Polish Cuisine Heaven at These 3 Upmarket Warsaw Eateries

You may not know this. But occasionally, amid of month-long McDouble benders washed down with watered-down light beer and street wine, all in my finest pair of athletic shorts and graphic cat t-shirts (shoutout to my cat shirt dealer in the Wan Chai Market), this Big Body does venture out and indulge in the finer things in life. 

And that includes refined, high-end Polish cuisine. 

Three names kept getting thrown around anytime I’d take to the trollish streets of Reddit, or the actual streets (aka the craft beer bars of Centrum), when it came to who was behind the best elevated, upmarket traditional Polish cuisine in Warsaw.

I tested them all and here is why each one of these restaurants should be on your Warsaw eating bucket list. 

Soul Kitchen

Website, Address, & Details:https://www.soulkitchen.pl/

• Location:Nowogrodzka 18A, 00-511 Warszawa

• Price: $$ - $$$

Soul Market was the first upmarket eatery specializing in traditional Polish and Eastern/Central European cuisine I visited in Warsaw. All major reviews, write-ups, and posts on Soul Kitchen made quite a bold claim that it was behind the best steak tartare not only in Warsaw but in Poland. 

I was slightly caught off guard when I arrived and chatted to the gregarious staff about this claim, each one of them looked me dead in the eyes and said it was true. With such conviction, I couldn’t say no. 

Well, after ensuring I ordered steak tartare at almost every subsequent restaurant I ate at in Warsaw, I can tell you that the proof is in the pudding and Soul Kitchen emphatically backs this claim up. I even circled back several times after just to confirm I wasn’t imagining things the first time.

It’s sweet, it’s sour, it’s silky, and it’s cut with regional ingredients rather than French classics (ex. They swap Dijon mustard for whole grain mustard and replace gherkins with dill). 

There’s a controlled chaos to this restaurant that really can’t be beat. You’ll find a pepper-haired, veteran violinist belting out classics like ‘Stand by Me’ while waiters and waitresses in freshly ironed shirts and black aprons/vests gracefully bob and weave amongst tableside steak tartare and duck service - all in a flower-embellished, brightly lit dining room. 

Other highlights include the massive golden fried schabowy (schnitzel) topped with a country-fried egg (seriously, it was big enough to feed three people) and duck with wild cranberries, winter apple, and a glossy red cabbage. Savory, sweet, mildly gamey, and encrusted with a crispy skin yielding to a tender, juicy bite. 

Absolute heaven.

Pale Ale Travel Tip:These are all popular restaurants in Warsaw, so I recommend making a reservation by calling ahead or booking online to ensure you secure a spot. I was lucky my first time venturing to Soul Kitchen as there was one available seat at the bar, however, I wouldn’t bank on being able to show up on a whim to any of these places and getting a table (especially Soul Kitchen and Stary Dom). 

Patelnia Patera

Website, Address, & Details:https://www.patelniapatera.pl/

• Location:Wilcza 29A, 00-544 Warszawa

• Price: $$

I would frequently walk by Patelnia Patera (which literally translates to ‘frying pan’ in Polish) on my way to several craft bars I would toss a few back at during my time in Warsaw. It caught my eye as I’d sneakily glance over at everyone’s plates on the outdoor terrace and couldn’t help but notice just how vibrant and colorful each dish looked. 

Also, each table always seemed to be in the middle of uproarious laughter and pure bliss. I wanted to be a part of that. So, I made a reservation one Thursday and showed up in my finest black polo shirt and Sperrys (don’t worry, I also wore pants). 

Patelnia Patera serves up authentic Polish cuisine with an Ashkenazi twist and influence. For example, the traditional Polish schabowy is breaded with slightly sweet, eggy challah bread (a common staple on major Jewish holidays). Melty, plump paninis (duck panini for the win) are also made with challah bread. 

It’s reimagined Polish fare that takes your taste buds on a familiar yet creative gastronomic journey. 

Of the three restaurants on this list, Patelnia Patera is the most homey. It’s one of those spots where the owner, Marta, can be found hugging and kissing old friends and family who swing by for an early evening meal. And, if she doesn’t know you, she’ll take a little time out of her day to chat and get to know a little about you. 

As someone who dined solo, it was one of the few restaurants where I didn’t really notice the empty chair across from me, as the owner would frequently check on me and make small talk. 

Having tested the limits and reached the Mount Everest of steak tartare in Warsaw (and Poland), it was only fitting that I mixed things up and explored the world of Baltic herring tartare. Paired with parsley butter and sourdough, it was the perfect mix of salty and creamy (especially thanks to the accompanying egg). 

The XXL schabowy called my name from the time I crossed the underpass at Centrum, which put my belt to its most arduous test yet. However, the honey-doused, sweet and sour cabbage and earthy potatoes somehow seemed to aid in digestion and ensure nothing was left to waste.

There aren’t many better meals out there.

Pale Ale Travel Tip:If you’re in the mood for more of a snack, make sure to grab yourself one of the legendary Polish street foods known as the ‘zapiekanka’. Check out my post breaking down two of the most righteous zapiekanki haunts in Warsaw.

Stary Dom

Website, Address, & Details: https://restauracjastarydom.pl/

• Location: Puławska 104/106, 02-620 Warszawa

• Price: $$ - $$$

Stary Dom is the show-stopper. It’s a place beloved by local Poles showing friends from out of town what Polish food is all about, businessmen and women discussing whatever new venture their companies should enter into, and everyone in between (like a chubby, balding 33-year-old dude who dines solo and is figuring out the next chapter). 

It’s also the perfect date night spot where you can throw on your finest blazer or cocktail dress and dig into some venison, roast goose, and other Polish classics. The high-beamed ceiling, wooden paneling, and glowing chandeliers will have you feel like you’re stepping back in time to the early 20th century, or that one tavern Gaston from Beauty and the Beast sang his eponymous, self-aggrandizing tune ‘Gaston’. 

I, of course, was deep in my quest to discover the best steak tartare in all of Poland, so opted for the tableside tartare service. While Soul Kitchen is the steak tartare G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time), Stary Dom is in the running. It’s slightly brinier but just as luxurious in mouthfeel thanks to the creamy richness of the egg yolk that’s permeated every little crack. 

I can never say no to the traditional Polish sour soup (made with fermented rye flour) and chased it with about a loaf and a half of bread (in Europe they just put a whole loaf of different breads in front of you and charge you for whatever you eat), which is probably one of the main reasons why I run so much yet still rock a bulbous waistline.  

But the coup de grâce (to my belt) of Polish cuisine came in the form of a venison steak braised in red wine sauce and accompanied by Silesian dumplings (traditional potato dumplings) and pan-fried beetroot. The sweetness of the pan-fried beetroot stole the show and really brought the dish together, leaving me with an epiphany that I need more deer in my life. 

And, because I was feeling spicy and gluttonous, I capped it all off with a shot of plum brandy and a standard two-part fruit cake. 

Stary Dom is elegance. It’s tradition. It’s regional. It’s everything you want in refined Polish fare. 

Channel Your Inner Iggy Azalea & Get Fancy in Warsaw

“First things first, I’m the hungriest.” - Iggy Azalea

There are certain cities where you just don’t ever have a bad meal. That’s Warsaw in a nutshell. Having spent nearly one month there, trying multiple restaurants, cafes, and bars per day, I can safely say that there wasn’t a single meal that I walked out of and was dissatisfied with. 

And, of the fifty or so spots that I gourmandized and imbibed excessively at, I can safely say that the above three were in a league of their own (sans Geena Davis - boom, still got it) and very much worth going out of your way to eat at. 

If you have any questions about traveling to Poland or need any recommendations for where to eat and/or drink, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email at [email protected]. 

For a quick-hit restaurant, cafe, and bar guide in Poland, make sure to check out this post - which boasts over one hundred popular eateries and watering holes (along with my thoughts).

Eat well everyone,

Big Body