Chmielna 21
Sprinkled with palms, deckchairs and plastic pelicans and flamingos, Gemba’s courtyard is an exercise in kitschy fun during warmer times. But the hip undercurrent of this bar continues inside – adopting a loose-fitting PRL style, interiors include wood-paneled walls decorated with pics of Pope JPII, sporting pennants and framed artworks from the heyday of the Polish School of Poster. Tricked out with retro wallpaper, the perches by the bar are the most sought, but spillover seating can also be found in a winter garden enclosed by green and scarlet drapes – very David Lynch. Drinks include a broad-minded selection of craft beers, house cocktails and shots while the party spirit is reinforced by DJ sets, jazz jams and, get this, ‘drag bingo’.
Hoża 27
Tiny as it is, Aura’s Moroccan-style design is mysterious and engaging – promoting the heavy use of swivelly chrome stools and Persian rugs, the heavy hint of retro glam is balanced out by a crowd that strays into the head-turning category. Making them a real one-off is an exhaustive collection of bourbons.
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!
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 are a wild, happy whirl of international languages.
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.
Zwycięzców 49
Set inside a 1950s pavilion and signposted by zippy neon sign, find a cool café-bar on ground level, and a moodier space downstairs that has the atmospheric feel of a David Lynch film. The late hours and artistic clientele can have you thinking you’ve walked into a late 90s music video shot in Williamsburg.
Dobra 14/16
Known for its alternative music policy, the crowd is sourced straight from the local Academy of Fine Arts. With temperatures rising, sit on the wooden decking outside. The scrappy backdrop of bike repair garages give a vibe redolent of the shadowy courtyards of Berlin and Budapest.
Koszykowa 1
A wacky amalgam of New York’s Little Italy and China Town next door. The menu rocks, but find it augmented by a dynamic cocktail list that reflects the crazy things happening in Warsaw’s world of drinks. Lap these up in an interior that joins the retro with the avant garde: just check out that glittery disco ball.
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, red 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.
Kurcza 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 off-shoot of the atmosphere 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.
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.
Bagatela 10
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.
Pl. Trzech Krzyży 16
Set through a pinkish neon lit passageway, find yourself squeezing past the crowds to pass over little alcoves and different steps. Filled with waifish girls knocking back the Prosecco and tanned city boys in tight-fitting trousers, the courtyard is festooned with herby plants and leads to a 200-year-old carriage house that houses a bar selling classic seasonal sips.
