It’s no longer enough to settle for bog standard – as such, an ever-rising number of Warsaw hotspots are going the extra yard to provide bathroom facilities that go beyond the norm…
It’s no longer enough to settle for bog standard – as such, an ever-rising number of Warsaw hotspots are going the extra yard to provide bathroom facilities that go beyond the norm…
Paloma Inn
Poznańska 21
A wacky toilet has become almost a must if you’re running a bar on Poznańska, and that’s amply proved by the existence of Paloma Inn. Better-known for its Jetson-inspired bar and groovy menu of vegan fondue, the Kermit green colors of the bar come delightfully contrasted by a toilet that opens up to present a clockwork orange affair decorated with mandarin colored tiles, oval mirrors and a jolly toilet roll holder. You shouldn’t really hang around in toilets, but in this one you can’t help it.
VHS Bar
Poznańska 7
Winning our coveted ‘top toilet’ prize at the 2022 installment of our Best of Warsaw awards, VHS present a bathroom that is utterly unique. As a bar, this place is a zany homage to 80s pop culture, and they thrash that theme to the max inside a WC adorned with a portable hi-fi, a pair of pink flamingos, a chunky rotary phone and photographs of Mr. T, Mitch Buchanan and other poster boys of the period. Lit with fairy lights, and additionally adorned by a small jungle of plastic plants, there is nothing here that doesn’t make you smile.
Cybermachina
Nowy Świat 54/56
This labyrinthine games bar says FUN in capital letters. Buzzed on shots and cocktails with names like Robot Unicorn Attack and Angry Birds, visitors position themselves around an array of rooms decked out with vintage gaming machines, Pac Man neon, and display cases filled with cosplay ephemera – there’s even a mannequin of Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion. Into the bogs, and males will find their egos boosted by a urinal announcing ‘You’re Breathtaking’ in fluorescent 3D lettering. If you need a sit-down moment, then the throne themed toilet is out of this world.
Republica San Escobar
Poznańska 7 (enter from Wilcza)
One of our favorite bars of 2022 gets it right on oh so many levels – pint-sized it might be, but it doesn’t half pack a punch with its craft beer taps, industrial décor (think corrugated iron and bike pedals for footrests) and young, up-for-a-laugh crowd. Then there’s the toilet itself – signposted by a picture of a spaceman sitting on the lavatory, enter to find a scuffed room designed to evoke memories of Narcos: that means kitchen rolls and toilet paper dangling from rusty old firearms.
Va Bene Cicchetti
Waryńskiego 9C
Home to one of the most spectacularly operatic interiors to debut last year, the Venetian motif that streaks through Va Bene extends all the way to the bathroom downstairs. Whereas the ground floor presents itself in a flurry of voluptuous shades of scarlet, the descent to the toilet is akin to being submerged in the waters, so dominant are the deep, turquoise shades and wavy neons – it’s the most literal meaning of a ‘water closet’ we’ve yet to find. The biggest surprise though is saved for last – marked by a porthole, you enter to find something completely different – a monochromatic room that’s as classy as modern Italy.
Dock 19
Dobra 42 (Elektrownia Powiśle)
Since launching late in 2021, Dock 19 by Mateusz Gessler has become one of Elektrownia’s anchoring food and drink concepts, something considerably aided by a gorgeous design courtesy of the acclaimed set designer Boris Kudlicka – his vision is a classy ensemble of cinematic-style inspirations that merge well with the building’s post-industrial gait. The toilet, therefore, provides a WTF moment that stops you in your tracks with its graffiti-clad walls – the work of one of Warsaw’s best-known street artists, coming face-to-face with it is a zap, pow, woah moment!
Elektrownia Powiśle
Dobra 42 (Elektrownia Powiśle)
At Elektrownia, it’s not just Dock 19 that boasts memorable bathrooms. When you need a break from all that drinking and dining in their food hall, weave your way to toilets like no other. First passing old dials and meters saved over from this location’s previous role as a power plant, check into the male cubicles to find framed manuscripts, posters, photographs and time sheets saved over from this address’s previous incarnation. We’re told the female loo is also notable, but we thought better of sneaking in to see for ourselves.
Kraken
Rydygiera 9
You’ll know Kraken already, no doubt for their forever-busy Poznańska venture. Up in Żoliborz, their new sister bar follows much of the same style with an interior built around sea shack decorations and posters of Le Poulpe Colossal. Things take an even more bizarre turn in the toilet – at least the gents. Visit the cubicle and you’ll be confronted with a busy and eye-opening collage of vintage photos of sea heroes and tattooed and pierced body parts that, even, include the male genitalia: the more squeamish will want to zip up and get out, pronto! (Being a family friendly website, we’ve opted against bringing you picture proof, so just take our word…)
