After three years in the pipeline Warsaw’s second outpost of Mielżyński is everything you’d expect from this market leader. Blurring the line between warehouse and bar, this vibrant space promises much, not least on account of a courtyard terrace deck that you just know is going to be the talk of the summer.

Owner Robert Mielżyński is widely credited with awakening Warsaw’s love affair with the grape when he launched the original Mielżyński in 2004, and his new Mokotów branch looks set to replicate that success. The choice of wine is prodigious, with over 500 labels present and prices ranging from zł. 40 all the way to the big league; cut through the noise by seeking counsel from the staff. They’ll sell you the right wine for the right time whilst overlooking the temptation to just lump you with whatever is expensive.  

Then there’s the menu. Avoiding needless complexities, the choice is coherent and understandable, and a celebration of simple, stylish food – on our visit that means a full-bodied chowder with big, meaty mussels, and a beef tenderloin served with polenta and zucchini: straight forward but perfect in every regard. Then, to wrap up with, a fruit crumble presented with homemade vanilla ice cream. There’s nothing fancy schmancy about it, yet it’s a triumph of a taste, texture and temperature. This is food that makes you feel good.

Open for little over than a month, this wine bar already looks a winner – a place that feels upmarket yet at the same time casual and inclusive. Most of all, it feels like a place in which you want to linger.

Mielżyński Na Czerskiej

ul. Czerska 12, click for website