You can try Polish food at its best in Warsaw the capital of Poland. Eating out in Warsaw is simple thanks to the big number of dining spots.

Thanks to living in Warsaw for over a year, I made my own list of best, most authentic and quite cheap restaurants serving Polish food. 

The best pierogi places in Warsaw

Gościniec Polskie Pierogi

Address: Podwale 19, Warszawa

Open: Mon-Sun: 11am-10pm

A small place specializing in the Polish dumplings. The portion of pierogi is 9 big tasty pieces.

For sour pierogi, you choose toppings from gravy, butter, and sour cream. Highly recommended if you are very hungry for good quality Polish dumplings.

Pierogi na Bednarskiej

Address: Bednarska 28/30, Warszawa

Open: Mon-Sun: 12pm -8pm

It is a legendary Warsaw place specializing in pierogi and popular among tourists. They offer 14 different types of pierogi and the restaurant can host over 60 guests at a time. They also serve the traditional Polish ryemeal soup żurek, borscht barszcz, and crepes naleśniki.

Zapiecek

Address: all the touristic locations Aleje Jerozolimskie, Stare Miasto, Krakowskie Przedmieście

Open: Mon-Sun: 11am-11pm

A chain of pierogi restaurants that’s popular among tourists. You’ll find Zapiecek in different Polish cities. Other traditional Polish meals: beef tripe a la polonaise flaki, potato pancakes placki ziemniaczane, sauerkraut and meat stew bigos, and grilled Polish sausage kiełbasa. The taste of their pierogi answers the quality of mass production – it’s OK but it lacks in the most valuable ingredient, passion.

The best Warsaw restaurants with traditional Polish food 

Przegryź

Address: Mokotowska 52, Warszawa

Open: Mon-Fri: 9am-10pm, Sat-Sun: 11am-10pm

Restaurant serving seasonal menu. 3 types of pierogi: meat z mięsem, sauerkraut and mushrooms z kapustą i grzybami, mashed potatoes and cottage cheese pierogi ruskie. They also offer traditional Polish chicken soup with noodles rosół and the typical Polish frikadeller mielony served with mashed potatoes and beets.

Pikanteria

Address: ul. Walecznych 68 A (Saska Kępa)

Open: Mon-Sun: 8am-11pm

They have a variety of Polish traditional meals that everyone affords. 7 types of pierogi, pork shank golonka, pork tenderloins polędwiczki wieprzowe, wild boar meatballs pulpety z dzika, Polish ryemeal soup żurek etc. On Thursdays, Pikanteria serves a special meal of eastern frontier or old Polish origin.

Dom Polski

Address: ul. Francuska 11

Open: Mon-Sun: 12pm-11pm

A fancy restaurant where you can take your business partner or other important guests for a traditional Polish meal. The entire menu is about traditional Polish food in an elegant style. You’ll find here dishes such as Pork sirloin in a wreath of fried cabbage in thyme sauce polędwiczka wieprzowa, traditional Polish-style pork ribs roasted in mead żeberka, saddle of venison served with potato dumplings stuffed with plum on cherry sauce comber z sarny.

The most authentic Polish food in Warsaw

The most authentic Polish food is to be found in ‘milk bars‘. That’s where all the locals looking  for a homemade lunch will come to eat.

Bar mleczny ‘Biedronka’

Address: Grójecka 79, Warszawa

Open: Mon-Sat:8am-7pm, Sun: 8am-5pm

Not to be confused with the popular chain of supermarkets! This milk bar will bring you back to the atmosphere of the communist times in Poland. Most popular are of course pierogi ruskie, but you can also try the taste of Polish childhood: noodles with strawberries makaron z truskawkami.

Bar Mleczny ‘Bambino’

Address: ul. Hoża 19, Warszawa

Open: Mon-Fri:8am-8pm, Sat-Sun: 9am-5pm

Located in the center of Warsaw serves authentic and very cheap meals. Great for early breakfast, lunch and dinner. Spacious and often visited by the locals. Try the delicious barley soup krupnik, cabbage soup kapuśniak or pierogi with blueberries pierogi z jagodami. For meat lovers, they have a long list of meat meals!

Bar Mleczny ‘Prasowy’

Address: Marszałkowska 10/16, Warszawa

Open: Mon-Fri: 9am-8pm, Sat-Sun: 11am-7pm

That’s where all the social stratum meets. Try the red borsch with small mushroom ravioli barszcz z uszkami, rice baked with apples and cinnamon ryż z jabłkami or Silesian potato dumplings kluski śląskie.