

The brains and talent behind it all is Michal Łojewski, a Polish graphic designer who grew up in Tokyo. His aim is to encourage a thought process through his clothes. Take for instance his “Love” series, in which the love sign is placed up-side-down. Why? Because according to Japanese tradition, if a word is placed up-side-down, it means it will ‘fall’ on you… Get it? Love with fall on you… Pretty clever, huh?

Located on the second floor of the recently opened Mysia 3 (where the over-hyped COS opened its flagship store), UEG provides a unique shopping experience. The walls are covered in white cardboard boxes, with iPads and life-sized nude model posters popping out from the walls everywhere. What don’t I like? The place is too small... The clothes are borderline art pieces, and as such each item deserves to be displayed on its own, turning it in to an almost gallery-like experience.

Which piece do I go for? Well, I admire girls who set the trends, but personally I prefer the old classics, so, sorry tyvek, but the black, mini-soft-and-silky-Italian viscose-made “Pop” dress and I, are meant for each other.

So what that UEG (Usa E Getta) stands for use and throw away in Italian? I certainly plan to wear my dress more than once. And with the prices ranging from zł. 160 to zł. 1,600 (for the paper parka) you will as well. Either way, if it’s different you’re into, then make a trip to UEG a priority. (ID)

Bizuu ul. Koszykowa 1, tel. 609 888 363, www. bizuu.pl. A gorgeous, feminine collection from two talented Polish designers – including, the must need pastels of the coming season.

Blind Cafe Concept Store (D6) ul. Mokotowska 63/100 (courtyard).

Open Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00; Sun 13:0018:00. This eclectic 50’s-style place is well-stocked with unique pieces for women and cool gadgets for men. A perfect place for those who are looking for something more than a mall for a style fix.

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Boudoir 26 ul. Wilcza 11, tel. 22 400 9330, www.boudoir26.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-15:00. A unique luxury lingerie boutique selling top brands like Chantal Thomass, Lou Paris, ID Sarrieri and Chantelle. The boutique offers a high quality shopping experience inside a comfortable space. Shopping by appointment also available, where you can enjoy the shopping experience with a glass of bubbly.

Chiara ul. Mokotowska 49, tel. 22 376 5489.

Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-16:00.

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SHOPPING A solid assortment of Marc Jacobs and other top international designers such as Michael Kors and Jil Sander. The current collection is a true tribute to S/S 2012 - bright colours, florals, platform heels and wedges.

Designer Secret Al. Witosa 31 (1st floor, outlet 119), CH Panorama, tel. 506 051 048, www.designersecret.pl. High end designer clothing brands at discount prices. The racks brim with women and men’s apparel from the 2008-2010 collections, with price tags that read from one third to 50% off the original price.

Flaming & Co. (D6) Galeria Mokotów, ul. Wołoska 12, tel. 22 629 0545, www.flaming-co.com.

Open Mon-Fri 10:00-20:00; Sat 10:00-18:00.

This concept store, now re-opened on ul.

Mokotowska after renovation work, brings a fresh seaside breeze to Warsaw. Also checkout the branch of Flaming & Kids on ul. Mokotowska.

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Follow Me ul. Okrąg 1, tel. 669 295 567. Open Mon-Fri 12:00-19:30; Sat 11:00-15:00. A superb footwear store with Italian import brands such as Mauro Leone.

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Frenchy Store ul. Wspólna 27A, tel. 500 541 473, www.frenchystore.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-20:00; Sat 11:00-17:00. A hip and urban fashion store with sneakers from Vans, Onistuka Tiger and Nike, clothing by Risk. Made in Warsaw, and accessories by the likes of Mighty Wallet, Komono, Candy Crystal and SiS. Justyna Chrabelska (by appt) (E6) tel. 502 437 200, info@justynachrabelska. com, www.justynachrabelska.com. One of Warsaw’s most talented designers runs her own showroom in the center solely by appointment. With stylish, feminine dresses or funky contemporary dresses each season, this is the place to score the perfect dress, whether you’re a celebrity or just want to dress like one.

L’Aura (E6) ul. Mokotowska 26, tel. 22 625 1680.

Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-15:00.

Warsaw has its modest share of designer boutiques, but L’Aura is the only place in the city where you can find unique pieces from the likes of Hussein Chalayan, Dries Van Noten and Veronique Branquinho.

Likus Concept Store (D3) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 16/18 (courtyard), tel. 22 492 7409, www.likusconceptstore.pl. The Likus Concept Store brings ultra-chic designer clothing to Warsaw. The latest collections from Diesel, D2, Ferre, Sophia Kokosalaki and J. Lindeberg are all available and presented in this stylish three-floor department store.

Loft Fashion ul. Burakowska 5/7 (2nd floor), tel. 22 636 0255, www.loft-fashion.pl. Open Mon-Fri 13:00-20:00; Sat 11:00-18:00. Everything the businessman requires: suits, shirts, shoes and cigars. Impeccable tri-lingual service in a top location. In July you can enjoy a summer clearance with 70% off.

Snobissimo ul. Mokotowska 28, tel. 22 629 8759 ul. Żurawia 2, tel. 22 628 2217 snob@snobissimo.pl, www.snobissimo.pl

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

Deha, Gianvito Rossi, Sona Rykiel, Les Copains, Paule Ka, Jimmy Choo, Giuseppe Zanotti, Wolford, Sergio Rossi

Luxury & Liberty (Saska Kępa) Promenada Shopping Centre, ul. Ostrobramska 75C. Open Mon-Sat 10:0021:00; Sun 10:00-19:00. Once a bar, its fashion counterpart managed to come back in style with a sprawling new boutique in the Promenada shopping centre. While the location’s a bit inconvenient, the selection of quality designer gear at L&L and other shops makes it well worth the trip.

Maciej Zień Boutique ul. Mokotowska 57, tel. 22 611 7337, www.zien.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-20:00; Sat 11:00-15:00. A flagship boutique from one of the stars of Polish fashion. Check Zień Home upstairs for the ultra-designer showroom.

Moliera 2 Boutique (D2) ul. Moliera 2, tel, 22 827 7099, office@ moliera2.com, www.moliera2.com. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00, Sat 11:00-16:00. Moliera 2 is the first place in Poland with collections of Valentino, Christian Louboutin, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ralph Lauren Collection, Herve Leger, Moncler Gamme Rouge and Balmain.

Rodrigo de la Garza (Ochota) ul. Bema 65, suite 6; www.delagarza.it.

Opening hours: by appointment. Rodrigo de la Garza is an eponymous menswear label started up by an ambitious young man from Mexico who’s happened to opt for Poland as his home base. The designer’s speciality is custom-made, or bespoke suits, ideally cut and in all the styles and patterns you could possibly conjure up.

See Me Boutique ul. Mokotowska 51/53, tel. 22 629 0404. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-17:00. Major pieces from American and European designers,

Redford and Grant (D3) Metropolitan Building, Pl. Piłsudskiego 3, tel. 22 313 2400, www.redfordandgrant.pl.

Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat: 11:00-15:00.

This multibrand fashion store is the ultimate destination for designer style in Warsaw for men and women. Offers clothing and accessories from the newest collections from all the major international designers like Dior, YSL, D&G, Gucci, Miu Miu and Prada.

Reykjavik District (F4) ul. Solec 18/20, tel. 501 399 222, www.reykjavikdistrict.com. Open Tues-Fri 13:00-19:00; Sat-Sun 13:00-17:00. Chic, well-cut menswear for all occasions as designed by upcoming Icelandic native Olly Lindal.

Snobissimo ul. Mokotowska 28, tel. 22 629 8759, www.snobissimo.pl. Top labels from design houses like Jimmy Choo, Sonia Rykiel, Les Copains, Sergio Rossi etc., etc. With shoes and accessories all provided for, it’s a onestop shop to re-boot your wardrobe.

ACCESSORIES Batycki (various locations)

Released in several languages, Poland, by the Bosz publishing house is the ideal book to take home as a souvenir from this country. The album is composed of four parts which depict Poland in all its historical and natural glory and includes a preface penned by politicians Jerzy Buzek and Lech Wałęsa.

Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3/4 Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3/4, tel. 22 622 14 16, store@ plactrzechkrzyzy.com. Open Mon-Fri 11:0019:00; Sat 11:00-17:00. The first Ralph Lauren store in Poland, features not only the latest RL collections for men and women, but also labels like Tod’s, Moncler and Salvatore Ferragamo.

Ready-to-wear clothes and accessories.

QπШ - Robert Kupisz ul. Mokotowska 48 (courtyard), tel. 690 021 787, www.robertkupisz.com. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-14:00. One of Warsaw’s hottest fashion icons, and a trip here soon explains why. The exclusive, handmade garments are a guaranteed head turner, and Kupisz’s latest collection is a tribute to Americana: think disheveled cowgirls flouncing on the prairie.

including Paul & Joe, as well as the Elizabeth and James line from the Olsen twins.

Comprised of more than seven hundred color photographs by award winning artists the book is the perfect introduction to this country. The Bosz publishing house specializes in books about Polish art and culture, and this one marks the peak of its achievements.

Boudoir 26 ul. Wilcza 11 00-538 Warszawa Tel: 22 400 93 30 info@boudoir26.pl www.boudoir26.pl We are open monday-friday: 11-19 saturday: 11-15

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SHOPPING ul. Zgoda 9 & ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44 (Bristol Hotel), tel. 22 828 2167, www.batycki.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-18:00; Sat 10:00-16:00. Bozena Batycka’s sleek, simple handbag designs are made with italian leather. While her products are not inexpensive by Polish standards, their uniqueness combined with substantial durability make them a perenial favorite.

Church’s (E5) Pl. Trzech Krzyży 10/14, tel. 22 745 0810.

Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 10:00-17:00.

A classic Englishman’s establishment stocking the world’s best dress shoes.

Frey Wille (D4)

ul. Nowy Świat 37, tel. 22 827 5503, www.frey-wille.com. Open Mon-Fri 10:0019:00; Sat 10:00-17:00. You may not find a diamond ring here, but this is certainly the place to go to if you’re looking for jewellery that will spice up your outfits with a brilliant splash of colour. These Viennabased jewellers work almost entirely in enamels made by mixing finely-ground glass and minerals.

HOS&me ul. Mokotowska 63, www.mokotowska63.com.

Luxury jewelry and the best in the biz. In stock: high end treasures from Nialaya, Lene Bjerre Design, Ti Sento, Christensen and Dryberg/Kern.

Kate & Kate (D5) ul. Wspólna 50A/20, tel. 501 021 841, www.kateandkate.pl Open Mon-Fri 13:0019:00; Sat 10:00-14:00 This shop is so tucked away, you’d never find it without heads up from a friend. But once you do, be prepared to enter a world of brilliant accessories.

Pracownia Czasu ul. Wiejska 14, tel. 622 12 12, www.pracowniaczasu.pl. Luxury watches from brands like Corum, Vulcain, Ulysee Nardin, Magellan and Fortis.

SHOPPING MALLS Arkadia (A1) Al. Jana Pawła II 82, www.arkadia.com.pl.

Open Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-21:00 Blue City (A6) Al. Jerozolimskie 179, www.bluecity.pl.

Open Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00; Sun 10:00-20:00 Fashion House Outlet Centre (E8) ul. Puławska 42E, www.fashionhouse.pl

“The clothes are chic, cut well and there is a bit of everything for everyone” - WARSAW INSIDER

“It’s a good place for fashion lovers and those who like to experiment” - GAZETA WYBORCZA

“reykjavik district delights with simplicity, high end fashion and anoriginal look to the shop. It’s a really nice alternative for men” - ZWIERCIADŁO MAGAZINE

Boutique: ul. Solec 18/20 Tue- Fri 13:00-19:00 Sat-Sun 13:00-17:00 +48 505 499 669 www.reykjavikdistrict.pl

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Galeria KEN Center/E. Leclerc (Ursynów) ul. Ciszewskiego 15. Open Mon-Thurs 9:0021:30; Fri 9:00-22:00; Sun 9:00-21:00 Galeria Mokotów (C12) ul. Wołoska 12, www.galeriamokotow.com.pl.

Open Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-20:00 Klif (A2) ul. Okopowa 58/72, tel. 22 531 4500, www.klif.pl. Open Mon-Sat 09:00-21:00; Sun 10:00-20:00 Promenada (Saska Kępa) ul. Ostrobramska 75c, www.promenada.com.

Open Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00; Sun 10:00-19:00 Vitkac Wolf Bracka Wolf Center, ul. Bracka 9, www.likusconceptstore.pl Poland’s premier address for designer tags – you won’t find more designer labels per sq/m anywhere else. Money spenders inc. Jimmy Choo, Paul Smith, Stella McCartney, Jil Sander, Gucci, Bottega, Yves Saint Laurent, etc…

Złote Tarasy (C4) ul. Złota 59, www.zlotetarasy.pl.

Open Mon-Sat 9:00-22:00; Sun 9:00-21:00 Over 200 stores, restaurants and cafes, plus the Multikino cinema and the Pure Health and Fitness Club.

Reviews: Wypożyczalnia-Art 65 / Plus:

* 7 updates

CHILDREN ACTIVITIES 65 / EDUCATION 66 / SHOPS 67

Insider’s Pick

ACTIVITIES

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Barwy Muzyki ul. Niecała 14, www.barwymuzyki.pl.

This informal music school, with highly qualified teachers experienced in the Colour Strings program, acknowledges not every child will be a professional musician but that playing, listening and singing to music is an asset to their development. Group or individual lessons on piano, violin, guitar, cello and flute for 6-12yrs.

Copernicus Science Centre ul. Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 20, www.kopernik.org.pl. A brilliant array of science-inspired attractions that prove as stimulating for parents as they are for the kids. Check out Galeria BZZZ, an area designated for children up to six. In order to keep numbers manageable, expect entry times to be staggered.

* Wypożyczalnia-Art ul. Konduktorska 4 (basement level -1, Room 10), tel. 22 840 0500, www.wypozyczalnia-art.pl

PHOTOGRAPH BY GILL BOELMAN-BURROWS

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’ve lived in Warsaw for several years and every year I get asked the question: where to find great costumes for fancy dress parties… and, in particular, Halloween? Answer: below ground level in the deep depths of a Sielce residential block is a walk-in wardrobe on such a scale even a Kardashian would be envious!

Forget mainstream stores with overpriced Disney lookalikes, Wypożyczalnia-Art, just a short walk from Warsaw’s film studios, will transform you into the most ghoulish of ghouls, fairest of Princesses, cuddliest of teddy bears, wickedest of witches, strongest of knights and practically any other character your mind can brew up.

Dressing up at this location is freakishly fun albeit a little eerie! Upon entering the building a creepy security guard, well-hidden behind his desk, peered at my scrunched up piece of paper and pointed his boney finger towards the dark stairwell. Whilst my heart beat like the intro to Thriller, horror film thoughts (girl going further into danger rather than running away) began to haunt my imagination. Down a dimly lit corridor I turned the door handle of Room 10 and was greeted by a stream of light shining through a small window, followed by a pungent, musty scent that clung to my tensed nostrils. Once inside my imagination lost any sense of reality and my eyes popped out at the sight of ‘Hellraiser’ and racks of outfits, magnificent wigs, ghastly masks, feathered boas and head pieces in every color.

Had I been left alone here I fear I might have been lost forever, but fortunately a lady, who was not at all frightening, was on hand to help pull together the best costume according to the occasion. Although she did not speak any English, she was an expert on costume creations and an excellent interpreter; my daughter and I were dripping in feathers and glitter quicker than any personal shopper could say trick or treat! With rental charges from zł. 40-120 this is ‘the’ place in Warsaw to be whatever you want to be. (GBB)

Fryzjerkowo ul. Foksal 12/14, www.fryzjerkowo.pl. This 100% child friendly hair salon with jungle theme interior will guarantee no tears! Whilst having their locks chopped children sit in a toy car and watch a favorite DVD. Mum can peruse the retro toys and classic books on sale. Owner speaks excellent English.

Advance booking recommended.

Little Chef Cooking classes for children age 4-16.

Groups for younger children age 4-10 and Junior Chef courses age 11-16. Kids cookand-eat healthy meals. Great fun! Classes in English, French and Polish, Mon-Sat. Visit www.littlechef.pl or call 0501 093 691 for more information.

Little Gym ul. Bruzdowa 56, tel. 22 842 0728, www.thelittlegym.

Over 300 locations worldwide, with the first one in Poland opened last November. Expect an age specific fitness curriculum, a high instructor-to-child ratio, original music and a weekly theme to engage the child’s imagina-

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CHILDREN tion and sense of fun. Not only a great place for children, but tailored to a comfortable and relaxing stay for parents as well.

EDUCATION PRESCHOOLS

Bilingual French – Polish Preschool “Trampoline” ul. Zakopiańska 12a (Saska Kępa) and ul. Skrzetuskiego 17 (Mokotów),mob.

502 355 919, www.trampoline.edu.pl.

This preschool has a lingual profile and offers bilingual teaching with French and

English. They received the European Label Certificate for innovative foreign language teaching.

The British School Early Years Centre ul. Dąbrowskiego 84 (Early Years Centre), tel. 22 646 7777; ul. Limanowskiego 15 (Primary, Secondary, IB Diploma program), tel. 22 842-3281; www.thebritishschool.pl.

The British School provides special classes from the pre-nursery group – including children from preschool through secondary school.

Canadian School of Warsaw – Preschool (C11) ul. Kalatówki 24, tel. 22 898 3139, 697 979 100. The pre-school branch of the Canadian School of Warsaw provides both Polish and International 3-5 year olds with the perfect setting for their first encounters with English and French in an inquiry based classroom. Here, every task relates to real life experience and skills. For further info, tours and school visits please call or email: preschool@canadian-school.pl.

Casa dei Bambini & Toddler School (multiple locations)

Warsaw Montessori School ul. Badowska 19 (Mokotów), tel. 22 851 6893; ul. Szkolna 16 (Izabelin), tel. 22 721 8736, office@warsawmontessori.edu.pl, www. warsawmontessori.edu.pl. Warsaw Montessori and Casa dei Bambini have 3 green and harmonious locations in Mokotów and Izabelin. The school in Izabelin is set in the quiet of the Kampinos Forest just outside the city. Teachers are fully trained in early-childhood education in English according to the Montessori philosophy. Registration open to children 2 1/2 to 6 years of age.

Call to make an appointment to tour any of the 3 schools.

English-run preschool Authentic Montessori curriculum Unique music program Natural playground Healthy nutrition

Ecole Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (H4) ul. Nobla 16, tel./fax: 22 616 1499, www.saintexupery.pl. Montessori curriculum in French for children aged from 2½ years old.

ul. Piechoty Łanowej 46a (entrance from ul. Rotmistrzowska)

tel. +48 531 599 444 www.mapletreemontessori.pl

International Schoolhouse Warsaw

The English Playhouse (F12) ul. Płyćwiańska 14a & ul. Rzodkiewki 18, tel. 22 843 9370, www.theenglishplayhouse.com. The English Playhouse functions in the quiet, green residential district of Mokotów, next to Królikarnia Park. The pre-school follows the English National Curriculum and accepts children from 12 months till six years old. Now with an additional location in Wilanów which includes a new, purpose-built pre-school building with a huge garden for children up to six years of age.

For info call Agnieszka Weston on 604 464 333 or email: office@theenglishplayhouse.com.

Happy Montessori House Warsaw Montessori Pre-school,

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ul. Rumiana 14, tel. 22 427 3767, mob. 697 060 504, www.hmh.com.pl.

The Happy Montessori House offers part-time and full-time places for children aged between 2.5 to 6 years, as well as toddler-focused activities (from 18 months to 3 years) centered around movement, sensorial stimulation, storytelling, singing and socialising.

wej 46a

strzowska)

Maple Tree Montessori ul. Piechoty Łanowej 46a (entrance from ul. Rotmistrzowska), tel.

531 599 444, www.mapletreemontessori.pl.

Maple Tree Montessori is a family-run international preschool that offers an authentic Montessori curriculum supported by an Orff/ Kodály-based music syllabus. Find them located in the Wilanów district of Warsaw, in a house safely nestled into the end of a quiet street. Their program, which is designed for three to six year-olds, is devoted to the intellectual, emotional, social and physical development of children.

tessori.pl

International Schoolhouse Warsaw

Montessori Academy for International Children ul. Królewicza Jakuba 36 (Wilanów) ul. Sadowa 4 (Konstancin), tel.

502 315 022, www.monte ssoriacademy.eu.

An English-speaking pre-school (16 months to 6 years of age) with two locations. The

school’s policy is to comply with Montessori standards, using the Montessori Method in English. The school’s philosophy is based on the joy of learning, which comes from discovering and furthering the individual development of each child.

Tequesta ul. Przejazd 24, tel. 603 919 096/535 400 033, info@tequesta. pl, www.tequesta.pl. Polish and English language groups for children aged from six months to six years, as well as a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

Oznaczenie koloru:

Nazwa fontu : HoboEU Normal

SCHOOLS C- 0% M - 52 % Y - 98 % K- 0% R - 242 G - 142 B- 0

American School of Warsaw ul. Warszawska 202, Konstancin-Jeziorna, tel. 22 702 8500, fax 022 702 8500, admissions@aswarsaw.org, www.aswarsaw. org. The American School of Warsaw provides comprehensive programs and facilities based on a US system of education for ages 4 to 18.

The British School ul. Limanowskiego 15, tel. 22 842 3281, british@thebritishschool.pl, www.thebritishschool.pl. Top-ranking private school in Warsaw with comprehensive programs and facilities based on the British system of education.

The Canadian School of Warsaw – Primary School Unit ul. Bełska 7, tel. 22 646 9289, 697 970 244.

The Canadian School of Warsaw provides a continuum of IB-based education for 6-10 year olds. Highly qualified, international staff, challenging materials and a friendly atmosphere provides for an optimal setting for the highest standard of education.

Extra-curricular activities include pottery, dance, ballet, capoeira, karate, emotional intelligence, art studio and tennis. For further info, tours and school visits please call or email: secretary@canadian-school.pl.

The Canadian School of Warsaw – Middle and High School Unit ul. Olimpijska 20, tel. 697 977 600, 697 979 300.

The Middle and High unit of the Canadian School of Warsaw provides a continuum of IB-based education for 11-19 year olds. With both Canadian and Polish curricula content students are given the opportunity to choose between Polish Matura or IB Diploma exams.

International staff, cultural events and challenging student initiatives create a perfect learning and creative thinking environment. For further info, tours and school visits please call or email: mid.high@ canadian-school.pl.

THE WARSAW INSIDER FOR FREE TODAY! Warsaw’s #1 English language magazine is now available on the go. Be the first to get the latest September edition: news, features, picks, listings and all you need for fast Warsaw living.

Free download, try it today! Scan the QR code on the cover, or visit the app store on your iPad.

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CHILDREN Ecole Antoine de SaintExupéry (H4) Established in 1994, the Antoine de SaintExupery preschool and school provides a French curriculum for children two to eight years old (3rd year of primary school) in a welcoming family atmosphere. Highly qualified native French-speaking teachers.

www.kidsacademy.com.pl. A Private English Polish School which provides an excellent early educational program for children from ages 2.5 - 5 years old and at the Primary School, from Grade 0. Combining elements of both the Polish and British curriculum, the focus is on creating a positive and vibrant learning environment. They’re also proud of their large playground and variety of healthy foods.

Kid’s Academy Primary & Pre-School ul. Arbuzowa 33D (Wilanów), ul. Łąkowa 38 (Konstancin), tel. 501 205 080,

Lycée Français de Varsovie

ul. Walecznych 4/6, tel. 22 616 5400, www.lfv.pl. French school admitting students from the age of two years old. All instruction is in French. Languages offered : Polish, English, German, Spanish, Latin. Also, a wide variety of after school activities (sport, arts, extra-curricular instruction).

Warsaw Montessori School (G7) ul. Szwoleżerów 4, tel. 22 841 3908, sylvia@warsawmontessori.edu.pl, www.warsawmontessori.edu.pl. Focuses on the Montessori curriculum with an education based on the integration of conceptual learning and real-life experiences.

SHOPS

* The English-speaking preschool for children from the international community

Endo Multiple locations, www.endo.pl. Endo is the original home of quality children’s wear that embraced great design by Polish artists and accompanied it with Polish slogans. Much of the materials used are organic, hardwearing and wash well. A good address for baby basics and all closet essentials.

*

Lullaby Multiple locations, www.lullaby.pl. Jam packed with funky design and quirky gifts for your little ones. However, the exquisite clothing and designer labels do come with a hefty price tag.

*

Mimbla ul.Mokotowska 51/53, www.cudanakiju. pl. Exclusively for kids on Warsaw’s most exclusive shopping street it’s an Aladdin’s cave of quality toys and Polish/English books. Get your gift wrapped here and both mum and child will be happy even before opening it.

*

Pieluszkarnia Multiple locations, www.pieluszkarnia.pl.

This small chain specializes in eco-friendly toys and clothing designed and produced in Poland. Products include the Lalanka dolly clothing collection, luxuriously soft reversible winter balaclavas and Martello blankets personalized for births etc.

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Smyk Multiple stores, www.smyk.pl. Smyk is Poland’s answer to Mothercare; from bottle sterilizing kits to pencil cases, early learning toys to Disney classics and a wide range of seasonal clothing, this store will take you from childbirth to high school!

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Reviews: Holmes Place 69

LIFESTYLE

ACCOMODATION 69 / COMMUNITY 75 / HEALTH & BEAUTY 72 / MEDICAL 73 / TRANSPORTATION 71

ACCOMODATION

Insider’s Pick

HOTELS IN WARSAW 5-star hotels

Hilton Warsaw (B4) ul. Grzybowska 63, tel. 22 356 5555, www.hilton.com. Single and double room €95-125 (weekend), €135 (weekdays).

Excellent services and amenities in a world-class hotel and conference centre.

Holmes Place Lifestyle Club offers premium fitness facilities.

Pool at Holmes Place Premium (Marriott Hotel) Holmes Place Premium ul. Grzybowska 63 (Hilton Hotel), tel. 512 008 865 and al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 519 436 841, www.holmesplace.pl

J

ust over a year ago, I was a die-hard gym devotee. I was working out 3, 4, 5 times a week in my quest for a fit frame. After all, it was exactly one year ago that my boyfriend dumped me out of the blue and jetted back to London. So I was officially on the prowl for at least a fling or two and I was determined to be in the best possible shape. As they say, looking good really is the best revenge. Alas, the truth is that soon enough I began slacking. But now as summer has officially reached its close, I was feeling antsy and the new boyfriend suggested I hit the gym. I gave him my customary scowl, but then relented. After all, his six-pack abs didn’t just materialize out of thin air - it’s his thrice-per-week trainings are the secret to his success. And his gym of choice? None other than Holmes Place.

For people who love the gym, this place is heaven. Clean, bright, state-of-the-art, plus the staff is genuinely friendly. And, of course, there’s the pool - which isn’t huge, mind you, but it’s a nice, clean pool, nonetheless. I opted for a personal training session as it happened to be part of the invite. Normally, I am shy as hell during these things, but Igor was really laid back and took a really fun approach to the whole thing. The truth is that a trainer is an amazing thing. It’s hard to get a proper workout without one because unless you’re experienced, you don’t really know what you’re doing. He told me the right sorts of exercises to do to fight my problem areas and, better yet, encouraged me to keep going with my reps when normally I wouldn’t have the willpower. He worked me out, but not too hard. It was ideal. The only trouble is that I work late and so does my boyfriend. And we’d like to go the gym together, yet the Hilton is a bit out of our way. But even that problem has been solved as the gym at the Marriott is currently undergoing top-to-bottom renovation to become the second Holmes Place Premium in Warsaw. Perfect. (AL)

Hyatt Regency Warsaw (E8) ul. Belwederska 23, tel. 22 558 1234, www.warsaw.regency@hyatt.com, www.warsaw.regency.hyatt.com. Venti Tre Italian Restaurant, Q Club Restaurant and Bar, Club Oasis Fitness Centre, indoor swimming pool, spa & massage services. Offical base of Poland’s Euro 2012 football team.

InterContinental (C4) ul. Emilii Plater 49, tel. 22 328 8888, www.warsaw.intercontinental.com. Single & double rooms: €95-155. Riverview Wellness Centre and swimming pool on top floor.

Le Meridien Bristol (D3) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44, tel. 22 551 1000, www.starwoodhotels.com. Single room: €129-159, double room: €139-169.

Fitness centre, gym, swimming pool, sauna.

Mamaison Le Régina Hotel Warsaw (C1) ul. Kościelna 12, tel.22 531 6000, www. mamaison.com. Muffle up for an evening prowl around old town, before spoiling yourself inside the desginer confines of this boutique masterpiece. Prices start from approx. €115, but it’s well worth your time browsing their ‘romantic break’ and ‘just married’ packages.

Marriott (C5) Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. 22 630 6306,

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LIFESTYLE www.warsawmarriott.com. Prices from: zł.

231 (weekends), zł. 528 (weekdays). Gym and swimming pool. Central location only 20 minutes from the airport. All rooms with panoramic view.

The Rialto Boutique Hotel (D6) ul. Wilcza 73, tel. 22 584 8700, www.hotelrialto.com.pl. Top-class boutique hotel in the centre of Warsaw. Single room: €140, double room: €170, apartment: €220.

24-hour fitness centre for guests only.

Sheraton (E5) ul. Prusa 2, www.sheraton.com/warsaw,

tel. 22 450 6100. Single & double rooms: €77126. Fitness centre, aerobic studio, sauna.

Radisson Blu Centrum Hotel (C3) ul. Grzybowska 24, tel. 22 321 8888. Single & double rooms zł. 420-490 (weekend rate from zł.250). First Class Fitness Centre.

Sofitel Victoria (D3) ul. Królewska 11, tel. 22 657 8011, www.orbis.pl. Single & double rooms: €95200. Swimming pool now open to the public.

Westin (B4) Al. Jana Pawła II 21, tel. 22 450 8000, www.westin.com/warsaw. Single & double rooms: €77-126. Gym and sauna.

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3-star hotels

Hotel Belwederski (E8) ul. Sulkiewicza 11, tel. 22 840 4011, www.hotelbelwederski.pl. Single room: zł. 240, double room: zł. 280. On weekends 20% discount (Fri-Mon). Breakfast included.

Castle Inn (D1) Pl. Zamkowy, ul. Świętojańska 2, tel. 22 425 0100, www.castleinn.pl.

Single & double rooms (Standard castle view): zł.190-290. Deluxe apartments: zł. 279-430. Breakfast: zł. 20. Artsy boutique accomodation on the castle square. For cheaper alternative, check their downtown hostel branch, the Oki Doki

4-star hotels

Radisson Blu (B5) pl. Zawiszy 1, tel. 22 579 1000, www.sobieski.com.pl. Single & double rooms €60-94. Gym, jacuzzi, sauna.

Golden Tulip (B5) ul. Towarowa 2, tel. 22 582 7500. Single & double rooms: Mon.-Fri. zł. 369, weekend: zł. 299, breakfast (buffet): zł. 32. Sauna, jacuzzi, fitness room.

Holiday Inn (C4) ul. Złota 48/54, tel. 22 697 3999, www.holiday-inn.com. Single room: €100 (weekend), €124 (weekdays), double room: €120 (weekend), €144 (weekdays). Gym, jacuzzi, sauna.­

Warsaw Gromada Hotel Airport ul. 17-ego Stycznia 32, tel. 22 576 4600, warszawa.airport@gromada.pl. Single & double rooms: zł. 250-420 (weekdays), single & double rooms: zł. 200-330 (weekends). Sauna, gym, free for hotel guests.

Mercure Grand Warszawa (D4) ul. Krucza 28, tel. 22 583 2100, www.orbis.pl.

Single & double rooms: €78-112.

Holiday Inn Express Warsaw Airport ul. Poleczki, www.hiexpress.com. Three minutes from the airport, the Express chapter of Holiday Inn is opening on 30 November and already accepting bookings. Check web for further details.

Courtyard by Marriott Hotel (Airport) ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1, tel. 22 650 0100, www.courtyard.com/wawcy. Single & double rooms: €135 (weekdays), €99 (weekend).

Chopin Airport. Single & double rooms: €155, €123 (weekdays). Single & double rooms: €70-80 (weekends). Jacuzzi, sauna, tennis courts, and gym.

Novotel Warszawa Centrum (D5) ul. Marszałkowska 94/98, tel. 22 596 0000, www.novotel.com, www.accorhotels.com.

Single and double rooms: zł.265-480.

Wellness centre and sauna.

Hotel Reytan (E8) ul. T. Rejtana 6, tel. 22 201 6400, www. reytan.pl. Single room: zł. 360 (week), zł.

250 (weekend). Double room: zł. 390-550 (week), zł. 270-390 (weekend). Breakfast included.

Polonia Palace Hotel (C5) Al. Jerozolimskie 45, tel. 22 318 2800, www.poloniapalace.com. Single & double rooms: €60-235. 24-hour fitness centre for hotel guests only.

Novotel Warszawa (Airport) ul. 1-ego Sierpnia 1, tel. 22 575 6000, nov.airport@orbis.pl. Single & double rooms: €120-135. Swimming pool, jacuzzi, tennis court, Finnish sauna, power plate.

Airport Hotel Okęcie ul. 17-ego Stycznia 24, tel. 22 456 8000, www.airporthotel.pl. Airport Hotel Okęcie is located 800 m from Warsaw Frederic

APARTMENTS

WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

Central Apart ul. Łucka 2/4/6 m.45, tel. 22 357 0975, www.wawahotele.pl. Apartments for one

to four people in locations across town.

Prices from zł. 190.

InterContinental ul. Emili Plater 49, tel. 22 328 8888, www.warsaw.intercontinental.com.

Long and short stay apartments provided by the hotel of the same name. Perks included are the same as those received by hotel guests: i.e. access to the top floor pool, room service, maid service etc.

MaMaison Residence Diana ul. Chmielna 13A, tel. 22 505 9100, www.mamaison.com/diana. A beautiful city center location from the same team behind Le Regina. Short and long term stays.

P & O Apartments ul. Kasprowicza 91, tel. 22 636 8699, www.pandoapartments.com.pl.

Top One Apartments ul. Graniczna 4, tel. 608 205 769, www.topnoclegwarszawa.pl.

TRANSPORTATION CAR RENTAL

Avis (C5) tel. 22 572 6565, fax 22 572 6566, Fredrick Chopin Airport, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 22 650 4872/3.

Reservations: tel. 801 120 010, www.avis.pl.

Hertz Rent a Car Okęcie Airport, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1, tel. 22 650 2896; mob. 691 411 130. ul. Nowogrodzka 27 (D5), tel. 22 621 1360.

Reservations: tel. 22 500 1620, 800 143 789.

AGS Warsaw ul. Julianowska 37, Piaseczno, tel. 22 702-1072, fax 022 702-1077.

Besto Relocations ul. Kłobucka 8 /127, tel. 22 847 8878, mob. 514 643 286, warsaw@bestorelocations.com, www.bestorelocations.com.

High-quality international relocation services to and from Poland for corporate and individual clients.

CorstJens Worldwide Movers Group ul. Nowa 23, Stara Iwiczna, tel. 22 737 7200, www.corstjens.com.

Sixt Rent a Car ul. Arabska 9, tel. 22 511 1550, 22 511 1555, fax 22 511 1556, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1, tel. 22 650 2031, fax 022 650 2032, www.sixt.pl.

Crown Relocations ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 22 894 5929 or 22 578 2093, www.crownrelo.com.

Trust Rent a Car (C12) ul. Konstruktorska 4, mob. 0602 475 355, www.trustrentacar.pl.

DuX Consulting Agency ul. Panieńska 9/17, tel. 22 670 4280, www.duxconsulting.com.pl.

RELOCATION COMPANIES

Express Relocations

Unique hotel for unique celebrations Mamaison Hotel Le Regina Warsaw Kościelna 12 T: 22 531 60 00 mamaison.com

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LIFESTYLE ul. Szyszkowa 35/37, tel. 22 878 3539, www.expressrelocations.com.

Euro Move International Movers ul. Kineskopowa 1, Piaseczno, tel. 22 716 5566, moving@euromove.pl, www.euromove.pl.

Interdean International Relocation ul. Geodetów 172, Piaseczno, tel. 22 701 7171, fax 22 701 7177, warsaw@interdean.com, www.interdean.com. With 120 relocation service centres and employs 3,150 international relocation services staff across Europe and EMEA, and over 600 alliances worldwide.

Move One Relocations tel. 22 630 8160, poland@moveoneinc.com, www.moveoneinc.com. Also immigration assistance, fine art shipping, pet transport and consulting services. Award-winning service from a company that’s been active in the field since 1992.

HEALTH & BEAUTY SPAS & SALONS

AcuMed Asian Therapies ul. Sempołowska 3, tel. 608 355 100, www.tuina.pl. Qigong – Daoyin – Meditation in small groups. Also offers special exercises for improving physical & mental health and increasing energy.

Beauty Secret/Spa/Retreat ul. Nowowiejska 38, Józefów,

tel. 22 789 2016, www.beautysecret.pl.

Located about 20 km outside of Warsaw, Beauty Secret is the place to go and recharge your batteries, relax and get pampered.

B&B Clinic ul. Grzybowska 3, tel. 22 403 65 72, www.bbclinic.pl. An array of body and beaity treatments inside pristine five star facilities.

Whether you want to slim down using the latest technologies, rejuvenate the skin or relax during a massage, there’s few better qualified. 10% for Insider readers.

Bio.Sis Nail Spa ul. Koszykowa 31, tel. 22 621 1404, www.nailspabiosis.pl. A top spot for a classic manicure or pedicure – they also do lots of complicated things with gels and other hi-tech nail discoveries.

BodyClinic ul. Oboźna 9 lok. 104, tel. 22 826 1160, www.bodyclinic.pl. Thorough body care for everyone. From the usual options to a huge variety of massages and some very exotic treatments, BodyClinic covers all the bases.

Club Oasis Spa Hotel Hyatt, ul. Belwederska 23, Level -3, tel.

22 851 0563, www.cluboasis.pl. Not just for hotel guests, Oasis is one of the top fitness clubs and spas in Warsaw. Amazing Clarins body firming and rejuvenating treatments, facials, reflexology and wide range of massages at the beauty center round out a healthy lifestyle.

ENGLISH CHURCH SERVICE - 10:30am Sunday International Community Center - Pulawska 326

Programs for: •Children •Youth •Young Adults •Young Marrieds •Men and Women

+48 607 309 490 PASTORROY.ICF@GMAIL.COM WWW.ICFWARSAW.ORG

A non-denominational church serving the international community of Warsaw

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

The Cutting House – Exclusive Hairdressing (E5) ul. Wiejska 20, www.cuttinghouse.pl, tel. 22 622 6362. The Cutting Salon has an elegant polish on a contemporary design and a wide variety of celebs, diplomats and your run-ofthe-mill fashionista dropping in for a trim or a manicure. You will not be disappointed.

Dotyk SPA ul. Biały Kamień 3, tel. 22 898 7272, www.dotykspa.pl Probably the only place in Warsaw where you’ll get a facial yoga session.

Going futher East, treat yourself to Japanese, Polynesian or Indian massage, as well as all the other more typical spa services.

Dior Institute and Dessange Beauty Salon Metropolitan Building, pl. Piłsudskiego 1, tel. 22 331 0808, www.diorinstitut.com.

This sleek boutique offers a state-of-the-art treatment room and professional staff for all your pampering needs.

DS Instytut Al. Ujazdowskie 24, tel. 22 622 13 81, www. dsinstytut.pl. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00; Sat 8:00-16:00. Different treatments: some relaxing, some energizing, some both! The latest player on the block has set its cards on technology, packing a pretty penny into state-of-the-art machines that deliver Hollywood results.

Fabryka Próżnosci ul. Cecylii Śniegockiej 8 lok.101, tel. 22 312 1909, www.fabrykaproznosci.pl. Has a full suit of facials, massages (all the main schools are represented); competitive prices, and plenty of English-speaking therapists.

Fish Spa ul. Wilcza 11, tel. 22 414 3737, www.fishspainstytut.pl. Let 200 Garra Rufa fish do the work on your pedicure and manicure. Alternatively, enjoy more traditional (ie. less fishy) facials and body massages – all at reaonable prices in the heart of the center.

Fiuu Fiuu Day Spa ul. Mokotowska 48, tel. 22 629 2414, www. fiuufiuu.pl. A wonderful quick fix salon that makes use of the latest Ericson products.

Hair Club Warsaw ul. Kruczkowskiego 6, tel. 22 828 0288, www.hairclubwarsaw.pl. Hair Club dispense with the farce and make your hair look great.

They also provide manicures and pedicures and even throw in a decent free coffee.

Izar Repechage ul. Moliera 1, tel. 22 827 7195, www.repechage.net.pl. A gorgeous city spa which a range of treatment for the whole body.

Le Spa (E5) ul. Mokotowska 55, tel. 22 622 9428.

This little island of peace and beauty takes you light-years away from the bustle of Warsaw.

Multico Wellness & Spa ul. Bitwy pod Rokitną 1 (in Old Żoliborz), tel. 22 869 9631, www.multico.pl. A modern fitness center and gorgeous pool make this a chic place to work out and relax.

Now offers spa services and great massages.

Pearl Spa at the InterContinental (C4) ul. Emilii Plater 49, 43 floor, tel. 22 328 8643, www.pearlspa.pl. This bright and full of windows spa has an eclectic menu of “body rituals” such as the Maghreb ritual and Ayurvedic massages.

Studio Jej i Jego ul. Wiertnicza 93A, tel. 22 885 0085, www.jejijego.pl. Hair and beauty treatments for men and women – inc. nail care, massage, facial and body treatments.

com/warsaw. Fitness center, aerobic studio, sauna. Price: zł. 3,420/year.

classes. The view from the pool offers a glorious panoramic view of the city.

Holmes Place Lifestyle Club at the Hilton Hotel (B4) ul. Grzybowska 63, tel. 22 630 6306, www.holmesplace.pl. Premium fitness and leisure centre that offers a wide and diverse range of activities, top quality training equipment and expert staff. Holmes Place also operates two more Energy Clubs in Galeria Mokotów and Arkadia.

World Class Health Academy (B4) Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, www.worldclass.pl.

Mon-Fri 6:00-23:00, Sat-Sun 8:00-21:00.

Situated inside Warsaw’s Marriott hotel, this gym offers all the fitness services you need.

RiverView Wellness Centre at the InterContinental Hotel (C4) ul. Emilii Plater 49, tel. 22 328 8640, www.riverview.com.pl. Top-class facilities and equipment, private instructors and small

AcuMed Asian Therapies – Traditional Medicine Clinic ul. Sempołowska 3, tel. 608 355 100. www.tuina.pl. Holistic treatment of spinal, headaches, stress, pains, allergies.

MEDICAL MEDICAL PRIVATE CLINICS

Ren Clinic is a modern clinic specializing in the field of surgical care cosmetics, medical dermatology and aesthetic medicine.

Sungate Beauty & Spa Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 2, tel. 22 582 9474, 517 012 880, www.spasungate.pl.

Open 10:00-24:00. A feast for all five senses, Sungate offers a wide range of massages, face and body treatments as well as a VIP room for couples.

FITNESS CLUBS

Club Oasis Fitness Centre & Spa (E8) Hotel Hyatt, ul. Belwederska 23, Level -3, tel. 22 851 0563, www.cluboasis.pl. Not just for hotel guests, Oasis is one of the top fitness clubs and spas in Warsaw, with state-of-the-art machines, great pool and Zen-like ambiance.

Fitness Centre at the Radisson SAS Centrum Hotel (E8) ul. Grzybowska 24, tel. 22 321 8888. Fitness club, swimming pool, sauna, gym, group classes in one of Warsaw’s best five stars. zł.100 per day.

Fitness Centre at the Sheraton Hotel (E5) ul. Prusa 2, tel. 22 450 6100, www.sheraton.

We offer: • Laserotherapy

• Removal of stretch marks • Shallowing acne and traumatic scars

• Wrinkle removal using a Palomar Star Lux 500 • Closing deep vassels • Laser hair removal • Endermology • Aesthetic Medicine

- Special offer AndreZadozda: - 50% for Endremolit face treatment and body treatments including an hour-long body massage al. gen. Władysława Sikorskiego 9A lok. 12A tel. 22 414 2222, www.renclinic.pl

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LIFESTYLE Austria-Dent-Center (B4) ul. Żelazna 54, tel. 22 654 2116, www.austriadent.pl.

The OMC doctors offer acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicines, and medical massage for complete health.

Centrum Pomocy Profesjonalnej (A1) Al. Jana Pawła II 80, floor 21, room 129, Babka Tower, tel. 22 637 4080; ul. Puławska 257 (floor 1, suite 71), Melody Park, tel. 22 241 2444, www.cpp.eu.

Aster Med ul. Św. Bonifacego 92, tel. 22 858 0354, www.astermed.pl. Aster Med, while billing itself as a center of orthodontics and implantology, is really the full service with 14 dentists and 4 orthodontists and implant surgeons.

Dentalux ul. Racławicka 131, tel. 22 823 7222, ul.

Puławska 257, tel. 22 256 8010, pulawska@ dentalux.pl.www.dentalux.pl.

Margaret Rybak, Psy.D. ul. Lipska 27/24. US-trained doctoral level psychologist. APA member. Specialises in individual psychotherapy for adults and children. For more information: www.mrybak.waw.pl, mob. 606 518 151.

Ren Clinic Al. Gen. Władysława Sikorskiego 9A lok. 12A, tel. 22 414 2222, www. renclinic.pl. Surgical care, cosmetics, medical dermatology, aesthetic medicine and more.

Well Now Dental Clinic (Wilanów) ul. St. Kostki Potockiego 2A, tel. 22 403 8800, www.wellnow.pl. Open Mon-Fri 8:30-20:30, Sat 9:30-14:30.

PRIVATE CLINICS

ARUMED Arumed Oriental Medical Center, ul. Noakowskiego 8, tel. 22 825 93 96.

Centrum Damiana ul. Wałbrzyska 46, ul. Foksal 3/5, al. K.E.N 103, tel. 22 566 2222, www.damian. com.pl.

Enel-Med Medical Centre Atrium Plaza, Al. Jana Pawła II 29; Arkadia (A1), Al. Jana Pawła II 82; Blue City, Al. Jerozolimskie 179; www.enel.pl For an appointment: tel. 22 311 7777.

Eurodental ul. Nowowiejska 37, tel. 22 857 0088, www.eurodental.pl.

tel. 22 332 2888, www.luxmed.pl.

Medicover Center Atrium, Al. Jana Pawła II 27, ul. Inflancka 5, ul. Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 r. 18, ul. Domaniewska 37, ul. Puławska 278, ul. Poligonowa 3. Hotline: 19 677 or 500 900 500, Medicover Hospital on Al. Rzeczypospolitej 5 in Wilanów tel. 500 900 900, www.medicover.com.

Vertebralia ul. Postępu 6, tel. 22 449 2828, www.vertebralia.pl. A clinic specializing in the integrated treatment of all kinds of spinal illness. With 20 years of experience, they perform innovative treatments with state-ofthe-art equipment.

24-HOUR PHARMACIES

Al. Jana Pawła II 52/54 Al. Solidarności 149, tel. 22 620 0818. ul. Wilcza 31, tel. 22 834 5804. ul. Puławska 39

POLISH FOR FOREIGNERS

Lim Medical Center Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (C5), ul. Domaniewska Academia Polonica (C5) 41, ul. 17-ego Stycznia 49, Al. Jana Pawła II 78, Al. Jerozolimskie 55 loc.15, tel. 22 629 9311, www.academia-polonica.com.pl. Offering a tel. 22 458 7000, www.cmlim.pl. choice of special programs such as: Polish in Lux Med Medical Clinics Business, General Polish Language, Polish for ul. Racławicka 132b, ul. Chmielna 85/87; Academics and Polish for Professionals. ul. Puławska 15; ul. Kopernika 30 (E4); Akademia PFF (H4) ul. Szernera 3; Al. Jerozolimskie 162; 24hr ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 67/11, hotline: 801 800 808, for mobile users:

POLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL FOR FOREIGNERS Tailor-made INDIVIDUAL and MINIGROUP courses - intensive - regular - weekend at the school or at your place First Lesson Free Free conversation classes

tel. 664 788 004 info@klubdialogu.pl www.klubdialogu.pl

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tel. 501 299 338, www.pff-warsaw.com, email: info@ pff-warsaw.com. Akademia PFF offers a wide range of Polish courses for foreigners at low cost in-company or other convenient locations. Professional and friendly tutors with effective teaching styles.

trains Saturdays from 12:00 at Skra Stadium, ul. Wawelska 5. For more information: Christian, mob. 502 198 782.

Edu & More ul. Marszałkowska 87 lok. 81, tel. 22 622 1441, www.eduandmore.com. Business & everyday Polish. Full-time courses and innovative courses of Polish online. Experience, good location & price friendly. Students of full-time courses get online course for free.

munity Center Interdenominational services in English (10:30am, Sunday). Facilities, programs and community activities for all ages: children, students and adults. Contact tel. 607 309 490, roy.taylor@icfwarsaw. org, www.icfwarsaw.org

Klub Dialogu ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 13/156, tel. 664 788 994, www.klubdialogu.pl. Individual and group courses held either on-site or at the venue of your choice. Tailor-made packages inc. both intensive and weekend courses.

International Rotary Club The only English speaking Rotary Club in Warsaw. Visiting Rotarians are welcome to join the weekly meetings held at the Polonia Palace Hotel, Al. Jerozolimskie 45.

For info: tel. 601 897 731.

Lingua Polonica Lingua Polonica offers general Polish language classes, Polish for business and Polish for diplomacy. Individual learning programs are tailored to the needs of individual clients. Private and small-group classes available on a variety of levels for competitive prices. Professional, friendly and dedicated instructors. They even offer a free trial lesson for beginners.

Info: www.linguapolonica.com.pl. Email: linguapolonica@linguapolonica.com.pl.

International Women’s Group of Warsaw Unites expat women in Warsaw and offers cultural, educational and recreational activities. Meetings aheld on the second and fourth Monday of the month. For more info email iwgwarsaw@yahoo.com.

Modern.edu School of Language Al. Jerozolimskie 11/19 lok.21, tel. 22 881 85 14, biuro@ modern.edu.pl, www.modern.edu.pl. A wide range of Polish classes and customized courses at attractive prices - either in small groups or private classes.

COMMUNITY Alcoholics Anonymous for Foreigners Meetings take place on ul. Radna, buzzer #3.

Group meets Mon, Tues, Thurs 18:00 and Sat 11:00 (except the first Saturday of the month).

American Friends in Warsaw AFW offers a variety of social activities, family events and ‘hands-on’ outreach programs supporting vital needs in our host country.

For more information: info@afw.waw.pl.

Frogs & Co. Warsaw’s expatriate men’s rugby team,

International Christian Fellowship & International Com-

The Kurt Scheller Academy (D6) Offers top-standard cooking lessons. For more information: ul. Piękna 68, tel. 22 626 8092, akademia@schelleracademy.com.pl.

New Europe Writers Ink (D5) A fellowship of writers creating poetry and

prose fiction in English. For more information: ul. Marszałkowska 80, mailbox 151, editor@ new-ink.org, www.new-europe-writers-ink.com.

Professionals in Warsaw Hosts meetings in the city to link up professionals, those new to Warsaw, or those here for the long haul. For more info contact Andy (mob. 691 535 566) or the group page on Facebook.

St. Patrick’s Foundation www.irishball.pl. The Irish Ball, held on the Saturday closest to St. Patrick’s Day, is legendary in Warsaw as the biggest of the balls. It’s the main annual fund-raiser of the foundation, which distributes the funds raised to various charities over the course of the year.

Taste of the Classics A Taste of the Classics is a classical music, fine art and dinner entertainment, held regularly in prime locations. The events alternate between formal and semi-formal dress and are held in English. Attendance is by invitation and includes dinner and wine.

For further info: please contact Richard Berkeley: berkeley@fnok.pl or tel. 502 965 353.

Toastmasters International (E5) Toastmasters Polska club invites all to the weekly meetings, to master the art of Public Speaking and presentation skills.

Meetings every Wednesday at 19.00 in the Warsaw Stock Exchange, Catalyst room 1st floor, ul. Książęca 4. More info at toastmasters.org.pl or ring Etan at tel. 696 292 451.

EXCLUSIVE DAY SPA IN THE HEART OF WARSAW OFFERING A WIDE RANGE OF BEAUTY AND BODY THERAPIES INCLUDING MASSAGE THERAPY, FACIAL, MANICURE, PEDICURE FOR WOMEN AND MEN CENTRUM LIM (Behind the MARRIOTT Hotel) level -1, shop 20 (In the direction of the Central Station) tel. +48/22/630 64 70 mobile 883 529 791 www.oasisbeautydayspa.pl OPENING HOURS: Monday to Friday 8.30-20.30 Saturday 9.00-17.00 Sunday for special order

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STREET INDEX 1 Sierpnia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A11 3 Maja al. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F4 29 Listopada . . . . . . . . . . . . G7 Adampolska . . . . . . . . . . . . . H3 Agrykola . . . . . . . . . . . . E6, F6-7 Akacjowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C8-9 Angorska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H3 Anielewicza . . . . . . . . . . .A2-B1 Armii Ludowej al. . . . .C-D7, E-F6 Asfaltowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C8-9 Asnyka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6, B6 Baboszewska . . . . . . . . . . .C10 Bacciarellego . . . . . . . . . . . . .E7 Bachmacka . . . . . . . . . . . . .C10 Baczyńskiego . . . . . . . . . . . .D4 Badowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G8 Bagatela . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E7 Bagno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C4 Bajońska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H5 Baleya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A10 Balladyny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C9 Balonowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C10 Bałuckiego . . . . . . . . . . . .E9-10 Banacha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A8 Bandoski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F10 Barokowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C2 Barska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Bartoszewicza . . . . . . . . . . . . .E3 Bartoszka . . . . . . . . . . . . .G-H10 Bartycka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H7 Batorego . . . . . . . . . . . .C8, D7-8 Batumi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H12 Bednarska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-E2 Beethovena . . . . . . . . . . . . .G10 Belgijska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E9 Belwederska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E8 Bełska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C11 Berezyńska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G4 Biała . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B3 Białoskórnicza . . . . . . . . . .D-E2 Białostocka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1 Biały Kamień . . . . . . . . . . . . .B8 Bielawska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E10 Blaszana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E1 Bliska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H1-2 Bluszczańska . . . . . . . . . . . . .H8 bł.Władysława . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Bobrowiecka . . . . . . . . . . . . .G9 Boczna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2 Boleść . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D1 Bonifraterska . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Boryszewska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E9 Boya-Żeleńskiego . . . . . . . . .E7 Braci Pilatich . . . . . . . . . . .E9-10 Bracka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D4 Browarna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E3 Bruna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C8 Bryły . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D12 Brzeska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G1 Brzozowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F12 Bugaj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D1 Bukietowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D11 Bukowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F12 Bukszpanowa . . . . . . . . . . . .F12 Buraczana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G12 Burgaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G12 Bytnara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C11 Canaletta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C2 Chałubińskiego . . . . . . . . . . .C5 Chełmska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G9 Chłodna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-B3 Chmielna . . . . . . . . . . .B-C5, D4 Chocimska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E8 Chodkiewicza . . . . . . . . . . .C8-9 Chopina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E6 Ciasna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Ciepła . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B4 Cisowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F12 Corazziego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C2 Cybulskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G9 Czackiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D3 Czarnomorska . . . . . . . . . . .G12 Czeczota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D10 Czerniakowska . . . . . . . . .G6, F5 Czerska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G9 Czerwijowskiego . . . . . . . . . .E6 Czeska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G4 Czubatki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C7 Daleka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Daniłowiczowska . . . . . . . . . .C2 Dantyszka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Dąbrowiecka . . . . . . . . . . . . .G4 Dąbrowskiego . . . . . . . . . .C9-10 Dąbrówki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H3 Defilad pl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C4 Długa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C2 Dmochowskiego . . . . . . . . . . .F5 Dobra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E3 Dolańskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1

Dolna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F9 Domaniewska . . . . . . . . . . .D12 Dożynkowa . . . . . . . . . .D9, E10 Dragonów . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G7 Drużynowa . . . . . . . . . . . .D9-10 Dubois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Dworkowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E9 Dynasy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E3 Dzielna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-B2 Dzika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A1 Elektoralna . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-C3 Emilii Plater . . . . . . . . . . . . .C4-5 Esperanto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Estońska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G4 Etiudy Rewolucyjnej . . . .B10-11 Fabryczna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F5 Falęcka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D9 Fałata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C8-9 Filona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D12 Filtrowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6 Finlandzka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G3 Fińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C7 Floriańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1 Flory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E7 Foksal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E4 Franciszkańska . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Francuska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Frascati . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E5 Fredry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D3 Freta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Frycza-Modrzewskiego . . . . .H1 Furmańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2 Gagarina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F-G8 Gallijska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H3 Gałczyńskiego . . . . . . . . . . . .E4 Gamerskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . .C2 Gandhiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D10 Garażowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C11 Gen. Andersa . . . . . . . .B1, C1-2 Genewska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H5 Gierymskiego . . . . . . . . . .F9-10 Gimnastyczna . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Giżyckiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E11 Glogera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Głogowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C11 Głucha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H2 Gołkowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H11 Gomulickiego . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Goszczyńskiego . . . . . . . . . .D10 Goworka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E8 Górskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D4 Górnickiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6 Górnośląska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F5 Górska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F9 Graniczna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C3 Grażyny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E9 Grodzka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2 Grottgera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E9 Grójecka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Gruzińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Grzesiuka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H10 Grzybowska . . . . . . . . . A-B4, C3 Hańczy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G10 Hipoteczna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C2 Hoene-Wrońskiego . . . . . . .F5-6 Hoffmanowej . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Hołówki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G8 Hoża . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-D5 Hrubieszowska . . . . . . . . . . .A4 Huculska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E9 Humańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E8 Idzikowskiego . . . . . . . . . . . .F11 Iłżecka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A11-12 Imielińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F11 Inspektowa . . . . . . . . . .F12, G11 Irlandzka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H3-4 Iwicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G8-9 Jagiellońska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1 Jaktorowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4 Jakubowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G3 Jałtańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H12 Jana Pawła II al. . . . . . .A1, B2-4 Jana Sobieskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F10, G10-11, H12 Jankowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A10 Jaracza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F3 Jasielska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Jasińskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E1 Jasna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D3 Jaszowiecka . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H11 Jaworowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F10 Jazdów . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E6 Jazgarzewska . . . . . . . . . . . . .F9 Jedwabnicza . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G9 Jerozolimskie al. . . . .B-C5, D-F4 Jezierskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F6 Jezuicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D1 Joliot Curie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D11 Joselewicza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H1

Joteyki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Kacza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3 Kalatówki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E11 Kaliska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Kamionkowska . . . . . . . . . . .H2 Kapucyńska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2 Karłowicza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C9 Karmelicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Karolkowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4 Karowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2-3 Karwińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C10 Katowicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Kaukaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G12 Kawalerii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F-G6 Kazimierzowska . . . . . . . . . . .D9 Kępna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1 Kielecka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C8-9 Kierbedzia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G10 Kijowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G1 Kilińskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Klonowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E7 Kłopotowskiego . . . . . . . . . . .F1 Kolberga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D11 Komedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D8 Konduktorska . . . . . . .E9, F9-10 Konopnickiej . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E5 Konstancińska . . . . . . . . .H11-12 Konstruktorska . . . . . . . . .B-C12 Konwiktorska . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Kopernika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E4 Korczyńska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H11 Korzeniowskiego . . . . . . . . . .A7 Kostrzewskiego . . . . . . . . . .E10 Koszykowa . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-D6 Kościelna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Kotlarska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4 Kozia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2 Kozłowskiej . . . . . . . . . . .G-H10 Koźla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Koźmińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F5 Krakowskie Przedmieście . . . . . . . .D2-3 Krasickiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E11 Krasnołęcka . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G9 Kraushara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D9 Kredytowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D3 Kręta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E-F9 Krochmalna . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B3 Kromera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Krowia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1 Królewska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-D3 Królowej Aldony . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Króżańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D9 Krucza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D4-5 Kruczkowskiego . . . . . . . . .E3-4 Krymska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H12 Kryniczna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H5 Krzywickiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6 Krzywopoboczna . . . . . . . . . .D2 Ks. Poniatowskiego al. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F4, G3 Ksawerów . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2 Książęca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E5 Księcia Trojdena . . . . . . . . . . .A8 Kubańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H5 Kubusia Puchatka . . . . . . . . .D4 Kwiatowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D9 Langego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C12 Lądowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F8 Lekarska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6 Lenartowicza . . . . . . . . . . .D-E11 Lennona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E6 Leszno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3 Leszowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C7 Lewartowskiego . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Lewicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D9 Ligocka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D9 Limanowskiego . . . . . . . . . .H11 Lindleya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B5 Lipska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H3 Lipskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C10 Lisieckiego “Dziadka” al. . . .E1 Litewska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E7 Lorenza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E4 Lubelska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G-H1 Lubkowska . . . . . . . . . . . . .G8-9 Ludna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F4 Ludowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E9 Lwowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D6 Łazienkowska . . . . . . . . . . .F-G6 Łęczycka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Łomnicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D8-9 Łotewska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G4 Łowicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C8-9 Łucka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B4 Łużycka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G8 Łyżwiarska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C9 Mackiewicza . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G1 Madalińskiego . . . . . . . . . . . .C9 Magazynowa . . . . . . . . . . . .C12 Maklakiewicza . . . . . . . . . . .B11 Malawskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . .B11 Malczewskiego . . . . . . . . . .D10 Mangalia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G11 Maratońska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C10 Marcinkowskiego . . . . .F1-2, G1 Markowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G1 Marszałkowska . . . .C3-4, D4-5 Marzanny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C11 Maszyńskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . .E5 Matejki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E5 Mazowiecka . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D3

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Meksykańska . . . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Melsztyńska . . . . . . . . . . . .D-E8 Melomanów . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H8 Merliniego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E10 Miączyńska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B11 Miechowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F5 Miecznikowa . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Miedziana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B5 Miła . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A1-2, B1 Miłobędzka . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Miodowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-D2 Młocińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A1 Młynarskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . .D4 Mochnackiego . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Modzelewskiego . . . . . . . . .D11 Mokotowska . . . . . . . . .D6, E5-6 Moliera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2 Mołdawska . . . . . . . . . . . .A9-10 Moniuszki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D4 Morskie Oko . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E9 Mostowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-D1 Myśliwiecka . . . . . . . . . . . . .F5-6 Na Skarpie . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E4-5 Nabielaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F8-9 Nalewki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Narbutta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C9 Naruszewicza . . . . . . . . . .D-E11 Natolińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-E6 Nehru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G8 Neseberska . . . . . . . . . . . . .G12 Niecała . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C3 Niekłańska . . . . . . . . . . . . .H3-4 Niemcewicza . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Niepodległości al. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6-8, D9-12, E12 Niska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-B1 Noakowskiego . . . . . . . . . . . .D6 Nobla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Nowiniarska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Nowińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H1 Nowotarska . . . . . . . . . . . . .F-G9 Nowogrodzka . . . . . . . . . . .B-D5 Nowolipie . . . . . . . . . . .A3, B2-3 Nowolipki . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-B2 Nowomiejska . . . . . . . . . . . . .D1 Nowosielecka . . . . . . . . . . . . .G8 Nowowiejska . . . . . . . . . .C6, D6 Nowy Przejazd . . . . . . . . . . . .D2 Nowy Świat . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-E4 Nullo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E5 Nurska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Oboźna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-E3 Obrońców . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Obserwatorów . . . . . . . . . . . .F11 Oczki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C5 Odolańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-E9 Odyńca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-E10 Ogrodowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-B3 Okolska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E10 Okopowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A1-2 Okólnik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E4 Okrąg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F4-5 Okrzei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1 Oleandrów . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D7 Olesińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E9 Olimpijska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Olkuska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E10 Olszowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E1 Ondraszka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B7 Opoczyńska . . . . . . . . . . . .C8-9 Ordynacka . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-E4 Orężna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H12 Orla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C3-4 Orłowicza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F4-5 Orzechowska . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Ossolińskich . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D3 Oszczepników . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Padewska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E-F9 Panieńska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E1 Pankiewicza . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C5 Pańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C4 Parkingowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D5 Parkowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E-F8 Paryska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H5 Pasteura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Paszyna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Pawia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-B2 Pereca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B4 Piaseczyńska . . . . . . . . . . . . .F11 Piekałkiewicza . . . . . . . . .G-H10 Piesza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Piękna . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D6, E5-6 Pilicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D10-11 Piłkarska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D9-10 Piwarskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F10 Piwna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D1-2 pl. Bankowy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C2 pl. Defilad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C4 pl. Grzybowski . . . . . . . . . .C3-4 pl. Konstytucji . . . . . . . . . . . .D6 pl. Na Rozdrożu . . . . . . . . . . .E6 pl. Narutowicza . . . . . . . . . . .A6 pl. Piłsudskiego . . . . . . . . . . .D3 pl. Teatralny . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2 pl. Trzech Krzyży . . . . . . . . . . .E5 pl. Unii Lubelskiej . . . . . . . . .E7 pl. Zawiszy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B5 pl. Zbawiciela . . . . . . . . . . . . .D6 pl. Żelaznej Bramy . . . . . . . . .C3 Platynowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B5 Płatowcowa . . . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Pługa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7

Płyćwiańska . . . . . . . . . . . . .F12 Pod Kopcem . . . . . . . . . . . .H7-8 Pod Skocznią . . . . . . . . . . . .F12 Podchorążych . . . . . . . . . . .F-G8 Podwale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D1-2 Pogorzelskiego . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Polkowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G9 Polna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D6-7, E7 Pory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G11-12 Poselska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Postępu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B12 Potockiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F4 Powsińska . . . . . . . . . . . .H10-11 Poznańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D5 Praski Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E1 Promenada . . . . . . . . . . . . .E-F9 Prosta . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4-5, B4 Próżna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C3 Prusa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E5 Pruszkowska . . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Przechodnia . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C3 Przemysłowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F6 Przyokopowa . . . . . . . . . . . .A4-5 Przystaniowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F4 Ptasia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-C3 Puławska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E8-12 Pułku Baszta . . . . . . . . . . . . .C11 Pytlasińskiego . . . . . . . . . . .E-F9 Racjonalizacji . . . . . . . . . .B11-12 Racławicka . . . . . . . .A-B10, D10 Radomska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Rakowiecka . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-D8 Raperswilska . . . . . . . . . . . . .H5 Raszyńska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Ratuszowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E1 Reja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B7 Rejtana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E8 Rektorska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D6 Rokitnicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B7-8 rondo Daszyńskiego . . . . .A4-5 rondo De Gaulle’a . . . . . . . . .E4 rondo Dmowskiego . . . . . .D4-5 rondo Jazdy Polskiej . . . . . . .D7 rondo ONZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-C4 rondo Radosława . . . . . . . . . .A1 rondo Waszyngtona . . . . . . .H3 Rostafińskich . . . . . . . . . . . . .B8 Rozbrat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F5-6 Róż al. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E6 Różana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-E9 Różyckiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C9 Rudawska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Rychlińskiego . . . . . . . . . . .C-D7 Rynek Starego Miasta . . . . . .D1 Rysia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C3 Samochodowa . . . . . . . .C11-12 Sandomierska . . . . . . . . . .D-E8 Sanocka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A9 Sapieżyńska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Saska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H3-4 Schillera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C2 Sempołowskiej . . . . . . . . . . .E6 Senatorska . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-D2 Sewerynów . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E3 Sędziowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6 Sękocińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Sielecka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E8-9 Sienkiewicza . . . . . . . . . . . . .D4 Sienna . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B4-5, C4 Sikorskiego al. . . . . . . . . . . .G12 Sikorskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F9 Skaryszewska . . . . . . . . . . . . .G1 Skaryszewski Park . . . . . . . . .H3 Skłodowskiej-Curie . . . . . . . .A7 Skorupki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D5 Słoneczna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E8 Słupecka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Służewska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E6 Smocza . . . . . . . . . . . . .A1-2, B2 Smolna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E4 Smulikowskiego . . . . . . . . . . .F3 Sobieszyńska . . . . . . . . . .F9-10 Soczi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H12 Sokola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F3-G3 Solariego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6 Solec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E3 Solidarności al. . . .A3, B2-3, C2 Sozopolska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G12 Spacerowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E8 Spartańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B11 Spiska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-B6 Sprzeczna . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G1-2 Srebrna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B5 Stanka al. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F5 Stara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D1 Starościńska . . . . . . . . . . . . .D8 Stawki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-B1 Stępińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F8-9 Stopowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F9 Styki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Suligowskiego . . . . . . . . . .G7-8 Sulkiewicza . . . . . . . . . . . . .E-F8 Syryńska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C11 Szara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F5 Szarotki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E10 Szczuczyńska . . . . . . . . . . . . .H5 Szczygla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E4 Szkolna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D3-4 Szpitalna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D4 Szucha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E7 Śliska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-C4 Śniadeckich . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D6

Śniegockiej . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F5 Św. A. Boboli . . . . . . . . . . . . .C9 Św. Barbary . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D5 Św. Bonifacego . . . . . . . . . .H12 Św. Franciszka . . . . . . . . . . .F3-4 Świętojańska . . . . . . . . . . . .D1-2 Świętojerska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Świętokrzyska . . . . . . .C4, D3-4 Tagore’a R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C10 Tamka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E3 Tarczyńska . . . . . . . . . . . . .A-B6 Targowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F-G1 Tatrzańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F9 Teresińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G10 Tłomackie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C2 Tokarzewskiego . . . . . . . . . . .D3 Towarowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4-5 Trasa Łazienkowska . . .E-F6, G5 Trasa W-Z . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C2 Traugutta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D3 Trębacka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2 Trybunalska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6 Turecka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F9 Turystyczna . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B10 Tuwima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D4 Twarda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B4-5 Tyniecka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E10 Ujazdowskie al. . . . . . . . . . .E5-6 Urle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G11 Ursynowska . . . . . . . . . . . .D-E10 Walecznych . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Waliców . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B3-4 Wał Miedzyszyński . . .G4-5, H5 Wałowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1 Wandy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H5 Warecka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D4 Warneńska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G12 Warszewickiego . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Waryńskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D7 Waszyngtona . . . . . . . . . . . . .H3 Wawelska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B7 Wąchocka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H5 Wersalska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H5-6 Węglarska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Węgrzyna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G10 Widok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D4 Wiadukt Markiewicza . . . . . .D3 Wiejska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E5 Wielicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E12 Wierzbickiego . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6 Wierzbowa . . . . . . . . . .C2, D2-3 Wiktorska . . . . . .C10, D9-10, E9 Wilanowska . . . . . . . . . . . . .F4-5 Wilcza . . . . . . . . . . .C6, D5-6, E5 Willowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E8 Winnicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A7 Wioślarska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F4 Wiśniowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D8-9 Witosa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G10-11 Włoska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F9-10 Wodna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D1 Wolicka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H9 Wolnej Wszechnicy . . . . . . A7-8 Wolność . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3 Wolska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4 Wołoska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C12 Woronicza . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-E11 Wronia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3-4 Wrotkowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C9 Wrzesińska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1 Wspólna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D5 Wybrz. Kościuszkowskie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E2-3, F3 Wybrzeże Szczecińskie . . .E-F2 Wygodna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E9 Wyzwolenia al. . . . . . . . . . . . .E6 Zagórna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F-G5 Zajączkowska . . . . . . . . . . .E-F8 Zakopiańska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H5 Zakrzewska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G9 Zamenhofa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 Zamojskiego . . . . . . . . . . . .F-G2 Zawrat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E11 Ząbkowska . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F-G1 Zbierska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F9 Zdrojowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H12 Zgoda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D4 Zieleniecka al. . . . . . . . . . . .G2-3 Zielna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C3 Zimorowicza . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Złota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B-C4 Złotych Piasków . . . . . . . . . .G12 Zwierzyniecka . . . . . . . . . . . .G8 Zwycięzców . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H4 Żelazna . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3, B3-5 Żuławskiego . . . . . . . . . . . . .B11 Żupnicza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H1 Żurawia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D5 Żwirki i Wigury . . . . . . . . . .A8-11 Żytnia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A3 Żywnego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E11 Źródłowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D2

Stadion Narodowy

Żaryna Żaryna

Kulskiego Kulskiego

ChoCdhkod łyiaKłyam kieicwzaic BiaB iew Kaiem za ńień

WHY WARSAW? once, but she’s still with us. When people work it’s natural for them to make mistakes; you have to trust them, you have to have faith in them.

Who visits you here?

Ten years ago no-one was coming in to buy antiques, now we’ve got hundreds of clients, and I’d say 90% of them are Polish. If there is a difference I’ve seen, it’s that foreign customers tend to buy first time – Poles on the other hand visit two or three times before coming to a decision. But they’re always happy they did: I get emails at Christmas from people thanking me for bringing such beauty into their lives!

You arrived in 1995 – what brought you here?

Originally I was working for an international construction company. It was a good opportunity to advance and make your career go ‘faster’. I was handed responsibility straight away, in Germany you have to wait for someone to die at their desk or on the golf course before you move forward.

The country has changed, eh?

Oh yes. I remember getting a circular from an American women’s group announcing Warsaw’s first cash machine!

It was up by IKEA and people were queuing to use it – but hey, it worked. I got fined for speeding on my first day, in fact, I used to get stopped three or four times a week: the moment they’d see my foreign number plate. Eventually, they realized I lived here and gave up. Back then it was a smelly city, but it’s the noise I really remember – a constant choir of car alarms going off and their little lights flashing.

Archeologist, economist, and German native Matthias Renz is the face behind Prima Porta, an exotic antiques gallery specializing in the ancient.

What are your criteria when buying antiques?

Beauty – people have to be able to build a bridge and connect with a piece. Of course, then there are obvious things such as its provenance, as well as its quality. I always try to buy objects which are in their original state of preservation. To me though, neither size nor value matter – a small object can be subtle and have a more interesting story than say a much larger piece.

Have you had any expensive accidents?

No! You know, to me handling antiques is second nature, like handling an everyday dish. You can’t be scared to grab these things.

At home I use a Bronze Age bowl from 1,000 BC to collect my car parking coins! Obviously though, if say a mug is two thousand years old, you know better than to pick it up by its handle. Our cleaner, she broke something

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WARSAW INSIDER | OCTOBER 2012

We hear Warsaw compared to Berlin all the time, any substance in that?

They’re not comparable. Berlin’s the capital of a country of 85 million – it’s the capital of a former empire. You’ve got 20 million tourists each year, and 200 different nationalities living there. And I don’t mean ambassadors of small nations, but whole communities with their little street restaurants. You don’t have those influences here. But it’s good that Warsaw isn’t the new Berlin. It means Warsaw has its own character and its own identity.

Where’d you take a guest?

The Palace of Culture, and of course the Old Town. I celebrated my father’s birthday in Fukier and love it there.

Privately though, you’ll find me in Sushi Zushi – I could go there every day. I was there yesterday, and you know what, I’ll go there after this interview.

Find Matthias at his gallery, Prima Porta Antiquities (Moktowska 71, www.primaportaantiquities.com)

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN DEMARIA

THE DEALER

Germany and Poland have had a bit of a history; what’s it like being a German out here?

The one time I didn’t feel welcome was during the Kaczyński years. Every day it felt like the papers were running an anti-German story, and I really think for a time the brainwashing worked – you’d hear the neighbors talking about you. At traffic lights people would glare when they saw my German plates… Thankfully, that’s a thing of the past. Weather aside, this is a great country to live in.

New Year's Eve at Panorama Bar "Sparkling Sky" Enjoy a fabulous sparkling night to remember! End the year with a bang as you shine on the dance floor surrounded by beats from our DJ. With a delicious meal, party novelties and great music it will be a glistening night to remember. Dress to impress.

Includes: Buffet - Hot & Cold food | Open Bar - Beer, wine, vodka, selected cocktails, softs Fabulous music | Glass of sparkling wine at midnight!

Price: 690 PLN per person | Start: 8:00 pm | Date: 31.12.2012 Reservation: +48 22 630 63 06 | E-mail: pawel.zochocwski@marriotthotels.com Panorama Bar & Lounge 40th floor Warsaw Marriott Hotel, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, 00-697 Warsaw Facebook: PanoramaBarLounge, T: 22 630 5030/22 630 7435, events@panoramabar.pl, panoramabar.pl