Warsaw may not yet be the first city that comes to mind when thinking of food-driven escapes – but perhaps that’s part of its charm. Give it even a weekend, and the city will surprise you with a culinary energy that lingers long after you’ve left, making return visits almost inevitable.
In recent years, Warsaw’s dining scene has blossomed with confidence. Restaurants here are as considered as they are beautiful: places where design and detail meet a spirit of creativity. The focus is firmly on quality – local produce taking center stage – rather than chasing the whims of passing trends. Still, for those who crave global flavors, the city offers plenty of tables where the world is just a fork’s reach away.
I love to start my day at my “around-the-corner” specialty café, or drop by one of my favorite bakeries, like Zbożna or Rano – both ready to wake you up with excellent baked goods and coffee. Since my work is all about traveling and visiting new restaurants, in my own city I tend to be a creature of habit, returning to places that may not be the newest but always deliver – like Przegryź or Butchery & Wine – for their timeless classics or seasonal novelties. To spoil myself, I head to Noriko Omakase, a pocket-sized venue serving the best sushi in town, and for a chilled evening I’ll opt for Bar Rascal, my favorite wine bar, specializing in natural wines and the small plates to match.
Allow me to guide you through some of my favorite places – the ones that tell the story of Warsaw's best.
Małgosia Minta, Food & travel journalist, photographer, author, and consultant. Based in Warsaw for over two decades, always returning with joy from her journeys across the world.
Breakfast / Bakeries
Baken
Loosely inspired by hip Copenhagen breakfast places, but adding a lot of local touch and flavours to the game. Here it is about quality, not quantity, so although the menu is short, it is also pretty diversified, good for breakfast or even a light lunch. Choose between a simple yet delicious (it’s all about the quality) breakfast plate with their sourdough bread, fluffy butter, cheese and a perfectly cooked egg, grilled cheese toasts or sweet crepes with stewed plums, cream and poppy seed . Bread and all baked goods come from their own bakery and you can grab them to take home. The place is well known and beloved, so it gets full pretty quickly. If you want to skip the queues, head to their second (bigger!) location at Browary Warszawskie.
Zbożna
Great neighbourhood bakery worth travelling from a different part of town. All breads – from more classic types to signature specialities – are made with sourdough and to me are one of the best in town. Do not skip on their pastry section, especially the yeast buns with curd cheese and burnt butter or seasonal fruit hand galettes and their omg so good cheesecake . At the counter you will also find homemade sandwiches for take away.
Rano Piekarnia
A small bakery tucked away on Stalowa Street in the Praga district – and I dare say, a place that sparked a small gastronomic revolution in the neighbourhood. The focus is on Polish classics: wheat sourdough bread, dark rye loaves, and sweet, fluffy chałka. If you have time, stay for a sandwich with artisanal Polish “gouda” and pickled cucumbers, or curd cheese with radishes and chives – both tapping into the nostalgia of the school lunches you might have taken from home as a kid. Bonus points for speciality coffee and a small deli selection featuring honey or coffee beans from befriended producers.
Bar Rascal
A rather unexpected place to put it here, but really – this amazing wine bar is also one of my favourite places to have breakfast. During weekdays, the breakfast menu is simple, short, but also sweet, featuring omelettes or open sandwiches (try the one with egg salad!). Over the weekend, the menu is more elaborate and brunch-like, with treats such as Turkish eggs, truffle omelette or waffles with seasonal fruit. As they take wine seriously here, so they do with coffee – sourcing beans from Bonanza or other established roasteries.
Lunch
Butchery & Wine
One of Warsaw’s first true steak temples and still a benchmark for quality meat in the city. The menu is built around prime cuts – from juicy ribeye to perfectly aged sirloin – grilled simply to let the flavour shine. But it’s not only about the meat: there are lighter starters, great vegetable-based sides, that always follow the seasonality of produce and a short but smart dessert list. As the name promises, wine plays just as important a role – the list is extensive, with bottles from both classic European regions and new-wave producers. Casual enough for a midweek lunch, yet polished enough for a special night out.
Lupo Pasta Fresca
A whimsical, laid-back Italian-inspired spot that quickly won Warsaw’s heart with its simple yet flavorful food and design inspired by the works of the Memphis Group. Fresh pasta made in-house takes center stage here – flower-shaped ravioli topped with brown butter, pasta alla vodka, or fettuccine ai frutti di mare. To finish the meal, go for cannoli, maritozzi, or their famous tiramisu. The atmosphere is casual and buzzing, with an open kitchen adding to the lively feel.
Przegryż
A perfect place to head if you’re craving a home-style lunch. On the menu, you’ll find plenty of Polish comfort food classics – handmade pierogi with cheese and potatoes or with meat, leniwe (curd cheese–based dumplings) served with mushrooms or stewed fruit (perfect as a dessert or a sweet lunch option), or fried meatballs with beetroot salad and potatoes. Or simply grilled asparagus with a sunny-side-up egg – a spring classic that sometimes you’re just too lazy to make at home yourself.
Dinner
Hub Praga
A small, intimate fine dining spot where hyperlocal, seasonal products play the main role. “Hyperlocal” is no exaggeration here – many of the vegetables used in the kitchen come from a family-run farm located just a few kilometers away, within Warsaw’s borders. Each menu begins with a selection of “what’s in season” ingredients: pieces of vegetables and fruit, preserves in winter, fresh herbs and edible flowers in spring – all meant to tune your palate and mind to nature’s calendar. The tasting menu itself is thoughtfully composed, with a well-built progression of flavors: precise and delicious, yet never too heavy or overly complicated in presentation (here, simpler truly is better). To complement the dishes, there’s a pairing made exclusively of Polish wines, as well as a broader list featuring natural wines, local labels, and non-alcoholic options.
Noriko
An intimate omakase spot where the focus is on purity of flavor and meticulous craftsmanship. The place is run by a husband and wife duo, with Marcin ruling the kitchen part and Magda – taking care of the service and guests. The menu revolves around sushi and sashimi of the highest quality, alongside delicate small plates that highlight seasonality and balance. Fish is flown in fresh and aged if needed, and what's worth noting are local North European species that the chef is fond of using in his kitchen. Though people connect omakase mostly with sushi and sashimi, other small dishes served throughout the menu are also a great treat. Food is complemented with wines from boutiques and selected sakes. The minimalist interior design mirrors the philosophy of the kitchen: refined, elegant, and never overdone.
Pizzaiolo Krucza
This is my fav late night dinner spot by far. Even for a dinner after a formal dinner, when you feel it is just too early to part with your friends or call it a night. Pizzaiolo, one of the top pizza places in Warsaw, and possibly my personal favorite, indulges with a casual but so individual ambience and with Neapolitan style dough pizza pies. These come with classic toppings as well as in signature seasonal versions. My ultimate favorite is a humble Marinara or Margarita, but when the asparagus or chanterelle season arrives, I wouldn’t say no to pizzas incorporating them. The music is loud, the staff is friendly, the pizza just hits the spot – and not just in the category of a very late night snack. Yes, there might be a line, but it moves fast, and you are always welcome to grab a pizza for take away and eat it by one of the high tables fixed on the street.
Drinks
Bar Rascal
Rascal's wine list is vast and diverse, filled with low-intervention bottles from cult European producers as well as discoveries from Poland’s own vineyards, from funky and cloudy natty wines from Slovenia to elegant ones from Loire Valley or Champagne region. By the glass (some 90 percent of labels!) or by the bottle, it’s the kind of selection that invites you to explore and return for something new each time. Small plates to match – think straciatella with a thick slice of ox heart tomato, steak tartare (every other month – a new version of it), black pudding with pickles or fried zucchini flowers – make it easy to linger long into the evening.
Blisko Bar
Vibey natural wine bar with small plates and pizzas, serving wines of known names like Tschida, Claus Preisinger or Partida Creus, as well as a cool selection of champagnes that you would expect in such a laid back place. The menu is short but changing frequently, with dishes designed to enjoy on your own or to share them with friends. My to go set is a glass of rose bubbles and their Margherita. All that with music played from a personal vinyl collection.
Feliks Bar Café
Giving the vibe of classic Italian bars, this classy space will be ideal for an aperitif or for a nightcap. In the menu – just a few classics – like negroni or Garibaldi – but fear not, whatever flows your boat, the bartenders will be happy to prepare for you.
