Food Diary

Otto Pompieri
A revelationary new find with NYC-style pizza and an interior that’s retro Little Italy. With mood and food in perfect alignment, it’s a welcome addition to Warsaw’s pizza sector.

Koreanka
A brilliantly engaging courtyard hidey-hole – yet though the kimchi is spot-on, the bulgogi limp and largely emasculated of fire and heat. Still, this remains one of the most talked-about joints of the year.

Karma
Extra hot vindaloo? Coming right up. Though dark and empty when this Insider visited, the lack of footfall was no reflection of the food – a brilliant work of flash and spice.

Maho
Gosh, this place really is in the middle of nowhere. Not that this deters anyone – diners are happy to cross town to eat at Maho, a fabulous Turkish restaurant whose grilled meats have become legend.

Chmielarnia
Who ever thought of pairing Indian food with craft beer was a good idea was right. Perhaps not one of Warsaw’s elite curries, but nonetheless Chmielarnia remains a reliable performer.

Ban Bao
Asian street tastes have swept Warsaw, and so too the realization that cheap food doesn’t always mean inferior food.

Specializing in bao – soft and pillowy steamed buns cascading with slow-cooked meats and crunchy veg – this spot has attained a serious sense of buzz. The bao wow aside, the Kimchi fries always hit the mark.

Rozbrat 20
A pioneer of the neo-bistro philosophy, R20’s menu draws on many of the techniques and flavors associated with fine dining, but with none of the overkill and formality: on the contrary, it’s a place to be enjoyed.

Aiding that pursuit of pleasure is an awesome wine selection and a menu constructed by the upcoming Bartosz Szymczak – his star just keeps on rising.