Warsaw Insider February 2013 #198

Chefs Get Romantic

The Dating Game page 26

page 18

Vinyl Love page 22

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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

to our readers

FEBRUARY 2013

THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE Stuck how to start a conversation with that hot looking girl/boy at the bar? Here’s some classic bilingual chat-up lines that are guaranteed not to be foolproof.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

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ebruary signals our now traditional Valentine’s issue, which presents one of the bigger challenges of the Insider calendar – after all, it’s pretty hard to feel the love in the air when there’s a wind chill of minus twenty cutting through the mittens. Warsaw, at time of writing, was frozen solid, but while that was a sign for my compatriots in England to die off like the dinosaurs, in Poland it was business as usual. Which is why we’ve worked through the frost to present our most valuable ‘love issue’ to date.

Romance reigns inside our February edition, which explains why we’ve been found cruising round Warsaw’s old vinyl stores, raked up Poland’s top love stories, compiled a list of must do dates and assembled a weighty list of dating tips – follow Tamara Taylor’s advice on page 18 and you too shall be married within six months flat (eek!).

Yet for all of that, it’s dining that continues to dominate conversations. The respective launches of Nolita and Signature emphasize the capital’s intention to build on last year’s spate of top class openings, and you’ll find both reviewed inside. We’ve also taken the opportunity to speak to three of the success stories of 2012, which is precisely why you’ll be finding out what happens when chefs get romantic on page 26. So, enjoy it all, and good luck on that shell-cratered battleground that is the dating game. As always, check up on the latest hot news and goss on our facebook (www.facebook.com/warsawinsider) or sign up for free to our weekly e-letter (newsletter@warsawinsider.pl).

Catch you next month, hopefully for an issue that hasn’t been written peering from out of an igloo.

PHOTOGRAPH SHUTTERSTOCK

Alex Webber awebber@valkea.com

on the cover This month we’ve got one of Warsaw’s secret makeout spots on the cover: Kamienne Schodki. Linking the Rynek with ul. Brzozowa, Napoleon stood on this stairwell in 1806, pondering future conquests eastwards. Apparently unimpressed by their neglect, he’d doubtless prefer them nowadays: the lovebirds pictured certainly do.(Illustration by Michał Miszkurka)

Your dad must be a thief because he stole the stars and put them in your eyes Twój tata musi być złodziejem, bo ukradł gwiazdy i umieścić je w twoich oczach (T-voy tata mushi bitch zwod-ji-yem bo uk-radwe gwiaz-de E umieshzitch ye v tvoik o-cha) Did it hurt when you fell out of heaven?

Czy to boli, kiedy spadł z nieba?

(Che to boli, kiedy spad-w z nieba?)

You’re under arrest. The charge: trespassing in my dreams Jesteś aresztowany. Zapłata za wykroczenie w moich snach (Jess-tesh arrest-ovany. Za-pwata za v-kroche-nie v moy-ik snak) You must be tired because you’ve been running through my mind all day Musisz być zmęczony, bo chodziłeś mi po głowie cały dzień.

(Mush-ish bitch smen-choni bo hodge-e-wesh me po gwo-vie sawy gin) I seem to have lost my number, can I have yours instead?

Zgubiłem mój numer, czy mogę dostać Twój w zamian?

(Zgu-be-wem moy new-mer, che mo-ge dos-tach tvoy v zam-ean) Get your coat, you’ve pulled Weż swój płaszcz, idziesz ze mną.

Vez svoy pwasch id-z-esh ze m-na

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what’s inside

FEBRUARY 2013

22

LISTINGS

Culture

Restaurants

Cafes & Wine Bars

05 O pener Warsaw Winter Music Festival 05 Calendar Music, art and events around town 29 I nsider’s Pick Signature 34 Insider’s Pick

Nolita

53 Insider’s Pick

Christian’s Baker House

INfront 20 Love Matches 11 News in Brief

Poland’s classic love pairings

Hitler and Fritzl cause outrage, Modlin

flops and public transport loses its pants 22 Vinyl Love

Getting hot in Warsaw’s record shops 14 Relics of the PRL

The Orange Alternative, Bar Familijny 24 Valentine’s Night

and graffiti of the past

Warsaw’s top spots

17 InterNations

Warsaw’s premier mixer

FEATURES

18 Dating

From single to married in six months flat

Editor-in-chief

Art Director

Editor

Publisher Advertising Manager Key Account Manager Distribution Manager

26 Food of Love

Chefs from Nabo, Delizia and Atelier

by Amaro get romantic 28 Scenic Dining

Best views in town 80 Why Warsaw?

Stories of ex-pat love

Alex Webber awebber@valkea.com Kevin Demaria kdemaria@valkea.com David Ingham dingham@valkea.com Morten Lindholm mlindholm@valkea.com Jowita Malich jmalich@valkea.com Maria Pięta mpieta@valkea.com Krzysztof Wiliński kwilinski@valkea.com

Contributors: Gill Boelman-Burrows Kit F. Chung Anna J. Kutor Michał Miszkurka Paula Rewald Tamara Taylor Agnieszka Le Nart Ed Wight

Insider’s Pick Kraken Rum Bar Insider’s Pick Wihajster

Shopping

Children

63 Insider’s Pick

Take a Nap 67 Insider’s Pick

Sto 900

71

Lifestyle

Insider’s Pick Warsaw’s Internatinal Triathlon Club

76 Street Index 77 Classifieds 78 Warsaw Map Subscription 12 editions of the Insider zł. 99 (inc. VAT) in Poland.

Orders can be placed through insider@ warsawinsider.pl

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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 ©2013 Warsaw Insider.

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WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN DEMARIA

16 Trends

Belgian fries come to town

Nightlife

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Open day on Saturday, March 9th from 10am to 3pm The French School in Warsaw (LFV) is a major international school, serving over 750 students from ages 2-18. The school has high academic standards and cultural diversity, representing over 32 different nationalities. It is the only school in Warsaw to be approved of by the French Ministry of Education, and 60% of the students are nativespeakers of French, which ensures excellence in the language level.

Since its creation in 1954, the French School in Warsaw has been firmly supported by the French Embassy. Parents are also actively involved in the school. It is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of parents who have the time and interest to serve the entire school community.

When you register for the French School in Warsaw, you set foot inside a school which is a member of the official network of French schools abroad (AEFE).The AEFE is the largest school system in the world and is composed of: • 480 schools established in 130 countries • 300,000 students of all nationalities.

Thanks to this network, the students can follow the same education wherever they move and can access universities in Poland and all over the world.

Parents who are interested in enrolling their child in either pre-school, primary or secondary school are kindly requested to visit our school premises at: ul. Konstancinska 13, Sadyba (Pre-school and Primary School) Saturday, March 9th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The members of the school staff will be happy to answer all your questions and queries.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!

For further information, don’t hesitate to contact us at: www.lfv.pl See you soon! A bientôt!

Reviews: Warsaw Winter Music Festival 5 / Warsaw National Museum 7 / DSH 9

CULTURE EVENTS 5 / MUSEUMS 8 / SCREENING ROOM 7

EVENTS THIS MONTH

Insider’s Pick

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ACROBATICS Acrobatics of China – Happy New Year Sala Kongresowa, Pl. Defilad 1 For the first time ever a troop of Chinese acrobats from the Guangxi region will perform in Warsaw to commemorate the start of the Chinese New Year.

The Year of the Snake begins on February 10 and this show will feature amazing stunts, dance performances and traditional music that will entertain the whole family. Tickets from zł. 65, available from eventim.pl

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CONCERT A Spectacular Night of Queen Sala Kongresowa, Pl. Defilad 1 World-renowned Queen tribute band The Bohemians will be joined by a symphony orchestra for this night of entertainment which promises to bring the legendary rock band back to life.

This is about as close as you’ll get to Freddy Mercury-era Queen, with a dodgy-tached singer and curly-haired lead guitarist guaranteed. Tickets from zł. 60, available from eventim.pl

Tri-City audio visual duo Skinny Patrini

FESTIVAL

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ORGANIZERS OR ARTISTS

Warsaw Winter Music Festival Festival February 22-23 SOHO Factory, ul Mińska 25

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estival season seems like a very long time away as Warsaw continues to plough through another grim winter. But fear not, there is a solution and you don’t have to wait till summer to get in the party mood. That’s because the first ever Warsaw Winter Musical Festival is taking place this month.

Organized by the people from Miasto Cypel this novel two-day event aims to bring the atmosphere of a summer festival to a cold February weekend. The music, which will be played across three stages (two indoor, one outdoor), will have an electronic slant, with standout acts including Tri-City audio visual duo Skinny Patrini, German singer Olivia Anna Livki, rock n’ roll electro outfit Natural Born Chillers and the upbeat sounding The&.

But the entertainment won’t just be coming out of the amps, with other unique features including an ice-zone with frozen sculptures, igloos and installations, a fire show and breathtaking multimedia shows in the “media park”. This promises to be a weekend-long knees-up of epic proportions.

Admittedly, it’s won’t quite be the same as sitting in a field on a baking day, and drinking beer out of a plastic cup while listening to indie rock ‘n’ roll, but what do you want – it’s February. And as the organizers say, “what could be better on a cold winter’s day than to spend time frying your mind and your extremeties” - exactly! Tickets from zł.20, available from www.wwmf.pl/bilety

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CONCERT Billy Talent Klub Stodoła, ul. Batorego 10 These Canadian multi-platinum-

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CULTURE selling punk rockers are now on their fourth record with 2012’s Dead Silence breaking the mold from their self-titled other releases Billy Talent, Billy Talent II and Billy Talent III. Fans can expect to hear old hits including Try Honesty and Red Flag at their Warsaw show, as well as new songs like Viking Death March.

Tickets from zł. 99, available from eventim.pl

Spodek, Katowice Top-hat wearing, former Guns N’ Roses axeman Slash comes to Poland as part of a major European tour this month. He’ll be joined on stage in Katowice by singer-songwriter Myles Kennedy to play songs from his debut solo album which featured all of the original Roses line up except Axl Rose, as well as guest vocalists Lemmy, Ozzy Osbourne and Ian Astbury. Tickets from zł. 150, available from ticketpro.pl

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FESTIVAL Rocket Festival Torwar, ul. Łazienkowska 6A Polish bands make up the acts at the first ever Rocket Festival event with Hey, Coma, Luxtorpeda, Happysad, and Rust among the performers. Probably the standout act though are mad cap band Łąki Łan who are led by wizard Vladimir Dembowski on vocals. Tickets from zł. 75, available from ticketpro.pl

able today. This concert features the best of the group’s repertoire and magnificent traditional costumes from Poland’s twenty ethnographic regions.

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CONCERT Beth Hart Klub Hybrydy, ul. Złota 7/9 Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Beth Hart first found major fame with her single LA Song in 1999. Her eclectic back catalog now contains blues, rock, jazz and soul, while she has also appeared on records with the likes of Deep Purple, Jeff Beck and Slash. Tickets from zł. 130, available from ticketpro.pl

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BALLET

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CONCERT Clannad Klub Stodoła, ul. Batorego 10 Traditional Celtic band Clannad were formed in County Donegal in the 1970s and are made up of five members of the Brennans, Ireland’s most famous musical family. During the 1980s they were joined by multi-million selling artist and fellow relative Enya before she pursued a successful solo career. Their folk sound has seen them amass a massive following that continues to bring success more than four decades on from their formation.

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OPERA

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CONCERT The Bootleg Beatles Sala Kongresowa, Pl. Defilad 1 The best Beatles tribute band in existence have played more than 4,000 gigs since they came in to existence in the early 1980s.

Their likeness to the original band is so good that George Harrison remarked that the group, “know the chords better than me.” As well as playing at Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee party the four-piece have supported the likes of Oasis and David Bowie at major concerts.

Tickets from zł. 50, available from eventim.pl

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CONCERT Slash

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WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

The Macropolous Affair Teatr Wielki, Pl. Teatralny 1 This Czech opera is set in 1922 and tells the tale of the mysterious character Emilia, who was given the power of eternal life a prize which instead of bringing her happiness left her bitter and upset. Conducted by Gerd Schuller and directed by Christoph Marthaler, it stars Eva Johansson in the main role of Emilia

MARKET Snow Town Vol. 2 1500m2, ul. Solec 18 With winter in full swing skiers and snowboarders should get themselves down to this market which will feature all the gear you’ll need to look good on the slopes, with many of the products being sold at special promotional prices.

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FOLK DANCE Mazowsze Teatr Wielki, Pl. Teatralny 1 Music and dance ensemble Mazowsze provide the most colorful and authentic example of true Polish folk culture avail-

CONCERT Sweet Klub Progresja, ul. Kaliskiego 15A Glam rockers Sweet never managed to recapture the success of their mid-seventies pomp when songs like Wig-Wam Bam and Ballroom Blitz propelled the group to the top of the European charts. But those classic songs still manage to entertain fans years later and this show should do the job if you’re a Sweet fan, despite bass player Steve Priest being the only founding member left in the band. Tickets from zł.

120, available from ticketpro.pl

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF ARTISTS OR ORGANIZERS

Love and Fear Teatr Wielki, Pl. Teatralny 1 Four ballet revivals in one evening. The performances begin with a piece inspired by the music of German composer Kurt Weil. The works of Pawel Szymański, Claude Debussy and Johann Sebastian Bach form the backdrop to the other ballets which cover the themes of love, longing and eroticism.

Exhibition News

MOVIES OPENING THIS MONTH 1 Gangster Squad (Gangster Squad. Pogromcy mafii) Crime/Drama. Dir. Ruben Fleischer, with Josh Brolin, Ryan Goslin and Sean Penn.

Zero Dark Thirty (Wróg numer jeden) Thriller. Dir. Katheryn Bigelow, with Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke and Joel Edgerton.

14 A Good Day to Die Hard (Szklana pułapka 5) Action. Dir. John Moore, with Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney.

Lincoln Biography/Drama/History.

Dir. Steven Spielberg, with Daniel Day Lewis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

ART GALLERY

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100 Years of Polish Contemporary Art

Silver Linings Playbook (Poradnik pozytywnego myślenia) Comedy/Drama. Dir. David O. Russell, with Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro.

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new gallery containing a wide ranging collection of Polish art from the 20th and 21st Century is now open at the National Museum in Warsaw. The work on show covers paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, photographs and films from renowned Polish artists including Władysław Strzemiński, Henryk Stażewski, Katarzyny Kobro, and Marka Włodarski among many others.

“The differences shown in the cinematographic works, photographs, photo montages, and new acquisitions, including works from as early as the Third Republic, represent the nucleus of the next chapter of the National Museum in Warsaw’s art collection,” Dr Piotr Rypson, Curator of the Modern Art Collection, said in a statement to announce the opening of the new gallery.

Tickets for entry to the gallery are priced from zł. 10

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (Hansel i Gretel: Łowcy czarownic) Action/Fantasy/Horror.

Dir. Tommy Wirkola, with Will Ferrell, Adam McKay. Hitchcock Biography/Drama. Dir. Sacha Gervasi, with Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren.

15 Beautiful Creatures Drama. Dir. Richard LaGravenese, with Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert and Jeremy Irons.

This is Forty (40 lat minęło) Comedy. Dir. Judd Apatow, with Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann and Megan Fox.

22 Flight Drama. Dir. Robert Zemeckis, with Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle

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From

PLN *

ESCAPE THE CITY TRAFIC, GET THE OPEN ROAD AND EXPLORE POLAND WITH WEEKEND CAR RENTAL OFFER. Contact: +48 22 672 65 65 www.avis.pl * net price per day, min.3 days required.

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CULTURE MUSEUMS & GALLERIES Car Museum ul. Warszawska 21 (Otrębusy), tel. 22 758 5067, www. muzuem-motorzyacji.com.pl.

Approx. 300 vehicles all jumbled together like a broken jigsaw.

Highlights include the ’79 Pope Mobile, Stalin’s limo and cars used to ferry Marilyn and Elvis.

Other bits and pieces inc. vintage motors, a double decker bus and a US tractor from 1895. Mapped out with little rhyme or reason, it’s a hoarders heaven, with extra oddities numbering WWII debris, a 7TP tank, a red English phone box and a plane...

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.

Ongoing until March 2013: Interactive Music Exhibition. Is it possible to see sound? To Touch it? To walk on it? Apparently so – and the Copernicus Science Centre can prove it through this innovative and informative exhibition.

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 February 24: Maurizio Cattelan - Amen. After a year away from the art world controversial Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan is back with an exhibition of some of his most significant pieces which will once again stimulate questions about life, death and the genesis of evil.

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Dom Spotkań z Historią ul. Karowa 20, www.dsh.waw. pl. A huge Insider favorite, the History Meeting House wins points for frequently excellent exhibitions that cover topics such as ‘rebuilding Warsaw’ and ‘Socialist Realist architecture.’

It won’t take longer than twenty minutes to peruse whatever exhibition is on, but it’s still a very worthwhile diversion – not least for the fab bookshop.

While most titles are Polish language, there’s some fantastic photo books dealing with Warsaw’s past. Ongoing until March 31: photos of 1950s Poland by Władysław Sławny.

Ongoing until April 30: Henry N. Cobb’s photographs of Poland in post-war ruin.

Historical Museum of Warsaw Rynek Starego Miasta 28/42, www.mhw.pl.

The granddaddy of Warsaw museums is over the worst of a lengthy refit and gradually reopening bit by bit. The ground floor cinema is a must – playing a 20 minute film titled We Will Remember, it details the powerful story behind the destruction of Warsaw.

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 Chopin’s pocket watch, last piano, a lock of hair and even his death mask.

Królikarnia ul. Puławska 113a, www.krolikarnia.mnw.art.pl Fine art galore inside an elegant suburban palace. The young curator has decided to show some forgotten treasures from the rich archives of the National

WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

Museum. The gallery also hosts more contemporary works, such as those by Nicolas Grospierre and Agnieszka Polska.

Legia Museum ul. Łazienkowska 6, www.legia. com. One for the lads. Aside from silverware affirming Legia’s status, find a vast collection of shirts, pennants and paintings (even part of an old floodlight).

Pride of place goes to Legia’s favorite son, 80’s super star Kazimierz Deyna.

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 visitors with a display of contemporary art, including works of Alina Sapocznikow, Zbigniew Libera, Paweł Althamer, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Miroslaw Bałka, Katarzyna Kozyra and Artur Żmijewski.

National Museum Al. Jerozolimskie 3, www.mnw.art.pl.

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. From February 22: Four Times World. Konstanty Jarochowski, Jan Kosidowski, Wiesław Prażuch, Władysław Sławny. This photo exhibition will be the first of its kind to present images created between 1951-1969 for the Polish weekly “Świat.”

The Neon Museum ul. Mińska 25 (Soho Factory), www.neonmuzeum.org.

A complete departure from the stuff museums in Poland are famed for, this long awaited project brings together the neon lights that once illuminated the city. Among the collection are 35 landmark signs, many of which date from the 60s and 70s.

Palmiry National Memorial Museum Palmiry, www.palmiry.mhw.pl.

An excellent multimedia exhibition set next to a cemetery holding the graves of 1,700 Poles executed in the first years of Nazi occupation. The museum tells their forgotten story, with archival video footage complimented by exhumed exhibits and plenty of background info dealing with the siege and subsequent occupation of Warsaw.

Pawiak ul. Dzielna 24/26.

What was once a Tsarist prison assumed a doubly sinister function under the Nazis. Some 100,000 Polish political prisoners were held here, 37,000 of which were executed on-site. Split in two sections, cells are found on one side, while on the other the full story of the invasion and occupation. Of interest, a brilliant interactive display of wartime Warsaw.

Poster Museum in Wilanów ul. St. Kostki Potockiego 10/16. www.postermuseum.pl.

With a collection that touches the 55,000 mark, here’s the biggest poster museum in the world – and also the original.

Art spans the period from 1892 till 2002, and while the majority is Polish orientated works on display also include those by Dali and Warhol.

Museum of Technology Palace of Culture, pl. Defilad 1, www.muzeum-techniki.waw.pl.

The very opposite of the new-fangled Copernicus Centre, here’s a place that embraces the old way of doing things. On show an eccentric – occasionally ludicrous – collection of junk that ranges from 8-bit computers to a German ‘Enigma’ machine.

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’, 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.

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 February 17: Marek Konieczny – Think Crazy. Artist Marek Konieczny, was pivotal in the conceptual breakthrough in Polish art at the turn of the 1960s/1970s, as well as being central to the late 1970s deserter of conceptualism and mail art movements. This latest show contains several symbolic works from his collection including a golden bag from a previous exhibition Drop Something in Here, as well as several films.

NEED TO KNOW Museum hours (and prices) change way too frequently for our liking, so check indiviudal websites for the latest story.

Note that many of these addresses close one day per week (usually Monday or Tuesday), and that an equal amount hold ‘visitor’ days once a week when admission prices are waived.

From top: Panorama of the ruins of the Ghetto, Castle Square, The Prudential Insurance Society skyscraper damaged during the Warsaw Uprising.

All photos by Henry N. Cobb.

Insider’s Pick Dom Spotkań z Historią Henry N. Cobb’s Color Photographs of WWII Ruins

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his fascinating photo exhibition is composed of images taken by the late American architect Henry N. Cobb, during a visit to Poland in 1947. Taken two years after the end of WWII, the photos detail the true scale of the damage inflicted on the country during the 1940s, with photographs from major cities including Kraków, Szczecin, Warsaw and Wrocław, showing a country that was a shell of its pre-war self.

As well as detailing the devastation, the photos also provide a unique colour insight in to the restoration of the country. As fellow American architect Hermann Field, who accompanied Mr Cobb on the trip wrote, “The range of planning is completely unique, and the standards used should be of interest to planners and architects in other countries...”

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INFRONT ART 11 / CITY 12 / NEWS 12 / NIGHTLIFE 12 / PRL 14 / TRAVEL 12 / TRENDS 16

ART

PHOTOGRAPH ED WIGHT

Sieg Vile

A statue of a child-like Hitler by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan has caused a storm of criticism due to its location on ul. Próżna, the only former Ghetto street to survive the war intact. The art work, which is called HIM, portrays a praying Hitler on his knees, and is only visible through a peephole in a wooden door on Próżna 14. Poland’s Chief Rabbi, Michael Schudrich, said that placing the artwork in a location where thousands of Jews suffered and died was “lacking in sensitivity”.

“When it comes to showing the figure of Hitler, we have an extra special responsibility to be sensitive to those who suffered because of what Hitler created,” Mr Schudrich told AFP. “To place it right here, on Próżna Street, part of the old Warsaw Ghetto, is lacking in that sensitivity and therefore creates a problem for me,” he blasted.

Efraim Zuroff, the Israel director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, went further saying in a statement, “as far as the Jews are concerned, Hitler’s only ‘prayer’ was that they be wiped off the face of the earth.” This is not the first time Maurizio Cattelan’s work has come under fire in Poland, after a previous work, La Nona Ora, which depicted Pope John Paul II being hit by a meteorite, created uproar when it was displayed at the capital’s Zachęta Gallery. (DI) facebook.com/warsawinsider

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INFRONT

BRIEFING ED WIGHT’S NEWS BITES Load of Old (Meat) Balls

Going Undies-Ground

Warsaw Metro was overtaken by trouser-less youngsters on January 13th as the No Pants subway phenomenon hit the capital for the second year running. Started in New York back in 2002 by the Improv Everywhere collective the event has since gone global and convinced thousands of people in 59 countries to discard their trousers while riding the underground.

TRAVEL

Plane Rubbish

NIGHTLIFE

Criminally Insane?

Modlin's much trumpeted low-cost airport saw its reputation in tatters as 2012 came to a close. First, Wizz Air upped sticks blaming inadequate winter operations and problems resulting from a lack of Instrument Landing System equipment. Then, due to damage to the airport’s runway, all scheduled flights were cancelled between December 23 and the end of January. The airport estimate they stand to lose zł. 150,000 each day they remain closed.

The owners of a new Warsaw bar clearly have a very twisted humor – that would explain why they’d name a bar after Austrian pervert Josef Fritzl, the convicted paedo who kept his daughter hostage for 24 years.

When questioned about his motives the bar’s manager said it was a ‘joke’. He’s since apologized and promised to rename the bar after the story went international.

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WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

Randy the Elephant A randy elephant has been told to pack his trunk after demolishing his enclosure because he doesn’t get enough sex. Thisian, a 14-year-old Indian tusker at Chorzów zoo, is being sent to Germany where it is hoped he will meet a mate. Zoo director Jolanta Kopiec said: “Because of his lack of female company he has gone bananas and smashed up his enclosure. He has a lot of testosterone but unfortunately we don’t have any female elephants here so we have decided the best thing for him is to go to Hamburg zoo where there are 16 females. We will be sad to see him go but he has become too dangerous to stay here,” she said.

GILL-TY A wife who poisoned her estranged husband's tropical fish by pouring bleach in their tank is being sued by her ex. Bitter Agnieszka M emptied three bottles of Domestos into the tank killing 15 of husband Darek’s prized specimens. But unknown to her, he had fitted a CCTV security system into the home in Lublin, and the attack was recorded on DVD. Confessing to judges Agnieszka said: “I hate that house and I hate him for everything he has done to me. I just wanted to get my revenge.”

PHOTOGRAPH FROM TOP BY MICHAŁ DOMAGAŁA, FACEBOOK.COM/PIWNICA-U-FRIZTLA, SHUTTERSTOCK

CITY

A religion that thinks God is a plate of spaghetti and meatballs is applying to become registered in Poland. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster will have its formal application to the Ministry of Administration considered later this month. Supporter MP Armand Ryfiński from the Palikot Movement said: “Just as the Orange Alternative fought Communism, so Pastafarians fight against the vast influence of the Roman Catholic clergy.”

INFRONT

PRL PAGE (’52-’89)

Back in the bad days protests against communism weren’t limited to the valiant actions of the Solidarity movement. Other action groups flourished and among their number was a surrealist group who were born in 1980s Wrocław. Under the leadership of Wałdemar Fydrych, the Orange Alternative took root as a “permanent cultural alternative to the communist order of meaning.” To meet this end Fydrych & Co. organized a series of bizarre happenings that poked fun at the system through satire and wit. No serious political demands were ever made, with Fydrych instead relying on novel comic ways to wrong foot the leadership and expose the absurdities of the time.

Their public manifestations could be described as Python-esque: at Wrocław Zoo protestors sang communist anthems in front of the chimpanzee enclosure. Another action saw 2,000 people march around dressed as Santa while waving banners and placards calling for the release of Father Christmas. When the militia moved in to disperse the protestors, shop workers legitimately dressed as Santa were among the 77 people manhandled into meat wagons.

However, it was the humble gnome that became the symbol of this movement, and at its zenith 10,000 activists paraded through Wrocław wearing cone shaped hats. The legend of the Orange Alternative spread nationwide, and it wasn’t long till gnomes were sprouting up on the walls of Warsaw – originally, on top of anti-communist graffiti that had been whited out by the commies. To this day examples of gnome art survive on pl.

Konstytucji, Krakowskie Przedmieście 19 and Madalińskiego 3/5 (see right). The Orange Alternative also survives, with a remit that serves to respond to, “the pettiness of official and oppositional forces, and mock the grandiose and meaningless decorativeness of Polish life.” For more on their mission check: www.orangealternativemuseum.pl

The clatter of the kitchen, the smell of the crowd – all elements vital to the workings of a classic bar mleczny.

Popularized during the PRL era, these once state subsidized canteens have suffered heavily in recent years and today represent an ever dwindling relic of communist times. Glimpse the past by visiting Bar Familijny (Nowy Świat 39), a venerable institution where time has stood still. From the stone faced staff to the hefty servings of stodge and slop, it’s a time machine experience that fills all the senses. Join the shuffling queue to make your order, then take a seat under a crucifix to eat amid wood-paneled interiors and suffocating smells.

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PHOTOGRAPHS FROM TOP: AGENCJA FORUM, REST BY KEVIN DEMARIA

The Gnome-an Empire

Grafiti w Polsce examines the Polish graffiti phenomena in minute detail, and not even the lack of English should deter you from purchase. With hundreds of photos to peruse, it’s the ultimate visual guide to street art in Poland. Split in chronological sections, the principal focal point is the PRL years – including the rare remains of propaganda art, as well numerous examples of antigovernment expression: yes, that encompasses the bizarre gnome paintings of the Orange Alternative.

INFRONT

TRENDS

BY DAVID INGHAM

Chips Ahoy

Forget the fast food joint with the big yellow arches, the capital is now being taken over by some top drawer fries with a much more European flavour.

On the other hand Fabryka Frytek, the city’s most authentic Belgian venue, has room inside to sit plus the biggest portion of fries in the city: order the hardy 600g option, and match it with any one of approximately twenty sauces. And there’s several fries to try, including curly fries, wedges, ‘PRL-style’ and happy face shapes for the bairns. According to the owner the idea came from a chip shop in Brussels she used to frequent called Maison Antoine. “After I came back home that was the thing I missed the most and it became the inspiration to open my own place.” Judging by the queues, her version of the legendary Antoine’s shouldn’t be dismissed as small fry.

Fabryka Frytek ul. Złota 3 Friterie ul. Hoża 42 Okienko ul. Polna 22

Large fries with samurai sauce at Friterie

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PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN DEMARIA

P

oor Belgium. It really doesn’t get the credit it deserves. For a country that invented fries and has the best beer and chocolate in the world, there’s a distinct lack of praise aimed their way. Added to that the food they’re most proud of constantly gets called “French”. Some say the name was coined by American GI’s returning home after WWII, the truth though is somewhat less exciting with the name coming about because in days gone by “to French” something meant to cut it length ways.

Whatever the history of the name it seems in Warsaw ‘Belgian’ fries have at last achieved some overdue fame.

It all started with the opening of the depressing Chez Fred on Jana Pawła II (now Chez Dead after closing at press time). Since then the last 12 months has seen a major boom of Belgian frite eateries across the capital, with Fabryka Frytek and Okienko the best of the current bunch. Okienko has some great tasting fries and an eclectic range of sauces (tzatziki, sambal, samurai) but during the current winter season, the fact that it is a holein-the-wall joint is a major disadvantage unless you’re ok with shivering your timbers whilst standing on a step.

WARSAW INTERNATIONS

This January saw a bumper crowd of over 200 people gather for the inaugural InterNations event of the 2013 calendar.

Braving the bitter frosts, 200 plus hardy souls converged on Bar Cenzura in the landmark Mysia 3 department store to celebrate the InterNations official 2013 kick-off event. With welcome drinks courtesy of sponsor Stock Vodka, and Cenzura’s ample wine supply catering for the rest, a lively night was always on the cards. Drawing professionals from home and abroad the mission set out by InterNations is to bring together ‘global minds’. Now an established part of Warsaw’s social and corporate circuit, their monthly meetings have become must do events on schedules round town. For more information on forthcoming networking mixers, including info on how to enroll as a member, visit: www.internations.org

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17

ROMANCE DATING

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

I

guess you could say I’m something of an accidental expert at finding love in the hostile trenches of Warsaw’s dating scene. Because after years of perpetual singledom, I managed to meet a man, get married and get pregnant – all within just six months of this very moment! So all those cynics who said I really didn’t know what I was doing when it came to men, that I was going about it all wrong, they’re all eating their words. And now they all want to know how I did it, how I managed this modern-day miracle!

Granted, I did have a few issues to sort out before I could seriously embark on a proper man-hunting expedition and the best place to do such a mental clean-up of sorts is at the shrink. Even if you don’t really think you have any

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issues – I was absolutely convinced that shrinks were for everybody else but me – it never hurts to try and it almost always helps. Quite often we have little things bugging us buried deep inside and those little things can interfere in our personal relationship, especially when dealing with a new member of the opposite sex.

Indeed, after a few sessions, it turned out I had a few issues with trust my subconscious was grappling with and Pani Danuta gently worked me through them. Then came the homework assignment: to go out and talk to as many men as possible and accept as many dates as I was offered. I was appalled at the thought, but I had no choice but to agree. It wasn’t easy at first, but soon enough instead of turning my back when a stranger began chatting

PHOTOGRAPH SHUTTERSTOCK

The dating game is a loaded gun – yet this complicated sport becomes more intricate still when abroad. The Insider finds out the do’s and do not’s. BY TAMARA TAYLOR

“ S oon enough, we were me up in front of Plan B or at the coat check at U Kucharzy, I began to respond with a smile, a reply, sometimes even a quip or two. It takes some research, but there are a number of psychologists in Warsaw who are trained in English (for example: Synapsis Group).

The next step was to become more involved in some sort of group activity. I’d been taking Yoga classes for some time, but Yoga’s not typically the place you go to meet and chat so I had to consider other options for socializing.

Some of my friends vouch for those red-hot Salsa evenings around the city, but I’m rubbish at dancing and the thought of snuggling up to a sweaty stranger just gives me the heebie-jeebies.

What I was looking for was a nice, civilized setting for meeting a large group of people without any pressure to make a ‘real connection’. That’s why all of those ex-pat professionals groups are great: things like InterNations and Professionals in Warsaw bring together people who are either ex-pats or Poles who have spent a great deal of time abroad and who want to connect with like-minded individuals, not necessarily on a romantic level.

S

o I got my sidekick Jagoda to join me at some of these meetings and, soon enough, we were surrounded by hordes of thirty-something professionals clamoring to buy us vodka tonics. We made some friendly contacts and were invited to one birthday party, then another, then a chain of events and connections led to me getting introduced to my future husband through a new friend of a new friend. The funniest bit is that I had absolutely no interest in Henri at first: this was no love at first sight. But after a few dinner dates and a romantic day trip to the outskirts of Warsaw, I was taken – hook, line and sinker. Two months later we were living together, four months later we found out we were having a baby and six months later we got hitched on a whim while on vacation in New York. It really doesn’t get more reckless or more romantic than this!

Of course, everyone’s story is different and really the moral of this story is that one just really has to be open to new acquaintances because you never know where they might lead. That annoying guy at the bar may just have an absolutely dashing friend and you won’t know it unless you stay around long enough for him to introduce you.

For those who take a more daring approach to dating, Warsaw’s got a lively speed dating scene, which my friend Adam is a huge fan of.

At one of these evenings, you’ve got 18 gents and 18 ladies and five minutes with each member of the other team. At the end of the night, you hand over a slip of paper with the names of the chosen few you might like to see again and presto, if those same people have put you down on their lists you score a phone number. Adam’s already got three dates lined up this week. He gets meeting info on the organizer’s website: only trouble is that the info is only available in Polish so you’ll need the help of a friend to get started if your Polish skills are nil.

surrounded by hordes of thirty-something professionals clamoring to buy us vodka tonics”

Another option is language tandem evenings, which are often advertised on Facebook and Goldenline. These are a more casual way of meeting people to polish up one’s Polish while sharing one’s own expertise in a native language. And of course, the supermarket and the library are always the classic pickup spots for those who are just too shy to strike up a conversation at the bar.

Hot Links

InterNations internations.org Professionals in Warsaw www.facebook.com/groups/professionalsinwarsaw Language Tandem Evenings www.facebook.com/TandemEvening.Warszawa Speed Dating upolujsingla.pl Speed Dating www.imprezy-single.pl

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

1. Don’t let friends set you up on blind dates. No matter how good their intentions, it’s a fail 99% of the time. Your best bet is to have the friend organize a cocktail party for a few people so that you can meet and mingle without the pressure of an actual date. If you hit it off, then it’s straight sailing from there.

2. Make sure you check a person out in full before heading out on any dates, especially a day trip out of the city or the like. Facebook, Google, Goldeline are your best bets in this regard. Make sure he or she checks out before heading out. And always leave your date’s name and contact information with a close friend or family member before your date.

3. Have fun! facebook.com/warsawinsider

19

ROMANCE CLASSIC COUPLINGS

LOVE MATCHES

The Insider sorts through its library to see what that crazy little thing called love has done to the denizens of Warsaw in legend, literature and reality.

BY KIT F. CHUNG

There’s many a yarn out there about how the Syrenka, the sword-and-shield-wielding symbol of Warsaw, established her foothold in the capital city. Legends date her back to the times when Warsaw was a humble fishing hub out in the boondocks. While some stories expounded on the armory, others cast her as a heroine in a love match embellished with Harlequin romance clichés. Wars, our stalwart hero, was a fisherman steep in ethics and never the one to haul in under-aged fish. Big hearted, hardworking and strong, he was hot looking to boot. On the banks of the Wisła Sawa the mermaid observed Wars and swooned at his physique and deportment. Doing what beautiful, blonde and blue-eyed mythical mermaids do best, she

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ILLUSTRATION BY DAWID RYSKI

The Original Love Story

“Wars, our stalwart hero, was a fisherman steep in ethics and never the one to haul in under-aged fish” crooned with a melodious voice songs about nature, life and all things wholesome. The mysterious tunes caught War’s ears and upon tracking down the source of the divine voice, Wars locked eyes with Sawa and knew he had found the one. Years and many kids later, the mortal Wars passed on while the mermaid hung on, guarding the children and their offspring. The grateful folks honored the memory of the fisherman and the mermaid by naming their village Warszawa in their honor.

A Royal Fling

Had tabloids existed in 18th century Poland, King Stanisław Poniatowski would surely have provided the gossipmongers with plenty of fodder. Though Poland was annexed off the map under his watch, Polish history remembers the country’s last king kindly as an enlightened authority who sponsored science and the arts. In the Royal Castle in the Old Town and Palace on the Waters in Łazienki Park, he hosted Thursday Dinners, and the less renowned Wednesday Dinners, for the thought leaders of the day in literature, arts, science and politics. Before he was elected king, he was sent to St. Petersburg in 1755 on Familia business (Familia were a political party led by his mother’s influential noble clan). Moving in the upper echelons of power dealers, it was only a matter of time before he rubbed shoulders with Catherine Alexeievna, the future Catherine the Great. A love affair ensued but it did not result in marriage when Catherine ascended to the Russian throne in 1762. Other than supporting Poniatowski in the election as the new Polish monarch in 1764, the empire-building Catherine wasn’t a political ally her former lover could lean on.

Charm Offensive

Uncertain and turbulent years descended on Warsaw following the news that “Poland is no more” in 1795.

Polish patriots sought new avenues to regain control of their homeland and much hope was placed on roping in Napoleon to give the occupiers a good thumping. In 1806, they saw a chance to secure Napoleon’s firepower when the French emperor was enamored by the stunning beauty of Maria Walewska. Daughter of a wealthy noble family, Maria wasn’t easily impressed by top brass. However, movers and shakers went a-scheming. A ball was engineered for the two to meet again in Warsaw, after which Maria became Napoleon’s mistress. This charm offensive is no mawkish tale of “the French Emperor’s Woman”; in her memoirs, Maria set the record straight that she was cornered into the affair for the love of country.

Liaison of Talents

At the Chopin Museum, French writer George Sand looms large in the section given to the women in the pianistcum-composer’s short life. While living, their liaison raised eyebrows in their social circle; after their death, biographers remained fascinated by the emotional entanglement between the two. Like many Polish bright minds of his generation, Chopin set up camp in France to indefinitely wait out the occupation of his homeland.

During a soiree he met Armantine Dupine AKA George Sand, a talented writer and a woman ahead of her times in feminism outlook. It wasn’t love at first sight with this feisty character (“Is this well a woman?” Chopin questioned, “I sometimes happen to doubt it.”), but she wooed and he melted. Their relationship lasted 10 years and before the romance collapsed, they were nurturing inspirations for each other. In Sand’s home at Nohant, Chopin composed some of his finest works. The pro-Chopin camp flatly laid the blame on Sand for sapping the life of out the musician and leaving him a broken, dispirited man. Chopin died two years after parting ways with Sand.

Love, Literally

When Jay Gatsby was bending over backwards to woo the above-his-station ditsy Daisy in 1920’s America, Polish readers could have been hit by a déjà vu sense of “been there, read that”. In a Bolesław Prus novel named Lalka (The Doll), a similar plot of “poor boy made rich and tries to buy the affections of a self-absorbed, high-society babe” was unfolding. Stanisław Wokulski was the Polish Gatsby and Izabela Łęcka, Daisy’s counterpart on this side of the Atlantic. Has Lalka got the same blood-splattered tragic ending with the underdogs cleaning up the mess left by the heartless types? We will not disclose the conclusion in case you want to read the novel. Suffice to say Izabela was hardwired by stereotypically haughty aristocratic codes of conduct and wasn’t giving her lowborn suitor an easy passage. You will gain passage, though, into the savoir vivre of the hoity-toity, such as the social perils of eating fish with a knife and fork instead of two forks. There’s also more to Lalka than the “will he or won’t he win her?” forward momentum. While The Great Gatsby is built on one central theme, Lalka, in the tradition of epic works like War and Peace, has multiple storylines weaved in. Debuting in 1887 through installments in a newspaper, Lalka was later published in book form in 1890. The author captured vividly not only the social architecture but also the urban landscape of mid-19th century Warsaw. facebook.com/warsawinsider

21

ROMANCE RECORD SHOPS

MY VINYL ROMANCE

With Valentine’s on the doorstep, and the crackle of Sinatra in the air, the Insider gets in the mood and snoops around Warsaw’s secret vinyl stores. BY KAROLINA KALINOWSKA

V

inyl. LP. Long play. 12 inch, 10 inch, 7 inch. It ain’t easy to find them anymore, that’s for sure, even though they used to stack up in our houses and the sound of a crackly record would float through the air. But vinyl has experienced an explosive revival in recent years, what with all the hipsters popping up from nowhere.

Suddenly the demand for vintage LPs, vinyl editions of albums, gramophones and record stores has shot up exponentially.

But Warsaw remains stoic in the face of all this sudden retromania. Here, this thing is nothing new: Warsaw had her record stores long before having record stores was cool. One of the shops, Hey Joe, boasts a legacy of over 20 years! This city is no London, with only three shops total catering to the vintage-vinyl-maniacs, but the three that trade here serve up a varied and eclectic palette of sounds.

Whether you like to sway to some Sinatra or rock out to

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the golden oldies, we’ve found a shop for every mood and music fancy.

In the era of iPods and the shuffle button we’ve forgotten what it’s like to savor an album as a whole. So this Valentine’s Day, take a stroll around those quirky, dusty spaces with your special someone and rekindle an old love for that big, black LP. Remind yourself what it’s like to measure a moment by the length of a record album side...

For the Helpless Romantic Muzant ul. Warecka 4/6, tel. 22 826 1216, www.muzant.pl.

The two men that run the basement shop definitely leave you to your own devices. So you’re welcome to browse their extensive collection of second-hand LPs ranging across all genres, for as long as you please, without being disturbed. Scour through crooners like Simon & Garfunkel, Elvis and Leonard Cohen or Spanish tango and Polish jazz.

HEY JOE, WHAT’S PLAYIN’?

Looking to get into the mood for luvvin? The funky owner of Hey Joe opens his heart and reveals his absolute favorites to us. “Do they have to be the stereotypical ones?” he asks with a slightly dejected look. “No, of course not!” I reply. The result is a one-of-a-kind compilation of unexpected romantic numbers:

1. Silver Apples

by Silver Apples (1968) Genre: Psychedelic rock/electronic “One of the best, if not the best, and most important album in the world”

For the Thrill Seeker Hey Joe ul. Zlota 8 No more than 70 cm between the window and the shelves packed to the brim with vinyl, this legendary store makes for a very personal experience. Here, the saying “three’s a crowd” takes on quite a literal meaning as one tries to navigate around. The owner is more than willing to engage in conversation, guide you through his collection and share the stories behind all his rare LPs. For the Mellow Man Antykwariat Tamka ul. Tamka 45 Nestled in a row of specialist establishments, this record shop/bookshop is crammed with goodies. It’s home to a wide range of classics – from classical music to classic Beatles rock – and all can be listened to there and then on the gramophone inside the shop.

2. Droga za Widnokres

by Marek Grechuta (1972) Genre: Jazz-rock, sung poetry “An unknown nostalgic album, Grechuta really let his talent soar”

3. Esperanza

by Manu Chao (2001) Genre: Latin “He succeeded in something that wasn’t meant to succeed, and there’s something romantic in that” 4. Polish Jazz, Astigmatic, the music of Komeda by the Komeda Quintet (1965) Genre: Jazz “One of the best Polish jazz albums by probably the most recognized Polish jazz artist worldwide”

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23

ROMANCE VALENTINE'S NIGHT

A NIGHT MADE FOR TWO

Finding Mr/Mrs Right is easy. The hard part is doing the right thing by them for Valentine’s Night. The Insider considers your options. BY ALEX WEBBER

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can’t offer such a solution. Really, there are times when winter in Warsaw makes Rochdale look like Rome. So what do you do when the odds are stacked against you? When the all demanding partner demands to be dazzled? No probs – follow the Insider.

BE SWEET Make your own heart shaped candy at Manufaktura Cukierów (www.manufaktura-cukierkow. pl). For chocolate, check out Karmello (www.karmello. pl), purveyors of Warsaw's finest chocs. Or what about cupcakes? Find the best that there are at the cult La Vanille (www.lavanille.pl). Next, pick up a jar of personalized cookies from Na Słodko Baba Wróżyła (ul. Mysia 3).

GET SEXY In past times Warsaw’s adult stores could be pigeon-holed as grim little haunts run by suspect little men. Not anymore they ain’t – at least not all. For high

PHOTOGRAPH SHUTTERSTOCK

“I

t is better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all.” So go the words of Samuel Butler. Catchy you might think. Maybe even wise.

Well, unfortunately, also very wrong. Losing is horrible, and on February 14th the chances of just that rise uncomfortably high. Remember when Valentine’s was easy? When all that was required was a single red rose and Notting Hill on VHS. Well those days are gone. History.

Instead, we live in dangerous times in which actions are judged. Friends, welcome to the Valentine’s minefield.

One false move and you’ll be drinking on the sofa while shuddering to Adele – even scarier, you’ll be doing so on your own.

And don’t think you’ll find the Valentine’s cause helped by your city of residence. In Paris, for instance, a cheapskate can just about plead poverty and get away with a moonlit walk on the banks of the Seine. Warsaw though

“ Really, there are times when winter in Warsaw makes Rochdale look like Rome” class erotica, add a playful slant to your bedroom japes with a visit to Horn & More (www.hornandmore.pl) or Barbarella (www.barbarella.pl).

CHAMPAGNE & OYSTERS According to Balzac, “great love affairs start with champagne.” Start your own by enjoying the ‘food of Aphrodite’ in Champagne Bar by Flaming & Co. (www.flaming-co.pl). Expensive, so suggest going Dutch to see the look on her/his face.

A NIGHT AT THE PICS Snuggle up on the back row for a night at the flicks. Any cinema will do, but damn right you’re best off swerving the latest action blockbuster.

Instead, check out the intellectual, art house offerings at Kino Muranów (muranow.gutekfilm.pl) or Kino Illuzjon.

BE CHEF FOR THE NIGHT Most cooks are truculent sods.

Not so Joseph Seeletso, a Botswanan born chef with a permanent smile. Best known for his TV appearances and award-winning restaurant, Mr Seeletso is now revealing the secrets of his trade at his own culinary school. Join other couples for a night of wine, food and cookery in Seeletso’s custom-made kitchen (www.josephseeletso.com).

SHAKE YOUR THING Tango is hot! Raise the temperature with an evening of steamy Latin tango at Złota Milonga (www.milango.pl).

TRAVEL Go all Dr. Zhivago and head out to the forests surrounding Warsaw for a woodland sleigh ride pulled by shaggy, panting ponies (www.ulmag.com.pl). City slickers should look no further than Old Town, where horse drawn carriages clip clop through the area’s mist-cloaked alleys from zł. 50 per ride.

UP & AWAY If the wind is in check and the fog is at bay, then visit the stationary hot air balloon by the National Stadium. Feel like Phileas Fogg as the balloon rises 120 meters for twinkly views of Warsaw below (stacjabalon. pl). A warmer, wiser option is a trip to the Marriott – glittery views are guaranteed no matter what the weather from the 40th floor Panorama Bar (www.panoramabar.pl).

GET THE SKATES ON Overlook the stale smell of the rental skates and zip about in the shadow of the Palace of Culture (www.pkin.pl). It’s not the Rockefeller Ice Rink, but it’s not a bad second. With prices set at zł. 7 per person, make it Plan A if you’re a tightwad.

WINE Sometimes, only wine will do. Muffle up for a walk down boutique lined Mokotowska, Warsaw’s most

Parisienne street, before stopping for a glass of red in the intimate Ale Wino (www.alewino.pl).

DINE There’s a shortage of truly romantic restaurants in town, but you can’t go far wrong with La Rotisserie in New Town (www.leregina.com). For zł. 355 per person expect an aphrodisiac based menu created by the celebrated Paweł Oszczyk. For Italian, then the candle-lit Delizia (www.delizia.com.pl) remains a personal number 1. For an alternative Italian, nothing says "I love you" like a trip to San Lorenzo (www.sanlorenzo.pl). Or enjoy a Scandi-style design and a night of vintage vinyl in Nabo (ul. Zakręt 8).

STAY THE NIGHT Who cares if you live down the road. Add a bit of variety to your life and check-in somewhere special – you know, somewhere without dishes piled up in the sink. In New Town, Le Regina is a deluxe boutique experience that’s guaranteed to impress. In the center, then nowhere else than H15 (ww.h15boutiqueapartments.com) will do. Once the interwar Soviet Embassy, this designer clad residence is Warsaw’s premier hotel. It’s magnificent, it’s stylish, and it’s what she/he deserves.

TAKE A TRIP What’s stopping you? Two and a bit hours away you’ve got Kazimierz Dolny, a quaint riverside town bursting with high end pensions like the romantic, Provence-style Vincent (www.pensjonatvincent.pl). Or how about a night in a Gothic castle? The Krasicki (www. hotelkrasicki.pl) in Lidzbark Warmiński is a standout, with interiors that won Best Design in the 2011 European Hotel Awards. If all else fails, be boring – Kraków’s always a safe bet, and the spread of boutique hotels and atmospheric streets is perfect for Valentine’s.

Info box Whether you’re traveling near or far, Poland becomes more accessible with Avis. Take a break this winter and give us a call.

• 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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25

ROMANCE CHEFS

THE FOOD OF LOVE

Behold, Valentine’s: an evening of flowers, frolics, flirting and… food. The Insider lifts the covers to find out what happens when chefs get romantic…BY ALEX WEBBER

Delizia

Nabo

Warsaw loves Italian food, but that doesn’t mean it does it well. How many restaurants serve below par dishes, thumped down in front of you by a sour faced student with her mind somewhere else. In the shape of Delizia, however, Warsaw is blessed. Run by Lorenzo and Luca, the focus has been on recreating a small corner of Italy. This they’ve done, and they’ve done it well. Part of that is down to Luca, a theatrical front man who guarantees each guest leaves feeling like a star. Then there’s Lorenzo, the chef, a man whose perfectionism means nothing but the finest import ingredients land on your plate.

“We change our menu practically daily,” says Luca, “with ingredients directly related to the season. While we haven’t devised the Valentine’s menu yet we should have shellfish from Italy and a few extra truffle dishes.” “Truffles are what our restaurant smells of,” interjects a clearly cheerful Lorenzo. Warming to the Valentine’s theme, he speaks fondly of his favorite aphrodisiacs. “I love using shellfish like oysters, clams, etc. For vegetarians, I prefer to make a light dinner with truffles.” What makes those all so special? “Mmmm,” he grins, “the after dinner!” But what is the perfect Valentine’s? “Dinner all’italiana,” gushes Lorenzo, “bubbly wine, and then lots of love.” Find the first two in Delizia, the third is down to you.

Nabo, it must be said, is something of a success story.

Opened last year, it snagged top spot in Gazeta Wyborcza’s prestigious ‘Knajpu Roku’ awards. “An amazing evening,” recalls co-owner Grażyna Eriksen. “All the neighbors heard the news on the internet, and were dropping by way into the night to celebrate with us.” In itself, that isn’t a surprise. The sense of community is strong in Nabo, with the café/restaurant maintaining a permanent buzz of hustle and bustle. You’d be forgiven for thinking Nabo has always been here.

The surprise is that the operation is Scandinavian, the project of Grażyna and Danish-born partner Stefen. Be honest, queries the Insider, people don’t think of Danish as romantic, delicate food. “It’s honest food,” answers Grażyna, “I say to people we serve exactly what I’d be happy serving my kids.” Using locally sourced produce, the food here connects the chef with the farmer with the patron. “I like to think of Scandinavian food as similar to Polish,” says Grażyna, “with the exception of fish – the Scandinavians know how to use it.”

Valentine’s though promises something lighter: plenty of seafood, including Nabo’s signature mussels in white wine. “We want dinner to be light so people have plenty of energy...” Grażyna pauses, before adding conspiratorially,

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ul. Zakręt 8

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM LEFT KEVIN DEMARIA, COURTESY OF NABO, KEVIN DEMARIA

ul. Hoża 58/60, www.delizia.com.pl

“for the dancing that comes later.” And dancing there will be. “We’re planning a night of vinyl music, a night with all the old classics – Sinatra and Streisand! And we want people to bring their own records to dedicate to their date.” Matched with a dainty, prix fixe menu complimented with champagne and Prosseco, it’s not hard to imagine the quality of the night that’s in store. “And of course, no children,” laughs Grażyna, suddenly conscious of Nabo’s burgeoning reputation as Warsaw’s most kid friendly venue.

A Valentine’s Gift from Atelier by Amaro

Atelier by Amaro

ul. Agrykola 1, www.atelieramaro.pl

The big winner of the Insider’s 2012 end of year awards was Atelier by Amaro (Best Newcomer, Best Contemporary Polish, Best Chef). This year though, promises to be even bigger for them, especially if – as is widely expected – they claim Poland’s first Michelin star. With this in mind, you half expect the man behind it – Wojciech Modesto Amaro – to be some highly-strung tyrant. But the reality is different. Instead, Amaro appears softly spoken and mild of manner, yet below the easygoing attitude brews a true passion for food.

The omens for a Michelin star are certainly good: in January Amaro appeared as a speaker at MadridFusion, one of the key events of the gastronomic calendar. “We didn’t expect the invite to be honest,” says Amaro, “but I was asked to speak about science.” You mean bacon ice cream and carrot-flavored cereal? “Not at all,” he replies. “Poznań has the biggest food technology lab in Europe, a place where you’ll find all the tastes and flavors of the world lined up in powder form in little sachets. The technology is here. But I want to show a different meaning to science.

To me, science is about knowledge, and that includes the knowledge of old recipes and techniques – it’s a knowledge that appreciates the food calendar, and things like fishing, ageing processes, hunting and design.”

Poland, and linking to its nature, figure highly in his ethos, with much of his ingredients sourced directly from the Atelier farm. He describes juniper needles as his favorite element to play with. “A magic ingredient,” he declares, “we use it instead of pepper here.” But with Valentine’s approaching, can he stick to his guns? “Of course, on Valentine’s we’ll use oysters, truffles, passion fruit, etc., but with the addition of Polish flavors. The ‘spirit of tradition’ is one of our core beliefs.” Does he have a favorite aphrodisiac to experiment with? “Licorice root.” The Insider raises its eyebrows. “Add it to a mushroom soup,” continues Amaro, “it’s a good addition to cream of boletus soup. Or use it in a game sauce. It’s suited in teatime cookies as well, or you can even scent coffee with it.”

Any proposal tips? “I once served a diamond ring in a consommé – the ring was inside a raw egg yolk, an idea of Otto Koch’s. Of course, a consommé comes at the start of the meal, so I guess the guy didn’t want to wait.”

The answer, incidentally, was yes. And what of his most romantic meal… “It was on a boat in Thailand with my wife – the fish were caught in a net direct from the water below.

I remember walking into this beautifully clean kitchen to talk with the chef, and to taste the different ways of cooking.” His eyes twinkle at the memory. “The spices, the green mangoes... We were there for four hours, enjoying the experience – it was the perfect meal.”

FENNEL SALAD WITH HERBS & GOAT CHEESE

1 fennel bulb 100g goat’s cheese 3g ground fennel romaine lettuce leaves radish mint leaves Fresh tarragon

1 apple

1 green cucumber Wild Rose oil

1 tablespoon of Pommery mustard

1 tablespoon of raisins sea salt crushed juniper Very thinly slice/shave the fennel, apple and peeled cucumber (so they form ribbons, and not small cubes). Put a tablespoon of Wild Rose oil, mustard and raisins into a bowl then season with salt and juniper. Add the lettuce leaves, radish, herbs, cucumber, fennel and mix thoroughly. Then gently place onto a plate and sprinkle goat’s cheese on top. Voila.

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ROMANCE SCENIC DINING

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

Come Valentine’s hour you’re advised to keep your eyes on your date. Even so, a room with a view goes some way to adding that missing pinch of magic to the evening ahead. BY ALEX WEBBER

Pure Sky Club

ul. Złota 59 (Skylight Tower), www.pureskyclub.com Clicking through the ground floor turnstile one is left in no doubt you’ve entered a protected corner of corporate Warsaw. Functioning as a private members club, entrance to Pure Sky is found via a lift which dispatches guests onto Floor 22. Looking luxurious with its gleaming style and deep plum colors, this inner sanctum allows guests to rise above it all with dazzling views of the neon-lit capital. But while these corridors of power are usually kept off limits to all but members, on Valentine’s they’re open to Joe Public for an exclusive six course degustation menu. With prices set at zł.

300 per couple, you’ll find it money well spent – cooking is left in the hands of Paweł Michałowski: a onetime protégé of Gordon Ramsay.

Ujazdowki Castle, Al. Jazdów 2, www.qchnia.pl Think of a Gessler and one thinks of Magda G., arguably Poland’s best known restaurateur. Yet in contrast to Magda’s exaggerated décor and riotous interiors, Marta Gessler’s Qchnia restaurant is restrained and low-key. Then again, anything else would be a needless embellishment. Comfortable in the luminous, candlelit interiors, your view from this reconstructed castle spills down onto the canal and park way down below. With its dreamy location and refined cuisine, Qchnia has Warsaw’s best terrace. But on a cold, ashen day you’ll discover it’s also a part of a romantic winter’s evening spent between a walk in Ujazdowski Park and an outing to the modern art gallery that occupies the rest of the zamek.

Bistro Warszawa

ul. Jezuicka 1/3, bistrowarszawa.pl Warsaw will never compete with Venice in terms of romance, but that’s not to say that romance in Wa-wa is dead. Wrap up warm to walk the cobbled alleys and narrow twittens of Old Town, before coming to a stop on the corner of the square. A few years ago those choosing to eat dinner in the Rynek would have been locked away in a guarded institution – but not anymore. Pitched somewhere between the casual and the elegant, Bistro Warszawa affords ringside views of Warsaw’s quaint market square, and an intelligent menu that hits the right notes – much like the jazz sounds that croon in the background. As the February fog settles on the square, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that Venice is overrated.

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PHOTOGRAPH FROM TOP COURTESTY OF PURE SKY, KEVIN DEMARIA, SHUTTERSTOCK

Qchnia Artystyczna

Reviews: Signature 29 / Nolita 34 / Plus:

* 12 updates

RESTAURANTS

AFRICAN 29 / AMERICAN & TEX-MEX 29 / ASIAN 32 / BALKAN & RUSSIAN 36 / BRITISH 37 / BURGERS 42 / CHEAP EATS 36 / FOOD SHOPS 51 / FRENCH 37 / GREEK & MIDDLE EASTERN 38 / HOME DELIVERY 33 / INDIAN 38 / INTERNATIONAL & FUSION 40 / ITALIAN 43 / JAPANESE & SUSHI 45 / JEWISH 46 / LATIN 47 / POLISH 48 / SCANDINAVIAN 51 /SEAFOOD 51 / WHOLE FOODS 52

KEY

Insider’s Pick

$ zł. 30 (per main)

BOW 2012 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

AFRICAN Café Baobab (H4) ul. Francuska 31, tel. 22 617 4057. Open 10:00-23:00. Café Baobab serves Senagelese classics like thiebu djen, mafe yap and yassa ginar. It’s adapted to Polish tastes, but say the word and authentic spiciness can appear. $

Signature ul. Poznańska 15, tel. 22 55 38755, www.signaturerestaurant.pl. Open 12.00-23:00.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN DEMARIA

I

was apprehensive about Signature, apprehensive for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I was entering the unknown. In spite of passing it numerous times to gallivant around the bars of Poznańska, the windows are set high off the ground, meaning I’d never really managed to peek inside: I was straying into unchartered waters. Secondly, conscious the expense account was creeping up to its limit, I had expected my pockets to take a bit of a mauling.

But any hesitation subsided on entry. Greeting me was a sophisticated space decorated in fresh vanilla tones that were soft and inviting. Choosing to sit round the corner, on a banquette with a view of the glass-topped atrium, it was from this vantage point the smaller details became apparent: cutlery from Eternum; original Marilyn photographs shot by Milton Greene; and sensitively restored Soviet-era columns. In short, it looked the part. And so did the menu, a thoughtful effort that’s contemporary but not flamboyant. The amuse bouche – Chavignol cheese with a subtle pear chutney – was fantastic, so it was no surprise to find my starter of tuna tataki was exactly how it should be: thinly sliced, briefly seared and then served with a ginger glaze and mango and mint. I was tempted to order another.

I resisted this bait, opting instead to wait for my main of duck breast. Moist, and pink in all the right places, it was a similar success, and one made all the better for its raspberry sauce. Call me ill mannered, but I couldn’t stop myself from mopping up every last bit. For the final chapter, dessert, I put myself in the hands of the waiter. Throughout the meal, he had excelled in his duty; I find it important staff connect with the diner, and here they do just that. When he recommended the chocolate fondant, I had no hesitation: his call was correct.

Served with a passion fruit mousse, it was a magnificent end to an extraordinary meal – and with a final price of zł. 112, neither was it the atomic figure I’d foresaw at the start. (AW)

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. $$

AMERICAN & TEX-MEX 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. $$ Champions Sports Bar (D5) Marriott Hotel, al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. 22 630 5119, www.champions.pl. Open 11:00-23:00. Long-known on the Warsaw scene as a sports bar – ideal for large groups

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RESTAURANTS 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. $

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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, Hard Rock has the pierced staff of skater boys and rock girls and a menu that is, if nothing else, completely reliable. Peruse rock’n’roll swag that includes 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 breakfast aside, head to Jeff’s for megasize portions of American classics of the

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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. $$ Someplace Else (E5) Sheraton Hotel, ul. Prusa 2, tel. 22 450 6707, www.someplace-else.pl. Open Mon 12:00-24:00; Tue-Thur 12:00-01:00; Fri & Sat 12:00-02:00; Sun 12:00-23:00. After a summer sabbatical, SPE are back, touting a new edgy look that makes use of concrete colors and exposed pipes. The spicy, sizzlin’ Tex-Mex is fab, and added incentive provided by the rousing rock bands. $$

WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

T.G.I. Friday’s (B3) al. Jana Pawła II 29 (Atrium Plaza), tel. 22 653 8360. Open Mon-Fri 10:00-24:00; Sat & Sun 12:00-24:00. The steaks are a miss-and-miss affair, but the burgers are always on-point inside this classic piece of stars & stripes vulgarity. $$ Warsaw Tortilla Factory (D5) ul. Wilcza 46 (entrance from ul. Poznańska), tel. 22 621 8622, www.warsawtortillafactory.pl. Open 12:00-last guest. The habanero salsa looks and tastes like molten lava, and is just right when paired with their hefty burritos. But it’s more than Warsaw’s premier Tex Mex joint; a firm ex-pat bastion, the barometer goes off the scale at weekends when live bands entertain a mixed bag of jiggling foreigners and hot locals. $$

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. $ 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. $$ Canton (B2) ul. Smocza 1, tel. 22 838 3823, www.canton.warszawa.pl. Open daily 11:0022:00. Here’s what Chinese restaurants used to look like in the days of Bruce Lee: filled with dragons and lanterns, this place is an outright assault on your sensory system. Wokking away for over a decade, it’s actually not a bad place if you want an MSG booster. The Gong Bao chicken gets approval. $$ Cesarski Pałac (D2) ul. Senatorska 27, tel. 22 827 9707, www.cesarskipalac.com.

Open Mon-Fri 12:0023:00; Sat 12:30-23:00; Sun 12:30-22:00. A rouge looking Chinese eatery whose design even incorporates a foot bridge. The menu is exhaustive, and the whole Peking Duck is money well spent if you’re in a group. Head downstairs to snoop around Tshingis Chan, an all-you-can-eat Mongolian grill. $$ China Garden ul. Kazachska 1, tel. 22 241 1010, www.chinagarden.pl. Open daily 12:00-22:00.

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. $$ Du-Za Mi-Ha (D4) ul. Widok 16, tel. 22 826 1871. A compact Vietnamese joint noted for fresh, healthy nem filled with crunchy, perky fibers. The pho, on the other hand, is disappointing – according to one reader, “awful”. Prices begin at around zł. 10 and don’t go far north of zł. 20. You get what you pay for. $ Dziki Ryż (multiple locations) ul. Puławska 24b, tel. 22 848 0060, pl. Inwalidów 10, tel. 22 839 2540, ul. Wspólna 35, Tel. 22 628 1825, www.dzikiryz.pl. Open 12:00-22:00. Varied Asian cuisine with dishes from India, Thailand, China and Japan in a very charming setting. All locations of Dziki Ryż are popular and you’ll most likely need a reservation. $ Dżonka (D5) ul. Hoża 54, tel. 22 621 5015. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat & Sun 11:00-17:00. You say Thai and he says Chinese. You say somewhere graceful and he says nowhere showy. You say not too pricey and he says not too shoestring. Then sail into Dżonka. $ Fusion Perfect (D5) ul. Wspólna 35, tel. 22 628 1825. Open 12:00-24:00. If rumor is to be believed, the owner is the guy who once created the Dziki Ryż empire. The choice covers all the bases, the tastes are convincing and the restaurant looks like a typical mid-market Asian: subdued lighting and dark woods. All it needs now is a few more customers to fill out the tables. $$ 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. $$ 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. $

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RESTAURANTS 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. $$ 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 and elegant the wild pricing does a lot to keep The Oriental quiet.

It is, however, well worth the hefty fee with fantastic pan-Asian food that’s up there with the best – maybe even the best. Popular with Thai diplomats and hushed hotel guests, it’s an experience that’s worth the quite considerable splurge. $$$ 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. $$ Pekin Duck ul. Drawska 29A, tel. 22 412 8988, www.pekinduck.pl. Open 12:00-22:00. Looks like a typical Chinese – i.e., like a 1980s New Year’s Eve ball – and the service is carnage; expect lots of miscommunication and truculent attitude. The food isn’t bad, though it’d be interesting to know how many pigs feet they actually ever sell. $$

Nolita ul. Wilcza 46, tel. 22 292 0424, www.nolita.pl.

Open Mon-Fri 12:00-15:30, 18:00-22:30; Sat 13:00-23:00.

G

ood things are happening to Warsaw, indeed some might call them great things – things like Nolita, for instance, a swank center restaurant anchored on the talents of chef Jacek Grochowina – a gifted young man who sharpened his skills at the London Ritz. Even so, while Nolita has dominated blogs and twitter feeds in its two months of business, I was surprised to find an empty restaurant on my visit. Fortunately, experience has taught me to ignore such blinking hazards; we do, after all, live in a city that prefers to eat cheaply but badly as opposed to dining distinctively yet dearly.

And if there’s one thing Nolita is, it’s certainly expensive. But if you ask me if it’s worth the rather considerable spend, then the answer is yes. First off, it looks magnificent, with soothing mood music complimenting chic interiors and high end finishes – upmarket, but not intimidating. Then there’s the food, which on the Insider’s visit kicked off with an amuse bouche of gravlax served in a tin and crowned with a pinch of roe. Delicious, with the downside being the accompanying test tube of liquid: “Something to warm you up,” explained the waiter somewhat vaguely. Was I meant to drink it? Eat it? Pour it on the gravlax? Unsure, and after a bit of sniff-

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WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

ing and spillage, I settled on looking at the thing instead: a classic case of a restaurant being too clever for its own good.

Starters saw the arrival of roe deer carpaccio with cranberries and chestnut (zł. 48). Served on a slate, the textures and tastes were interesting enough, though I couldn’t help but feel a little unconvinced – not exactly unimpressed, but not blown away. So where was the explosive brilliance I had expected? Just around the corner, actually. The main course of Tournedos Rossini (zł. 100) was outstanding, a victorious dish comprised of dainty pink meat, black truffles and foie gras. The pureed potatoes, served separately in a cast iron pot, were smooth as silk, and not unlike taking a bite from St. Peter’s fluffy cloud: heaven indeed.

I couldn’t imagine the meal getting any better, but then along came the choice of sorbets (zł. 25). Now over the past year I’ve eaten salmon sorbet, tomato ice cream and all manner of weird iced desserts: beetroot, juniper, you name it, I’ve tried it. So here I was heartened to find Grochowina prefers more normal choices: passion fruit, coconut and lemon. But just because they don’t sound eccentric, don’t count them as boring. Dusted with some secret cosmic ingredient, first taste gives an intense fizzy sensation that’s utterly unexpected but instantly gratifying. Some are already tipping Nolita to take receipt of a Michelin Rising Star, and on this form, that’s definitely not absurd. (AW)

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN DEMARIA

“ The food kicked off with an amuse bouche of gravlax served in a tin and crowned with a pinch of roe”

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 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. $

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Silk & Spicy (D5) ul. Żurawia 16/20, tel. 22 629 7012. Open 12:00-last guest. If you don’t benchmark Silk & Spicy against what you’d eat in Asia (and you really shouldn’t), then you might enjoy it.

“The curry was on taste-wise,” said our disappointed graphic, “but the cream cheese didn’t work in the sushi and the kmichi-style salad served at the beginning was very pedestrian for such a place.” $

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Spring Roll (D4) ul. Szpitalna 3, tel. 519 828 788. Open 11:00-23:00. Baleful ballads and twangy cover versions of Bryan Bloody Adams set the

mood in this depressing eatery. The signature dish – spring rolls – don’t go beyond six out of ten, so what hope the rest of the menu? The teriyaki chicken should be renamed teriyaki chicken giblets, and comes with the addition of the worst ingredient ever devised: steamed cauliflower. Suddenly, all those empty seats make sense. $ 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. $$

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. $

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. $$

Toan Pho (D4) ul. Chmielna 5/7, tel. 888 147 307.

Mon-Fri 9:30-23:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-22:00.

Toan Pho’s bowls of soup with rice noodles come highly recommended; as does the chaos intrinsic to this type of casual Asian eatery. The short menu is in Vietnamese with Polish decoding – although you can ask for an English version. $

Suparom Thaifood II ul. Wałbrzyska 40, tel. 22 853 3087, www.

Yummy (D5) ul. Wilcza 20. Open 10:00-22:00. The

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RESTAURANTS Cheap Eats 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. $ Fabryka Frytek ul. Złota 3, www.fabrykafrytek.pl.

Open Mon-Thu 10:00-24:00; Fri-Sat 10:002:00; Sun 11:00-22:00. Giant portions of Belgian fries (up to 600g!), waffles, wedges and whatever else you can make out of a potato served come served with an equally comprehensive range of dips and sauces. $

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Friterie (D5) ul. Hoża 42, tel. 794 158 813. Open SunThu 9:00-24:00; Fri-Sat 9:00-2:00. Served in paper cones, the Belgian-style chips come with that inimitable double-fried crunch and a range of sauces that merit experimentation: try the ‘Andaluse’. $ 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! $ Meat Love ul. Hoża 62, tel. 500 149 210, www.meatlove.pl. Open Mon-Thu 10:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-23:00; Sun 12:00-21:00. An eco-minded sandwich stop, this intimate basement has a smart wooden look and friendly staff notable for their daring body art. The home-baked baguettes are the star, and come with a range of organic ingredients complimented with thick cuts of top quality animal.

Roast beef, pulled pork and porchetta are

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just a few of your options. $ 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 Belgianstyle 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. $ Pan Ziemniak Al. Jana Pawła II 41A. Open Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00. 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). $ 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. $ Mr Pancake (E3) ul. Solec 50, tel. 888 021 888. Lurking amid the side streets of Powiśle, the pancakes here are brilliant and come with a heap of toppings and funny faces traced into them with icing sugar. Who cares if the staff wander around like they’ve just smoked a bong – it’s great. $ 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 hole-in-a-wall with big dabs of mustard and fresh bread.

The currywurst is fabulous, and there’s also Belgian-style fries. $

WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

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 and the pad thai is a sure bet. $

BALKAN & RUSSIAN 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. $$ Babooshka (E3) ul. Oboźna 9, lok. 102, tel. 22 406 3366; 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. $ Czojhona (B5) ul. Twarda 56, tel. 22 401 1303, www.czojhona.pl. Open 10:00-22:00; Sat 10:00-24:00; Sun 10:00-20:00. Specializing in Uzbek cuisine Czojhona offer an interesting menu that starts with meatball soup before leading to unfamiliar dishes such as lamb piled on top of rice, dried apricots, raisins and carrots.

Verging on the bland side, one feels they may struggle in this graveyard location. $ Gemo ul. Minska 25 (Soho Factory), tel. 22 468 1876, www.gemorestaurant.pl. Open 12:00last 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 Balkfest. The menu is cheap and cheerful, with the full list of hearty, homey classics.

The musaka is peerless. $

BRITISH

itself shines through all on its own. Perfect for dinner with the boss or wining and dining clients. $$

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

Chez Belier ul. Mickiewicza 9, tel. 22 400 22 11. Open 12:00-24:00. Designed by Maciej Zień – Poland’s undisputed King of Fashion – Chez Belier looks five star with its immaculate blend of black and white colors, crystal lights and orchids. The menu is a compact affair, and is perfect in every respect: from presentation to taste. Modern and international, the offer numbers a fabulous tuna steak served on a bed of mango salsa. $$$

FRENCH

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. $$

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

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. $$ Prowansja (E6) ul. Koszykowa 1, tel. 22 621 4258, www.

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RESTAURANTS prowansja.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00; Sun 13:00-23:00. No need to go to a French cottage, the calming atmosphere and great food is right here. The dishes are imaginative, and combine the best of Mediterranean and French cuisine to create beautiful combinations and tastes. The chefs have been known to get experimental in their cooking techniques, though the renovated interiors remain pleasingly traditional. $$ 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 (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

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 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. $$

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.

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

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Sofra (C6) ul. Wilcza 71, tel. 22 628 0782. Open 8:00-last guest. The design looks great, even if it plagiarizes Charlotte a touch (white brickwork, blackboard, communal table), and it even has the same chattery buzz. So the surprise here is the food is Turkish, and not just any Turkish, but excellent Turkish! The lamb and beef in tomato sauce is already part of the Insider diet, and the moussaka not far behind. But forget the word diet when it comes to dessert – the cherry chocolate cake is outstanding, but a menace to the beltline. $ Sokotra (D5) ul. Wilcza 27, tel. 22 270 2766. Open Mon-Fri 9:00-22:00; Sat 11:00-22:00; Sun 11:00-21:00. Just what you didn’t expect – a restaurant specializing in the food of Yemen.

Featuring lots of spicy meat dishes, and a few Indian-style offerings as well, here’s a fantastic spot that arouses curiosity and taste buds alike. The interiors are snug and

WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

pleasant, and not short on surprises – e.g. a concrete telephone pole adorned with potted plants. $$ Tawerna Patris Miedzeszyński 407, tel. 22 357 11 11, www.tawernapatris.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00; Sun 12:00-22:00.Looking dusty and disheveled from the outside, Tawerna surprises everyone who visits. Decorated with white plaster walls and pics of Greek harbor towns, the seafood starters are something else. It’s impossible to judge what’s better: the mussels in tarragon or the marinated octopus. With prices this moderate, we suggest you order both. $$

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.

It’s through happy little tears the Insider declares Curry House as the overall victor in the local curry wars. The eye-watering vindaloo stands apart as Warsaw’s most macho curry, and the others don’t disappoint either. With this quality on show, it’s easy to ignore the primary design, drawn out waiting times and lunar location. $ Ganesh (D5) ul. Wilcza 50/52, tel. 22 623 0266, www.ganesh.pl. Open 12:00-24:00. Wildly inconsistent in terms of food and service. At a recent convention of the New Warsaw Curry Club the jalfrezi went untouched and murgh hara masala didn’t fare better.

Nonetheless, the madras was declared Warsaw’s best and the murgh makhanawala destroyed in minutes. Design-wise, the chic dark décor places it a cut above most of the

competition. $$ Himalaya Momo (F1) ul. Ząbkowska 36. Open Mon-Thur 11:00-21:00; Fri-Sun 10:00-22:00. There’s only four tables here, so don’t linger. The size means several staples have been cut from the menu, among them naan bread – there’s no space for a tandoor over, you see. What kind of Indian restaurant forgets a tandoor oven? In this case, a very good one. What does appear on the Tibetan / Indian menu is usually delicious. $ India Curry (D5) ul. Żurawia 22, tel. 22 438 9350, www.indiacurry.pl. Open daily 11:00-23:00.

They’ve changed management once again, and that’s to the detriment of the restaurant.

Once the corporate choice for when suits wanted it hot, the gradual decline has extended to the décor – looking dark and tired it’s a shadow (literally) of its former self. $$ 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. $$

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. $

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 13:00-21:00. 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. $

Parivar al. Waszyngtona 75, tel. 22 393 4104. Open 11:00-22:00. The squid sizzler has the taste and texture of chewing gum, and the vindaloo is cunningly disguised as a bowl of red water with some chicken floating in it. “I get better curry on the oil rigs,” opined the Insider’s balti expert. For all of that, the biggest disappointment is Parivar’s apparent success. $

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

Open Mon-Thur 11:00-23:00; Fri-Sat 11:0004:00; Sun 12:00-22:00. If waiting times are

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

For a perfect Valentine's visit www.sanlorenzo.pl

RISTORANTE SAN LORENZO

AL. JANA PAWŁA II 36

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RESTAURANTS the chef does get it right, this place scores well. $$

INTERNATIONAL & FUSION

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12 Stolików (D5) ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 519 151 504. Open 9:00-23:00. Affecting a boutique style, the look here is clean, crisp and scattered with lifestyle titles. And forming the central

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element is the kitchen – yes, here’s a place that promotes cooking as a form of theater.

The menu is chalked on a board, and while alio olio was overcooked, the big guns came out for the steak: a very decent piece of meat. Enjoyable enough, though nothing particularly memorable. $$ Bagno Food & Wine ul. Bagno 2, www.bagno2.pl. Open Mon-Fri 7:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 12:00-22:00. With its huge windows and stark style you can’t help but think Bagno would work best in summer; all it takes is a grey Warsaw day to cloak this place in gloom. Which is a shame, as the food (and wine) really work here. Our steak was nicely done, with a flavorful mushroom sauce and thick baked potatoes on the side. $$ Bistecca ul. Branickiego 11, tel. 22 258 1243, www.bistecca.pl. Open 12:00-23:00.

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. $$ Bistro Warszawa (B1) ul. Jezuicka 1, tel. 22 635 3769, www.bistrowarszawa.pl. Open 12:00-24:00. The menu cites pre-war recipe books as its influence, and on it you’ll find such dishes as goose in thyme sauce with pear and zucchini. The interiors are strictly contemporary though, with vanilla colored furnishings, wine racks and walls papered with hundreds of theater scripts and book pages. Regular jazz performances draw crowds from across the city. $$ 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

WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

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. $$ Brasserie Warszawska ul. Górnośląska 24, www.brasseriewarszawska.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-22:00.A posh looking bistro whose credentials are supported by crisp shirted staff, gleaming surfaces and zinc mirrors. The menu changes daily, and on the Insider’s visit included outstanding Fine de Claire oysters on a bed of fennel. The English influence of an owner who once managed The Grill at London’s Dorchester Hotel, shines through on Friday when dishes like fish & chips are served. $$$ 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 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. $$ Concept 13 (D4) ul. Bracka 9, tel. 22 310 7373. Open 12:0023:00. Perched on the fifth floor of the Vitkac luxury department store, Concept 13 has a look that’d be approved of by any lifestyle mag: hardwood floors, glass and plenty of open spaces. The menu is contemporary and cleverly direct, five course set lunch menus from zł. 50. Modern designer dining BEST WAWA 2012 rarely gets better. $$$ “Restaurant for a Business Meeting” Winner, “Restaurant Design” Winner Delikatesy Esencja (F7) ul. Marszałkowska 8, tel. 22 480 8018, www.delies.pl. Open 8:00-24:00; Fri-Sat 8:00-

2:00; Sun 8:00-23:00. A long, narrow space that’s a mix of bar, restaurant and ‘culture’ cafe – only this looks better than most. No second hand collectibles here, just a cool look accented by concrete colors and overhead pipes. The menu is a creative, light bite affair with dishes like gyutataki served to a hip crowd who’ve outgrown nearby Plan B. $$

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. $$

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. $$$

GR Bistro & Restaurant (D4) ul. Szpitalna 8 (enter from Górskiego), tel. 22 828 4285, www.grbistro.pl.

Open Mon-Fri 10:00-24:00; Sat 11:00-24:00; Sun 11:00-23:00. Tucked next to the Wedel chocolate palace, GR isn’t short on charm and intimacy. Step upstairs where the restaurant unfolds into an attractive area set out with leather chairs and vintage photography. With little more than four mains ever appearing on the card the menu can’t be accused of showboating; the dishes that do make it on though win universal praise – the chicken medallions come served with lime sauce and fresh figs, and the combination works excellently. $$

Flaming & Co. (E6) ul. Chopina 5, tel. 22 628 8140, www.flaming-co.com. Open 7:30-24:00.

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. $$ 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.

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RESTAURANTS 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 somBEST WAWA 2012 “Hotel meliers. $$$ Restaurant” Winner 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 hand-painted 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 mid-

Burgers Barn Burger (D4) ul. Złota 9. Now settled in newer, bigger digs, what had finished summer as Warsaw’s favorite burger has taken the foot off the gas. The offer has been increased but, so it seems, at the cost of the quality. Nonetheless, try the Muppet – served on wooden trays, it’s a messy affair loaded with salsa, jalapenos and BBQ sauce. $

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Boca Burger ul. Oboźna 9, tel. 532 088 815. Open 12:00-22:00; Sun 14:00-20:00. Warsaw needs another burger bar like it needs another war. Not a bad spot, but you get the idea it’s all been done before and a million times better… Decent enough though, with a student crowd found inside diner-style interiors. $ Burgerator (B9) ul. Żaryna 2B, tel. 533 626 242. Open Mon-Fri 12:00-20:00. Penetrate the office/residential complex that’s sprung up around Żaryna to find Burgerator, a cheerful burger bar with a pop art touch and burgers that reflect the slavish perfectionism of the owner. A great place, and if we’re to believe the rumors, the first of many Burgerator’s that will appear around town – good news for all. $ Burger Bar (E10) ul. Puławska 74/80 (enter from Olkuska).

Open Tue-Sun 12:00-20:00. Hands down

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the sort of burger Thurman and Travolta would chow in Pulp Fiction. Decorative elements don’t go beyond tables and chairs (of which there aren’t many), and waiting times can drive you nuts – as can the tramps who stagger past to the nearby bottle bank. The burgers though are a different class. $ 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. $ Warburger (E9) ul. Dąbrowskiego 1. Open Mon-Fri 12:00-20:00; Sat-Sun 12:00-19:00. Forget Year of the Dragon, 2012 was Year of the Burger – or more specifically, Year of the WarBurger. Edging the competition, this diminutive little cabin wins eulogies across the board for base-level prices, super friendly service and pimped up burgers that use gourmet ingredients. $

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market eatery whose menu comprises chiefly of thick stews and goulash.

Moonsfera ul. Wybrzeże Gdyńskie 4, tel. 22 560 3733, www.moonsfera.pl. Open 12:00-23:00. You’ll find fancy-looking Moonsfera at the top of the Olympic Center, and the panoramic views figure high on the draw. The international menu is an explosion of creativity, with dishes including duck breast served with ginger and carrot puree, caramelized pear and fig and cherry/thyme sauce. $$ Nowa Kuźnia ul. Stanisława Kostki-Potockiego 24, tel. 794 16 019, www.nowakuznia.pl.

Open 12:00-last guest. Mere steps from Wilanów’s 18th Century church, this former blacksmiths passes muster with excellent steak and a 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 destination to follow. $$ Opasły Tom (E4) ul. Foksal 17, tel. 22 621 1881. Open 10:0023:00; Sat-Sun 12:00-23:00. Are you in a restaurant or inside a book shop? The mind plays tricks in Opasły, the latest venture from the Kregliccy family (Santorini, Chianti etc).

Filled with hardback volumes and newspaper clippings, this trendy Foksal spot features a concise menu that includes chili shrimp. $$ 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. Looking like a business class waiting lounge, it’s easy to overlook Passe Partout – more so now the beautiful back garden is closed off for winter.

But you’d be a fool to do so. Unassuming it might be, but there’s something clearly very right with the kitchen. The diverse international menu has too many positives to count, though the Insider recommends the pork tenderloin: served with a blue cheese and balsamic sauce, it’s a plate licking meal. $$ 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 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. $$

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. $$

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. $$ Tamka 43 (E3) ul. Tamka 43, tel. 22 441 6234, www.tamka.43. pl. Open Mon-Sat 10:00-23:00. With a location looking at the Chopin Museum you may assume this place is all about boring food at tourist prices. Wrong. Chic and shiny, and with a cool glass frontage, chef Robert – a veteran of the El Bulli kitchen – does the rest with delicate dishes that could pass for art. $$

ITALIAN

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. $$

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 SwissPolish 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... $

Arsenał (C2) ul. Długa 52, tel. 22 635 8377, www.restauracjaarsenal.pl. Open 10:0023:00. It’s been years since we heard 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. $$

Restauracja 99 (B4) Al. Jana Pawła II 23, tel. 22 620 1999,

Soul Kitchen ul. Noakowsiego 16, tel. 519 020 888, www.

Bacio ul. Wilcza 43, tel. 22 626 83 03,

ul. Senatorska 27 tel. 22 827 97 07 www.cesarski-palac.com.pl

ORIGINAL CHINESE CUISINE

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RESTAURANTS 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. $$ Bacio Angelo (E5) ul. Wilcza 8, tel. 22 622 4454, www.bacio. pl. Open Sun-Thur 10:00-last guest; Fri & Sat 11:00-last guest. With a charming folklore interior, the candlelight will lead you into a world of sweet romance. The delicate antipasti and Italian merlot will certainly ease you into good conversation. $$ 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. $$ Bravo Roberto (F9) ul. Sułkowicka 2/4, tel. 22 841 4010, www.bravoroberto.pl. Open 11:00-last guest. The eye-catching (and eye-wateringly expensive) Belvedere apartment block is the base for Bravo Roberto, a beautiful restaurant whose interiors mix traditional with contemporary. The lamb tartar is the recommended starter, while for mains the seafood is notable. $$ Delizia (D5) ul. Hoża 58/60, tel. 22 622 6665, www.delizia.com.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:0022:00. 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 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

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updated quarterly and beefed up with the harvests of the season. The house specialises chiefly in Italian labels whose 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. $$ Kotłownia ul. Suzina 8, tel. 22 833 23 27. Open 13:00last guest. You’d never guess from the grey surrounds but Kotłownia is one of the emerging stars of Warsaw dining. Set in a historic disused boiler house (the Warsaw Uprising started right outside!) a generous helping of wooden touches warm the split level industrial interiors, but it’s the food that steals the show.

The modern Italian menu reflects the owner’s passion for Italy, as does the handpicked wine list. The convivial atmosphere makes it perfect for a long, lazy lunch. $$ La Bufala (B4) ul. Sienna 86. Open 10:00-23:00; 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. $

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L’Olivo (B4) ul. Żelazna 59A, tel. 784 442 240. Open Mon-Sat 10:00-22:30; Sun 13:00-22:00. The menu is cheaper and less extravagant, but the level of passion is equal – from the makers of Delizia comes L’Olivo, an informal looking spot with fantastic pizzas using the same quality, import products and a range of other authentic choices. The affogato is not to be missed. $ Mamma Marietta (C10) ul. Wołoska 74A, tel. 22 880 0071. Open 12:00-22:00. Famed in ex-pat circles, head chef Andrea (formerly of Da Aldo) has created a bright bijou eatery that’s openly regarded as one of the finest and most authentic Italian experiences in Poland.

The seafood has a particularly stellar

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reputation, as does the smattering of Sicilian dishes. $$ 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.

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. $$$ Rossopomodoro (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. $$ Venti Tre (E7) ul. Belwederska 23 (Hyatt Hotel), tel. 22 558 1094. Open 6:30-23:00. With good seafood – such a rarity in Warsaw – Venti Tre serves up lovely meals that would appease the finicky appetite of any fish-lover. For cooking classes with the head chef contact the hotel. $$$ 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 Art Sushi (C5) ul. Nowogrodzka 56, tel. 22 621 7720, www.artsushi.pl Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00; Sun 13:00-22:00. The restaurant is charming, modern and peaceful. The menu is strictly Japanese/Korean, but is a good starting-point for sushi first-timers. $$ Akashia (C4) Al. Jana Pawła II 61, tel. 22 636 6767; Złote Tarasy, ul. Złota 59, tel. 22 222 0333, www.akashia.pl. The glory years are over, especially if a visit to the Złote Tarasy outpost is anything to go by. We like our duck to be crispy, but this could have been blowtorched – we didn’t need chopsticks, we needed a chisel. The W.C could benefit from a lick of paint and all. $$ Besuto (E4) ul. Nowy Świat 27, tel. 22 828 0020, www.besuto.pl. Open 12:00-23:00; Sat 12:0024:00; Sun 13:00-23:00. After years trading in one of the grubby pavilions behind Nowy Świat,

Karpielówka Restaurant

Our name comes from an area in Zakopane, and in our restaurant you can feel the air and the atmosphere of the Tatra Mountains.

With our original highlander décor and the climate of an outlaw’s cottage, it’s the perfect place to dine on traditional dishes including our specials: dumplings, knuckle baked with onion, dishes with oscypek cheese and much more.

We can organize wedding dinners, conferences and banquets, as well as picnics with BBQ and bonfire. Check our lunch menu, our delivery service and catering options. ul. Indiry Gandhi 11, tel. 22 644 85 10 | Imielin Metro Station, close to Multikino; City Hall Ursynów; 5 minute walk towards St. Thomas the Apostle Church | Open 12:00-last guest. | Reservations: +48 22-644-85-10 or karpielowka@home.pl www.karpielowka.com.pl | Check our Facebook page

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RESTAURANTS 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. $$ Hana Sushi (A1) al. Jana Pawła II 82 (Arkadia), www.hanasushi. pl. Dated decor of bamboo shoots and bonsai trees is made to look good by dreadful service and irritating elevator music. But it’s hard to dislike Hana – the ‘gunkan special’ is out of this world. $$ 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. It's an old-timer, but it's still up there as a real contender. $$ Izumi Sushi (D6) ul. Mokotowska 17 (pl. Zbawiciela), 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. $$ 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. $$ Sakana Sushi Bar (D2, A1) ul. Burakowska 5/7 tel. 22 636 0055; ul. Moliera 4/6, tel. 22 826 5958, www.sakana.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00; Sun 13:00-22:00. If there was one winner in the sushi wars of the noughties, it was Sakana. Many claim it’s the best in the city, a stand that’s hard to dispute. Practice nimble chopstick moves among other aficionados while sushi rolls sail by on tiny, little boats. $$ 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%, meaning you’ll get a highly acceptable sushi fix for an economy class bill. $ 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. $$

LATIN Aioli (D3) ul. Świętokrzyska 18, tel. 22 290 1020, www. aioli-cantine.com. Open 9:00-last guest. A jaunty Mediterranean space with hanging meats and long communal tables, Aioli has a decent offer of sandwiches, breakfasts, pastas and burgers. The mango-turkey burger is worth your consideration. $$ Blue Cactus (E8) ul. Zajączkowska 11, tel. 22 851 2323, www.bluecactus.pl. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-23:00;

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WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

Sat 9:00-23:00; Sun 12:00-22:00. A lasting legend and something of a favorite for afterwork 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. $$

DaliMi ul. Zwycięzców 57, tel. 22 616 1838. Open 10:00-21:00. A new tapas bar from Dariusz Opasek, the former chef at Mirador. The range of tapas can’t be faulted, and neither can the overall taste. Even those with an aversion to Spain are catered for, with a range of bottled beers from Poland’s lesser known breweries. $$

Casa Pablo (C3) ul. Grzybowska 5A, tel. 22 324 5782. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-last guest; Sun 12:00-18:00.

Set to the flank of a glinting office building, Casa Pablo touts an interesting design composed of tartan colors, upturned wine crates and a mirror that we’re told is over a century old. But if you think that’s interesting, then take a look at the menu. Modeled round the ‘creative Spanish’ movement, dishes include scallop carpaccio with foie gras, and a duck breast burger with Mahon cheese, raspberry ketchup and truffle sauce. Servings are small and precise, but even so, we like what we see. $$

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 12:0023:00. 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. $$ Frida Nowy Świat (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 34, tel. 691 343 434. Open SunThur 11:00-24:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-02:00. They’ve sussed the design and the location, but the food is more Pol-Mex than Tex-Mex. Bland flavors and tame salsas don’t encourage return visits. $$

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Madera Grill (B5) Al. Jerozolimskie 101, tel. 22 370 2552. Open 12:00-last guest. A large restaurant with an anonymous look and a menu that makes up for it with some tremendous meats. True, not everything is executed well, but the premium priced steaks are worth the spend. Portions are hefty, so if you’re visiting for lunch, then skip breakfast beforehand. $$ 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

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RESTAURANTS 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. $$ Pico Cuadro (D2) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 81, tel. 22 826 1524, www.picocuadro.pl. Open 10:00-23:00.

When it comes to their excellent beef manager Francisco gives credit to both the Argentinean origin of his selections and the knowledgeable hand of his chef who spent twelve years cooking in Spain. But best is dessert – a divine chocolate mousse torte on a delicate cookie crust made in house. Not too sweet, not too thick, just right! Although not as free with foreign flavors or combinations as it could be, it remains one to watch. $$ The Mexican (E4) ul. Foksal 10a, tel. 22 826 9021, www.mexican.pl. Open Sun-Thur 11:00-24:00; Fri and Sat 11:00-01:00. Style-wise this place is fab, complete with an adobe courtyard and Corona chandeliers. But the authenticity crashes into calamity with the food, which frequently appears as a mysterious gloop served with mashed cabbage. The locals love it. $$ Sol y Sambra ul. Grzybowska 2, tel. 22 404 7011. Open 12:00-laste guest. The third tapas bar to try its luck at this very address – what’s that about? Winning blanket approval across the board, Sol y Sambra will be hoping for better fortune than previous tenants. The food is fresh, simple and unfailingly successful. $$

POLISH

– 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. $$$ BEST WAWA 2012 “Contemporary Polish” Winner, New Restaurant” Winner, “Best Chef” Winner

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. $$$

Bazyliszek (D1) Rynek Starego Miasto 1/3, tel. 22 831 1841, www.bazyliszek.waw.pl. Open 11:00-24:00.

Some parts of Bazyliszek hark to its years as a stately, stuffy restaurant. Now though it’s more earthy, with Jurassic portions of meaty, lardy food best consumed with one liter beers. The Rynek location and festive atmosphere account for its popularity more than anything that comes from the kitchen. $

Amber Room at the Sobański Palace (E5)

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

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 – these 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. $$$

*

Bistroteka ul. Widok 8, tel. 602 239 528. Open Mon-Sat 8:30-23:00. Young talent Adam Leszczyński embraces slow food techniques here, using top notch seasonal produce to create a well-designed offer of contemporary classics.

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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WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

Full report next issue. $$

an aristocratic temperament and fine Polish cuisine served with an elegant flourish. $$$

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 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

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.

The seminal Polish village experience is recreated in Folk Gospoda, a simple, rustic restaurant who put a stress on using locally sourced produce and homemade condiments like bread and preserves. Clad in wood and farmyard debris, the menu is a hefty collection of pierogi, game and macho meaty fare. Look no further if you want authentic, big hearted food the way it’s served up in the mountains and down in the villages. $$ Grand Kredens (B5) Al. Jerozolimskie 111, tel. 22 629 8008, www.kredens.com.pl. Open Mon-Fri 10:00-last guest; Sat & Sun 11:00-last guest. A relic of late 90s Warsaw, consider Kredens a fallen giant. Everything here is stuck in the past – once edgy, the awkward interiors now resemble a tacky mistake. The menu is a dud as well: a jack of all trades, but master of none. Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares would have a field day. $$

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 delicious traditional Polish dishes and international courses. Live music every day from 18:00. $$ Inn Under the Red Hog (B3) ul. Żelazna 68, tel. 22 850 3144, www.czerwonywieprz.pl. Open daily 12:0024:00. Recently voted as one of the 25 most interesting restaurants in the world! And we’re not surprised – bathed in red banners and propaganda paintings, the Red Hog is your one stop shop for some socialist socializing: while Marx and Co. never actually ate here (as their menu claims), lads like Bruce Willis and Lennox Lewis have. The menu is comically split between dishes for the proletariat and for dignitaries, and is an experience in itself. $$

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Karpielówka ul. Indiry Gandhi 11, tel. 22 644 85 10.

Open 12:00-last guest. Reminiscent of a mountain karczma this restaurant prides itself on a thorough offer of simple, traditional food inside lively cabin-style interiors. $$ MG Eat Gessler (D4) ul. Chmielna 32. Open 10:00-23:00.

Now MG is not your signature Gessler

THE VERY BEST

OF ITALY! ITALIAN RESTAURANT

FROM 11:00AM TO 11:00 PM ZŁOTE TARASY, PIAZZA, LEVEL -1. ENTRY FROM EMILII PLATER STREET TEL: 22 222 05 50 EMAIL: RESTAURACJA@ROSSOPOMODORO.COM.PL

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RESTAURANTS 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. $ 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 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. $

REDISCOVER PIĘKNA BISTRO ON PIĘKNA 20!

Pristine interiors juxtapose steel and concrete against dark, warm woods and a burning fireplace lending our venue an amazing character.

Blending modernity and style, the interiors are reflected by an international menu, a carefully selected wine list and beautiful music.

Come by in the morning for hot baguettes and fresh coffee, a laid back lunch, or in the evening, when lights dim and the mood slows down.

For years Piękna Bistro has been a popular jazz spot, and at our concerts you’ll find young talents and celebrities, guaranteeing unforgettable memories.

Bistro Piękna ul. Piękna 20 Tel. 22 627 4151 piekna@jazzone.pl, www.jazzone.pl

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Polka ( D2) ul. Świętojańska 2, www.restauracjapolka.pl, tel. 22 635 3535. Open 12:00-23:00. Colorful pastel interiors inspired by Polish folk art set the tone for this place. The servings are small, but the food is top notch. $$

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. $ Smaki Warszawy (D5) ul. Żurawia 47/49, tel. 22 621 8268, www.smakiwarszawy.pl. Open 9:00-last guest. Well-known on the Warsaw scene as a delightful Polish restaurant (try the lamb, for sure), Smaki Warszawy is also renowned for its cakes. Smiling and welcoming staff pour amazing lattes and serve up slices of fantastic pistachio cream cake. $$

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 time bills have been settled by princes Restauracja Pod Gigantami (E5) and presidents, models and musicians.

Al. Ujadowskie 24, tel. 22 629 2312, www.pod- Reminiscent of a stately home, this maze of gigantami.pl. Open 12:00-last guest. Despite enticing alcoves wins for an extravagant being judged worthy of a recommendation menu of locally sourced game. $$$ by the scouts at Michelin, Pod Gigantami divides local opinion; it’s not just the Insider U Kucharzy (D3) that’s found the food only satisfactory. But the ul. Ossolińskich 7, tel. 22 826 7936, wine list impresses, as do the painfully ornate www.gessler.pl. Open 12:00-24:00. You find yourself in the thick of the action here, turn-of-the-century interiors. $$$ with diners planted in the kitchen area of the former Hotel Europejski. There’s a great Restauracja Polska “Różana” (E8) ul. Chocimska 7, tel. 22 848 1225, atmosphere of orchestrated chaos here, and www.restauracjarozana.com.pl. Open 12:00- the chefs love a bit of showmanship – expect last guest. Touting a refined, baronial setting, Ramsay-style fireworks and tantrums when Rożana has starchy white linen, floral pieces the orders start coming thick and fast. The and flickering candles, giving off plenty of food is textbook Polish, with steak tartare BEST WAWA classic charm in the best possible taste. hailed around Warsaw. $$ 2012 “Welcome to Poland” Winner With indulgent mains such as farmhouse duck with apple and cranberry, or saddle U Szwejka (D6) of venison with homemade pickle, this is a pl. Konstytucji 1, tel. 22 339 1710, www.

Polish dining extravaganza served from the BEST WAWA 2012 “Polish uszwejka.pl. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-24:00; Sat top table. $$ with Style” Winner 10:00-24:00; Sun 13:00-24:00. The place is named after a tubby fictional Czech soldier, Rialto’s Restaurant (D5) but the grub is hearty Polish, XXXL portions at ul. Wilcza 73 (Rialto Boutique Hotel), bargain prices. At zł. 15 per litre of beer, the tel. 22 584 8771. Open Mon-Fri 6:30-22:30; mugs are constantly refilled to wash down the Sat-Sun 7:00-22:30. Bathed in toffee and feast of sausages, ribs and pork knuckles. $$ vanilla hues, the restaurant in this Art Deco hotel has a solid claim as one of the top Warszawa Wschodnia ul. Mińska 25 (Soho Factory), tel. 695 532 915, meals around. The pan-seared duck breast gessler.sohofactory.pl. Open 24hrs. A with honey pumpkin and figs is every bit as project of Mateusz Gessler, here’s one of the inspired as it sounds. $$$

WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

most peculiar and creative openings for a while. Featuring a centerpiece kitchen, this cavernous industrial space offers top-notch ‘Polish cuisine with a French twist’, as well as the chance to get your hands dirty alongside the chefs – book in advance for the chance to cook with Chef Gessler and his right hand man, Robert Kondziela. $$

Zapiecek Locations inc. ul. Nowy Świat 64, Al. Jerozolimskie 28, ul. Podwale 1, Freta 18, Freta 1 & Świętojańska 13, ul. Wańkowicza 1, www.zapiecek.eu. Open 11:00-22:00. Seven 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. $ Zwyczjana ul. Wspólna 54, tel. 507 652 596, www.zwycz-

jana.pl. Open 8:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-20:00.

A modern Polish eatery with a blond wood aesthetic accented with dabs of art and bowls of fruit. The food is cheap, cheerful Polish fare, with daily specials posted on their website. It fills the gap if nothing else. $

SCANDINAVIAN Nabo ul. Zakręt 8, tel. 22 842 0256.

Open Mon-Fri: 8:00-21:30; Sat-Sun 9:0021:30. The décor is, we’re told, typical Danish cafe – bold open windows, simple lines, high shelves filled with books and games on the table. But what is Danish food? There’s Old Danish on the menu: meatballs and open face sandwiches with meat and fish in various textural configurations and then there’s New Danish: an emerging trend towards fresh, seasonal food (no microwave oven at Nabo), with locally sourced and innovatively BEST concocted ingredients. Fantastic. $$ WAWA 2012 “Most Kid Friendly Restaurant” Winner

SEAFOOD Osteria (D5) ul. Koszykowa 54 (at ul. Poznańska), tel. 22 621 1646, www.osteria.pl. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00; Sun 13:00-22:00. An intimate restaurant with marine-inspired décor and the best seafood in Warsaw, t’s ideal for an energetic business lunch or romantic late-night supper. You can also pick up your seafood to go from their neighboring shop. $$

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.

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RESTAURANTS 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.

Food & Joy ul. Nowy Świat 7, www.foodandjoy.eu. Open Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00; Sun 10:00-17:00. A new, upmarket deli chain from the same team behind Krakowski Kredens and Alma.

La Petite France ul. Zwycięzców 28, tel. 22 672 9646, www.lapetitefrance.pl. Open Mon-Sat 10:3018:00. Wine and cheese as well as canned and tinned foods from France.

Le Diplomat ul. Meksykańska 6, tel. 22 616 0539.

Open Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00; Sat 10:00-15:00.

Long regarded as the best butcher in town, as well as the number one source for lamb.

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, 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.

Little India ul. Domaniewska 22/5, tel. 22 843 6738, www.littleindia.pl. The definitive Indian store which doesn’t look anything more than a pokey neighborhood store. They’ve got it all mind, from oils, beans, lentils and flour, not to mention ready meals, canned goods and cosmetics. Internet ordering available.

Maho al. Krakowska 240/242, tel. 22 609 1548, www. maho.com.pl. An excellent German-run Turkish restaurant that also doubles as a butcher: halal

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certified beef, veal, lamb and poultry.

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 meals, confectionary and preserves.

Na Słodko Baba Wróżyła (D5) ul. Mysia 3. Open Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00; Sun 12:00-18:00. Warsaw’s taste for the good things in life takes a new turn with the opening of this easily pronounced locale. Specializing in top-end biscuits and cookies, it’s a luxury splurge for those with a sweet tooth.

Namaste India ul. Nowogrodzka 15, tel. 22 357 0939.

Open Mon-Sat 11:00-22:00; Sun 12:00-22:00.

Not just an excellent take-away, but also a small deli selling herbs and spices, ready meals, drinks and even Indian toiletries.

Ostra Kuchnia www.ostrakuchnia.pl. A superb internet shop retailing quite literally the hottest sauces known to man: brands include Blair’s, Dave’s, El Yucateco, Mad Dog, Melinda’s and many more besides. Also sell jalapenos, chili peppers, salsas and pastes. Polish-only website, but easy to navigate and superb customer service.

Papryka-Hungarian Store ul. Zwycięzców 22, tel. 22 616 0257, www.papryka-salami.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:0019:00; Sat 11:00-15:00. A Hungarian deli selling wine, meats, preserves and spices.

WHOLE FOODS 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!? $$ Green Peas (D4) ul. Szpitalna 5, tel. 22 826 1985, www.greenpeas.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:0020:00; Sat-Sun 12:00-20:00. Offering vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meals, it’s a well-rounded, health conscious offer here.

Low cal and low cost inside a greenish, cafeteria style space. $ Surya (C1) ul. Wałowa 3, tel. 22 635 81 39, www.restauracja-surya.pl. Open Tue-Sat 12:00-22:00. Found down in a former nuclear shelter this basement restaurant looks like a hobbit’s hideout, with lots of clunky timber doors leading down mysterious passages.

Everything served is raw, and on the occasions they do use an oven it’s maintained under 42°C to keep all nutrients and enzymes alive.

The raw pizza is better than anything you get at Domino’s, and the zucchini lasagna a brilliant surprise. Great list of smoothies, as well. $

*

Veg Deli ul. Radna 14, tel. 516 188 136. Open 12:00-22:00. Rarely has rabbit food been so enticing. Delicious soups, bagels, dals, salads and suchlike are made with only the freshest local ingredients. $

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.

BEST WAWA 2012 “Gourmet Grocery” Winner

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. $

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.

Ye Goode Foode ul. Zamiany 12, tel. 22 254 4025.

Open 11:00-last guest. 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. $$

WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

Reviews: Christian’s BakerHouse 53 / Plus:

* 4 updates

CAFÉS & WINE BARS CAFES 53 / WINE BARS 55

KEY

Insider’s Pick

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

BOW 2012 Winner...........

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CAFÉS 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.

Christian’s BakerHouse ul. Książęca 6, tel. 22 628 6345. Open Mon-Fri 7:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 9:00-23:00.

S

PHOTOGRAPH BY KAROLINA KALINOWSKA

o, hybrids have been popping up all around Warsaw as of 2012. And it seems the Polish celebrity chef, Krystian Zalejski, has lusted after one of his own. But his bakery-cum-restaurant-cum-café-cum-wine bar (phew!) is not like the other ones of its kind. It quickly becomes clear that the owner wanted to create something that was as familiar as the typical Warsaw café but at the same time a bit more polished. All food, from the pastries to the dinner dishes (including the pasta too, of course) is made from scratch in their kitchens, the old-fashioned way. The waitress highlights that with no prompting: “Our chef puts great emphasis on quality”.

And quality we received. I ordered something to nibble on – a Mediterranean Basket, French pastry stuffed with feta and roast vegetables, from their pastry selection. Simple.

But what I did not expect was: a) for it to be that delicious; and b) for it to be brought to me on Villeroy & Boch crockery, warmed up and garnished with rocket and balsamic dressing.

Talk about quality.

Everything about this place is pleasant. Pleasant sounds through the speakers, pleasant interior, and a general pleasant feel. The location is also pleasant, situated a bit off of the Royal Route, on the edge of the bustling Pl. Trzech Krzyży. Done in a rustic style, with white washed raw wooden tables (watch out for the splinters though) and antique-style décor, it is home-y and comfortable. Christian’s provides all meals of the day with a menu that only lasts a few days, written out on huge blackboards and mostly filled with Italian staples, but with a twist. Think pappardelle with roasted duck slices and rosemary. The establishment takes no shame in the originality of their concept. So as the text on their wall says, “take it or leave it”. (KK)

Aroma ul. Krucza 6, tel. 22 376 5475, www.aromaespressobar.pl. Open 7:0022:00; 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.

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.

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CAFÉS & WINE BARS Café 6/12 (E5) ul. Żurawia 6/12, tel. 22 622 5333, 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.

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.

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.

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. After an eventful 2012 C25 is back with a bang – known for its anti-establishment attitude, new features include a clean new look of battleship colors and less useless junk.

Comedy nights downstairs have proved a hit, while on ground level Chłodna resounds to that welcome hustle all the best cafes have: creaking floorboards, clattery board games, whistling kettles and dogs going woof.

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.

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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.

*

Croque Madame (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 41, tel. 793 794 318. Open 8:00-22:00. A French-themed charmer with rough, white painted brickwork, distressed wooden furniture and lots of eccentric bric-a-brac to keep an eye out for. Dealing out fresh baguettes and pastries, the whole boulangerie/café concept is excellently executed.

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.

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.

Fawory ul. Mickiewicza 21. Open 10:00-22:00. An intimate neighborhood cafe that comes complete with mugs that announce: “Fresh Coffee Tastes Betters”. You bet it does. The smoothies and regional beers are even better though, and come served inside a white interior splashed with an awesome mural.

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.

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

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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.

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.

Loft Café (D4) ul. Złota 11, tel. 608 608 488, www.cafeloft. pl. Open Mon-Fri 10:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 11:0022:00. Brickwork and aquariums dominate Loft, while lighting is courtesy of strings of bubbles that dangle from the ceiling. The loud and lairy design befits the neon-lit exteriors. Clearly, plenty of people like it, we’re more ambivalent.

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 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.

Mały Wojtek (D4) ul. Bracka 20, tel. 791 520 503. Open Mon-Fri 11:30-4:00; Sat-Sun 14:00-4:00. A charming courtyard number with hand painted floor tiles, white brickwork and imaginative black and white lights that dangle overhead. In the afternoon it effects the busy air of a European café; at night, more of a raucous local shot bar.

Mam Ochotę ul. Grójecka 75, tel. 22 667 8280, mamo-

chote.blogspot.com. Open 9:00-24:00. A hip haven in an upcoming area this café gets cool concerts and other such events. And unlike most cafés in its genre, you don’t get the impression you’ll catch fleas from the seats.

Attractive light woods and guest artwork keep this place looking fresh and fun.

Między Nami (D4) ul. Bracka 20, www.miedzynamicafe.com, tel. 22 828 5417. Open Mon-Thur 10:00-23:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-24:00; Sun 13:00-23:00. One of Warsaw’s enduring legends, and as popular at night as it is during the day; media types love it, and you’ll find them pecking on quesadilla type snacks inside a hip, white interior.

Ministerstwo Kawy ul. Marszałkowska 27/35, tel. 512 091 840, www.ministerstwokawy.pl. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-21:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-22:00. Were it not for the fact MK opened after voting had closed, you’d have bet your bottom zlot this would have romped home with our ‘best café’ award.

Decorated sparingly with white wall tiles and wooden floors, this newbie numbers some ace fruit drinks amongst its greater glories.

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.

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 two-storey glass prism under the Financial Center’s arcades. So forget the gloomy, dusty corners of Warsaw’s cafes and immerse yourself inside a sleek space bathed in light that comes streaming through all four walls.

Moments knows many incarnations and slides with ease between cosmopolitan cafe, modern eatery and communal wine bar. my’o’my (D4) 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. Slightly rustic in design, with flower-patterned pillows, wooden panels painted white and winding stairs that lead to a charming second floor.

The baked goods are courtesy of baker

extraordinaire Zofia Różycka, and the rest of the food offer is pretty grand as well. Its popularity with Warsaw’s mid-20s set makes it occasionally claustrophobic.

Petit Appetit (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 27, www.petitappetit.pl.

Open 6:30-23:30. Cartoon murals, brickwork and that must for the season – a communal table – all contribute to marking Petit Appetit as something of a winner. Their real success though is as a bakery: loaves, baguettes, pastries are produced to expert standard.

Piaskownica (E3) ul. Lipowa 7A. Open 9:00-last guest; Fri-Sat 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.

Relaks ul. Puławska 48. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-21:00; Sat 10:00-19:00; Sun 10:00-18:00. Delete Starbucks from memory: if you take your coffee seriously, then no-one does it better than this lot. Using a number of brewing methods, the baristas here are top of their trade, doing their stuff in a cool interior with a heavy retro accent.

Secret Life ul. Słowackiego 15/19. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-21:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-21:00. You might already be familiar with Secret Life of Things, a fab design store on the other end of town.

Now the same minds have expanded their offer to include this café, a delightful spot that opened in summer. The deckchairs outside may have gone but the hype lingers on: an eclectic design marries a Scandinavian look to an eccentric spirit, while unpasteurized beers, organic teas and a locally sourced menu do the rest. It’s a winner! 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 9:00-22:00; Fri 9:00-24:00; Sat 10:0024:00; 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 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.

Usiądź Sobie ul. Gen. Zajączka 8, tel. 502 555 128. Open 10:00-22:00. A crisp looking café with vintage antiques set against pristine white furnishings and shiny surfaces. The menu is health conscious, and even includes a calorie count next to the breakfast options.

Wars i Sawa (E3) ul. Dobra 14/16. Open Mon-Thu 10:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 10:00-1:00; Sun 12:00-22:00. Creaking floorboards, unfinished plastering and piles of books set the tone to this ‘culture café’.

It’s exactly what you’d expect of Powiśle, and the sort of stop best enjoyed on your own with a pot of tea, a dog-eared novel and your tightest skinny jeans.

WINE BARS Ale Wino! (E5) ul. Mokotowska 48, tel. 22 628 3830. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-22:00. Covertly stashed inside a courtyard, that Ale Wino’s! neighbors include fashion Tsar Robert Kupisz announce this place as the frontline of cool – as if to qualify this, find furnishing by the celebrated design brains at Studio Rygalik. Stocked with wines from 16 countries, place your trust in sommelier Adrian

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CAFÉS & WINE BARS Litkowicz for a taste of something special.

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Bar Cenzura (E5) ul. Mysia 3, tel. 605 430 499. Open Mon-Fri 10:00-20:00; Sat 10:00-20:00; Sun 12:0018:00. Warsaw’s growing wine scene shifts another gear with the opening of Cenzura, a ‘less is more’ space inside Warsaw’s most talked about shopping space: on edge Mysia 3. The shock white colors compliment the minimal design touches and a compelling wine choice.

Charlotte (D6) pl. Zbawiciela, tel. 22 628 4459. Open MonFri 7:00-24:00; Sat 9:00-24:00; Sun 9:00-22:00. It matters not if you’re easily traumatized by the catwalk parade that is Charlotte. Open from seven on weekdays, it’s the place for a morning croissant. And if you’re armed with the latest Mac technology, all the better – join the other posers at the communal table. Located on Warsaw’s most happening roundabout, there’s no better place to indulge a hangover with a spot of eavesdropping than inside this boulangerie/wine bar.

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.

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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.

BEST WAWA 2012 “Wine Bar” Winner 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 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.

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

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a wonderfully simple gourmet menu, old and new world wines and a chic warehouse design filled to bursting with crates and boxes.

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.

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Winosfera (B3) ul. Chłodna 29/31. Emphasizing Chłodna’s remarkable renaissance is the ‘opening anytime soon’ Winosfera. With a blueprint that involves a multi-level bar area, shop and cinema (!!), as well as a pedigree that includes hugely impressive project in Poznań, you’ve got every right to expect a success story. Żurawina (D5) ul. Żurawia 32, tel. 696 561 652. Open 12:0024:00. Lacking in intimacy this large white room has an interior supplemented by jarring artwork and a set of swings. In the world of wine it’s vital the customer can connect with the sommelier – here it felt like we were joining the SS. The wine list is as serious as the service, and with only two wines available by the glass it’s not for the occasional wine fan.

Reviews: Kraken 57 / Wihajster 62 / Plus:

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NIGHTLIFE

BARS & PUBS 57 / CLUBS 61 / GENTLEMAN’S CLUBS 62 / JAZZ CLUBS 62

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Insider’s Pick

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

BOW 2012 Winner...........

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

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

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

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

BARS & PUBS Bazar (F1) ul. Okrzei 22, tel. 508 321 264. Open 12:00-last guest. There’s Krusovice, Bernard and Staropramen on tap, and the Czech slant is lent added meat by a series of evenings held in cahoots with the Czech Cultural Centre – it’s during boozy disco nights the party spills into a shadowy cellar with light retro hints. On ground level its raw and industrial with asphalt colors and overhead pipes. You wouldn’t expect it, but the margaritas are smashing.

Kraken Rum Bar ul. Poznańska 12. Open 12:00-4:00.

T

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN DEMARIA

he ghost of former tenant Tektura has been banished with a new sea themed venue named after one of the ocean’s most feared mythical creatures – the scary squid in Pirates of the Caribbean. In its former incarnation this bar housed a cardboard bison’s head and a wall dedicated to the godfathers of grunge: Vedder, Cobain and Stayley. Yet despite its much trumpeted arrival, it somehow failed to capture the local imagination.

Now, following a rethink, it’s reopened as a rum bar.

Upon entering, the first striking difference is that the bar has been moved to a more central position with a new door allowing customer’s from next door Beirut to walk in and out as they please. This means that if there’s a queue in either bar, you can go just go next door, shout up a drink and then head back from where you came from.

In interior terms there’s now plenty more wood, which gives it an authentic pub feel, with the chairs and tables also laid out in a way that enables one to either hide in a corner or perch on a bar stool. The music-theme has been maintained with a wall of cymbals and a giant black and white of legendary hell-raiser Keith Moon. Then, behind the decentsized bar, there’s a cartoon-style Kraken print, as well as four beers on tap including a dark house tipple which contains rum: the taste is thick and unusually sweet, and while some love it, others don’t.

As you’d expect there’s some decent bottles of rum on sale but nowhere near enough to justify calling it a rum bar. With only three dark rums, and the likes of Bacardi receiving plenty of prominence, it’s the one major disappointment of a place that otherwise looks set to be a roaring success. In fairness though, they do have some rum cocktails with authentic names such as Barbarossa, Blackbeard and Calico Jack, as well as a selection of good whiskies for those looking for something other than beer.

With fresh seafood, including squid and octopus thrown in to the mix, as well other food options like Philly cheese steak and chicken curry, Kraken seems to have pretty much all bases covered and could end up being one of the hits of 2013. (DI)

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.

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The British Bulldog (D4) ul. Krucza 51, tel. 22 827 0020, www.bbpub.pl. How fickle this city can be.

The big fail of 2012. Forget that it’s the most accurate replica of a traditional British pub around, and consider instead the heinous service, fried aromas and a deserved ex-pat boycott traced to the dismissal of the original British manager.

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Browar de Brasil (D5) ul. Marszałkowska 76/80, tel. 534 600 990, www.browardebrasil.pl. Open 12:00-last guest. It’s succesfull, but that doesn’t make it special. Find four house brews, none of which impress, served by waitresses in tight, flirty outfits that reveal all their foibles. Don’t expect kind words about the food, either –

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NIGHTLIFE amateurish at best, inedible at worst.

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.

Czarna.Bar ul. Sienkiewicza 4, tel. 22 416 2467. Open 12:00-23:00; Sat 10:00-23:00; Sun 10:0021:00. The look doesn’t say ‘just finished’, it says ‘haven’t even started’. Cables hang from walls, and specks of paint cover the grey / white surfaces – whether this is actually part of the final design one can only guess. It’s upstairs you’ll find most people moving to, and we like it very much. Looking fashionably spartan, the area includes an L-shaped mattress thing, and a glass wall which allows you to peer in on the chef downstairs.

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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.

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.

BEST WAWA 2012 “Cocktails” Winner 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 went into meltdown at the start of the year when it was announced landlord Kevin Bradley had left the pub bearing his name. With foreign custom dwindling this dark-looking pub now cuts a sorry shadow with rumors swirling about its imminent future.

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

Open 12:00-last guest; Sat 18:00-last guest; closed Sun. Chilled out and downtempo, owners Zosia and Michał have created a legend out of this dinky two room affair. There’s too many beers to recommend, though the Rowing Jack diminishes quickly for a reason.

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

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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.

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

Tight trousers and flamboyant scarves are recommended in this hipster mecca, as is a triumphant drinks choice that numbers short of sixty regional beers. Design doesn’t go beyond jam jars for lights and a messy blackboard, but that’s all this place needs to work. Similar backstreet New York dive it’s got an effortless cool and our beer of the year: the minty flavor/raspberry hint M3.

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 brothel colors, the design involves mismatched seats, tilted lampshades and a relaxed arthouse look popular with creatives, musicians and other fringe dwellers. The live talent ranges from moody quartets to jazzy chanteuses, while a perfect marriage of late hours and great bottled beers

NIGHTLIFE helps along the enthusiastic crowd of latter day beatniks.

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.

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 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.

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Podwórko (D4) ul. Bracka 3, tel. 508 298 065. Open Mon-Thu 11:00-1:30; Fri 11:00-3:30; Sat-Sun 18:00-1:30. Set down a gloomy courtyard Podwórko opens up outback where it effects the character of a 30s style living room. It doesn’t liven up till the later hours, when an EMO-style crowd turn up to take advantage of some decent beers and liberal finish times.

Po Drugiej Stronie Lustra (F1) ul. Jagiellońska 22, tel. 501 048 471. Open

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.

Bistro Relaks (D4) ul. Złota 6, tel. 508 566 824.

Open Sun-Thu 14:00-1:00; Fri-Sat 14:004:00. Retro style murals, some commie neon and staff in bow ties lend a distinct PRL edge to this shot bar, something enjoyed by a predominantly early 20s crowd.

Głębokie Gardło (D2) ul. Bednarska 28. Open 16:00-5:00.

Deep Throat reinvents the shot bar experience, thanks largely to a design that looks like it may have involved a professional. Using crisp blue and white colors, this vaulted chamber looks even better once the club crowd start emerging for post-party shots.

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. Bow-tied 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.

WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

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.

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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. The most global choice of beer in Warsaw, with international prices to match. The white minimalist interiors get busy with a cool crowd of urban sophisticates.

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, 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. Housed in a 70s monster this two floor bar maintains its element of retro chic while at the same time providing a genuinely unique drinking experience. Aimed at a more mature, affluent crowd than their sister bar (Warszawa PKP Powiśle), the standout factor is a whisky menu divided up into regions of BEST WAWA Scotland, Ireland and Japan.

2012 “New Bar” Winner 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.

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Warszawa Powiśle (E4) ul. Kruczkowskiego 3B. Open Mon-Fri 7:00last guest, Sat-Sun 10:00-last guest.

The prime months for this former ticket-booth are in summer when the deck chairs outside provide ample opportunity for the city’s young to gather in an almost carnival-like atmosphere. Seen as the hipster Center of Power, a collective bout of outrage saved them from council threatened closure earlier in the year.

Not just a bar, they’re now filling a dual role as Warsaw’s one billionth burger joint.

Warszawska Pijalnia Whisky (D4) ul. Zgoda 6, tel. 22 553 61 00, www.pijalniawhisky.pl. Open Mon -Sun 12:00-22:00.

With no old oak cabinets or portraits of Cambridge scholars it’s not the charismatic whisky bar one expects. Come to terms with this and you’ll be pleased to find excellent whisky – mostly from the Speyside Spey Distillery – inside dimly-lit pragmatic interiors.

Znajomi Znajomych (D5) 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.

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Basen ul. Konopnickiej 6, tel. 696 058 944, www.artbasen.pl. Open Fri-Sat 21:00-6:00.

Get this, you’ll be doing your dance steps in what was formerly Warsaw’s first public swimming pool. Featuring a line-up of live bands and some of the top electronic acts around, this is definitely one to add to the watch list.

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 for a night to remember.

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.

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 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.

Minus ul. Chmielna 9. Open Fri-Sat 22:00-6:00. The design mimics everything you expect from a

Enklawa (D3) ul. Mazowiecka 12, tel. 22 827 3151, www.enklawa.com. Open Wed-Sat 21:004:00. Forget internet dating, Enklawa is the best pick-up joint around – a classic kitschy, glitzy disco, it draws in huge crowds with a simple lineup of pop and dance hits. Still regarded as the best Wednesday night in Warsaw, it’s the place for singletons looking for a one night confidence boost.

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

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.

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.

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NIGHTLIFE modern Warsaw club (flashing zips of light, glossy surfaces), but the music sets it apart with a bold dedication to house, deep house and progressive sounds. With numerous international acts lined up to play, as well as a powerful sound system that leaves the teeth rattling, this could yet become a serious party choice.

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.

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 BEST WAWA 2012 “Rich & Pretty for Now. Club” Winner 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.

GENTLEMAN’S CLUBS

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

JAZZ Bistro na Pięknej ul. Piękna 20, tel. 22 627 4151, www.jazzone.pl. Open Mon-Fri 9:00-24:00; Sat-Sun 11:00-24:00. A slick looking jazz spot that’s seen the benefit of a recent overhaul.

Valued additions include a less austere style and what at times might feel like Warsaw’s only fireplace – and just in time for winter, and all. Popular with a smart city crowd, keep an eye out for their live acts.

Nu ul. Żurawia 6/12, tel. 22 621 8989. Open 10:00-24:00. For something a little educated take a date to Nu, a high-ceilinged effort with slick urban dashes and regular piano. The Żurawia location marks it out as a popular spot for a high-end crowd.

Wihajster ul. Podwale 19, tel. 660 511 217. Open 16:00-3:00. arsaw’s nightlife found steam in 2012, thanks largely to a newly discovered appetite for regional beers. Wihajster is one such place riding the coat tails of the capital’s interest in quirky lagers, though you’d be shot for suggesting this place as being even remotely ‘on trend’. That’s a point highlighted by the location – on the fringe of unfashionable old town – not to mention the interiors. Forget the industrial, factory style favored by the hipsters, Wihajster’s DNA is composed of jumble sale clutter and other odds and sods: gas masks, tilted lampshades and gnarled looking fittings. And while the flea market look might be out-of-fashion, here it feels distinctly warming.

But the really good bit? Wahey, the fridge! Pick from a variety of lagers from cult indy breweries that include Ale Browar, Pinta, Raciborskie and Wrocławskie. No one will blame you if you can’t decide, in which case give the Dymy Marcowe a whirl: a white knuckle ride with hints of smoked caramel. Set across two tightly packed levels, it’s easy to settle in for ‘one’ yet emerge seven hours later – with much of the fridge control tested for luck. That murky outcome is more likely than you imagine, and one gently encouraged by an amiable bar host full of good cheer and banter. (AW)

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WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

PHOTOGRAPH BY ED WIGHT

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Reviews: Take a Nap 63 / Plus:

* 3 updates

SHOPPING

ACCESSORIES 65 / FASHION 63 / HOME DECOR 65 / SHOPPING MALLS 66

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.

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.

Take a Nap & Impossible Project ul. Mysia 3. Open Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00; Sun 12:00-18:00.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN DEMARIA

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ake a Nap? Yes, please! Can you imagine a more alluring name for a shop, really? Ever since winter set in and the perpetual snow began to fall over Warsaw, naps have been top priority on my daily list of things to do. So when I walked by a shop that offered such a tempting welcome, I couldn’t resist.

Take a Nap is on the ground floor of the Mysia 3 department store, one of the most unobtrusive retail startups I’ve come across in this city. There’s no flashy signage or effusive promotion to get on your nerves, it’s all very low key. As central as it is, it’s easy to overlook this stylish little street called Mysia (Mouse). But now there’s a whole store of reasons to stop by and see what’s new, especially since Mysia 3 has a new boutique opening up every so often, not to mention champagne shopping parties galore.

On a blizzardy day, I took refuge in the warmth of Take a Nap, indulging in the comfort of cashmere, wools and cottons that I longed to wrap myself up in for a good long doze.

The two-floor shop is full of bedtime accessories like comfy sheets, pillows, comforters and blankets, plus fun bits of furniture and knick-knacks that merge the modern with a countrystyle twist. Downstairs there’s a broader selection of couches, bedframes and mattresses to make every room in the home perfectly fit for a nap. And with Valentine’s Day around the corner, what better gift than a naptime accessory that makes cuddling all the more pleasurable an activity?

Once I managed to drag my weary body out of the shop, I explored the upper floors, with their selection of funky fashion, slinky lingerie, sturdy footwear, shiny trinkets. The most interesting stop of all is the Impossible Project shop, which has brought the Polaroid back to life with refurbished original cameras and a new film formula for a huge variety of photographic experimentation. Candid snapshots of you and your mate in a variety of silly poses: what better way to spend that awful holiday they call Valentine’s Day? Granted, you don’t neglect to... Take a Nap! (AL)

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.

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.

Clue (E3) ul. Solec 101, tel. 22 695 7897, www.cluefashion.com. Open Mon-Fri 11:0019:00; Sat 11:00-16:00. Clue stocks items from Moschino, ASOS, DKNY, Marc Jacobs, Valentino, Cavalli, Steve Madden, Armani, as well as up-and-coming designers, and a number of children’s brands.

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

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SHOPPING 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.

Eleven* ul. Wilcza 11, tel. 794 347 928, www.be-eleven. pl. Open Mon-Fri 11.00-19.00; Sat 11.00-16.00 (shopping by appointment also available).

Find clothing, accessories and jewelry from a carefully selected portfolio that combines up-and-coming international brands such as Sandwich and Joseph Ribkoff with the best of Poland’s flourishing fashion scene. And what better way to contemplate this eclectic mix than with a glass of wine or an energizing espresso in hand?

Ermenegildo Zegna (E5) Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3, tel. 22 584 7000, www. zegna.com. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-17:00. Everything for the well-dressed man, from suits to belts, and sportswear.

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.

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. Joanna Klimas (B2) ul. Nowolipki 2, tel. 22 831 0292, www.joannaklimas.com. Open Mon-Fri 9:0020:00. One of Poland’s top fashion designers runs this boutique/showroom. Choose from the latest collections or have a dress custom made for a particular occasion.

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.

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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.

Lilla Moda (multiple locations) Galeria Mokotów, Klif www.lilla.com.pl.

Here you’ll find exclusive Italian clothing brands, including Versace Jeans, Just Cavalli, GF FERRE, D&G, EXTE and Liu Jo. Loding Shoes and Shirts (C12) ul. Wołoska 12, 1st Floor, tel. 22 541 3774, www.loding.pl. Open Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-21:00. The respected French shirtand-shoemaker recently opened its first shop in Warsaw. The place to go for top-of-the-line shirts, cufflinks and made-to-order dress shoes for the well-dressed man.

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.

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.

Max Mara ul. Nowy Świat 1. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-16:00. Poland’s first Max Mara mega store, with interior designed by Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Find all the latest from Max Mara Runway and the Max Mara Atelier coat collection, as well as Sportmax Runway and a growing range of in-house accessories.

Mokobelle ul. Wilcza 3 (entrance from Mokotowska 54), tel. 508 010 204. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-16:00. An eclectic collection of Polish jewelry, along with pieces from worldclass names like Rodrigo Otazu.

WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

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.

Muji (A1) Arkadia Mall (lok 23 A), Al. Jana Pawła II 82, tel. 22 356 1039, www.muji.com.pl. Open Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-21:00.

Having first opened its doors in 1983, in Japan, Muji still retains its simple aesthetic and ethos of marrying functionality with sophistication, with products ranging from furniture, kitchenware, stationary and clothing. Check out their online store.

Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3/4 Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3/4, tel. 22 622 14 16, store@plactrzechkrzyzy.com. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; 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.

Premiere (A2) Klif shopping Centre, ul. Okopowa 58/72, tel. 22 531 4710. The boutique continues the Versace connection with a special “Versace Corner” nestled in the company of the last pieces from the Calvin Klein Collection and VJC Versace.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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, wellcut menswear for all occasions as designed by upcoming Icelandic native Olly Lindal.

Dada (Praga) ul. Ząbkowska 38, tel. 602 173 717, www.galeriadada.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:00–19:00; Sat 11:00-15:00. It’s a bit hard to define exactly what Dada sells – (from jewellery to lamps, tunics and kitchen appliances) – but one thing is for sure: you won’t find any of it anywhere else.

Lewanowicz Cafe & Boutique Pl. Grzybowski 10, tel. 22 650 0590, www. lewanowicz.com. Lewanowicz’s original house collection of precious and semiprecious stones is supplemented by several other designer ranges, including the Ayalabr line from Israel.

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 Bagatt (E6) ul. Mokotowska 28, tel. 22 621 9144.

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

Bagatt features Italian-made footwear. A savvy alternative to the upmarket brands up the street on Pl. Trzech Krzyży.

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Bath & Body Works ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów). The famed American brand signals its arrival to Europe with the launch of their Warsaw branch. Now fans of the brand can experience first-hand luxurious fragrant body care, hand and home collections. Customers can discover sophisticated fragrances, test shower gels and soaps at the sink area, and try everything from body lotions to home fragrances.

Batycki (various locations) 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.

Chiara (Saska Kępa) Promenada Shopping Centre, ul. Ostrobramska 75C, tel. 22 611 3814. You’d never expect it but this chic little shop stocks the best shoes and bags in the city – stock up on the latest collections from Michael Kors, Celine, Stuart Weitzman, Ralph Lauren and Mulberry.

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

Elf Joy by Kasia Kucharska (by appt) tel. 792 793 729, www.elfjoy.com. Kasia Kucharska travels all over the world to find stones that she turns into brilliant hand-made pieces of semi-precious stones, including amethyst, tourmaline and garnett. Available by special order.

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 Vienna-based jewellers work almost entirely in enamels made by mixing finely-ground glass and minerals.

Furla (E5) Galeria Mokotów, ul. Wołoska 12, tel. 22 541 3896, www.furla.com. Open Mon-Sat 10:0022:00; Sun 10:00-21:00. The highly-coveted handbag label’s flagship store in Warsaw features all the latest styles from Milan.

Hermitage Boutique (D3) Metropolitan Building, Pl. Piłsudskiego 1, tel. 22 323 7676, www.hermitage.pl. Get set to indulge at Warsaw’s most prestigious fine watch and jewelry boutique. Offers a world-class selection of pieces from Girard Perregaux, Chopard, Bvlgari, Blancpain, Chaumet, de Grisogono, Omega, Breitling and Scatolo del Tempo.

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

Lilou ul. Mokotowska 63, www.lilou.pl.

Modular jewelry made simple, and a must for all Warsaw fashionista.

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

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Secret Life (of Things) ul. Polna 18/20, tel. 22 412 4811, www.secretlife.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-15:00. An ‘eco lifestyle concept store’ full of bio-friendly scents, cosmetics, hand-made trinkets and housewares, rustic furnishings and detox teas. And it’s the multi-colored tins that greet you at the door, all of them crying out ‘drink me’. Check the prestigious porcelain by Kristoff, stock up on Madara cosmetics, or snap up a pair of handmade shoes.

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Victoria’s Secret Beauty & Accessories ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów). An assortment of Victoria’s Secret Beauty products including fun and flirty fragrances, such as Bombshell, as well as the scented VS Fantasiesä body care range. For that glam girl-on-the go, expect to find a wide range of Victoria’s Secret branded bags, luggage, passport covers and small leather goods to cosmetic bags, bangles and key fobs.

HOME DECOR 3F Studio (B2) ul. Nowolipki 28b, tel. 22 651 5644, www.3fstudio.com.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:0019:00; Sat 11:00-15:00. Offers furnishings and lighting from top contemporary Italian brands like BB Italia, Moroso, Living Divani, Desalto and Artemide. The in-house design team creates custom interiors for clients.

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SHOPPING Apteka Sztuki (E6) Al. Wyzwolenia 3/5, tel. 22 622 0421. Open Tues-Sat 11:00-18:00; Sun 11:00-17:00.

Apteka Sztuki is an art gallery that features collections by up-and-coming contemporary artists, preferring promising unknowns to big names. The exhibits, which rotate on a monthly basis, include a variety of media created by artists from all over Europe (although the focus is on Poland).

Bo Concept (A1) ul. Młocińska 5/7, tel. 22 636 7770. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-20:00; Sat 11:00-18:00; Sun 11:00-16:00. Lovely, clean lines make this one of the best places to invest in good furniture and statement accessories for the home.

Coqlila ul. Lentza 20 (Wilanów), tel. 22 651 6884,www.coqlila.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:0019:00; Sat 10:00-16:00.Home products with a marked provincial French style. Among the offer are fabrics, fragrances, furniture and kitchenware. ego&eco (D4) ul. Nowy Świat 35, tel. 22 826 2512. www.egoeco.eu. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 12:00-17:00. Stocks everything from unique handmade jewellery to pure linen hand towels, traditional honey and organic soaps.

Combines style with an eco-philosophy.

Galeria 2 Deco (D6) ul. Wilcza 71, tel. 22 621 2420, www.2deco.pl. A small yet concise collection

of brilliant home furnishings that combine the classic with contemporary at fair prices.

Special orders and consulting also available.

Glamstore (C9) ul. Narbutta 83 (entry from ul. Łowicka), tel. 22 403 2300. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00; Sat 11:00-15:00. Widely hailed by Poland’s fashion glossies, this store sells modern furnishings with all the trimmings and colours you could ask for. They also stock kitchen and bathroom accessories, as well as touting their own jewelery line.

Mokotowska 71 (E5) ul. Mokotowska 71, tel. 22 629 0511, www.mokotowska71.pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:0019:00; Sat 11:00-16:00. Offering creations

by Belgian and French designers, this shop just screams elegance, beauty and style. An ideal place for brides-to-be to register, as service in MOOMO ul. Marynarska 15, NEW CITY building (Mokotów), tel. 22 360 4389, www.moomo. pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-20:00; Sat 11:00-15:00.

Fun furniture styles and innovative products.

There are products from designers Joseph Joseph as well as a range of prestigious Scandinavian nd European brands, among whose number are Marimeko, Muuto, Kähler, Normann Copenhagen and Design House Stockholm.

Numero Uno (C3) ul. Grzybowska 4, tel. 22 620 0049,

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

www.numerouno.pl. Exclusive furniture and fittings with brands including Poggenpohl, Presotto Italia, Calia Italia, EGO zeroventiquattro, Masiero, Bang & Olufsen and Porsche.

Red Onion (A1) ul. Burakowska 5/7, tel. 22 817 1339; ul. Szpitalna 8, tel. 22826 0008.

Open Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00; Sun 9:00-18:00. www.redonion.pl. Their new internet shopping site makes it even easier to indulge, whatever your budget.

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 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. Warsaw’s original luxury shopping center has everything from the excellent Bomi supermarket to top boutiques that include Max Mara, Paul & Shark and Pinko.

Mysia 3 ul. Mysia 3. Open Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00; Sun 12:00-18:00. Hip and high-end department store with units such as NYCity (DKNY, Donna Karan), Berries & Co. (Ice Watch, Triwa, Ike Milano), UEG, My Paris and Take a Nap selling great pieces from both established and upcoming designers.

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.

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Reviews: Sto 900 67 / Plus:

* 2 updates

CHILDREN ACTIVITIES 67 / CAFES 68 / EDUCATION 69 / SHOPS 70

Insider’s Pick

ACTIVITIES 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.

* Sto 900 ul. Solec 18/20, tel. 787 696 241, www.sto900.pl. Open Mon 12:00-22:00; Tue-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri 11:00-1:00; Sat 10:00-1:00; Sun 10:00-22:00.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GILL BOELMAN-BURROWS

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f you love long lazy weekend brunches with family and friends but don’t have obliging children nor the wallet to accommodate the final bill, then let me make a suggestion: Sto 900. You won’t even need to dress up for the occasion! This relaxed and eclectically furnished café/bar remains one of Warsaw’s well hidden secrets.

Although my clubbing days may be dwindling my craving for the café culture continues and Sto 900, located in what was originally a printing factory in the trendy Powiśle district, is a place where families are welcome to hang with Warsaw’s cool crowd. This sympathetically renovated and well-designed café has freshly cooked food, an open plan kitchen and a bright spacious children’s corner which inevitably ticks all the right boxes.

An eyeful of inspiring graffiti in the courtyard aroused our visual senses and upon entering the café our taste buds started to tingle courtesy of the ingredients of the day: fresh mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs, crusty breads and seasonal vegetables all laid lovingly on display by the entrance. A clear sign the cook takes pride in his kitchen.

Following a brisk Wisła stroll I was close to howling like a wolf for my caffeine kick so when my daughter and I spotted the funky hand painted coffee machine we were immediately sold on this place! And once my husband had scanned the buffet and established roast beef and chunky roasted chips were on the menu we grabbed the last available table and signed up to the all-you-can-eat brunch buffet for zł. 24 per person. According to a friend who was tucking into hummus and pita bread, the weekend brunch (Sat/Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) replaces a rustic menu that also boasts a very tasty homemade burger.

Despite having to share toilets with a club, and no waiter service for drinks (although the guys behind the bar were fast and polite), this is high on my favorite list for 2013 – and it should be on yours as well. (GBB)

Colourstrings Music School (Barwy Muzyki) ul. Niecała 14, tel. 22 188 1827, www.barwymuzyki.pl. The philosophy is simple: add fun to learning and create an environment where music, singing and instruments are accepted as part of the daily lifestyle. Following music sheets transformed into colorful characters, children are encouraged to experiment with instruments and song as they would with their toys.

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.

Fundacja Atelier ul. Foksal 11, www.atelier.org.pl. Situated in an atmospheric 19th century building this foundation organizes affordable/flexible workshops to develop and inspire art education and creative skills (painting/drawing/ sculpture/art history) for children, young people and adults.

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CHILDREN HulaKula ul. Dobra 56/66, www.hulakula.com.pl. Bowling alley and soft indoor playground: heaven for kids and hell for grown-ups! Children love to climb, explore and slide into large ball pools. Parents hate the lack of daylight and fast food menu.

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

Teatr Lalka Pl. Defilad 1 (Palace of Culture), www.teatrlalka.waw.pl. This puppet theatre stages a variation of productions suitable for children aged 3 +. Scenery, props and costume design are impressive but Polish dialogue is challenging! Losing the plot to Hansel and Gretel can happen - prepare to improvise! Tip:

organize a backstage birthday party.

Zachęta Gallery Pl. Małachowskiego 3, www.zacheta.art.pl.

Recently undergone extensive modernization but still awaiting a café, this gallery and bookshop offer a perfect introduction to modern art. Also available are weekend workshops for children and original cultural birthday parties guided by experienced animators in a contemporary environment.

CAFES Figa z Makiem (Saska Kępa) ul. Walecznych 64, figazmakiem.edu.pl. One of the latest and greatest addition to the growing roster of Warsaw kid cafes. Do some well selected designer kids shopping while waiting, or simply browse the books and toys section while your little ones romp in the kids room.

Fiku Miku ul. Zwycięzców 32, www.fikumikucafe.pl.

This small, jolly cafe is dedicated to children.

The focus is on films and creative workshops.

Designer Polish toys are on sale alongside a healthy menu, and fresh cake selection.

Check FB for updates as this café closes for private birthday parties.

Kalimba ul. Mierosławskiego 19, www.kalimba.pl.

Kalimba café caters to Warsaw’s boho-chic community. Relax with long latte’s or nibble

healthy snacks whilst kids climb a spiral staircase to the indoor tree house, role-play in the kitchen area or join creative workshops.

The shop, with original handmade toys is tempting, but it’s the pick’n’mix candy that’s unavoidable!

Kolonia (B7) ul. Łęczycka (corner of Ładysława), tel. 605 084 804, www.kolonia-ochota.pl.

Open daily 10:00-20:00. Equipped with a garden/playground, Kolonia is the most kid-friendly (and pet-friendly) place in the area, offering fresh daily specials.

Kosmos Kosmos ul. Koszykowa 55. Open 11:00-last guest; Sun 12:00-last guest. The design fuses retro with rock, while the children’s area comes with a handmade puppet theater, cardboard castle and enticing kids menu. ‘Fun workshops’ take place at noon each Saturday.

Kredkafe al. Wyzwolenia 14, tel. 22 622 1561, www.kredkafe.pl. Open daily 10:00-20:00.

The interiors look great, bright and cheerful with cute cartoon sketches and an entire playroom complete with toys, stuffed animals and a playhouse. There is even a mini-theater where the kids can put on puppet shows.

Bathrooms, of course, have baby-change facilities. The brainchild of two women with experience in hospitality and pedagogy, part of the idea of Kredkafe was to create a teaching space.

My Baby Café ul. Nowoursynowska 147, www.mybabycafe.pl.

A bright and airy café serving good food and great coffee at reasonable prices. Downstairs is the Holy Grail – shiny new toys, a mini kitchen for the girls, a tool bench for the boys, and a large playhouse (real doorbell and all!).

They even provide a nanny at no extra cost!

Paradise for kids and heaven for Mums.

Nabo ul. Zakręt 8, tel. 22 842 0256. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-21:00; Sat-Sun 9:00-21:30. The latest hotspot on the family map, Nabo is run by a Danish couple, and its light and minimalist interior – designed by those who created R20 – lends itself to every occasion. But aside from its tasty and seasonal dishes, it’s the children’s corner that is causing the biggest commotion.

Nowa Kuźnia (Wilanów) ul. Stanisława Kostki-Potockiego 24, www.nowakuznia.pl. Hugely child friendly,

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Nowa Kuźnia comes into its element each summer when the garden is turned into a giant faux beach – complete with diggers, slides and a see-saw.

Pompon (Wola) ul. Młynarska 13, www.pompmart.pl.

There’s more than an organic menu to recommend about Pompom. Explore forest-to-city play environments equipped with slides, rope bridges and a selection of Wendy houses, or join the dad’s and lads in the Nintendo / Wii room. How long, you may ask, will it be till parents start turning up here without the kids just to wallow in the color?

Tamika ul. Wolska 44, tel. 535 644 990, www.tamika.pl. Open Mon-Sat 9:30-20:00; Sun 10:00-20:00. Large adbright children’s area, nutrititous menu and a choice of workshops that range from English lessons to art classes to Capoeira mark Tamika out as one of the best in its genre.

Umpa Lumpa ul.Mickiewicza 24, tel. 22 245 1909, www.umpa-lumpa.pl. Open Mon-Fri 7:0019:00; Sat-Sun 9:00-19:00. Bit part café, most part candy store. Colorfully designed, shelves here feature an array of rainbow colored lollipops, sweets and chocolate. Spoil your toddler, and yourself while you’re there.

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. Dabrowskiego 84 (Early Years Centre), tel. 22 646 7777, british@thebritishschool. pl, www.thebritishschool.pl. The British School provides special classes from pre-nursery aged 2 ½ (30 months) to 6 years old. Children at the Early Years Centre move on to our Primary and Secondary schools at Limanowskiego 15.

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, mob. 692 099 134, 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 earlychildhood 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.

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.

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, 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.

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Maple Tree Montessori ul. Piechoty Łanowej 46a (entrance from Rotmistrzowska/ Petyhorska), tel. 531 599 444, www.mapletreemontessori.pl. Maple Tree Montessori is a family-run, international preschool that offers an authentic Montessori curriculum supported by a music and art program. Find them located in the Wilanów district of Warsaw, in a house safely nestled into the end of a quiet street. The program, which is designed for 1½ to 6 year-olds, is devoted to the intellectual, emotional, social and physical development of children.

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 2, 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.

SCHOOLS Oznaczenie koloru:

Nazwa fontu : HoboEU Normal

C- 0% M - 52 % Y - 98 % K- 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.

R - 242 G - 142 B- 0

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CHILDREN The British School ul. Limanowskiego 15, tel. 22 842 3281, british@thebritishschool.pl, www.thebritishschool.pl. Top-ranking private school in Warsaw providing outstanding education based on the British system.

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.

Ecole Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (H4) Established in 1994, the Antoine de Saint-Exupery 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.

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

Happy New Year

from

Warsaw Montessori School

Warsaw Montessori School accepting applications for: Toddler: age 1.5-2.5 Casa: age 2.5 - 6 Elementary: age 6-9,9-12 contact Ela: office@warsawmontessori.edu.pl Szwolezerów 4, Warszawa Badowska 19, Warszawa Szkolna 16, Izabelin

www.warsawmontessori.edu.pl

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their large playground and variety of healthy foods.

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 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.

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.

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!

Reviews: Warsaw International Triathlon Club 71 / Plus:

* 8 updates

LIFESTYLE

ACCOMODATION 71 / COMMUNITY 74 / HEALTH & BEAUTY 72 / MEDICAL 74 / TRANSPORTATION 72

ACCOMODATION

Insider’s Pick

HOTELS IN WARSAW 5-star hotels H15 Boutique Apartments (D5) ul. Poznańska 15, tel. 22 553 8700, www.h15boutiqueapartments.com. Luxury short and long-term stay accommodation inside stunning Italian furnished apartments in the city center.

Warsaw International Triathlon Club www.warsawtriclub.com, www.facebook.com/warsawtriclub

W

inter in Warsaw can be tough. The color and greenery of summer become distant memories, replaced instead by the hovering grey presence of never-ending tower blocks, short days and snow, snow and more snow. But don’t let this bleak picture put you off, there’s a means of escape, and it’s one that will bring you new friends, and ensure you look good in your speedos once the sun makes a comeback.

Started back in 2010 as a way to get groups of likeminded people running together, the Warsaw International Triathlon Club (WITC) has since grown in to a wide-ranging multi-sport community covering all three triathlon disciplines, as well as numerous other sporting activities such as cross-fit training, cross country skiing, and ice skating.

But for those who are slightly put off by the name, it’s not just a group for super fit running machines, with a real mix of people going to meetings: from those who haven’t done any real exercise in years, to the few revered souls who compete in Iron Man triathlons.

My most recent involvement with the club came on a bitingly cold Saturday lunch time, when I met with other members inside the warm confines of Warszawa Powiśle bar, one of the common meeting points. We then went for a 9km (5.5 miles in old money) run through the Powiśle area, then along the picturesque banks of the Wisła, which was full of floating slabs of fast-moving ice. With a lot of snow underfoot it was more like running along a beach and definitely felt like a proper workout once I got back to the bar for a well deserved sit down, beer and a nutritious meal consisting of Bobby Burger’s famous bacon & cheeseburger and chips.

“Looking back, 2012 was an awesome year for WITC,” the club’s founder Ken Globerman told the Insider, during a post run chat. And according to Ken the WITC buzz, awareness and community is only going to get bigger in 2013. “I’m extremely excited for what lies ahead,” he said. For further info, contact Ken via the club’s facebook page. (DI)

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.

Hyatt Regency Warsaw (E8) ul. Belwederska 23, tel. 22 558 1234, www.warsaw.regency@hyatt.com, www.warsaw.regency.hyatt.com.

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

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LIFESTYLE approx. €115, but it’s well worth your time browsing their ‘romantic break’ and ‘just married’ packages.

ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1, tel. 22 650 0100, www.courtyard.com/wawcy. Single & double rooms: €135 (weekdays), €99 (weekend).

Marriott (C5) Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. 22 630 6306, 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.

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.

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.

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.

APARTMENTS

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.

Vision Apartments Al. Jerozolimskie 81 (22nd floor), tel. 22 292 88 88, www.visionapartments.eu. Luxury long-stay apartments courtesy of this German-born company. ‘Design is our main aim’, they say, and that’s reflected by expertly designed lodgings with a high element of modern style.

TRANSPORTATION

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.­

CAR RENTAL

Mercure Grand Warszawa (D4) ul. Krucza 28, tel. 22 583 2100, www.orbis.pl.

Single & double rooms: €78-112.

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.

Courtyard by Marriott Hotel (Airport)

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.

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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.

WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

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.

HEALTH & BEAUTY FITNESS

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Club Oasis Fitness Centre & Spa (E8) ul. Belwederska 23 (Hyatt), www.cluboasis. pl. Includes an 18 meter pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and a gym equipped with the latest digital and variable resistance equipment. Classes include zumba, aqua zumba, power yoga and pilates. Day rate of zł. 100, for longer term deals enquire direct.

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Fitness Centre (E5) ul. Prusa 2 (Sheraton), www.sheraton.com/ warsaw. The Sheraton spa features sauna, steam room and massage, while the gym comes with LCD-fitted running and cycling machines, and a dedicated cardio section.

Personal training available, as are group classes covering pilates, yoga, aerobics and even ski conditioning. Prices from zł. 529 per month to zł. 3,420 for annual membership.

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Holmes Place Energy Al. Jana Pawła II 82 (C.H. Arkadia), ul.

Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów), www. holmesplace.pl. Making top-flight gym facilities available to the masses, the Holmes Place Energy brand offers high standard equipment, personal training and group classes. Six month membership available for approx. zł. 200 per month, though prices are subject to change. For latest details enquire direct.

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Holmes Place Premier ul. Grzybowska 63 (Hilton), al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott), www.holmesplace.pl.

Those who use it claim the Hilton branch is the best gym in Poland. Set on two floors, highlights include a 25 meter pool, sauna and steam room and a spacious gym packed with the most modern equipment.

Also on-site, a varied timetable of classes, excellent personal trainers and a Green Coffee relaxation area. Their latest outpost in the Marriott also has a pool and has been updated accordingly to fit the HP quality check. For prices enquire direct.

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Pure Platinum (C4) ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), level 3, www. purepoland.com. The Pure gym offers treadmills, cross trainers, bikes and rowing

machines equipped with screens, as well as sauna and personal training. Updated prices were yet to be released at press time, though shouldn’t go much beyond zł. 200 per month.

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RiverView Wellness Centre (C4) ul. Emilii Plater 49 (InterContinental), www. riverview.com.pl. Top-class facilities and equipment, private instructors and small classes. The view from the highest pool in Europe offers a glorious panorama of the city.

Annual prices from zł. 4,200 (access from Mon-Fri 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.), zł. 5,760 (all times), and zł. 8,350 for Diamond Membership (includes two personal training sessions per month, a complimentary weekend at the InterContinental, restaurant discounts, etc.).

SPAS & SALONS

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Bartek Janusz Salon ul. Mokotowska 19, ul. Wilcza 72, tel. 22 828 4444, 691 782 453, www.bartekjanuszpl. A swanky little spot that will bring your hair back to life and lend it a Victoria’s Secret runway-style twist.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fish Spa ul. Wilcza 11, tel. 22 414 3737, www.fishspainstytut.pl. Let 200 Garra Rufa

reklama_insider_144x67_winestone_v7krzywe.indd 1

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.

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.

The Pedicure Place ul. Pokorna 2, tel. 22 241 3000, www.pedicure-place.pl. Open Mon-Fri 9:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 9:00-18:00. A luxury pedi/manicure clinic with room for 10. All the latest OPI varnishes and over 200 colors guarantee you’ll find the latest in styling and nail care.

Similan ul. Wiertnicza 120, tel. 22 858 16 48, www. similan.pl. Open Tue-Sun 11:00-22:00.

Allow the stresses of everyday city life to

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LIFESTYLE evaporate at Similan; the Thai massages are relaxing, detoxifying and stimulating.

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.

MEDICAL MEDICAL PRIVATE CLINICS

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.

specialists. Visit www.warsawphysician. eu or call +48 607 300 545 to arrange an appointment/house call.

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, 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.

Therapy Warsaw ul. Filtrowa 69/13, tel. 601 532 319, www.therapywarsaw.com. English-speaking therapy for couples and individuals dealing with relationships, eating disorders, trauma, stress and much more besides.

Austria-Dent-Center (B4) ul. Żelazna 54, tel. 22 654 2116, www.austriadent.pl.

Centrum Damiana ul. Wałbrzyska 46, ul. Foksal 3/5, al. K.E.N 103, tel. 22 566 2222, www.damian.com.pl.

Lux Med Medical Clinics ul. Racławicka 132b, ul. Chmielna 85/87; ul. Puławska 15; ul. Kopernika 30 (E4); ul. Szernera 3; Al. Jerozolimskie 162; 24hr hotline: 801 800 808, for mobile users: tel. 22 332 2888, www.luxmed.pl.

Malo Clinic (C4) Rondo ONZ 1, MALO CLINIC Warsaw is Central Europe's first clinic tel.

22 335 7755, www.maloclinics.com/ of the world’s leader in Implantology and Dental Aesthetics, offering full dental care, and above all polska.

Thisimplant world class dental clinic advanced dental surgery.

Located in a modern office complex Rondo 1 at incorporates five dental offices, Rondo ONZ, in the city center of Warsaw, the Clinic an operating can be easily accessed as it is located in only 10 minutes from Railway Station, 30 minutes froma state-of-theroom, twoCentral recovery rooms and the F. Chopin International Airport, near bus, tram and subway station (Świętokrzyska Station). artstops diagnostic center.

Entry into a secured car park in the Rondo 1 building – WARSAW

off Pańska street.

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Medical Practice Łukasz Kiljanek A physician certified by the American Board Conservative Dentistry Surgery ofDental Internal Medicine, and a graduate of a Endodontics Implantology Aesthetic Prosthetics Orthodontics USA Medical Residency (Harrisburg Hospital, PA). Experience with seasonal infections, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, pneumonia, vein thrombosis, hypertension, GERD, anemia, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation and other adult diseases.

Can also arrange consultations with American Services Available MALO CLINIC Warsaw provides the best specialists and the latest diagnostic equipment (including computer tomography), in the field of:

Wilanow Family Practice ul. Kosiarzy 37/90, tel. 22 642 7404 / 602 268 826, www.wilanowfamilypractice.pl.

Open Mon-Weds & Fri 12:30-19:00; Sat 9:0012:00. Highly recommended by all, book a visit to English-speaking Dr. Andrzej Gajer for consultations, medical evaluations and minor surgical procedures. Appointments outside of the above-mentioned times are available on request.

POLISH FOR FOREIGNERS

World Leader in Implantology and Dental Aesthetics

Akademia PFF (H4) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 67/11, tel. 792 887 350, www.pff-warsaw.com, email: academy@ pff-warsaw.com. Akademia PFF offers a wide range of Polish courses for foreigners - individuals and groups. Professional and friendly tutors with effective teaching styles.

MALO CLINIC Office complex Rondo 1 (+48) 22 335 77 55 Warsaw 1st floor in Building A warsaw@maloclinics.com Rondo ONZ 1

of full-time courses get online course for free.

Klub Dialogu Tel. 664 788 994, www.klubdialogu.pl.

Individual and group courses held either onsite or at the venue of your choice. Tailor-made packages inc. both intensive and weekend courses.

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.

Schola Polonica ul. Jaracza 3, tel. 22 625 2652, www.schola. pl. Master Polish in a friendly atmosphere.

All levels catered for, with groups never going beyond a maximum of five people.

COMMUNITY Expatriates PFF (H4) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 67/11. tel. + 48 792 887 350 www.pff-warsaw.com e-mail: legal@pffwarsaw.comOffers services for foreigners coming to Poland, including obtaining residence and work permits, visas, setting up business activities as well as legal services and support for foreign investors and business entities. For more information call or write: +48 22 828 15 01; + 48 792 887 350, legal@pff-warsaw.co International Christian Fellowship & International Community 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 The Kurt Scheller Academy (D6) Offers top-standard cooking lessons.

For more information: ul. Piękna 68, tel. 22 626 8092, akademia@schelleracademy.com.pl.

www.maloclinics.com/polska | www.maloclinics.com

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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

WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

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.

World Leader in Implantology and Dental Aesthetics

WARSAW

MALO CLINIC Warsaw is Central Europe's first clinic of the world’s leader in Implantology and Dental Aesthetics, offering full dental care, and above all advanced dental implant surgery.

Applying the MALO CLINIC medical protocols with the same quality and consistency pat terns defined to every clinic in the world, MALO CLINIC Warsaw offers comprehensive treatments.

Services Available MALO CLINIC Warsaw provides the best specialists and the latest diagnostic equipment (including computer tomogra­ phy), in the field of: •Dental Surgery •Implantology •Aesthetic Prosthetics •Conservative Dentistry •Endodontics •Orthodontics

Come meet us and book your appointment +48 (0) 516 039 713 warsaw@maloclinics.com

MALO CLINIC HEALTH & WELLNESS Established in 1995 by Paulo Malo, is a world’s leader in Implantology and Dental Aesthetics, based on a number of treated patients, complexity of care delivered as well as the magnitude and international spread of its existing clinics. Along the years, Paulo Malo, together with his clinical team, developed several innovative techniques, protocols and products, namely the concept known as the All-on-4™– which allows the placement of fixed teeth in a single day, without the need of bone grafting. These techniques were distinguished with several awards.

MALO CLINIC Warsaw

Temporary Location ulica Pod Strzechą 7 lok. 12.

+48 (0) 516 039 713 warsaw@maloclinics.com

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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

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WARSAW INTERNATIONS Drawing professionals from home and abroad the mission of InterNations is to bring together ‘global minds’ and connect ex-pats from all walks of life. Covering 300 cities since first forming five years back, the InterNations group has become one of the most successful networking events of the ex-pat calendar.

• Monthly Mixers • Online Forums • Guides & City Info For news on the Warsaw chapter, how to join and what events are coming up, find out more about us at: www.internations.org

Tel: +48 22 702 10 72

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20.11.2012 17:36

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Stadion Narodowy

Żaryna Żaryna

Kulskiego Kulskiego

ChoCdhkod łyiaKłyam kieicwzaic BiaB iew Kaiem za ńień

WHY WARSAW?

WHEN LOVE FINDS A WAY Currency trader Bill…

“Had been on a night out and when the taxi turned up, there was a devastating beauty behind the wheel. She drove me home and was chatty, funny and intelligent – I think I fell for her straight away. The next night I went to the same taxi rank deliberately to get a ride with her again, a taxi ride I mean. This went on for months and I spent a fortune. Of course she guessed something was up and actually thought I was a bit of a weirdo. But I eventually persuaded her out on a date and wahay! We’re now married and have two kids. Valentine’s Day? Probably dinner somewhere and then give her a ride, if you know what I mean...”

chemistry was instant. Problem was we were both married.

Nothing happened, and I headed back to Britain when the contract was up. Well, I split up with my wife a couple of years later and got it into my head that I had to see Marta.

But this is years before Facebook, so instead I bought a copy of Lonely Planet or something and started sending letters to all the bars listed – to be honest, there weren’t that many more to choose from. Amazingly, one of them wrote back to me saying they knew a woman who matched that description and a meeting was arranged. She too had split, and we’re now happily married! Honeymoon was a disaster though – I was jumping on the bed, nothing kinky, and knocked myself out – ended up in hospital for three days.”

Sales manager Andy…

“I was with a right nutter for a while who had a thing about hair, in that she didn’t like it. Now, I’m a pretty hairy bloke so one day she got it into her head that she would shave me. Out comes the razor blade and next thing you know she’s nearly sliced the old fella’ off. Had to go to hospital where this attractive nurse patched me up. We started dating and now she’s my wife! Valentine’s Day for us will be our favorite restaurant and then a massage. I might even shave for the occasion.”

IT consultant Steve…

“I’d gone to the shops to get some muffins and stuff for breakfast and just couldn’t stop passing wind. It was really embarrassing. But this really pretty girl was serving and found it hilarious. At the time I just felt humiliated and went home. But the next day I was back and she asked me if the muffins had cured my flatulence. Again, highly embarrassing but we got chatting and, well, we’ve been going out together for six months now. Not a great story, I admit, and not the official one I give out when people ask how we met. But, there you go. On Valentine’s Day we’ll probably curl up in front of the fire and have some nice drinks, etc.

And yes, it is a gas fire.”

Logistics director Matt…

“I met Marta in Lublin in the early 90s through work – the

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WARSAW INSIDER | FEBRUARY 2013

PHOTOGRAPH BY SHUTTERSTOCK

In a popular bar downtown, the Insider comes face to face with four ex-pats to listen to their unlikely tales of Polish romance… BY ED WIGHT

REVOLUTIONARY SUNDAYS 70/7 On the 7th Day of the week you will pay only 70% of your total bill, every Sunday in any of our 3 dining venues: Parmizzano’s, Champions or Panorama.

Reservations: +48 22 630 6306 or mail@marriott.com.pl

WARSAW MARRIOTT HOTEL Jerozolimskie 65/79 00-697 Warsaw WarsawMarriott.pl or WarsawMarriott.com

Ingredients of culinary excellence We invite you to taste the delicious dishes of modern Polish cuisine with a distinct touch of the most sophisticated culinary trends.

Pałac Sobańskich, Al. Ujazdowskie 13, 00-567 Warsaw Booking: (+ 48) 22 523 66 64 www.amberroom.pl Michelin Guide Recommendation