The Best Restaurants on Nowy Świat (New World) Street, Warsaw

A. Blikle is a charming traditional cafeteria and dessert restaurant. It dates back to 1869, when it was established by the Blikle family. It is a great venue for tea and coffee with cakes and pastries. However, the menu has a wider range than that – good soups, huge tarts and fine ice cream make this the choice for those with a sweet tooth.

For a taste of Bavarian and Czech food with good beer, look no further than Bierhalle. The venue is like a mix of Munich’s beer halls and Prague’s Old Town pub scene all in one. To add to this bohemian mix, local Polish food such as pierogi is also cooked to perfection. The restaurant occupies a prime position on Nowy Świat and gets busy at weekends. Booking a table in advance is advised.

For the best chain of Polish restaurants, dine out at Zapiecek. While the company has premises all over the country, the Nowy Świat venue is in the heart of central Warsaw. It is located in a very handy location, just a one-minute walk from the metro, and within a few minutes’ walk of many of the key sights in Warsaw, such as the Chopin Museum, the Kopernikus statue and the Presidential Palace. On the menu, try the bigos and the pierogi ruskie. In the winter, the famous grzane piwo is also on the menu and goes down a treat.

To put it simply – Bar Mlecznys (Milk Bars) are a Polish institution. This one, Bar Mleczny Familijny, is a well-run family eatery and one of the cheapest places in central Warsaw for breakfast, lunch or early dinner. It is a daytime place, which usually closes around 7:45 p.m. Expect fast service and to share your table with others in a typical Polish environment. Recommended on the menu are the tasty soups such as chłodnik (beetroot and egg) and the homemade pierogi z mięsem (dumplings with meat) to be washed down with kompot (juice).

Poland is a surprisingly good country for finding tasty and meaty kebabs. Kebab King also has branches in Istanbul in Turkey, but their Warsaw venues are hugely popular and busy. The menu is consistent, and the brand offers an enticing choice of kebabs. From cheese kebabs to fitness kebabs, from vegetarian kebabs to the Turkish iskender, it’s the best kebab house in this area. It also has free Wi-Fi, plenty of seating and serves beer on tap. It is open 24 hours.

Another excellent option on Nowy Świat is Dawne Smaki (former tastes), which is arguably the most authentic and sophisticated Polish restaurant in the city. Here, you can get really traditional Polish cuisine, taking you in a step back in time. It is a swanky venue with real character and charm, evoking childhood memories for locals and introducing foreigners to the best of Polish cuisine and culture. Top-class chefs cook up dishes such as roast duck with apples, potato pancakes or cheesecake made of cottage cheese. All of course, with a Polish twist. Evenings are a great time to visit as there is often live music, attracting queues, so be sure to book your table in advance.

For those who just want a decent burger but with a quirky range of fillings, popular chain Bobby Burger will satisfy your taste buds. The restaurant does a 19 złotych (US$5) lunch menu which includes a burger, chips and a soft drink. Only the classic and the cheese are included in that promotion. If you’re feeling adventurous, try some of the brand’s trademark burgers including the ‘Double Death by Cheese’ or the ‘Mango and Onion’.

For your fix of excellent Indian food, head to the trendy Bollywood Lounge on Nowy Świat. With an Indian-style interior and a scrumptious Indian menu, this is a little taste of Delhi right in Poland’s capital. On the menu, try the tikka salad, broccoli nut soup or the butter chicken. In fact, the menu is packed with Indian dishes, which means you are spoilt for choice, with plenty of vegetarian options, too. At nighttime, there is sometimes dancing here, and the basement turns into a late-night bar.