EAT! Listings international cuisine with a Polish twist”. Think BBQ pork ribs that land with a thwunk, Agnolotti pasta expertly folded over Oscypek cheese and tuna served tataki-style. (G1) Pl. Konesera 1, zoni.today
italian Altro Locale Set in a quiet section of Old Mokotów, it’s little wonder the plaudits haven’t ceased. Owned by chef Andrea Carillo, authentic, homespun tastes vie for attention inside a charming space that’s chic and modern but never spartan. You can tell Carillo has invested his heart and soul in this venture, and the result is an ever-changing menu featuring lamb chops, sirloin, and sea bream done the Italian way – don’t think you’ll be getting any pizza here! Fittingly, its reputation is now extending beyond the district’s natural border. (E8) ul. Willowa 9 Ave Pizza The argument over who serves Warsaw’s best pizza goes right to the wire, but there’s no doubting that Ave Pizza are up there on the leaderboard. Set across a sparse, metropolitan area, this fashionable L-shaped joint comes endorsed by the capital’s notoriously picky Italian community. Order the pillowy calzone and you’ll soon learn why. (E3) ul. Topiel 12, avepizza.pl
Dziurka od Klucza An enchanting locale in which enigmatic, lavender-painted doors sit embedded into the walls, as if waiting to be magically opened by the mysterious keys that hang from the numerous interior details. Set with empty picture frames and cotton ball lights, interiors just don’t get any cuter. As for food, the concise, daily-changing menu is centered around homemade pasta – pride of place is given to the black colored pasta served with seafood. (E3) ul. Radna 13, dziurkaodklucza.com.pl Focaccia The big surprise at Focaccia is that there’s no Italian in the kitchen – it appears they don’t need one. Looking splendid in its crystal white colors, this dining room has plaudits aplenty for its selection of pizzas and more sophisticated mains: order the duck breast with marsala sauce for a failsafe choice. (D2) ul. Senatorska 13/15, focaccia.pl Mąka i Woda Purists applaud an approach that uses a custom-made oven from Naples and imported ingredients such as 00 Caputo flour and DOP certified San Marzano tomatoes. Scrupulously authentic, it’s no wonder that it’s packed to the gunnels every night of the week – even their Facebook page warns of 20-minute waiting times for a table alone. (D4) ul. Chmielna 13A
A MODERN BISTRO IN WARSAW'S MURANÓW Jana Pawła II 45a, lok. 38, Tel: 666 043 043 kromkibistro.pl fb.com/kromkibistro
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Otto Pompieri If you judge pizzerias on choice then Otto Pompieri’s modest count of eleven pizzas doesn’t promise much – but then it arrives. At zł. 21 for 42 centimeters, the margherita offers the best value per sq/cm than anything out here, while the artichoke pizza reveals itself in an orgy of melty virtue. The retro Little Italy look is rounded out by a cooking brigade that engage in banter and bravado while spinning dough in the air: it feels and tastes ideal. (C3) Pl. Bankowy 1, fb.com/ otto.pompieri Posypane A casual restaurant with handmade pasta made fresh on the day and a choice that includes ravioli with chorizo and shrimp, bucatini Bolognese with seasoned beef and rosemary, and a creamy mushroom pappardelle. Then, adding to the sense of being somewhere young, fun and a little bit hip, is an edgy design featuring a wall of kitchen implements, hanging ropes and exposed concrete. In an area already rife with niche eateries aimed at the modern day Varsovian, Posypane feels like a satisfying addition. (D5) ul. Hoża 43/49 Prosciutteria Powiśle Buzzing with warmth, here an interior composed of pre-war floor tiles, exposed brickwork, and black and white images of Italian icons sets a casually good mood that’s sustained by the owners. They’re knowledgeable, as well. If Prosciutteria feels good, then it tastes even better. Based around cold cuts, find heavy wooden boards loaded with imported delicacies from small producers that the couple have befriended: Ubriaco cheese bathed in Prosecco; pork belly fat drycured for six months; salami from Milan and Naples… There’s more, of course, but it all becomes one in this orgy of pleasure. (F4) ul. Solec 85 Smaczneego In one room, an informal space set with groceries and baked goods amid crates and tables, and in the other, an intimate dining room that exudes warmth and wellbeing and feelings of home. For food, the first class selection includes Ragusano cheese, matured for 24-months; meaty Etna olives marinated in sea salt and olive oil; Il Viceré cheese with saffron and black peppercorn; and layers of ham