Warsaw Breaks Into Europe's Top 20 Conference Cities
Warsaw has entered the top 20 European congress destinations for the first time, placing 19th on the ICCA's "GlobeWatch: Business Analytics – Country & City Rankings 2025" — and 28th globally. The city hosted 75 international conferences in 2025, a jump of 13 on the previous year.
The ranking, which covers only regularly rotating international events with at least 50 participants, credits Warsaw's modern conference infrastructure, hotel capacity, and strong transport connections. Poland as a whole ranked 11th in Europe and 18th worldwide, with 215 major international meetings held across the country. Kraków, Gdańsk, Poznań, Wrocław, Łódź, and Katowice also featured in the rankings.
In the news
ARCHITECTURE
Praga reaches for the sky
Warsaw's right bank may be on the verge of a dramatic reinvention. Draft planning regulations for the Port Praski area, currently under city review, would permit high-rise buildings of between 90 and 140 metres near the Stadion Narodowy metro stop — potentially giving Praga its own proper skyline for the first time. The idea isn't as new as it might seem. Post-war urban planners had already earmarked this stretch of the Vistula bank for tall buildings, and the site was even floated as an alternative location for the Palace of Culture and Science before Marszałkowska
Street won out. More recently, APA Wojciechowski Architekci has developed a vision for towers in the area, in line with Warsaw's draft master plan. The push for denser development is backed by real momentum on the ground. New transport links, a redesigned Okrzei Street, and the growing Port Praski residential district — with nearly 900 flats delivered in recent years — are already reshaping the neighbourhood. Offices currently account for just 4.5% of Warsaw's right-bank real estate stock. That, it seems, may be about to change.
MUSEUMS
Warsaw Ghetto Museum nears completion
The Warsaw Ghetto Museum is entering its final stretch. Restoration work on the historic former Bersohn and Bauman Children's Hospital complex on Sienna and Śliska Streets is now clearly visible, with the ophthalmology pavilion — scaffolding finally down — revealing a fully renovated façade complete with pastel tones, restored detailing, and a copper roof matching the original from 125 years ago. The museum, a PLN 323 million project, is set to open in autumn 2027.
Cycling on the rise
The results of the 2025 Warsaw Traffic Study have rattled city hall. Car trips now account for 35% of all journeys — up from 32% a decade ago — while public transport's share has plummeted by 20 percentage points. Cycling's share dipped slightly too, though officials push back on that figure, noting the actual number of cyclists has grown by 10% since the last study.
Wilanów gates open
Following a scandal over a Circoloco rave that left the palace lawn trampled and cost the long-serving director his job, Wilanów Palace Museum opened its courtyard free of charge on May 23rd. Mayor Trzaskowski is now pushing to extend that access to the gardens too — though at 8.5 million złoty a year, tickets aren't easily dispensed with.
Krucza street overhaul moves forward
After five years of debate, Warsaw's road authority has launched a tender for Krucza Street's long-awaited renovation. Work is set to begin later this year, with completion expected in 2028. The current four-to-five-lane roadway will be slimmed down to two lanes, with a 12-metre central boulevard featuring trees, fountains, and benches replacing the excess asphalt.
However, Warsaw's monument conservator Michał Krasucki has submitted a list of reservations following the street's recent listing as a historic monument. These include wider pavements, straighter road alignments, a different paving pattern, and dropping plans for poplar trees — which Krasucki considers incompatible with surrounding greenery.
According to Gazeta Wyborcza, ZDM spokesman Jakub Dybalski confirmed the conservator's corrections would be incorporated, while Krasucki noted the listing had brought "significant modifications to the project, but did not halt the investment." Notably absent from the plans: a dedicated cycle lane, and any underground parking.
LANDMARK
CITY
What's in for June
Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl's stadium-rock institution brings its massive, joyful show to the National Stadium, supported by indie-pop Australians Royel Otis and Japanese noise-punks Otoboke Beaver. Three acts, one enormous night — and not a dull moment in sight.
When: 15 June
Where: PGE Narodowy
Tricky at Klub Progresja
Bristol's original trip-hop architect brings his brooding, genre-defying sound to one of Warsaw's best club stages. Restless, cinematic, and unlike anything else — this is a rare chance to see a genuine underground legend perform up close.
When: 5 June
Where: Klub Progresja, ul. Fort Wola 22
Warsaw Music Festival
The inaugural edition of the Warsaw Music Festival takes over Legia Stadium, with the Black Eyed Peas headlining alongside Polish artists Kacperczyk, Tribbs, and Kalwi & Remi. A multi-generational party on a genuinely grand scale.
When: 17 June
Where: Stadion Legia, ul. Łazienkowska 3
More info: warsawmusicfestival.com
happenings
Warsaw’s night market is back
The city’s most beloved street food destination reopened on May 8 with a bold new identity
After ten years on the old platforms of Warszawa
Główna station, Nocny Market has earned its place as one of Warsaw’s most cherished summer institutions. But for its 2026 season, the team behind it isn’t playing it safe, they’re rethinking what the market is for in the first place.
Gone is the classic foodcourt layout. In its place, a new “town” concept divides the space into clearly defined neighbourhoods: Asia Town, Little Italy, Comfort Food, Sweet Spot, a Zielona Strefa Chill, and at the heart of it all, a Central Bar with a resident DJ. The idea is less “grab a bite and go” and more “stay a while.”
“Nocny Market was the first concept of its kind in Warsaw, and after ten years it remains unique,” says Katarzyna Dziedzic, co-founder of the Night Market. “We haven’t abandoned food, we still have the best street food in the country, but Nocny is more about atmosphere than concept now. What makes a place unique is primarily people and shared moments. The answer to the question ‘where will we meet?’ is simple: see you at Nocny.”
It’s a response, she argues, to something many city dwellers feel but rarely name: the disappearing “third space”, somewhere between home and work where you can slow down, meet people, and actually be somewhere rather than just pass through. Thursdays are for after-work drinks; Friday and Saturday evenings for eating, dancing, and lingering; Sundays for a quieter, family-friendly close to the weekend.
Midsummer’s Day
WHAT’S NEW ON THE MENU
This season brings a record number of culinary debuts. Highlights include the legendary biang biang noodles from KBar, birria tacos from Papito (winners of last year’s Night Cats poll), and a brand-new coal-fired cheese concept from the returning Włoski Strajk. Vendors travelling in from other Polish cities will bring corn dogs, fresh seafood, and hot cookies, while opening night belongs to Ahaan — an inaugural grill promising a summer of smoke and fire. Fan favourites Reuben, Sakamoto-ya, and Kumo to Yaki are all back too. Adding to the variety, 19 rotating “Night Guests” from across Poland will each week bring fresh menus and limited-run dishes — so there’s always a reason to return.
BEYOND THE FOOD
The Drugi Peron (Second Platform), a covered event and trade fair space, returns with a packed programme: outdoor cinema screenings, themed lifestyle fairs dedicated to crafts, posters, fashion, jewellery, art, and coffee, all set against the industrial backdrop of graffiti-covered abandoned platforms. Each weekend throughout the season will have a thematic focus, Tokyo Nights, Little Hanoi/ Big Saigon, Koreatown, Mexican Weekend, going beyond food to explore the wider culture of each region through beauty, events, and entertainment.
Season runs: May 8 – September 20
Where: Former platforms of Warszawa Główna station, ul.
Towarowa 3
Tickets: Free entry
Solstice on the Wisła
Picnic begins at 13:00 at the Multimedia Fountain Park in the Old Town, with concerts on the main stage starting at 19:30
Midsummer wreaths drift along the river during Warsaw’s annual Wianki celebration
There’s a particular quality to light in Warsaw at midsummer — a softness that arrives late and lingers over the riverbanks long after sunset. During , that glow becomes the backdrop to one of the city’s most atmospheric nights: a celebration of the summer solstice rooted in pagan Slavic tradition and reborn as a modern riverside gathering.
Centered around Multimedia Fountain Park and the boulevards beneath the Old Town, Wianki unfolds across bonfires, folk performances, outdoor concerts and the ritual floating of flower wreaths onto the river. The ancient belief was that the wreaths foretold love and fortune; today, the gesture feels less prophetic than poetic — a collective pause beside the water as summer officially begins.
As darkness settles, the festival shifts into concert mode. This year’s edition includes performances by CHRUST, O.S.T.R., NOSOWSKA, Anita Lipnicka and a late-night electronic set from Dutch producer Satori. Expect street theatre, Slavic craft workshops, wreath-making sessions and thousands gathering beside the river until well past midnight.
street performance
Theater Akt, spektak Ale draka
The city Is the stage
Sztuka Ulicy descends on Warsaw for four nights in late June. No tickets, no seats, no safety net.
There is something Warsaw understands about public space that other cities have forgotten, or perhaps never needed to learn. When you have rebuilt an entire metropolis from rubble — when you have literally reconstructed your own streets from 18th-century paintings because the originals were dynamited off the map — you don't take those streets for granted. You fill them. You perform in them. You refuse to let them be merely functional.
Sztuka Ulicy, the International Street Art Festival, runs from June 25 to 28 this year, scattering performances across Szczęśliwicki Park, the New Town Square, Złote Tarasy, and the old Zieleniak market in Ochota. It is free. It is outside. It is, more often than not, without words.
Thursday, June 25 — Szczęśliwicki Park
22:00 | Akt Theater: Ale Draka
Founded in Warsaw in 1990, Akt Theatre opens the festival with its trademark blend of mime, visual theatre and circus.
Friday, June 26
18:00 | Migro Theater: Echoes (Złote Tarasy)
A wordless performance inspired by travelling photographic studios of the Eastern Borderlands, combining movement, live regional songs and Gaga-based choreography.
21:00 | Aurora Lubos: Lament (Ochota)
A stark physical performance exploring helplessness, fear and isolation.
22:00 | Theater KTO: Bal (Szczęśliwicki Park)
Inspired by Ettore Scola’s cult film, this dance-driven spectacle moves through decades of European social history without a word spoken.
Saturday, June 27
12:00 | Duo Aqua und Fire: CIRCO (Szczęśliwicki Park)
Italian clowning, juggling, acrobatics and “controlled disasters.”
18:00 | Migro Theater: Icarus (Złote Tarasy)
A magical-realist companion piece to Echoes built around movement and live music.
20:00 | Ventolin (Zieleniak Market)
Czech producer David Doubek performs live electronic music using analogue synthesisers and sequencers.
21:00 | Delikates Theater: The River’s Tale (New Town Square)
A movement and pantomime piece inspired by Masurian folklore.
22:00 | HoM Theater: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Szczęśliwicki Park)
A pantomime adaptation of Ken Kesey’s classic novel.
Sunday, June 28
21:00 | Shadow Evolution Theater: Fin Amor (New Town Square)
A visually rich performance inspired by courtly love traditions.
21:00 | Dream Theater: Class (Szczęśliwicki Park)
A poetic Bruno Schulz-inspired meditation on memory and time.
Sztuka Ulicy runs June 25–28
All events are free sztukaulicy.pl
Take a building Fresh faced
Aleje Jerozolimskie 57 has shed its scaffolding, and what's emerged is nothing short of extraordinary
A RUIN IN PLAIN SIGHT
For anyone who has walked past Aleje Jerozolimskie 57 over the past two decades, the sight has been a grim one: flaking plaster, empty windows, protective netting strung across a façade that hinted at better days. It was widely regarded as the most shameful ruin in central Warsaw. But this month, the scaffolding finally came down, and the building is startling people all over again, this time in a good way.
BUILT FOR A MAYOR'S FATHER
The story begins in 1910, when British architect Arthur E. Gurney designed this imposing early-modernist tenement for one S. Drzewiecki: a private surgical and gynaecological clinic with residential apartments above. Its stepped gables and deep projecting bays evoked the Hanseatic cities of the Baltic coast rather than anything typically Varsovian. When Drzewiecki died in 1915, the building passed to his son Piotr, who went on to serve as Warsaw's mayor from 1918 to 1921.
A STREET OF GHOSTS
What makes the building's survival so striking is where it stands. Aleje Jerozolimskie, renamed Bahnhofstrasse under Nazi occupation, lost almost everything along its length to the systematic German destruction that followed the 1944 Uprising. By January 1945, between 85 and 90% of the city's buildings had been razed. No. 57 came through largely intact, a near-miracle on a street of ghosts.
WHAT COMES NEXT
After the war it became a children's trauma surgery hospital, operating until 2006, after which came neglect, a short-lived arts venue, and two decades of decay. Now, with developer F Group overseeing a sweeping renovation by the PROART studio, the facade has re-emerged in warm cream and sand tones, with deep red detailing at the balconies and window surrounds. A glazed courtyard lobby is planned. The destination? A luxury hotel. Warsaw has been waiting a long time for this.
PHOTOGRAPH
BY KEVIN
DEMARIA
Take a park
Green giant
Warsaw's best-loved park, refreshed and ready
ORIGINS
Built between 1905 and 1916 on a former municipal pasture — itself named after the nearby town of Skaryszew — the park was designed by Franciszek Szanior, Warsaw's chief gardener at the time. In 1929 it was dedicated to Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the pianist, composer and statesman who helped found the independent Polish state. The communists dropped his name after the war; it was quietly restored in 1980. The full official name is now Park Skaryszewski im. Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego. Locals call it Skaryszak — or, when feeling nostalgic, Padereszczak
THE FACELIFT
The main alley has been repaved with a water-permeable mineral surface, lined with LED lamps styled on Warsaw's traditional fern-curl posts. Cables run down the centre to protect the ash tree roots overhead. The Misianka café has reopened, summer kayak rental is back, and a free-to-use public toilet is under construction.
OPEN-AIR GALLERY
The park holds Jackowski's 1927 Dancing Girl, Niewska's 1929 Bather, and the returned Faun — a 300-kilo granite replica of a 1931 original that vanished during the war.
IN MEMORIAM
A monument in the rose garden marks the exact spot where a British B-24 Liberator was shot down on 13 August 1944, killing six of seven crew.
FUN FACT
The Faun — a horned boy astride a dolphin, first unveiled here in 1931 — vanished during the war. Its existence was disputed until 2008, when a single pre-war photograph proved it had stood in Skaryszewski. A 300-kilo granite replica was installed in 2022.
seasonal Organic Polish Seasonal Favorites
Summer hits its stride at BioBazar in the Norblin Factory, where Warsaw shoppers fill their baskets and their weekends — and remember, once again, exactly why June is worth the wait
June Farm Finds
MNISZEK (dandelion)
Every part is edible, and June is your last good window before the leaves turn bitter. Young leaves add peppery bite to salads; the flowers make a honey-like syrup or infused vinegar; roots can be roasted. More versatile than it looks in the pavement cracks.
TRUSKAWKI (strawberries)
Polish strawberries are smaller and more intensely flavoured than the imported variety — locals eat them by the basket, simply with cream and sugar. They macerate brilliantly, hold their own in cakes and tarts, and make some of the best jam of the year, just don't cook them too long.
SZCZAW POLNY (field sorrel)
This tart, lemony wild green has been a Polish kitchen staple for centuries. Use it to brighten soups — particularly the classic Polish sorrel soup — stir through butter sauces, or wilt into risotto wherever you'd want sharp, grassy acidity to cut through richness.
RABARBAR (rhubarb)
Botanically a vegetable, practically a fruit — rhubarb's fierce tartness needs sugar to shine. Poles lean savoury as well as sweet: it compotes beautifully, lifts roast duck or pork with its acidity, and makes exceptional jam. June stalks are thinner and more tender than spring's first flush.
MŁODY POR (young leeks)
Milder and more delicate than their autumn counterparts, young June leeks are barely pungent at all — sweet, almost grassy, and tender all the way through. Grill them whole with good oil, fold into tarts and frittatas, or use raw in salads where a mature leek would overwhelm.
POKRZYWA (nettle)
Blanch it and the sting vanishes entirely, leaving behind a deep, spinach-like green with an earthier, more mineral flavour. Poles have long used it in soups, dumplings and pesto. It's also one of the most nutrient-dense things you can put in a pot.
BioBazar The Norblin Factory, Żelazna 51/53, biobazar.com.pl
KOZI DAR
It started with a single goat, a gift to Jakub Famuła and his three brothers when they were children on their family farm near Opole. That one animal grew into a full herd, and what began as a lesson in responsibility quietly became a vocation. Today, Jakub knows every goat by name, age and temperament. They graze on open meadows, eating wild grasses and herbs, which comes through directly in the milk, clean, full-flavoured, with none of the sharp edge that puts people off. The family makes their fresh cheeses in small batches, without shortcuts or additives, and the range is wider than you might expect. Don't leave without trying the smoked variety with walnuts and dried cranberry: sweet, gentle, and nothing like the goat cheese that put you off the stuff years ago.
BUKIET SMAKÓW
Maciej Jabłoński grows his greens in Rozalin, just outside Warsaw, and what he brings to BioBazar on Wednesdays and Saturdays is not your average salad bag. Edible flowers, Asian brassicas, pak choi, mustard greens, rainbow chard, mizuna, multiple varieties of lettuce, some suited to grilling, some to long-cooked broths, some to eating raw with nothing but good oil. June is when the stall hits its stride, the outdoor growing season in full swing and the range at its broadest. Maciej is also, by all accounts, excellent company. Go with questions about what to do with radicchio or how to use mangold, and leave with dinner plans you hadn't anticipated and probably a very good anecdote about farm life.
FISK.STORE
The team at Fisk know their fish the way sommeliers know wine, with genuine enthusiasm, deep knowledge and a sharp instinct for what's worth eating right now. Available Tuesday through Saturday, the stall carries fresh and smoked fish from responsible fisheries worldwide, alongside Polish catches and a rotating selection of seasonal rarities you won't find at any supermarket: beluga in spring, sielawa in summer, the occasional monkfish, wild-caught white halibut when it appears. Also on the counter: gravlax, fish tartare, ceviche, fish soups and pastas to take away, and samphire, the salty coastal plant that pairs beautifully with almost anything from the sea. Ask them what came in that morning and follow the recommendation without hesitation. They haven't steered anyone wrong yet.
Guide Centrum Praskie Koneser
Where Contemporary Warsaw Spends Its Time
A revitalised 19th-century vodka factory on the right bank of the Vistula. A public square that never really empties. Centrum Praskie Koneser is many things — but above all, it's where the city comes to life
There's a particular quality to Koneser in the early evening. The terraces fill up gradually, without ceremony. Someone is finishing a working lunch at one end of the square while a group of friends claims a table for the night at the other. A couple lingers outside with coffee. The square itself, open and unhurried, ringed with 19th-century brick, does what good urban
space always does: it makes staying feel natural.
Centrum Praskie Koneser sits in the heart of Praga, Warsaw's right-bank district and one of the city's most distinctive neighbourhoods. Unlike much of the capital, Praga survived the Second World War largely intact. Its streets still carry the texture of another century, preserved tenement facades, cobblestones, the kind of layered
urban atmosphere that cannot be designed from scratch and cannot be faked. Koneser occupies the grounds of a former vodka factory, its historic industrial buildings carefully restored and reimagined as a mixed-use destination that manages to feel both deeply rooted and thoroughly alive. What makes it work is the honesty of the mix. Gastronomy, culture, retail, wellness, family attractions, a hotel that actually belongs to the neighbourhood. All of it organised around a public square that belongs, genuinely, to the city. No entry fee, no velvet rope, no membership required. Just Warsaw going about its day, loudly and well.
Getting here is easy. Koneser sits directly on metro line M2, with trams and buses serving the surrounding streets. For those coming from the left bank, the Vistula pedestrian and cycling bridge puts the Old Town within a short walk
or ride, less a crossing than a natural extension of the centre.
Every summer, the square transforms for Lato Konesera, a season-long programme of open-air concerts, theatre, cinema, art and family events running from late June through August. But the draw is not only seasonal. Koneser is where Warsaw has breakfast, meets after work, takes the children on a Sunday, and stays for one more drink when the evening turns warm.
It is a place people return to, not because they have to, but because it keeps giving them a reason. In a city that never stops reinventing itself, that is rarer than it sounds.
Museums
The Fantastic Art Museum is one of few museums in Europe dedicated entirely to fantasy and surrealist art. Located in the historic Prague Centre Koneser complex in Praga, it presents works by internationally acclaimed artists, including Zdzisław Beksiński, whose paintings have become iconic in Polish contemporary art. Combining dark imagination, symbolism and dreamlike aesthetics with immersive exhibition design, its programme features temporary exhibitions, special events and guided tours — making it one of Warsaw's most distinctive cultural destinations.
“ The kind of layered urban atmosphere that cannot be designed from scratch and cannot be faked...”
The Polish Vodka Museum wis the only such place in the world. It is located in the historical building of the rectification plant in the area of the Centrum Praskie Koneser. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the complex of neo-Gothic buildings forming the Warsaw vodka factory "Koneser" was built between Ząbkowska, Nieporecka, Białostocka and Markowska streets. The flagship brands of Polish vodkas, such as Luksusowa and Wyborowa, were created here.
Centrum Praskie Koneser Food & Drink Insider Guide
MORNING & COFFEE
Freya Cafe & Deli
The go-to address for breakfast and brunch on the square. Freya does the morning well, quality coffee, fresh food, a pace that doesn't rush you. Worth building the start of a Koneser visit around.
Pijalnia Czekolady E. Wedel
One of Warsaw's most iconic brands, present at Koneser in the form it does best. Hot chocolate, pastries and the kind of old-world charm that makes a mid-morning stop feel like a small occasion. A genuine piece of the city's history, right on the square.
Green Caffè Nero
A reliable coffee stop that suits the rhythm of the place. A
familiar name, done well, for those who want quality without deliberation.
ALL DAY
ORZO
Mediterranean in spirit and Italian at its heart. ORZO is the kind of restaurant where pasta is made well and the mood is reliably warm. A solid address for lunch, and one of the better outdoor tables on the square when the weather agrees.
Bombaj Masala
Warsaw's long-running love affair with Indian food finds a confident entry point at Bombaj Masala. The menu covers the full range, fragrant curries, tandoor-cooked breads, vegetarian options worth seeking out,
and the kitchen doesn't pull its punches on spice.
L’Osteria Pizza E Pasta
L'Osteria doesn't overcomplicate things, and that's exactly why it works. Long-fermented dough, proper toppings, a wood-fired result that makes the Italian original feel genuinely present. Straightforward in the best sense, it knows what it does well and does it every single time.
AZIA Restaurants
Pan-Asian cooking in a setting that earns its atmosphere. AZIA draws on flavours from across the continent, sushi, dim sum, Southeast Asian dishes, executed with care and served in a space that makes the meal feel like an occasion.
Koneser Grill Starlet
AFTER WORK
Spółdzielnia Koneser Restauracja & Sports Bar
With the FIFA World Cup 2026 running through June and July, Spółdzielnia becomes the place on the square to watch the matches. A full bar, a lively crowd and a menu that holds up through extra time. This is where Koneser gets loud, in the best possible way.
Setki
Powodów
A bar with conviction. Setki Powodów takes its drinks list seriously, with natural wines and considered cocktails forming the backbone of an offer that draws an after-work crowd who know exactly what they're looking for. The room has energy without being loud about
it, the kind of place where one drink becomes two becomes a proper evening without anyone really noticing.
DINNER
Koneser Grill
More grounded than flashy, Koneser Grill feels like the restaurant that finally gave Koneser its centre of gravity. The live-fire kitchen leans heavily into dry-aged steaks and deeply savoury sides, but the appeal is broader than meat alone. There’s polish without stiffness, strong service, and the sense that people come here to settle in for the evening rather than simply eat. One of Praga’s more complete dinner addresses, and deservedly recognised by the Michelin Guide.
“
Breakfast through late night, casual through considered, Polish through pan-Asian
Starlet
A restaurant with personality. Starlet brings a relaxed elegance to the Koneser offer, the kind of place that works equally well for a long lunch or a dressed-up dinner, with a menu built around good ingredients and confident cooking.
Concept Food & Wine
For those who take wine seriously and want food to match. Concept pairs a thoughtful list with a kitchen that understands the relationship between the two. A quieter choice, and a rewarding one.
DRINKS
3/4 Koneser Bar
At the more casual end of the Koneser drinks offer, 3/4 is where the square's social life happens most naturally. Good for a quick drink that turns into an evening.
Moxy Bar
The hotel bar that earns a spot in the neighbourhood conversation. Moxy Bar is open to guests and non-guests alike, with cocktails and a relaxed energy that makes it a natural end to a Koneser evening.
Moxy Bar
3/4 Koneser Bar
Setki Powodów
Insider Guide Centrum Praskie Koneser Cultural Events
Lato Konesera — All Summer Long
Open-Air Cinema
Films screened under the open sky in the courtyard of the Polish Vodka Museum — a programme in collaboration with GQ this year mixing international art house with beloved Polish classics. No tickets required. One of Warsaw's most atmospheric summer cinema experiences.
Live Music
The GQ Music Stage returns for Lato Konesera, with live performances running throughout July and August. Spontaneous and ticketed events all summer long — check koneser.eu for the full schedule
“ Culture integrated naturally into everyday urban life
Urban Art Area by Leonarda Art Gallery
Each summer, leading Polish urban artists create new large-scale works on cube installations placed around the square. Lato Konesera's live street art project turns Koneser into an evolving open-air gallery throughout the season.
Open air Chopin concerts
Expect selected works by Fryderyk Chopin performed beneath Koneser’s atmospheric red-brick skyline across a this magical Warsaw summer season. Featuring Jan Widlarz (9/07/2026), Adam Kałduński (23/07/2026), Andrzej Wierciński (6/08/2026) and Yehuda Prokopowicz (27/08/2026).
Open-Air Theatre
OCH-Teatr and Teatr Polonia bring their summer productions to Koneser's square, with performances running through July and August. Free to attend and open to all — Warsaw's best theatre tradition, under the sky, in the heart of Praga.
Whats happening in June
Teatr Baj
The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 5 June | 17:30
Adventures of the Socks 12 June | 17:30
Koneser Square Free entry
GQ Open-Air Cinema
Father Mother Sister Brother 26 June | 19:30
Koneser Square Free entry
FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Screenings
11–28 June | times according to social media
Spółdzielnia Koneser Sports Bar & Restaurant
Reservations: +48 533 150 716
Insider Guide Centrum Praskie Koneser
Retail and Services
SHOP & DISCOVER
More Madam
A fashion and lifestyle boutique with a clear point of view. More Madam offers a curated selection that skews toward considered Polish and international labels, the kind of edit that makes shopping feel less like a chore and more like a discovery.
The s:HEirt
A fashion concept in the Kones-
er Passage with a strong identity and a loyal following. Worth the detour for anyone who takes getting dressed seriously.
Paper Concept
A stationery and paper goods concept built around the idea that the things you write on and work with matter. Notebooks, prints, desk objects and paper-led design, the kind of shop that makes you slow down and look properly. A reliable source of gifts that don't feel generic.
Gama Concept
A design concept store on the square with an eye for the considered and the carefully made. The kind of place that reminds you good design is part of everyday life.
Świat Książki
Books, across the full range. Warsaw's established bookseller brings a strong selection to Praga, fiction, non-fiction, art titles, Polish and international, in a format that suits browsing. Worth an hour.
Karmnik
A small-format concept rooted in everyday design and natural living. Karmnik brings together home goods, lifestyle accessories and objects made with care, the sort of shop that turns a routine errand into something genuinely enjoyable.
Paper Concept
More Madam
“
Koneser has evolved into the sort of place where shopping feels curated rather than transactional — a district where independent fashion, thoughtful design, artisan heritage and everyday essentials come together
Zielona Łodyga Florist
Fresh flowers, open every day of the week. One of those quietly essential details that makes a neighbourhood feel like a neighbourhood.
CRAFT & HERITAGE
Mydlarnia 4 Szpaki
Natural soaps, cosmetics and home fragrance, made with visible attention to what goes into them. Mydlarnia 4 Szpaki is one of those Polish brands that has earned its following the straightforward way, by making things that work and smell
wonderful. A sensory pause in the middle of the day, and one of the better gift addresses on the square.
Probiernia Urbanowicz
An independent concept shaped by craftsmanship, thematic gift culture and a deep sense of place. Probiernia Urbanowicz sits naturally at Koneser, there is something fitting about a concept this attentive to heritage and detail occupying a corner of a revitalised 19th-century distillery. Worth visiting for the atmosphere as much as the offer.
Alembik
A destination for those drawn to Polish artisanal traditions and the culture of careful making. Alembik's presence at Koneser connects directly to the history of the site, a former distillery that has always understood what it means to do something properly. The shop is part souvenir, part design object, part piece of living Polish heritage.
BEAUTY & WELLNESS
Biologique Recherche
The French skincare institution, present on the square. Serious about skin in the way that only a brand with this kind of heritage can be. An address for those who know exactly what they want.
Eyebar
Brow and eye treatments done with precision and care. The kind of specialist that earns a regular slot in the weekly routine without you quite knowing how it happened.
Beverly Hills Hair Salon
A full-service hair salon open six days a week. Reliable, professional, and exactly where you need it to be.
Zdrofit
A full-service gym that fits the rhythm of the place. Whether it's a morning session before the square fills up or a post-work visit before dinner, Zdrofit brings proper fitness infrastructure to Koneser's everyday offer. The kind of amenity that makes a neighbourhood feel complete, and one more reason that Koneser works as a daily destination rather than an occasional one.
Pasaż Konesera
ALL ANGLES COVERED
Diana Kisała finds a new frame around every corner — whether she's hovering above the Vistula or pressing up against a doorway with her phone
photography
INSIDER: You've photographed the Palace of Culture and Science from so many angles, framed through a bridge arch, from above the river at night, seen through doorways. Does the PKiN ever get boring, or does the city keep giving you new ways to capture it?
Diana Kisała The PKiN never bores me, because it's the heart of this city, it changes with the light, the weather, and my own vantage point. Every time, I try to find a new frame or context that brings it fresh life. Warsaw keeps offering up new shots; you just have to notice them.
Warsaw has a very particular quality, old and new sitting right next to each other. Is that tension something you actively seek out, or is it simply impossible to avoid when shooting here?
That tension is everywhere, and it's hard to escape, but I consciously draw it out in my compositions. I love placing modern lines alongside history, because that contrast captures the character of a city that has been through so much. It's like a quiet dialogue between past and present, and I
find that perspective endlessly compelling.
Learning to fly a drone is a completely different skill from looking through a camera in your hands. How do you decide which tool to reach for when you want to capture the perfect shot?
For a long time I walked around with just a phone in my hand, sometimes even a few of them, as you do in this industry, but at a certain point I started craving a new perspective. The drone gave me scale and angles I simply can't achieve from the ground, while the phone keeps me close to emotion and detail. The choice comes down to whether I want to show space or a moment. Often I already know before I even reach for any equipment.
When you're standing by the river deciding whether to pull out the drone or the camera, what tips the balance? Is it purely about height, or something more instinctive?
My photography has always been more instinct than technique. Over time the two began to support
each other, and now I can see how they complement one another. Emotion is still central, sometimes a scene needs room to breathe, and that's when I reach for the drone; other times everything is happening at human level. Light plays a big role too, and movement, and the location itself, there are plenty of places I'd love to fly but simply can't.
Do you compose differently in your head depending on the tool — does the drone pull you toward symmetry, while the camera draws you toward human detail?
Definitely. The drone naturally leads me toward geometry, symmetry, and large forms — and its limitations push me to think about framing in a different way altogether. The phone, on the other hand, is about storytelling and the details that build atmosphere. It's like two different languages for telling the same story, and that's what I find most interesting about it.
You clearly love Warsaw — this isn't a tourist's portfolio. If someone who had never been here asked which single photograph of yours
best shows why the city is worth visiting, which would you choose and why?
I'd choose a shot taken above the Vistula at sunset, with the city skyline and the PKiN in the background. It shows the balance between nature and the city, and that particular atmosphere Warsaw has — calm and energy at the same time. In my opinion, Warsaw is one of the most interesting capitals in Europe: there's so much green space, yet you can feel the pulse of a real city between the modern buildings. It may not have the obvious postcard charm of somewhere like Gdańsk, which I love too, but it has its own authentic soul. In the centre everything moves at full pace, yet walk a few minutes down to the Vistula and you can breathe again and see the city from a completely different angle. That contrast is exactly what I love most to photograph.
To see more of Diana's photographs scan here
CIRCUS TACOS
Margaritas, mirrored domes and barbacoa bliss
“ The Frozen Dolores lands somewhere between boozy slushie and heatwave salvation...
At first glance, Dolores feels less like a restaurant and more like the kind of fever dream you’d have after three mezcal cocktails and a David Lynch marathon. The interiors— courtesy of Jan Dunin, the man behind the legendary Madonna on Plac Konstytucji—lean hard into circus-funhouse delirium: warped reflections, carnival curves, and gleaming domes suspended from the ceiling like UFOs hovering over Powiśle. The whole place hums with a kind of retro-futuristic sleaze, a spaceage cantina where disco collided headfirst with Acapulco.
Behind the operation is Pablo of Casa Pablo fame, bringing a fresh Mexican sizzle to the capital at precisely the moment the city’s dining scene was beginning to feel just a touch too polite. Dolores doesn’t do polite. It does loud flavors, loud music, and loud tables of friends leaning into plates with reckless enthusiasm.
Start with the guacamole topped with feta—a combination that sounds vaguely illegal until you taste it and realize the salty creaminess works beautifully against the avocado’s richness. Then come the tacos, which are the real heartbeat of the menu.
The shrimp version arrives bright and punchy, all citrus and smoke, but the standout is the beef barbacoa: deeply savory, tender strands of meat folded into tortillas that barely survive the juices. They’re messy in the best possible way.
The margaritas are serious business too—sharp, balanced, dangerously drinkable—but the
true star is the Frozen Dolores. It sounds like your cryogenically preserved auntie from Florida, but lands somewhere between boozy slushie and heatwave salvation. One sip and your brain starts spinning pleasantly off-axis while the room’s mirrored domes shimmer overhead like disco satellites.
And here’s the kicker: happy hour runs Monday through Friday with two-for-one drinks, which means Taco Tuesday at Dolores is rapidly becoming one of the better deals in Warsaw nightlife. The room fills early, the volume rises steadily, and suddenly everyone seems a little more attractive than they did an hour before.
We didn’t make it to the enormous sharing plate of braised beef this time, though watching the neighboring table dismantle it with greasy grins and evangelical zeal told us everything we needed to know. Next visit, absolutely. But dessert sealed the deal. The flan is impeccable—silky, trembling perfection with that bittersweet caramel edge that separates the good from the transcendent. Quite simply, it may be the best flan I’ve ever had in Warsaw. Maybe anywhere.
Following a labyrinth of underground tunnels filled with electronics shops that look exactly the same will make you doubt whether you're at the right location at all.
But once you manage to find the dimly lit shop windows adorned with exposition shelves of cocktail equipment attire, you feel relief and excitement, like finding the treasure chest.
When you walk through the door, you are almost immediately greeted by the bartender/ host/owner. Lotar makes a point of greeting you by introducing himself and shaking your hand. Needless to say, a rarity, if not unheard of.
Stage bar is by all means an unexpected venue, in the best way possible. Part cocktail bar, part entertainment venue, part house party, the design is as understated as it is ingenious.
The cocktail menu, refreshingly small, as to be expected from a house party vibe. 4 signature serves, plus a small backbar that offers a possibility of classic recipes, as long as the ingredients are there.
What sells the space foremost, is the music. In short, a 'Liked Songs' neverending line up of the owners favourite listens. Some party bangers, some old school classics. You never expect what comes on next.
But let's talk about the cocktails.
First comes the Vetiver - a Gimlet style serve, with a classic base of gin, blended with grapefruit cordial and vetiver liqueur. Extremely well balanced and so aromatic you smell it before it lands in your hand.
Then, the White Sage - a little delight made with gin, sage, bergamot and touch of lime. A decided favourite of ours from the line up.
The whiskey sour twist called 'toasted yeast and bee pollen', is surprising. Rich, but not sweet. Umami, but not savoury. Also, disappears from a glass faster than you realise.
The skills in cocktail making here are undeniable. The signatures are extremely well balanced, and each ingredient listed shines through. A proof that you don't need a long list to make it exciting and varied.
The more we speak to Lotar, the more we realise he is the perfect host. The devil lies in the details. I ordered a martini, and through a flowing conversation, it sat still for too long. Solution? The drink was
Stage Bar
underpass, al. Niepodległości 208B/Local 40 (City Center)
taken away from me for a split second and poured over into a fresh, freezer cold glass. Easily the highlight of the night.
Overall, you have a venue that, although small, hidden and for the sake of the argument, understated, delivers on all accounts of service, quality and atmosphere.
The outtake? It's the best served house party you will ever experience, if you choose to be a part of it.
“ Some party bangers, some old school classics — you never expect what comes on next...
In a city where too many menus feel engineered by algorithm, another bao here, another smashburger there, Gani lands with sigh of relief. It’s personal. A little eccentric. The kind of place that reminds you why going out to eat still matters.
This is the solo project of Trisno, the man many Varsovians already know from MOD, the crew responsible for bringing serious ramen and donuts into Warsaw’s bloodstream. But Gani feels less like a business plan and more like an extension of the guy himself. Walk through the door and order at the bar and you’re stepping into his record collection, his humor, his latenight cravings. Green Day bleeds into Joy Division. Outside, acous-
tic Greek music drifts through the garden speakers with a wink that says nobody here is taking themselves too seriously.
The Insider team has spent enough summers chasing al fresco dining around Warsaw to know when a place has the right frequency. Under a canopy of trees in the backyard, birds call and answer each other while Guinness glasses sweat onto wooden tables. Time stretches out here. One pint becomes two. Lunch mutates into dinner. Someone orders “one more thing for the table” and suddenly the evening belongs to Gani.
Named after Trisno’s grandfather, the restaurant channels Singaporean street food influences without sanding down the rough edges or over-ex-
plaining itself for local tastes. In some ways, the spirit feels closer to the UK pub tradition, where neighborhood boozers long ago figured out there’s no contradiction in drinking Guinness while eating fiery Thai food or deeply comforting Indian curries from chefs renting the kitchen out back. Gani taps into that same energy: cold beer, eclectic music, relaxed hospitality and food with serious soul.
After several visits and an unhealthy amount of menu exploration, one thing becomes obvious: this food is unique in Warsaw. Not fusion-by-committee. Not copy-and-paste trend chasing. Actual flavor with identity.
The gado gado is a vegetable lover’s dream that doesn’t apol-
Gani
ul. Jakubowska 16 (Saska Kępa)
Review
ogize for being hearty—fried tofu, tempeh, potatoes, rice cake and vegetables drenched in a peanut sauce that hits sweet, savory and earthy all at once. Pair it with the urap, a cooling salad of seasonal vegetables that quietly resets your palate between heavier bites.
The chicken satay deserves its own paragraph. Skewers arrive beautifully charred, smoky from the grill and lacquered in a rich peanut sauce that clings to the meat like velvet. Then comes the detail that makes the dish memorable: impossibly thin slices of red onion scattered over the top, adding sharpness and crunch against the sweetness of the sauce. It’s simple street food elevated not through technique, but through care.
Then there's the beef rendang, the dish that keeps calling me back across the river. Made with beef cheeks, gelatinous, collagen-rich, and slow-cooked to something darker and more caramelized, it carries flavors that refuse easy comparison. This is deeply aromatic, almost touched by African spice markets in the way the herbs linger and the heat blooms slowly, spicy and rich in all the right ways. With an ice-cold Guinness, it's close to perfect.
And the shrimp? Jumbo, sticky with sambal kicap sauce, spicy and sweet in equal measure. The kind of dish so good you stop pretending to have manners, licking your fingers clean before reaching for your phone to photograph the wreckage for your Instagram feed.
“
This food is unique in Warsaw. Not fusion-by-committee. Not copy-and-paste trend chasing. Actual flavor with identity...
GROUND FLOOR TO THE SKY
Nova Wola & The Roof at Crowne Plaza Warsaw- The HUB
There's a particular kind of arrogance that hotel restaurants wear like a bad suit. They know you're already there. They know you're tired. They've got you. Which is precisely why Nova Wola, on the first floor of the Crowne Plaza on Rondo Daszyńskiego, confounds every expectation you've been quietly nursing. This is not a hostage situation. This is a restaurant that wants to feed you properly. Push open the door and you step into something you didn't expect: an elegant, light-flooded space that feels less like a hotel dining room and more like a fish bowl set deliberately into the pulse of the city. Its panoramic windows turn the street into living theater, Warsaw striding past, purposeful and beautiful, and you feel oddly grateful to be seated.
Begin with the beetroot salad. Crisp, fresh, savory in all the right places. It resets your calibration and sets the stage for what follows. Then the lamb shank arrives, and everything else falls quiet. It rests on a pillow of potato purée, silken and yielding, the kind of mash that makes you briefly resent every other version you've eaten. The meat falls from the bone with almost embarrassing ease. You barely need a knife. This is the best dish I have eaten in Warsaw in a long time. Service here deserves its own mention, because genuine hospitality in this city remains an inconsistent art form. At Nova Wola they have cracked it, attentive without hovering, warm without performance. And before you leave, the crêpes Suzette with berries and orange glaze will stop you cold. You will consider licking the plate.
“
This is not a hostage situa tion. This is a restaurant that wants to feed you properly.
When dinner is done, don't leave the building. Take the lift to the 21st floor, where The Roof skybar sits with an outdoor terrace and world-class bartenders overlooking downtown Warsaw. From up here the city reveals its full ambition, new towers shoulder to shoulder on the horizon, the Palace of Culture blinking like a dispatch from another century. This is Warsaw becoming, and it is something to witness. The cocktail menu is serious work. The Whisperer, built around Beefeater, lemon balm, Krzeska, Suze, chamomile honey and Merlet Crème de Pêche, is bitter and layered, the kind of drink that opens slowly like a good conversation. The
Batumi Gardens brings Ostoya vodka together with plum, almond, grapefruit and Suze into something velvety and intense. For smoke and consequence, the Highlands & Tropics marries Hennessy V.S. with Lagavulin 16 and chocolate bitters, a deeply serious drink in elegant disguise. The bartenders here understand that a cocktail menu is an act of storytelling, and on a good night, with the skyline before you, each drink feels like a different way of reading the same city.
Warsaw is building itself into something new. Go to Nova Wola to taste where it has always been. Come up to The Roof to see where it is going.
Nova Wola & The Roof
Crowne Plaza Warsaw – The HUB, Rondo Daszyńskiego 2
There are restaurants, and then there are pilgrimages. Baires, tucked into Warsaw's increasingly cosmopolitan Powiśle neighbourhood, falls firmly into the latter category. Step through the door and you are greeted not by a maître d', but by statues of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, standing sentinel like guardians of a sacred meat shrine. It sets the tone perfectly: this is no ordinary steakhouse. This is an Argentine house of worship.
The décor is a love letter to Buenos Aires, draped in the kind of passionate football fandom that only Argentines can pull off without irony. On the evening of my visit, a group of Argentine regulars were gleefully posing with various tokens of fandom scattered throughout the restaurant, scarves, shirts, miniature trophies, as if the whole place were one giant victory lap from the 2022 World Cup. The energy was infectious.
But let us talk about the meat, because at Baires, meat is the sermon. Sourced directly from Argentina, the cuts arrive with the quiet confidence of something that has nothing to prove. When
Where Messi, Malbec and meat share the altar
our table of four ordered steaks, what appeared was nothing short of biblical, a towering stack of beef that would have given Fred Flintstone pause for thought. Charred beautifully on the outside, blush-pink and yielding within, each cut was a masterclass in simplicity done right.
The wine list rises magnificently to the occasion. A bottle of Catena Zapata Malbec, one of Argentina's most celebrated exports, paired with the beef in the way great partnerships always do: effortlessly, inevitably, as if there were never any other option.
Presiding over all of this with warmth and genuine pride are Lucas and Ewelina, the owners whose hospitality transforms a meal into an occasion. Their passion for what they have built here is palpable from the moment you arrive.
Baires is not just a restaurant. It is a destination. Go hungry. Go thirsty. Go often.
“
Step through the door and Messi and Maradona stand guard — sentinels of a sacred meat shrine...
ISTANBUL ON KRUCZA
Krucza has quietly been having a moment, and Lusso is the latest reason to make the trip. This Turkish café and patisserie opened its doors earlier this spring, and already it feels like it's always been here — the kind of place a neighbourhood doesn't know it needs until suddenly it can't imagine life without it.
The breakfast menu is where Lusso earns its stripes. The shakshuka arrives bubbling in a small pan, eggs coddled in a rich, slow-cooked tomato sauce that's been treated with real care and spice, warm without aggression, complex without showing off. It's the kind of dish that turns a Tuesday morning into something worth remembering.
But don't rush past the pastry case. The börek is golden and properly flaky, the simit fresh and fragrant with sesame, and the baklava , honeyed, layered, deeply satisfying, makes a compelling argument for dessert at any hour. Wash it all down with a Turkish coffee and you've got yourself a morning ritual worth adopting permanently.
The space itself is warm and unhurried, a welcome counterpoint to the corporate bustle of the surrounding streets. The prices, sitting comfortably between 20 and 40 złoty, make it as easy on the wallet as it is on the soul.
Warsaw's café scene keeps raising the bar, and Lusso clears it with ease. Whether you're dropping in for a slow weekend breakfast or grabbing a börek on the fly, this little corner of Turkey on Krucza is exactly the kind of delicious surprise the city does best.
Lusso ul. Krucza 23, (City Center)
The Buzz
Presenting the city’s most talked about venues, join us on a whistle stop tour of the cafes, pubs and cocktail dens and wine bars that you can’t afford to miss…
Estry
ul. Żelazna 58/62 (Wola), estry.pl
Serious Sips
WINE & DINE
Kontakt
Sandomierska 13
Weaknesses do not exist in Kontakt, and if they do, they have yet to be formally identified by any who visit. Looking glorious in its deep shades of blue, its look is complemented by a 400-strong wine list slanted towards natural, bio-dynamic and organic wines. The five-star experience is aided by wonderful food.
LOCAL WINES
Brać
Nowowiejska 1 & Sierakowskiego 4A Resistant as traditionalists may be to the very notion of Polish wine, Brać have made it their mission to showcase its unknown quality. Presenting on-edge sips from niche domestic producers (including collabs with the Funky Fluid craft brewery!), all this is done in a stylish space that feels good to be in. From 2023, this was our favourite wine-related find!
NATURAL WINE
Rascal
Moliera 6
Formerly a canteen for ballet dancers, this address now holds the largest bar in Europe specialising in natural wines – you weren’t expecting that! Entered past a lavish drape, this cool space has a suitably adventurous choice of rebel wines.
BEER GEEKS
Jabeerwocky
Estry, newly opened on Żelazna Street, has been the bartending community's open secret — until now. The former Popolare space has been transformed into something warm, dimly lit, and bartender-led, with a green marble bar and a backbar that signals intent over excess. The cocktails deliver: the Six Seven Martini is freezer-cold and sharply savoury; the Good Morning Vietnam espresso riff is rich, dark, and addictive.
Nowogrodzka 12
Good old Jabbers will never let you down. A Warsaw institution, the adventurous choice of beers gives nods to international pioneers, domestic talents as well
The Buzz
as their own house beers. Pre-war floors and the welcome smell of spillage give it a great atmosphere that becomes a boisterous babble of international voices the later it gets. For something quieter, take your pint next door to their sister bar, Jabeerwocky Junior.
CUTTING EDGE CRAFT
Hopito Chmielna
Chmielna 24
Opened last year as the younger sister of Hopito’s Żurawia venture, this branch feels a little more mature in its target audience, though every bit as fun in its beer selection - radicalized drinkers will love Hopito’s own crazy brews.
OLD TOWN PINTS
Same Krafty vis-à-vis Nowomiejska 11/13
Jammed between the Barbican gateway and the Rynek, Same Krafty’s pair of Old Town drinkeries face opposite each other to offer their own mini-pub crawl. Appearing as raucous and rugged tavern-like bars, the experimental craft beers are a league ahead of the mainstream fizz peddled by the other nearby bars.
CREATIVE COCKTAILS
Ave Pegaz
Piłsudskiego 9
Inside a lively interior that doesn’t take itself too seriously (check the ‘ceiling garden’), swivel about to gawk at a mighty collection of corkscrews and drinking implements. In this alchemist’s workshop find yourself enjoying some of the most creative cocktails in Warsaw.
COCKTAIL PORN
VHS
Poznańska 7
The shoebox sized VHS pays tribute to the 80s and 90s and is a model for good times – boasting a flamingo and pictures of Mr T., the toilet says it all. The drinks are among the wackiest in Warsaw, and they’re as fun to drink as they are to photograph.
THE ATMOSPHERE
Beirut & Kraken
Poznańska 12
Somewhere, amid all the junk relating to the Lebanese conflict (sandbags, ammo boxes…), you’ll find the spirit of Poznańska contained within this long, skinny bar. As fashionable now as it was when it opened, finish the evening in their connecting venture, the Pirates of the Caribbean-style Kraken. Evenings dissolve into a wild, happy whirl of international voices.
INSIDER CLASSIC
Pardon, To Tu
Al. Armii Ludowej 14
Despite the upgrade in surrounds, they’ve retained the leftfield spirit of their old haunt thanks to flexi hours, a commitment to obscure sounds, and a well-spaced interior that references their former venue through its decadent colour scheme and wall of favoured musicians. The air of friendly, unforced cool is unmatched!
FOR THE MUSIC
Młodsza Siostra
Dobra 14/16
Known for his ear for upcoming talent, the owner Michał isn’t averse to taking risks in order to broaden Warsaw’s musical palate. The scrappy backdrop of
bike repair garages give a vibe redolent of the shadowy courtyards of Berlin and Budapest, whilst inside it’s all creaking floorboards, mismatched furnishings and a clientele sourced from the local Academy of Fine Arts.
REBEL SOUNDS
Chmury / Hydrozagadka 11 Listopada 22
Set in a fleapit courtyard, it’s hard to tell where one begins and the other ends, but both are spiritually cojoined by a devotion to eclectic live music. Tight and crowded, it’s a place where audience and band become one, feeding off each other to generate an electrifying atmosphere.
A BIT OF EVERYTHING
Foton
Wilcza 9A
You know it’s been an epic weekend when you wake up on Monday knowing that Foton was involved. Conversation with strangers is natural after a few of Foton’s cocktails, and these are enjoyed to a cool backdrop made up of fleet of tumbling plants perched on steel-framed irrigational contraptions.
PRE-CLUB DRINKS
Bar Pacyfik
Hoża 61
Based upon the kind of Tijuana dive bar you’d have happened upon during the Miami Vice era, Pacyfik is all candy floss pink and shades of teal: a raw-looking den that looks purposefully imperfect. Keeping the hip international crowd on the wrong side of drunk are kick-ass cocktails!
LATE NIGHTER
Republica de San Escobar Poznańska 7
Lacking airs and graces, it’s a place where fun rules the roost. Tiny in size, find an interior filled with corrugated iron sheets, zappy neons, chunky woods and bike pedals on the footrests. The fun-loving spirits is irresistible, and the tight dimensions mean the party often spills onto the terrace outside.
STUDENT CARNAGE
Nowy Świat ‘Pavilions’ ul. Nowy Świat 26
For the highest condensation of bars in the capital head to ‘the pavilions’, a collection of ramshackle drinking cabins, shot bars and sheesha lairs inside a tight grid of shadowy back alleys. Adding to the gentle sense of confusion comes the realization that so many bars look the same –accessed through clattery, barred doors, visitors walk into murk and chaos.
ALT. ENTERTAINMENT
Worek Kości
Bagatela 10
Shamrock Irish Pub on Zgoda. Though a lot smarter than its sister, the raucous sense of fun has carried over – as has the quality Guinness.
ESSENTIAL CHECK-IN
Fabryka Norblina
Żelazna 51/53
Without fail, the big winner of 2023 was Norblin – hell, we even saw Kieran Culkin walk-
ing through over summer! In terms of nightlife, winners include the elite MOXO and the craft-minded Uwaga. Packed in the evening, the atmosphere is squared out perfectly by the live music that frequently escapes from the Piano Bar. The Insider fave though remains Piano Bar, a place with fancy cocktails, a 12-foot chande-
There is nothing ordinary about Worek Kości and that’s underlined by its collection of 400 replica skulls. Known for its burlesque nights, this passionate celebration of the beautiful and bizarre also has a busy roster of lectures dedicated to criminal profiling, forensics and serial killers. Oh, and the cocktails are good.
LIVE SPORTS
Shamrock Sports Bar
Krucza 51
At long last, Warsaw has the sports bar it deserves. Zapping in football, rugby and suchlike from around the world (but mainly Britain), this Irish-run spot is an offshoot of the atmospheric
A modern hotel in the heart of Warsaw
Welcome to Warsaw’s newly emerging business district. Crowne Plaza@ Warsaw - The HUB hotel offers modern accommodation, award - winning conference space and superb food and beverage services. Join IHG@ One Rewards and get instant access to benefits and exclusive Loyalty Member deals at 6000 destinations globally. cpwarsawthehub.com | +48 22 377 37 37 | ihg.com/one
lier and a crowd that errs from late 20s upwards.
THE PRAGA VIBE
W Oparach Absurdu
Ząbkowska 6
Craft beers lurk within the fridge, but for the seminal Absurdu experience order a tray of vodka before bulldozing through the crowds that gather to listen to Balkan rock and Afro-Latin bands. Somewhere, hidden deep beneath the creaking antiques and moth-eaten Persian rugs, you might be lucky to find a wood-carved bar.
NORTHERN NIGHTS
Havana
Słowackiego 16/18
Set on the first floor of a PRL era tower, the super cool interior offers up a coherent display of retro posters, luscious plants and light wood trimmings that are respectful of this space’s former life as a 1960s cafe. Perched among hip freelancers and theater types learning their lines, sip away on trendy bio wines, adventurous lemonades, craft swigs or specialty coffee sourced from local roasters.
UPMARKET CLUBBING
Sen
Wioślarska 6
Some would say that Sen enjoys its heyday in the summer when the rooftop terrace opens to afford views of the illuminated bridges that span the river. But even outside these months it’s long enjoyed a reputation as Warsaw’s premier super-lux club. High class cocktails and a stringent door policy have helped maintain their name as the principal destination for glam, catwalk excess.
DESTINATION COFFEE
Café Pląs
Puławska 113A (Królikarnia)
Set inside the Króliarnia palace, it’s laidback and artsy-cool, something aided by the strategically placed plants, chillout beats and rare-find art books placed reverentially on the shelves. Specialty coffee, bio wines, alternative soft drinks and craft beer make it a highly versatile place to finish in after a brisk autumn walk around the palace grounds.
COFFEE OF LEGEND
Stor
Tamka 33 / Bracka 18
For many there is no better café anywhere in Poland than Stor’s original on Tamka. When the sunlight slopes in through the window, there are few finer feelings than idling away in this plant festooned refuge. Famed for their glorious coffee and detail-driven approach, recognition should also be handed to their devotion to local causes and zero waste philosophy.
FOR VINYL CHILLOUT
Hałas
Elsterska 10
Divide Hałas into two sections: first, a small chamber selling collectors classic vinyl and coffee sourced from some of Europe’s top roasters. Then, smuggled in the back, discover a Nordic-style living room arrangement that encourages afternoons spent sipping coffee whilst catching up on email.
FOR QUICK ESPRESSO
Błysk
Słowackiego 22
Served over a PRL era counter, Błysk’s super-tight confines generate a natural air of familiarity. Often standing room only, the buzz and hubbub owes itself not just to the delicious espresso shots, but
also the homemade cookies and dog-loving owners that will spoil your pet.
HIDDEN STAR
El Cafatero
Marszałkowska 27/35 & (ul. Emilii Plater 8)
Tucked behind the patinated domes and intricate steeples of Zbawiciela, chilling in this little café has you thinking you’re somewhere cute and quaint like Vilnius or Lublin. Specialising in roasting their own African coffees, the super-hip vibe is highlighted by the wall of Polaroid snaps.
CHAMPION BREWS
Forum
Elektoralna 11
Forum has it all: a fashionably frayed interior, a friendly dog nuzzling around (hi Apollo!), and a client base that expects nothing but the best – and at Forum, that’s exactly what they get. Marketing themselves as “the home of the Polish Aeropress and Polish Brewers’ Cup Champions”, these accolades say everything there is to know.
NEIGHBORHOOD FAV
Ciacho
al. Niepodległości 80
In Mokotów, Ciacho stands apart as a true neighborhood institution — a bakery and breakfast spot that quietly draws locals back year-round. Hidden near Jordanowski Park, it shifts with the seasons: a lively family terrace in summer, a warm, oven-scented refuge in winter. Breakfast is the anchor, from creamy scrambled eggs on house sourdough to a cult-favourite kimchi brioche. Add excellent pastries and breads to take home, and Ciacho reveals itself as something rarer than a café: a steady, glowing hearth.
Dine & Delight
When only the best will do, we’ve cut through the chaff to present a curated choice of Warsaw’s top eateries –from ethnic comfort foods and under-the-radar gems all the way up to the city’s most exclusive dining rooms…
NAMI Ramen
ul. Ząbkowska 5, (Praga Północ)
Nami Ramen doesn't just serve excellent ramen — it rewrites your mental map of Warsaw. Tucked in Praga, the restaurant announces itself with theatrical confidence: a giant neon sign, a Snoop Dogg-adjacent mural, and an atmosphere built for occasions rather than mere dinners. The kimchi is composed like music; the ribs are outrageously tender; the shoyu broth is the real thing — deep, patient, and precise. The bulgogi, swimming in a beef broth worthy of bottling, is phenomenal. Nami has made Praga a destination.
THE MICHELIN STAR
Nuta
pl. Trzech Krzyży 10/14
Andrea Camastra’s restaurant is a magical enclave in which time stands still. Mixing his famed scientific techniques with artisanal processes, his tasting menu is expressive in its aesthetics and flavour, as if it were an extension of his own firecracker character. Even the cheeseboard is a mind-bender – on our April visit, jaws hit the floor as this arrived in the liquified form of a pear consommé topped with warm gorgonzola foam. A bold, world-class adventure, no other restaurant offers such a ride – a second Michelin star seems guaranteed.
FORMAL & EXTRAORDINARY
Epoka
Ossolińskich 3
Nineteenth century cornices and baroque drapes lend an enveloping sense of luxury to this A-Class space. Epoka’s menu is based on Polish cookbooks from different epochs, with the dishes reconstructed in a way that’s innovative, unexpected and a roller coaster of thrills. La Liste officially rank it among the world’s Top 100 Restaurants.
EXQUISITE
Nolita
Wilcza 46
Winning our 2022 award last year for ‘Outstanding Achievement’, chef Jacek Grochowina’s enclave of class looks dashing with its monochrome colours and muted gunmetal shades, but it’s the food that has made it the place Warsaw heads to live the life of the 1%. Treasuring detail and finesse, Nolita demonstrates fine dining hasn’t died.
INSIDER FAVORITE
Dine & Delight
ECLECTIC & UPMARKET
Dyletanci
Koszykowa 47
Subtle and stylish with its muted, neutral colours and pops of art, amid the light woods and sky-coloured walls, the assembled fine wines have been selected to dance in tandem with the cooking of Rafał Hreczaniuk. His cooking is elegant, eclectic and never short on sensational taste.
FOR THE TASTING MENU
Rozbrat 20
Rozbrat 20
Fusing upmarket, casual styling with an exciting wine list, interactive service and the kind of atmosphere you can’t get enough of, Rozbrat 20 is a Warsaw gastro landmark. Under chef Bartosz Szymczak, the frequently changing menu has a real playful inventiveness to it.
DATE NIGHT
alewino
Mokotowska 48
Regularly adjusted to utilize the best items the season has to offer, the menu is a triumph of expertly balanced tastes and is admired for some of the most interesting cooking in the city – think elegant with a localized twist. Rounding out the experience is an intimate, labyrinthine design that’s ideal for when it’s cold and grim, and a decked courtyard terrace for when it’s not.
NEW WAVE
hub.praga
MEAT LOVERS IN WARSAW
ROTISSERIE BISTRO al. Rzeczypospolitej 14 (Wilanów)
Jagiellońska 22/LU1
Heading the kitchen is Witek Iwański, a chef whose past accolades include our very own ‘Top Talent’ title at our Best of Warsaw awards. The tan, beige and white interior is embellished with moon-shaped mirrors and statement art, and is twinned with tiny a’la carte courses that appear like miniaturised works of art.
CASUAL SCENE
Bibenda
Nowogrodzka 10
With no reservations accepted, Bibenda’s enduring popularity ensures that queues often build at the entrance – even at the height of the Polish winter. Augmenting the warm interiors of raw red brick and dim yellow lighting, guests flock for a menu that celebrates the fields, forests and farmsteads of Poland. honey and peanut chili crisps.
THE NEED TO KNOW
The Eatery
Koszykowa 49A
This attractive off-street space comes swathed in
white-on-white colours –blissfully cocooned from the outside world, and decorated orb-like installations, this chic but casual space gives Polish food a modernised translation. Visiting for our May issue, we were bowled over by the pork cheeks served with a punchy demi-glace and whirls of liquified peas and red cabbage.
NEW POLISH
Źródło
Targowa 81
Hardwood floors, exposed pipes and a flurry of plants equip an open area decorated with blasts of contemporary art, recycled furnishings and extravagant light installations. Menu-wise, the food lights the soul. But more than just celebrating the power of local produce, there’s a refinement at play that speaks of a kitchen team that aims for magnificence.
POLAND REIMAGINED
Bez Gwiazdek
Wiślana 8
Regarded as one of Warsaw’s gastronomic treasures, each month sees Robert Trzópek design a tasting menu inspired by a specific region of Poland. His creative interpretations of the nation’s culinary traditions are delicate, nuanced and beautifully balanced. The chic but casual setting reflects the philosophy.
TRENDING POLISH
Pod Gigantami
al. Ujazdowskie 24
Once seen as a classic restaurant for ‘old people’, Pod Gigantami’s reinvention stretches to 3 a.m. finishes come the weekend. Marrying heritage with hip, during more normal hours enjoy thoughtfully cooked Polish classics
including an old school schabowy the size of a small planet.
POLAND FOR INSIDERS
Oma Radna 13
Stepping into Oma is like entering Babcia’s house for a holiday—a warm embrace of Polish tradition with a modern flair. Oma, named after the chef’s grandmother, exudes
Oma-goodness. Nestled in Powiśle, it charms with its vintage Polish decor and fresh flowers. The menu offers classic dishes with a twist: schabowy topped with Parmesan and zupa pomidorowa with garlic. Desserts like knedelki—a cottage cheese dumpling with apples and orange peel—are irresistible. The thoughtful vintage design and caricatures of Oma on the
servers’ shirts add a personal touch. Make a reservation to avoid heartbreak, as Oma’s popularity often leads to a full house. Dive into this cozy haven and savor the best of Polish summer cuisine, where every bite feels like a warm hug from Babcia herself.
NEIGHBOURHOOD GREEK
Mr. Greek Souvlaki
Londyńska 16
Festooned with potted shrubs, the outdoor wooden deck is one of Saska’s finest outdoor check-ins. If that’s packed – and it often is –head inside where an atmosphere of gentle chaos reigns in the noisy open kitchen. Eschewing warmth and authenticity, the atmosphere fits well with the meaty skewers.
SOUTH AMERICAN FLAIR
Ceviche Bar
Twarda 4
With Argentine chef Martin Gimenez Castro injecting his passion and personality into the venue, this is an address that punches through the greyness of everyday Warsaw. Ceviche is naturally the default order, and here it’s served in around five different forms.
INSIDER FAVORITE
Tuna Elektryczna 2
Resembling the scales of a fish, Tuna’s core decorative element are 18,000 tuna cans that sheathe the walls. Smartly appointed in dark metallic colours, visit for an exhilarating menu that includes salmon jerky, tuna sausages, an elaborately reconstructed dorada tail and the best-selling chili con tuna.
CITY CENTER VEGAN
Peaches Gastro Girls
Stalowa 36
Peaches, Warsaw's vibrant vegan hotspot, serves up seasonal dishes with finesse. From their umami-packed grilled mushrooms to inventive cocktails, every bite and sip delights. The minimalist interiors and open kitchen make it an experience for both eyes and palate.
VEGAN NOODLES
Vegan Ramen Shop
Finlandzka 12 / Jana Pawła II 52/54 / Narabutta 43
Dubbed by some as “the best noodles in the world!” They’re definitely memorable, and the spicy miso ramen will for sure make new true believers.
BRUNCH ANYONE?
Seagull
ul. Dobra 1, (Powiśle)
The menu carries a subtle Asian accent — eggs Benedict with yuzu hollandaise and shrimp, harissa-spiked chickpea toast, bright matcha and thoughtful non-alcoholic drinks alongside mimosas. It’s a neighbourhood spot for plans, conversation and clarity, where morning isn’t rushed through, but properly lived.
SUSHI LOVERS MUST
Misaki Kawasaki
Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 43B/3rd floor (Powiśle)
Paula Mycka cooks with global confidence, fusing Japanese precision, Thai vibrancy, Middle Eastern depth, and Peruvian playfulness. Highlights include bold vegetarian dishes, scallops in brown butter, a Wagyu Katsu Sando, and toro tartare on a sesame waffle with yuzu crème fraîche.
WELCOME TO GREECE!
For authentic Greek food & hospitality, look no further than Mr. Greek Souvlaki!
Walecznych 68a/3 (Saska Kępa)
COMMUNITY HUBS & FOOD HALLS
CENTRUM PRASKIE KONESER
Plac Konesera 8, koneser.eu
Reopened in 2018 as a mixed-use project containing cultural sites, F&B outlets, A Class offices and loft-style apartments, no other investment has had a bigger impact on Praga’s overdue regeneration than Koneser. Culturally, it’s also done much thanks to the Polish Vodka Museum, the Museum of Fantastic Art and temporary exhibitions such as Banksy in 2021. For most though, the F&B lineup is the strongest attraction of all and this includes upmarket Indian from Bombaj Malasa, the casual eatery Spółdzielnia and the real feather in the cap, the Koneser Grill – a meat-centric venue of high sophistication.
BROWARY WARSZAWSKIE
Grzybowska 58, browarywarszawskie.com.pl
Utilising elements of a historic brewery and setting them against an upmarket backdrop of freshly mapped streets and immaculate new build that feels contextually suited to the district, Features include a premium food hall, Robert Lewandowski’s Nine’s sports bar, the ever-popular Balkan eatery Munja, and Baila – a stunning live entertainment emporium.
FABRYKA NORBLINA
Żelazna 51/53, fabrykanorblina.pl
Representing 200-years of history, the two hectare site is riddled with over 50 leftovers from the Industrial Revolution and these are set against attractions such as the luxury Kinogram cinema (champagne vending machines!), the immersive Art Box Experience, a factory museum and the Smart Kids Planet –a 1,600 sq/m project with nine zones that aim to promote logical thinking, healthy eating, motor functions, perception and creative thinking.
HALA KOSZYKI
Koszykowa 63, koszyki.com
Considered the grande dame of food halls, the brick and wrought iron interiors of this spot look beautiful with the F&B offer split between standalone restaurants such as the fancy Warszawski Sen to vendors like the fist-bumping, burrito boys at Gringo. For craft beer and grilled sausages then Kiełba w Gębie doesn't put a foot wrong, whilst the open-all-hours ĆMA is a legend in its own lifetime.
ELEKTROWNIA POWIŚLE
Dobra 42, elektrowniapowisle.com
Elektrownia’s blended approach includes an exclusive top floor beauty hall filled with cutting edge beauty solutions and a retail offer than tends to shirk the mainstream to instead slant in on contemporary Polish design, upscale vintage, niche brands and established local talent. The food and drink has also been a major plus, with most attention going to a food hall that appears in an energetic sea of neon.
Growing Up and Looking Back
On adolescence, abstraction, and what art can hold at Zachęta
CULTURE
Dojrzewanie (Adolescence)
Growing pains, reimagined for a generation in crisis
Curated by Katarzyna Kołodziej-Podsiadło, Joanna Kordjak, and Julia Marchand, Dojrzewanie is one of the most urgent exhibitions to open in Warsaw this year. Through film, installation, and object-based works, the show examines what it means to grow up in today's globalised world, navigating war on Europe's doorstep, climate anxiety, and the daily realities of peer and systemic violence that are driving a widespread mental health crisis among young people. Yet the exhibition refuses to speak at its audience. It is an intergenerational dialogue, weaving together works by established artists and teenagers themselves, a structure that gives the show an unusual emotional texture, one that is at once raw and considered. Dojrzewanie is a universal story about a state of mind, fragility, shame, the search for meaning, and it speaks to adults just as much as it does to young people.
On through September.
Barbara Kasten. Postabstraction
Six decades of light, structure, and radical seeing
Post-abstraction is the first such extensive exhibition of the American artist's work in this part of Europe — and a return to the place that helped shape her artistic language. In the early 1970s, Kasten came to Poznań on a fellowship at the tapestry studio of Magdalena Abakanowicz; captivated by the Polish school of artistic textiles, she used sisal to create a series of sculptures, later shown at a Warsaw gallery. Half a century on, Zachęta brings her back in full. The show spans roughly 100 works — photographs, sculptures, and installations — arranged not chronologically but thematically, guiding the viewer through sculpture as starting point, photography as experiment, architecture as a stage for light, and space itself as medium. The title refers to Kasten's ongoing dialogue with the history of the avant-garde, constructivism, and modernist and postmodernist architecture — she does not repeat the language of abstraction so much as rewrite and test it. Closes 7 June.
House Rules
Where Warsaw's most discerning women come to dress
Tucked into a late 19th-century tenement at the corner of Hóża and Emilii Plater — one of the few buildings in this part of the city to survive the war — Independent House operates less like a boutique and more like a very well-dressed friend's apartment. The owners function as curators rather than retailers, collecting independently, regardless of trends, from the secondary market, vintage, and past brands' collections. Their current obsession is Uma Wang — the Shanghai-born, Central Saint Martins-trained designer known for bundled silhouettes, chic layering and a deeply considered approach to fabric and texture. Vintage sunglasses and a sophisticated selection of women's clothing complete the picture, each piece chosen with the precision of an art gallery and displayed to match. For those who prefer their wardrobe curated rather than consumed, this is Warsaw's best-kept secret.
Independent House Hoża 61(City Center), instagram.com/independent_ house_warsaw
BEAUTY
INFINITA YOU: A FRAGRANCE THAT LINGERS
Oriflame celebrates 35 years in Poland with a new scent and a new brand ambassador
Spring carries its own rhythm—light, luminous, full of promise. This year, it also has a new scent. Swedish beauty brand Oriflame celebrates its 35th anniversary in Poland with the launch of Infinita You and a new partnership with actress Wiktoria Gąsiewska as ambassador.
Infinita You is designed to be remembered. It opens with juicy notes of apricot and orange, lifted by the signature Pearadise® accord. The fragrance develops into a floral heart of osmanthus and ylang-ylang, enriched by the distinctive “You” accord created exclusively for the line. A warm base of sandalwood,
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
vanilla, and musk lingers on the skin, enhanced by EverScent® technology for lasting presence—noticeable, yet never overwhelming.
The launch reflects Oriflame’s long-standing focus on empowering women through beauty and self-expression. Wiktoria Gąsiewska, known from various TV series, brings authenticity and confidence to the collaboration—qualities that align naturally with the fragrance’s message of individuality.
Visually, the bottle stands out with its gradient of deep violet and soft apricot, finished with a subtle shimmer—equally suited to a bathroom shelf or a curated social feed. The buying experience is just as streamlined: Oriflame’s online platform offers intuitive browsing, fast delivery, and added-value loyalty programs.
After 35 years in Poland, Oriflame continues to evolve, combining its Scandinavian heritage with a modern beauty business.
For a spring fragrance that feels fresh yet distinctive, Infinita You is one to experience.
Scan to purchase Infinita You by Oriflame
CULTURE
Chopin returns to the roses
The beloved open-air concerts beneath Warsaw’s most iconic monument return this July, launching a landmark season tied to the centenary of the Chopin statue in Łazienki Park
After months hidden behind conservation works, Warsaw’s most cherished summer stage is ready for its encore. The 67th season of the Chopin Concerts at Łazienki Królewskie will officially begin on July 5, coinciding with the reopening of the restored surroundings of the city’s legendary Chopin monument.
This year’s edition carries added symbolic weight. 2026 marks 100 years since the unveiling of the Art Nouveau-inspired monument to Frédéric Chopin, designed by sculptor Wacław Szymanowski and
framed by the landscaped vision of architect Oskar Sosnowski. Over the decades, the statue, its reflecting pool and rose gardens have become inseparable from Warsaw’s cultural identity — and from the ritual of Sunday piano recitals beneath the trees.
Opening the season at noon is rising Polish pianist Piotr Alexewicz, one of the standout names of his generation following his acclaimed performances at the International Chopin Piano Competition and recent success at the Hilton Head competition in the US. Later that afternoon, Jakub Kuszlik takes the stage, bringing the lyrical sensitivity and technical
refinement that have earned him international recognition. While restoration work continues through June, visitors can still hear Chopin echoing through the park each Sunday near the Palace on the Isle (next to the Trou Madame café) — a gentle prelude to one of Warsaw’s defining summer traditions.
Łazienki Królewskie, Chopin Monument
WELLNESS
Eastern Promise
Warsaw's best-kept wellness secret is hiding in Powiśle
Some weeks pile up faster than you can manage them. After one too many deadlines and a mounting sense that my mind hadn't been quiet in days, I opened Booksy, found Thai Bali Spa on Topiel 11 in Powiśle, and booked myself an appointment — a small, deliberate act of reclaiming some headspace.
Walking through the door that afternoon felt like the first good decision I'd made all week.
The space is designed around a single idea: that time should slow down here. Warm lighting, the drift of essential oils, soft music — the transition from pavement to treatment room is almost disorienting in the best way.
The masseuses come directly from Thailand and Bali, bringing with them techniques rooted in traditions that go back centuries. Mine worked with an attentiveness that felt genuinely therapeutic — reading tension rather than just following a routine, adjusting pressure without being asked, finding the knots I'd forgotten I was carrying. It was skilled, unhurried, and quietly confident work.
Treatments draw on elements of yoga and meditation, using light, music, scent and touch together to guide you into a state of deep calm — not merely relaxation, but proper restoration.
Thai Bali Spa Powiśle ul. Topiel 11, Warsaw | Open daily 11:00–21:00 | thaibalispa.pl
preschools
AMERICAN SCHOOL OF WARSAW
Students aged 3-5 are encouraged to try new things, ask questions, and take risks in a nurturing environment in which they learn life skills alongside academics. Following the Primary Years Programme (PYP), our young students become caring, active participants in a lifelong journey of learning. Contact admissions@ aswarsaw.org
BRITISH PRIMARY SCHOOL OF WILANOW
A values-driven school offering a world-class education based on the best of British Education. BSW is the first school in Poland to be accredited as Compliant by the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). Based in a purpose built premises in Wilanow BSW is accepting applications from Nursery to Year 9. Please email admissions@bswilanow.org to organise a visit.
THE BRITISH SCHOOL WARSAW – EARLY YEARS CENTRE
Our Early Years Foundation Stage provides a play-based learning curriculum full of curiosity, wonder and discovery – the perfect springboard into Primary education. ul.
Welcoming students from the ages of 2.5 to 6 years old, currently 45% of their admissions are international students. The dedicated, IB-trained teachers deliver an innovative program (PYP) in English designed for modern world needs. The program offers a combination of Literacy, Maths, Science, Physical Education, Arts & Culture, French and Polish classes. ul. Ignacego Krasickiego 53, tel. 697 979 100, canadian-school.pl
CASA DEI BAMBINI & TODDLER SCHOOL
With three green and harmonious locations in Mokotów and Izabelin. The school in Izabelin is set in the quiet of the Kampinos Forest just outside the city. Teachers are fully trained in early-childhood education in English according to the Montessori philosophy. Registration open to children 12 months to 6 years of age. ul. Badowska 19, ul. Tatrzańska 5a (Mokotów), ul. Szkolna 16, (Izabelin), tel. 692 099 134, wmf.edu.pl
THE INTERNATIONAL TRILINGUAL SCHOOL OF WARSAW
Established in 1994, offering nursery, primary, and pre-school education with an international curriculum for children aged from one to 15. The full immersion trilingual setting allows for the choice between English, Polish, Spanish or Chinese, French or Japanese. Teachers are highly-qualified native speakers. ul. Nobla 16 (tel. 501 036 637), ul. Karowa 14/16 (tel. 503 072 119), ul. Królowej Aldony (tel. 533 321 084), office@3languages.pl, itsw.edu.pl
schools
AMERICAN SCHOOL OF WARSAW
AKADEMEIA HIGH SCHOOL
An academically selective international school in Warsaw, offering iGCSEs and A Levels whilst preparing students for the best universities in the world. The staff body consists of alumni of the world’s best universities, whilst facilities at what has become Poland’s most prestigious school include an art studio, auditorium, sports hall and roof garden. ul. Ledóchowskiej 2, akademeia.edu.pl
With over 50 nationalities, ASW has been welcoming students from around the world since 1953. As an IB Continuum school, our students follow the PYP, MYP and DP throughout their learner journey. Students graduate with either the IB diploma or an American high school diploma. All programs are conducted in English, with integrated EAL support for non-native speakers. Contact: admissions@aswarsaw.org or 22 702 85 00, ul. Warszawska 202 (Konstancin-Jeziorna), aswarsaw. org
BRITISH PRIMARY SCHOOL OF WILANOW
A values-driven school offering a world-class education based on the best of British Education. BSW is the first school in Poland to be accredited as Compliant by the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). Based in a purpose built premises in Wilanow BSW is accepting applications from Nursery to Year 9. Please email admissions@bswilanow.org to organise a visit
warsaw montessori family
Warsaw
Montessori Schools accepting applications for our programs and locations:
The mission of TBS is to balance academic success with character building and well-being. Students at The British School Warsaw learn an internationally respected curriculum, based on the best of British academics. They take pride in their excellent results at both International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and IGCSE level, which are well above the global average. ul. Limanowskiego 15, tel. 22 842 3281, thebritishschool.pl
THE ENGLISH PRIMARY
The English Primary is designed specifically for children in the primary education ages, just as children experience in England but in an international community. Pupils are taken through the key learning stages so that they can achieve to the best of their ability through a fun learning experience. The Core Curriculum subjects include English, Phonics, Science, Mathematics, French, PE and Swimming, Music, Personal, Social and Health Education. ul. Rzodkiewki 18, tel. 784 037 808, tep.edu.pl
THE CANADIAN SCHOOL OF WARSAW INTERNATIONAL ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL
Located on two campuses in the Mokotów this is the only authorized IB School with PYP programs taught in English and Polish. French is taught as a third language. International staff, cultural events and challenging student initiatives create the perfect learning environment. ul. Bełska 7, tel. 692 411 573 / 885 420 044, secretary@canadian-school.pl or secretary. olimpijska@canadian-school.pl
THE INTERNATIONAL TRILINGUAL SCHOOL OF WARSAW
Established in 1994, offering nursery, primary, and pre-school education with an international curriculum for children aged from one to 15. The full immersion trilingual setting allows for the choice between English, Polish, Spanish or Chinese, French or Japanese. Teachers are highly-qualified native speakers from the US, France, Spain, China and Japan. ul. Nobla 16 (tel. 501 036 637), ul. Karowa 14/16 (tel. 503 072 119), ul. Krolowej Aldony (tel. 533 321 084), office@3languages.pl, itsw.edu.pl
schools
JOY PRIMARY SCHOOL
Treating pupils with mutual respect but not at the expense of being demanding, the methods used are hard on the problem but soft on the person. Taking into account what students think, feel, learn and want for themselves and their world, Joy Primary teaches important life skills as well as respect, care for others, problem solving and co-operation. Here, children are challenged to discover their abilities and competences, while encouraged to explore personal strength and autonomy. ul. Syta 131A, tel. 722 305 333, sekretariat@joyprimaryschool.pl
MONNET INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Located in Mokotów, the Monnett is the only school in Poland that implements the International Baccalaureate Program from kindergarten level all the way through to secondary school. The fully-qualified staff are committed to delivering only the highest standards of education. ul. Stępińska 13, tel. 22 852 06 08, maturamiedzynarodowa.pl
WARSAW MONTESSORI SCHOOL
leader in the field of Montessori education, well-trained teachers guide students to independent and successful learning with both English and bilingual classroom provided. Located just steps from Łazienki Park the school resides in vibrant surroundings near to museums, embassies and natural settings which provide students with learning outside the classroom. ul. Szwoleżerów 4 (grades 0-4), tel. 608 488 420, wmf.edu.pl A
WARSAW MONTESSORI MIDDLE SCHOOL
Guided by trained specialists, students are responsible for managing their household, operating small businesses, caring for local flora and fauna as well as domesticated animals, taking charge of the younger children and much more. “Adolescence Program” activities, integrated with academic studies, help students discover their inner strength to meet real life challenges. ul. Tatrzańska 5A (grades 5-8), tel. 604 137 826, wmf.edu.pl
WARSAW MONTESSORI HIGH SCHOOL
Warsaw Montessori High School aims to teach students the values which Maria Montessori outlined in her educational philosophy such as: responsibility for one’s own development, care for others, honesty, empathy, and service. The school continues to meet the principles of Maria Montessori through implementing the IB Diploma Program principles and practices. Warsaw Montessori High School is an authorized IB World School for the Diploma Programme – code 061201. ul. Pytlasińskiego 13A, tel. 787 095 835, wmf.edu.pl
LOOKING BACK
SQUARE DEAL
The city reclaims a corner of its past
There's a certain poetic justice to what's happening on al. Solidarności. The Biedronka pavilion that has squatted on one of Muranów's most historically charged corners for the past three decades is finally coming down — and this time, what replaces it won't be another block of flats or a discount supermarket, but a proper public square.
The low-rise structure replaced a socialist-realist terrace originally designed by Bohdan Lachert, one of the visionary architects behind postwar Muranów's distinctive character. It was, in the bluntest terms, a bad trade. And Muranów wasn't the only neighbourhood to make one. Those of us with long memories will recall Kino Femina on ul. Szpitalna, a beloved art-house cinema that quietly shuttered to make way for, yes, another Biedronka. The city giveth, and the city taketh away.
Which makes this moment feel like something of a reckoning. City officials have confirmed the lease with the pavilion's owner has ended, clearing the path for demolition and a redesign of the area, now officially known as Lachert Square. An architectural competition is expected soon, with completion no earlier than 2027.
The project sits within a broader transformation of al. Solidarności, where new bike lanes and rows of trees have recently appeared. It's modest, incremental, but it signals a city increasingly willing to reclaim space from the improvised decisions of the post-communist scramble.
