Where to eat and stay in Warsaw

This is a place to feast heartily on Eastern European classics such as pierogi – or filled dumplings – as well as sample the myriad modern European restaurants being opened by a new generation of chefs.

Hotels in Warsaw pack a punch too – especially since the city hosted games for Europe’s premier international soccer tournament in 2012 – with the cozy classics getting a facelift and new places opening up. Eating your way around Poland’s capital is a pleasure, and a great stay awaits at our choice of Warsaw hotels.

Bold and boutique

When it opened in 2003, Hotel Rialto was not just the first boutique hotel in Warsaw – it was the first in all of Poland. It signified a new phase in the city’s rebirth and regeneration, and with its Art Deco and Art Nouveau rooms, it manages to evoke a gilded past full of tasteful period touches while being mindful to include the modern elements that guests demand – so there’s a power shower to go along with the marble bath.

You’re a good 30-minute stroll from the Old Town, but the surrounding area is lively, with plenty of restaurants, while you’re also close to Nowy Swiat for great shopping. The hotel’s restaurant is excellent too, with its Argentinian-born chef marrying the flavors of his homeland with Polish touches. Think ceviche with sweet potato, cod cheek with horseradish cream and deer haunch with smoked plums and pearl barley – the dry aged beef cuts are exceptional too.

Old World glamor

For a long time, the only answer to the question ‘where to stay in Warsaw?’ was the Hotel Bristol. First opened in 1899, it has been recently renovated and is now known as Le Meridien Bristol. A hotel in the grand style, it boasts Art Nouveau flourishes and extremely generously sized rooms. The location works too – close enough to walk to the Old Town and adjacent to the Presidential Palace.

You’ll see why it has attracted celebrity guests throughout its history, and you may be tempted not to leave. The wine bar offers a fantastic selection, while the Viennese-style Café Bristol opened in 1901 and is a great spot for coffee and cake.

The Column bar has all the fin-de-siecle glamor you could wish for and the Restaurant Marconi is truly high-end. Here you can sample a taste of Poland with beef tartare, salted herring and beetroot soup, or opt for chef’s specials including 36-hour suckling pig with beets and cauliflower, or seared sea bass with crab tempura. Their tiramisu is also worthy of celebration.

Gluten-free Warsaw

More rural parts of Poland can be a minefield when it comes to discovering gluten-free dining options, but as the capital, Warsaw is very much at the forefront when it comes to catering for those with celiac disease. ‘Bezgluten’ on a menu means ‘gluten free’, and when menus aren’t in English, staff are generally helpful.

For breakfast or a sweet snack, Legal Cakes on Chlodna is a good choice – with numerous gluten-free dishes. At the other end of the scale is the superb Amber Room, which offers stylish surroundings and a menu that clearly highlights gluten-free, organic and vegetarian dishes.

The choice runs the gamut of beef tartare with truffle oil to herring with salmon caviar, turbot with celery puree and duck breast with apple and avocado. If you’re on a plant-based diet, Krowarzywa Vegan Burger is the place to head.

The old and new town

Warsaw’s Nowe Miasto – New Town – isn’t really all that new. While most of it was rebuilt after World War Two, it dates back to the 15th century. It’s just not as old as the Old Town, which has another 100 years of history on its side. Either place is a good choice – you’re close to the main sights and attractions and you’ll be spoiled for choice for places to eat and drink.

Bag a room at the Mamaison Hotel Le Regina Warsaw and you’re not only in a prime New Town Location, you’re within a gorgeous building, the 18th-century Mokrowsky Palace. Step in from the cobbled streets and you’ll find yourself cocooned from the hustle, bustle and noise of Warsaw.

Opt for a deluxe room and you may have a terrace or even a private garden to relax in, while the décor is understated and comfortable. You’ve also got one of the city’s best restaurants under the same roof. At La Rotisserie you can enjoy veal and octopus ravioli, scallop ragout and pike perch confit with lovage and morels.

Wander outside and you’ll find dozens of traditional restaurants – as well as those places trying to drag Polish cuisine into the foodie era. At Magda Gessler’s Restauracja Polka, not too far from Castle Square, you’ll find a place somewhat in the middle. If you can get past the riot of chintz that is the interior, there are great takes on herring, potato cakes with sour cream, pierogi and plum-filled pork loin.

Even closer to the Castle is Przy Zamku which, as the décor suggests, cleaves closely to a hunting-style menu. Among the mounted heads and animal busts, make sure you arrive hungry for generous portions of wild boar stew soup with dumplings, saddle of venison steak with pâté and madeira sauce, and roasted quail with apricot stuffing. The apple strudel should finish the meal off nicely.

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