Going Out: Republica de San Escobar

Settled inside one of Warsaw’s liveliest areas, we take a deeper look at one of the city’s latest cult hangouts…

What’s In A Name?

Depending on how you look at it, the name is either a reference to that Columbian dude Pablo, or a tongue-in-cheek dig at one of the more comic moments in Polish politics. The story is thus: back in 2017, the then foreign minister, Witold Waszczykowski, found himself the butt of all jokes after asserting that he had held meetings with nearly 20 countries “for the first time in the history of our diplomacy.”

Pushed to expand on this, he then namechecked an entirely non-existent paradise titled San Escobar. Memes flourished and the public went wild: so this, you see, is the root of the name. 

Tell Me More

Actually, it’s been possible to visit San Escobar for quite some time. Starting life in 2017, to this day it runs as a cult corner spot found in the depths of Hala Gwardii.

Serving craft beers and South American snacks, it’s become an essential part of this food hub, and a magnet for a fun-loving crowd that mingles with ease. As we all know, Hala Gwardii is great, but it’s the San Escobar unit that’s the greatest bit of all!

But… They’ve Grown!

That’s right. Not content with being the dons of Gwardii, the crew behind San Escobar have conquered new territory. Taking the space once occupied by Warsaw’s best-ever wing joint, Zkurczybyk, they’ve moved to open a new bar that seeks to emulate the success of their elder brother.

The Look

The previous tenant did a good job of kitting out the interior and filling it with a hip hop / steam punk / super cool vibe; aware of this, San Escobar have done little to transform this – well if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Remaining, you’ve got an interior filled with corrugated iron sheets, a zappy neon, exposed brick, bike pedals on the footrests and lots of chunky woods and brothel red lighting.

Even the signature piece remains: a wall designed to mimic a laundromat, only with the faces of the washing machines in-filled with pics or iconic rock gods.

… And The Vibe

Absolutely bloody brilliant. There’s a fun-loving spirit here that’s impossible to resist: bad moods are banned. Helping this are the dimensions – with such a small footprint, it takes about six people to generate an atmosphere, and as the night draws on you’ll find the party spilling outside on the tight pavement terrace.

Aiding and abetting the good times are the owners – keenly engaged in their project, find them working the crowd, buying drinks for their mates and even people who aren’t. And yes, the drinks: four or so craft beers on tap, and a range of quick-fix cocktails that’ll leave your legs bandy.

Final Word

We loved the place – lacking the usual kind of pretense associated with Warsaw’s city center, you feel that this is a bar where attitudes aren’t welcome. And with cult venues like Kraken, NOLA and Gemba just mere steps away, the opening of Republica San Escobar has created a kind of nocturnal Bermuda Triangle that’ll swallow you whole and leave you in pieces. Leave the passport at home, you ain’t going to be going anywhere after.  

Republica de San Escobar

ul. Poznańska 7 (enter from Wilcza)