Just a few steps down from the City Center’s buzzing food and drink street, Nowogrodzka, Soul Kitchen feels like a descent into something deeper—richer, warmer, more soulful. A perennial favorite for visitors and locals alike, it’s a place where traditional Polish flavors get a tasteful reboot, delivered in a candlelit setting that hums with energy and warmth.

The dining room is alive with motion. Waitstaff—decked out in folkloric attire (minus the white gloves, thankfully)—glide between tables like practiced dancers. They’re alert, efficient, and refreshingly unpretentious. No one’s leaning on a wall or scrolling a phone here. This is hospitality at full tilt.

Candlelight flickers from the long communal table anchoring the room, while smaller parties orbit around it, often leaning in to share “you-have-to-try-this” reactions. On a recent visit with out-of-town friends, we took advantage of their al fresco sidewalk patio and  I steered them toward two of my usuals: the truffle beef tartare and the pork schnitzel. Predictably, both ended up starring in their Instagram stories—and again in our “best of” trip recap.

This time, though, a couple of seasonal stunners stole the show: the delicate, just-in-bloom zucchini flowers stuffed with creamy cheese, and a cloudlike beza (meringue) topped with strawberries so sweet and ripe they tasted like peak June.
But the sleeper hit—my personal obsession—was the octopus with white asparagus. It’s a dish that plays with texture in surprising ways, turning each bite into a miniature composition. The flavors don’t shout; they harmonize, like a perfectly layered melody.

To drink, we explored a couple of Polish bottles worth hunting down. The Solaris 2023 from Turnau Vineyard is sunshine in a glass—dry, tropical, and subtly sweet, with notes of melon, pear, and citrus. It pairs especially well with lighter fare and the zucchini flowers. For mains, especially game or beef, go for the Jakubów R&R7, a red blend from Lower Silesia. Full of dark cherry and raspberry notes, it’s velvety and structured, with a flicker of spice and chocolate on the finish.
If you’re looking for an experience that showcases Polish cuisine at its most refined yet unpretentious, Soul Kitchen is where to start—and likely where you’ll want to return.