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Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps WARSAW August - September 2008 Łazienki Park Warsaw in bloom Old Town Walking tour inside N°46 Poland - 5zł (w tym 7% VAT) UK - £5 EU (excl. Poland & UK) - €3 www.inyourpocket.com ISSN 1641-5264 T Restauracja Polska Warsaw, 7 Chocimska Street, Reservation: Ph: 0 22 848-12-25 Ph./fax: 0 22 848-15-90 radycja Restauracja Polska Warsaw, 18A Belwederska Street. Reservation: Ph: 0 22 840-09-01 Ph./fax: 0 22 840-09-50 4 CONTENTS E S S E N T I A L C I TY G U I D E S Contents Arriving in Warsaw The Basics Getting to grips with Warsaw 16 17 20 21 29 40 76 78 94 94 The chances are you’ve had enough of concrete and sirens, in which case make haste to Łazienki, the ancient stamping ground of Kings and Queens. Today open to the public, this huge park packs it all in – from museums to bars to concerts of Chopin. Read more on p8. History Culture & Events Concert listings Where to stay To suit all pockets Dining The highs and lows Cafés Nightlife Bars, Clubs, Vice, Advice Palace of Culture Old Town Courtyards and a fine cathedral Jewish Warsaw Praga The other side of Warsaw Warsaw Uprising Chopin Wilanów 109 110 112 115 116 118 119 122 128 Gay Warsaw Sightseeing What to see Check out the highlights Getting around From A-B Mail & Phones Keep in touch Directory Shopping Directory 130 134 139 140 142 144 145 146 xperience unique dining e w and A completely ne arsaw... has arrived in W Maps & Index Warsaw’s Old Town was practically flattened by the Nazis, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it walking around its cobbled streets today. Rebuilt from scratch the area is an architectural masterpiece, and packed with hidden corners and forgotten stories. Take our idiot-proof walking tour on page 110. Photo by Jarosłąw Pocztarski. City centre map City map Country map Street index Listings Index Feature Index Villa Rossini Open daily 12:00 - 23:00, Closed Sunday ul. Tyniecka 16a, Warsaw, tel. 022 201 35 88, www.villa-rossini.pl Warsaw In Your Pocket 6 FOREWORD It’s got to be tricky being Warsaw. No matter how hard it tries people just don’t like it very much. Earlier this year a poll by Trip Advisor declared Warsaw the second dullest city in Europe, narrowly beaten into the runners up spot by Brussels. And much like the class geek it keeps getting flattened during lunch break – the Swedes, Germans and Russians have all had a pop, and their brutish efforts have left the city nursing rather more than a poke in the nuts and a Chinese burn. Any normal city would wave the white flag and limp home, but this place is made of sterner stuff. Warsaw’s never given up – the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising is evidence enough – and neither should those who visit it. It’s easy to get the sinking feeling when you arrive – whether it be triggered by the sly smile of a cheating taxi thief at the airport, or the pungent stench of the bunker style train station. Fortunately the negatives soon subside, helped no doubt by the raft of bars and the skirted pussycats residing inside. New look Warsaw is hot news, and if you don’t believe us then just take a trip down the main street, Krakowskie Przedmieśćie. A decade ago this ancient route of kings and princes was a trafficclogged mess; a lumpy custard of melted tarmac and scumbag pubs. Now its been officially re-opened as a pedestrianized boulevard, while right next door efforts have been doubled to rebuild the glorious Saski Palace. The city has changed faster than Clarke Kent, and gluing it all together are a jumble of sights that range from the top class to the downright bizarre. Where else can you find solar-powered watches from the 19th century, streets named after Winnie the Poo and melted tail fins from crashed planes. You’ll find all the above here, and once you’ve done your tourist duties you’ll be rewarded with ample opportunity to act like an utter dingbat in the clubs and bars the city is becoming famed for. Enjoy it. As always we welcome all feedback. Send your witty asides to editor_poland@inyourpocket.com. Editorial E S S E N T I A L C I TY G U I D E S Writer Alex Webber, Craig Turp Assistant Editor: Karolina Montygierd-Łojbo Research Anna Hojan, Katarzyna Laskowska, Justyna Pelczarska, Grzegorz Hajduk Events Klaudia Mampe Design Tomáš Haman Photography Alex Webber, Lena WachackaSuray, Rentapocket Cover istockphoto.com Europe In Your Pocket Like dominoes the capitals of the Balkans are falling in the wake of In Your Pocket’s onward march. After Athens, Belgrade, Ljubljana and Split, the launch of Novi Sad In Your Pocket at the beginning of July will be followed by guides to Sarajevo and Banja Luka before the year is out. Add in new editions of the Tirana, Skopje, Pristina and Podgorica guides, and you have a full set. Elsewhere around the Pocket Empire we are pleased to announce that our guides have reached Britain: Glasgow In Your Pocket will be explaining the meaning of a Glasgow kiss to all and sundry by December 1, 2008. And we barely have space to mention the imminent publication of the long-awaited Moscow In Your Pocket. Copyright notice Text and photos copyright WIYP Sp. z o.o. 1999-2008. Maps copyright cartographer. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, without written permission from the publisher and copyright owner. The brand name In Your Pocket is used under license from UAB In Your Pocket (Vokieciu 10-15, Vilnius, Lithuania tel. (+370-5) 212 29 76). Publisher WIYP Sp. z o.o. ul. Paderewskiego 1, 81-831 Sopot Company office & Accounts Basia Olszewska 058 555 08 31 warsaw@inyourpocket.com www.inyourpocket.com Printing CGS Published 25,000 copies, 6 times per year Sales & Circulation Director: Małgorzata Drząszcz 0606 749 676 Assistant: Bartosz Matyjas 058 555 98 18 Kraków/Katowice/Zakopane Representative: Anna Chłapek 0668 876 351 Warszawa/Łódź Manager: Lena Wachacka-Suray 0606 749 643 Wrocław/Poznań Manager: Anna Wyrzykowska 0606 749 642 Gdansk/Bydgoszcz Manager: Monika Kitson 0503 057 142 Editor’s note The editorial content of In Your Pocket guides is independent from paid-for advertising. Sponsored listings are clearly marked as such. We welcome all readers‘ comments and suggestions. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of going to press and assume no responsibility for changes and errors. Maps Agencja Reklamowa POD ANIOLEM Rynek Główny 6, Szara Kamienica 31-042 Kraków, tel./fax 012 421 24 48 agencja@pod-aniolem.com.pl Warsaw In Your Pocket 8 ŁAZIENKI to the park’s southern entrance, in front of the Belvedere Palace. Orientation around the park is relatively easy given the prominent placement of maps in key locations. As most paths were designed to deposit visitors at the Palace on the Water, it is nigh on impossible to get lost. Łazienki Refreshment Tips Though picnics on the lawn are taboo, don’t come to Łazienki without plenty of liquid refreshment. Though there are kiosks and cafes all over the park, they charge utterly extortionate prices. At 7zł for a 250ml bottle, the Sprite we bought at the Trou Madame café and kiosk opposite the Palace on the Water could well be Europe’s most expensive. Cakes here are better value, costing 10-15zł. There is also a so-so restaurant serving decent enough soups, salads and such like, though again at unacceptable prices. Indeed, if you fancy a coffee, the best - in every sense - of the park’s terraces is the Amphiteatr café, just behind, you guessed it, the Amphitheatre. Botanical garden G-4, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, tel. 022 553 05 11, www.ogrod. uw.edu.pl. You should begin your day at Łazienki by first visiting the superb Botanical Gardens, the entrance of which is on Al. Ujazdowskie, just south of Plac Na Rozdrożu. Part of the University of Warsaw the gardens have the usual collection of green houses with exotic, weird and wonderful species from all over the world, but what brings in the crowds are the stunning rose gardens just behind the main entrance. A riot of colour when in full bloom the gardens are the preferred subject matter of the pretty students from the nearby art college who set up their easel and paints early doors and stay until the guards kick them out at sunset. Indeed, given such cracking scenery it is tempting to find a bench and do the same.Q Open: 09:00-20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00-20:00, Last entrance 60 minutes before closing. From September Open 10:00-18:00. Admission 3/1.5zł. Łazienki Park Anyone who still thinks that Warsaw is a city of concrete and cement has clearly never been to the city’s lung, the incomparable Łazienki Park (G-4). Quite simply, this glorious, 17th century park, spread over 74 hectares, is one of the jewels in Poland’s crown, which might explain why half of Warsaw chooses to spend its summer Sundays here. Fear not though, for so big is Łazienki that it never gives the impression of being crowded, and even on the busiest of days you will always be able to find a quiet, shady corner somewhere. Łazienki - meaning baths - takes its name from the Palace on the Water, originally built in the 17th century as a bathhouse. Bought by the last king of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, in 1772, the baths were converted into a private residence - taking the name Palace on the Water - and the grounds formally laid out as a private garden by Karol Ludwig Agricola and Karol Schultz. Today dotted with palaces and mansions, cafes, restaurants, lakes and theatres, there is much to see in Łazienki and to make the best of it you should plan to spend close to a full day here. Before packing a picnic and the cricket set however, you should note that Łazienki, for all its charms, is further evidence of the fact that Eastern Europeans have never quite grasped the idea of what parks are actually for. With superbly kept grass at every turn, perfect for picnics, pick up games of cricket, softball, football or whatever else it is people get up to in parks in the western world, Łazienki takes a very stern ‘look but don’t touch’ attitude when it comes to its lawns. If you don’t believe us, try sitting on a lawn and see what happens… Around Łazienki If you enter the park via any of the entrances on Al. Ujazdowskie, chances are you will end up, willingly or not, via some surprisingly hilly paths set with tall trees, at the vast artificial lake in the park’s centre, straddled by the magnificent Palace on the Water. In doing so however, you risk missing out on a few treasures, so try to circumnavigate the park instead. Make your first port of call the Chopin Monument, a Secessionist monument sculpted in 1908 and set at the side of a small pond. Chopin is depicted right here in Łazienki, sheltering from the sun under the branches of a tree. Almost hidden Getting there Any number of buses stop in front of the park’s three main entrances, on Al. Ujazdowskie, including Nos. 108, 116, 119 and 166. From the city centre however perhaps the easiest way of reaching Łazienki is to take a tram from Centrum to Pl. Unii Lubejskej, and walk 100 metres along Bagatela Warsaw In Your Pocket 10 ŁAZIENKI open to the public, set in their original context. To get the best out of the palace we recommend taking one of the excellent (though pricey) guided tours (usually available in English twice a day). North of the Palace on the Water the Museum of Hunting & Horsemanship (Muzeum Myślistwa i Łowiectwa, ul. Szwoleżerów 9, (H-4), 022 522 66 30 , Admission:6/4zł. Open 10:00-16:00, Thu 10:00-15:00, Sat, Sun 10:00-17:00, www.muz-low.com.pl.) is worth a quick visit, though make sure you have time too for a guided tour of the magnificent, semi-circular and recently restored Myśliwiecki Palace (Pałac Myślewicki, ul. Agrykoli 1 (G-4), Admission 3/2zł. Open 09:0016:00, Closed Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat. Last entrance 60 minutes before closing.). The residence of the king’s nephew, Józef Poniatowski, the palace is very much ‘as was’ complete with original murals, furniture and art. Guided tours are obligatory and depart every half an hour throughout the day. in the trees a few meters from Chopin is the astonishing Temple of the Sibyl (closed to the public) an 1820s replica Greek Temple, built entirely in wood. Look out too for a gaggle of other little buildings around here, such as the Hermitage, the Egyptian Temple and the Water Tower. None are als open to the public. Head next for the Belvedere Palace (ul. Belwederska 52, (G-5), 022 695 19 80.) residence of the Polish President from 1918 to 1995 (it is today used to house visiting foreign heads of state). Built in 1694 but thoroughly remodeled in 1818, most of the building is predictably off limits, though a small exhibition dedicated to Marshal Piłsudski is open to the public during summer weekends when the president is not in residence. For the best views of the palace and some outstanding photo opportunities, you should look at it face on from Al. Ujazdowskie: it is a wonder of Neo-Classical design, complete with tympanium and oversized Corinthian columns. Less grand but equally impressive is the little White House (Biały Dom, ul. Agrykoli 1, (G-4), Admission 5/3zł. Open 09:0016:00. Closed Mon. Last entrance 60 minutes before closing.) a gorgeous summer house built in 1774 for the king’s sisters, and now open to the public, displaying a fine collection of period furniture and decorations. A few steps away is the impressive Old Orangery, one of very few surviving court theatres in the world. It dates from 1774 and is still used today to host chamber concerts, as well as being a popular wedding venue for Warsaw’s wealthy. Part of the building houses a museum of sculpture. From here head back past the White House, resist the temptation to head straight for the Palace on the Water and instead head south, towards the New Orangery. Built in cast iron and glass it was designed by Józef Orłowski and opened in 1861. It is home to the upmarket Belvedere restaurant. Crossing the tail of the serpentine lake, follow the path that leads along the embankment until you hit the Amphitheatre, also known as the Theatre on the Island. Built to resemble the amphitheatre at Herculaneum, the theatre hosts productions throughout the summer, though unless you fancy seeing Henry V in Polish these will hold little interest for foreign visitors. It is enough just to admire the setting before heading for one of the kitsch (one features an enormous swan) but irresistible gondolas which ferry up and down the lake. A short trip costs 7 zł per person, and trips depart throughout the day - you may have to wait for the boat to fill up before the gondolier sets off however. Dropping you off exactly where you departed, your next stop should be the Palace on the Water (Pałac na Wyspie, ul. Agrykoli 1, (G-4). Admission 12/9zł. Open 09:00-16:00, Closed Mon. Last entrance 60 minutes before closing.) Łazienki’s raison d’etre. Today a museum almost all of the palace can be visited, including the main reception room, Solomon’s Hall, decorated in the most extravagant of Baroque styles. Many of the king’s personal rooms are also Ujazdowski Castle We have saved our favourite part of Łazienki for last, however. The Ujazdowski Castle (Museum Of Modern Art/CSW; Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski; G-4, ul. Jazdów 2, tel. 022 628 12 71 ext.135, www.csw.art.pl; Open 11:00 - 19:00, Fri 11:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. Admission 12/6zł, Thu free) was completed in a baroque style in 1730, and survived two centuries and score years before being gutted by fire during WWII. (It was lucky to escape total destruction: the retreating Nazis actually tried to blow it to pieces, as they did a number of Łazienki’s finest buildings). But as is so often the case, what the Nazis couldn’t the communists could, and though the original walls and foundations remained structurally sound in the 1950s Poland’s communist authorities decided to tear down the shell of the building and place a military theatre on the site. Common sense prevailed however, and the 1970s saw Ujazdowski rebuilt to its original plans. It today plays host to three large exhibition halls dedicated to showcasing the very best of contemporary art inside; find a wild mix of the good, the bad and the ugly, featuring the work of Poland’s leading contemporary artists here. Worthy and undoubtedly necessary, the gallery also houses a very good bookshop and the café, Kuchnia Artystyczna, which has a terrace whose views over the park, Warsaw and what appears to be half of Poland are jaw dropping. One not to miss. Warsaw In Your Pocket 12 PROPERTY In the past second home buyers have tended to focus on sunshine destinations such as Spain and France, though recent trends show this is gradually changing. Poland in particular has enjoyed a boom in foreign interest, and the country has seen a large surge in European buyers lured by the promise of cheap prices and fast profits. Poland’s accession to the EU in 2004 further accelerated this trend and foreign property ownership is now far more common than one would expect. Poland’s fast growing capital city has seen a particular spurt of interest. Poland’s messy political situation, high unemployment figures and massive brain drain will not come as news to anyone with the vaguest sense of the world around them. With unemployment hovering at around 16.5% over a quarter of a million Poles have registered to work in the United Kingdom alone, with the magazine Polityka claiming that as many as a million have migrated to British shores. So why invest in Poland when the future looks so uncertain? Firstly the exodus of young Poles largely concerns those in low-skilled jobs, and analysts predict many will return once their cash has been made. Meanwhile, those in white collar positions are just as likely to locate to Poland’s burgeoning cities, such as Warsaw and Kraków.The glory days of making vast profits on property may have come to an end, but Warsaw still presents a very attractive investment opportunity. While you’ll be lucky to find a property that appreciates 20-30% in value per annum, Mike Judge of Poland Property, claims that an annual appreciation of 12% is still achievable. According to government sources the population of Warsaw could double in size by the year 2010. With salaries rising and people flocking to Warsaw Steve Doran of Capital Properties expects the growth in the real estate market to continue for a minimum of seven years, ‘Warsaw will still be the place to invest in as it grows as an international business centre, added to the fact a million people or more will relocate to Warsaw in the next five to ten years’. Conversion to the Euro (projected for 2012) is seen as a further economic kick, and for the time being the message is clear: get in while you can. while lacking the obvious charm of older properties will provide owners with far fewer migraines. Much of Poland remains mired in paperwork, and while Doran claims the bureaucratic situation is no longer the nightmare it once was, buying a new property will mean much of the paperwork will be negated to the developer. According to Naughton the biggest pratfall awaiting potential buyers comes in the shape of the ubiquitous pub pest who knows it all. ‘Always use a reputable broker with a license and a solicitor to represent you and check out the title deeds.’ Both Judge and Doran agree on the importance of finding a good solicitor, and all property companies will be able to recommend one. Expect to be paying approximately 1,000 Euro to a lawyer dealing on your behalf, and do consider handing him the power of attorney to sign documents on your behalf. Doran further advises for prospective buyers to only deal with known developers and to be aware of any monthly management fees. Rip-off scams are rare, but its imperative that buyers choose the right area. Proximity to a metro line is seen as important, or if you’re driving then make sure you have access to underground or guarded parking. Mokotów is seen as a favourite expat colony, while Wilanów more suited to families looking for detached housing. Those wishing to rent their property can expect yield of anything between 5-12%. Prices In general expect to pay around €2,950 per square metre for an unfinished downtown property, and around €1,800 per square metre in an area like Mokotów. Immediately outside Warsaw €299,000 will buy you a three bed, two bath house (200m2) with garage, on a plot of 1,500m2 at the Britishstyle Czarny Las development (www.czarny-las.pl). It is always having as much information at your disposal when making an investment particularly in a foreign country. Mamdom’s Tim Hill has written the definitive book on buying property in Poland based on his 15 years experience and you can pick it up by visiting www. inyourpocket.com and clicking on the property link or by visiting Amazon.com The buying process According to John Naughton of Krakowbased TNI Properties (www.tniproperties. com) your first step will be to find a reputable broker, view and select a property: ‘Choose a solicitor and arrange a notary for the preliminary agreement. A foreigner will also require a licensed translator. The final agreement can be up to four weeks later. If the property is off-plan then a reservation is usually the first step followed by a preliminary in which the developer is awarded the building permit – the planning permission will be in place prior to the reservation. The final agreement will then be signed during the handing over of the keys. The bank will usually take care of the stage payments after the first 20% has been paid.’ Although Poland’s political situation remains volatile laws regarding taxation are not expected to change dramatically. Facts & Figures, Pros & Cons According to Doran 95% of investors are looking for new builds, and as tempting as it may seem to buy a period residence bear in mind many properties will require renovation, which means futures costs. New developments, Contacts Mamdom www.mamdom.com Capital Properties www.capitalproperties.pl Emmerson www.emmerson.pl Poland Property www.poland-property.net Warsaw In Your Pocket 14 QUICK PICKS Warsaw condensed Eat Local To taste what life under communism was like you could pay a visit to a milk bar, then again you could save yourself a dose of the trots and eat at Oberża Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem (p 69), a communist themed dining room where dishes are named in honour of great dictators. Fool the locals you’re one of them by taking the pierogi challenge at Zapiecek (p 71), or go upmarket and dine at Różana Restauracja Polska (p 69), or dive into plates of deceased animals at Chłopskie Jadło (p 66). Drink & Dance Most boozers in Warsaw come decked in glittering, neon twittery, so to find a locals bar is something of a relief. Take a look at Chłodna 25 (p 76), a scruffy bar that doubles as an HQ for Warsaw’s artsy element. If listening to beret clad twerps popping off about what Kafka really meant isn’t your scene then take a trip to Browarmia (pg. 91). This is beer hall drinking Polish style with a decent menu to help soak up the Polish ales which are brewed on-site. If you’re in old town then Pub 14 is a living legend, and has a great location behind the Barbakan walls (p 84). Local Sleep Do it in style by stepping into the Polonia Palace (p 31), an art nouveau structure that’s seen everything from a victory banquet hosted by Eisenhower, to the Miss World girls back in 2006. Alternatively why not live like a Pole (a well-off one, granted) and book into one of Residence St Andrew’s Palace (p 38), a smashing set of serviced apartments inside a picturesque courtyard. Alternatively, Castle Inn (p 32) is wonderfully atmospheric, and right in the old town. If you’ve had enough of staying in places that smell of socks and cabbage you’ve now got a couple of decent choices. Finding a hostel in Warsaw is as hard as spotting a panda; Nathan’s Villa (p 39) was the first, and remains the best. Further up the ladder check out the Etap (p 36) and Premiere Classe (p 36). See QUICK PICKS Do Take in the local customs by attending a church service (see p. 96), or concern yourself with studying the effects of the local firewater – vodka. Any bar will do, though Sense (see p. 49) reputedly has the most extensive collection in the city. 15 The Palace of Culture (p 109) is the chap you’re after. Built as a gift from the Soviet people this monster is Warsaw’s defining landmark, and a great reminder of Poland’s socialist heritage. A trip to the viewing platform is a must, even if it’s firmly wrapped with fog. Next on your list, visit the Warsaw Uprising Museum (p 117), a superb tribute to the most brutal chapter of the cities history. Cheap For seriously good value head to Namaste (p 51) for some of the best Indian food in Central Europe – you’ve got no chance of getting a table (there’s two to choose from), so get your curry bagged up for take-out. Choice number two: make for the top floor of the Złote Tarasy mall to visit the new Warsaw Tortilla Factory (p 74). Brilliant burritos with salsa that will make you see stars. Nowhere beats ‘the secret garden’ (p 89), a scabby collection of divey bars situated behind Nowy Świat. This is beatnik Warsaw at its best, with drinks going for as little as 5zł. Best of all, this being studentland, don’t be surprised to find yourself befriended by pretty pinups looking to practice their English. Do look out for happy hours and promotions. For instance the Hilton’s Axis bar (p 78) doles out free snacks with each drink, while Babooshka (p 72) gives out beer for 4.50zł during their happy hour. To dance head for Club 70 (pg. 86) where your old cast-offs won’t look out of place. Get a one way ticket to Bierhalle (p 78), Poland’s best microbrewery and a guaranteed memory loss experience. For Sky Sports, darts and fry ups then head to Bar Below (p 78), an expat stronghold where weekends pass in a blur, or go for the rugby lads fave Bradleys (p 89). If you’re behaving well and dressed to the nines then make your way to Platinium (p 88) to check out the best in Polish totty. Zip to the 40th floor of the Marriott to check out starry views of Warsaw from the comfort of the Panorama Bar (p 83), though check beforehand they’re not closed for renovation. Or why not impress the other half by cabbing it to Porto Praga (p 84), home to some of the best cocktails in Poland. Cheap Aspiring scrooges should start off by checking our ‘what to see’ section (p 95). Nearly all museums and galleries will open their doors free to the public once a week. If old coins and broken pottery don’t do it for you then why not just walk around – the old town won’t disappoint (p 110). Cheerful it ain’t but it’s free and gives you a star tling look at life during Nazism. Pay a visit to Pawiak Prison (see p. 98). Lads Hit the Warsaw Tortilla Factory (p 74) to eat scorching hot burritos served by birds with corking hooters. Live bands and knock-dead cocktails wrap things off nicely in this piece of Warsaw folklore. If you’re in need of post-pub food then don’t even think of getting a kebab out here. Instead get to Przekaski Zakaski (p 72) for round-the-clock sausages, herring and vodka shots. If you can’t afford a night in Le Regina then do the next best thing and take a meal in the hotel restaurant, La Rotisserie (p 48). For something completely over the top then make haste to Ale Gloria (p 66), an upmarket Polish restaurant that’s not unlike sitting inside a strawberry wedding cake. And don’t forego a visit to Villa Rossini - unforgetable (p 57). Two standout choices here. First off Rondo Royal (p 46), a venue so exclusive you sometimes need an invite to eat here – play safe and book ahead or get your concierge to do it for you. Next, Villa Rossini, a fantastic spot which gunning for the title of Poland’s best restaurant (p57). Lads If you’re touring in numbers and want to do it in style then go for one of the five star giants - Sheraton (p 31), Marriott (p 34) and InterContinetal (p 30) are all nice and central, and you’ll find some great rates online. Cheaper options, but equally adept at coping with groups, are the Ibis (p. 34) and Mercure Grand (p 32). For the perfect honeymoon check into Le Regina (p 30), Poland’s premier boutique effort and a supremely pampering experience. Alternatively, relive the days of Lindbergh and Lempicka by booking into the Rialto (p 31), a townhouse fitted exclusively in art deco style. No shortage of fine lodgings in this city, just point your nose in our Cream of the Crop hotel section (p 29) and roll the dice yourself. Keep an eye out for weekend deals which allow you to stay in luxury in return for a bag of buttons. Sightseeing is for lemons, right? Right. Learn all you need to know about Poland by packing into Vegas (p. 92), Warsaw’s best strip club. If you’ve spunked a load of cash on dancing girls then win it back in the casino – try the one in the Marriott Hotel (p 89). Dress up in your Saturday finery and head to a show. Check out what’s on on p 21. Alternatively check out the monument to that daddy of doomed romance, Chopin, by heading to the rose garden in Łazienki Park (p. 118). See how the expats live it up each weekend by rolling up for a Sunday brunch (p 68). Practically all the five star hotels hold them, but our hands down fave is the Hilton - after a summer break they’ll be starting their brunches again on September 7. Fire of f deadly weapons, tear around on quad bikes or leap out of planes These pleasures are yours if you get in touch with www. warsawstagnights.com. Couples Couples Go on a horse-drawn carriage around old town, or head to Łażienki Park (p 8) to feed peacocks and ducks amid landscaped gardens. Splurge The beautiful and the damned head to Cinnamon (p 85), though the attitudes are so revolting here we suggest you bypass it altogether. Go instead to Sense (p 84), an surefire hit with expats and celebs alike and home to some mighty dangerous cocktails. If it’s clubbing you’re after then the excellently designed Opera (p 88) is a real favourite with a higher end clientele. Elsewhere Platinium (p 88) is a fantastic looking pleb-free zone. A no-brainer this one. Get your radar homing in on Praga, the seat of Warsaw’s anarchists, artists and assorted eccentrics. There’s plenty of places to choose from but two stand out in particular. First off Łysy Pingwin (The Bald Penguin) (p 76), a scrappy venue where jobbing actors play boules in the courtyard and budding DJs look for their big break. Across the street W Oparach Absurdu (p 86) is as bonkers as Alice in Wonderland, and always alive with theatre queers taking languid puffs on unfiltered cigs. Splurge Hi t th e sh ops. Th e area around pl. Trzech Krz yz y (C-4) is lined with designer boutiques, while old town is filled with art galleries and antique stores. Abstract Head to Fabryka Trzciny (p 54) to dine in a former factory, or else get to KOM (p 48), where the no expense spared interiors include a copy of the Enigma machine and a hand-blown replica of Copernicus’ solar system. And then there’s the menu, every bit as inventive and innovative as the interior. Finally, Le Cedre (p 64), a Lebanese spot with window views of a bear pit. Abstract Cheapskates should go for the Oki Doki (p 39), a hostel with a difference; each room comes designed by a different artist, with results that speak for themselves – book into rooms with names like The House of a 1001 Hands. Those looking for something more upmarket will be should go for the Castle Inn (p 32), owned by the same people and with views peering onto the Royal Castle. There’s nothing more nutty than the Museum of Technology (p 109), where exhibits include pub jukeboxes, 8 bit computers, the Engima code machine, old washing machines and other absolute nonsense. After that pose for a photo on Winnie the Poo street (C-3 ul. Kubusia Puchatka). Nail your wallet to your pocket and head out to the markets of Warsaw to view everything from Vietnamese chaps selling comedy clocks, to haggard old bats selling the family silver for knockdown prices. The Russian market (p 115), Bazar Na Kole and bazaar Różyckiego are all worth the trip. Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 16 ARRIVING Arriving by bus Coaches arrive and depart - unless otherwise stated - from the Warsaw West Bus Station (Dworzec Autobusowy Warszawa Zachodnia). Find a currency exchange in the main hall (08:30 - 17:00, Sat 08:00 - 15:00, Sun 10:00 - 14:00). An ATM (bankomat) operated by PEKAO bank can be found in the main hall to the left of Kasa 1. There is no Tourist Info point, for the closest you’ll have to make the journey into Warsaw Central Train Station. You can leave any bags you have at left luggage by following the signs to ‘skrytki bagażowe’ where you’ll find lockers (8zł for a large bag for 24hrs, 4zł for a small one), as well as multi-lingual explanations on how to use the contraptions. There are five payphones located in one of the side corridors though you’ll need to buy phone cards to use them. You can do that by visiting one of the Relay kiosks in the main hall. You’ll also be able to buy SIM cards, prepaid cards and transport cards from here. ELE taxis stand outside the entrance and will charge you about 20zł to the centre. Refuse a lift from any of the smiling unlicensed operators who offer you a lift. The bus running to the centre is found right across a busy highway and getting there is an adventure in itself seeing there are no signposts in the subway leading there. Basically from the main hall duck down under the sign saying Dworzec PKP head down the stairs, turn , right, follow the corridor to its conclusion, turn right again - you’ll see two stairwells leading to the surface. Take the left one and presto, there’s your bus stop. Confused? Not half as much as we were. Good work Warsaw. Bus Z7 runs to the Central Train Station, and from September this will be replaced by lines 127, 130 and two nightbuses: N35 and N85. The journey takes approximately 15 minutes so buy and 2zł ticket valid for 20 minutes. Remember to validate your ticket on boarding. Jumping in a taxi is the easiest way to get into the city, and there is a taxi rank right outside Terminal 2 from which three certified companies are allowed to operate: SAWA, MPT and Merc. The fare to the city centre will cost around 30-40 złoty, though be on guard for unlicensed sharks operating in the area - they’ll charge some three or four times that. Journey time takes between 15 and 30 minutes depending on traffic. Cheapskates can get bus number 175 to the city centre (it terminates at Warsaw’s main railway station), which stops in front of arrivals at Terminal 2 and Terminal 1 as well as by the Etiuda low-cost terminal a few hundred metres away. Tickets cost 2.80zł and you no longer need an extra ticket for baggage. Remember to validate your ticket on boarding in one of the yellow electronically operated ‘kasowniks’. Buses run frequently between 04:50 and 23:00 with journey time taking approximately 25 minutes. BASICS Facts & Figures Territory Poland covers an area of 312,685 square kilometers and is the ninth biggest country in Europe. It borders the Baltic Sea and seven countries, namely the Baltic Sea (528km), Belarus (416km), Czech Republic (790km), Germany (467km), Lithuania (103km), the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad (210km),Slovakia (539km) and, Ukraine (529km). Longest River Warsaw is split by the river Vistula (Wisła). At 1,047km it is Poland’s longest river and flows into the Bay of Gdańsk (Zatoka Gdańska). Highest Point The highest peak is Rysy (2,499m) in the nearby Tatra Mountains. In comparison Kraków’s landscape is flat and the city lies 219m above sea level. Population (2007) Poland 38,126,000 Warsaw 1,702,139 Kraków 756,267 Łódź 755,251 Wrocław 634,630 Poznań 564,951 Gdańsk 456,658 Katowice 314,500 Sopot 40,666 Local time Poland is in the Central European (CET) time zone (GMT+1hr). When it’s 12:00 in Warsaw it’s 11:00 in London, 12:00 in Paris and Berlin and 19:00 in Tokyo. Polish summer time (GMT+2hrs) starts and ends on the last Sundays of March and October. Twin Towns Astana, Berlin, Budapest, Chicago, Düsseldorf, Grozny, Hague, Hamamatsu, Hanoi, Harbin, Kyiv, Moscow, Ile-deFrance, Istambul, Riga, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, St. Etienne, St. Petersburg, Taipei, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Vienna, Vilnius 17 City Card City Card , www.warsawtour.pl. The Warsaw City government has a tourist card called strangely enough ‘The Warsaw Tourist’ card. As with tourist cards the world over this gives you either discounted or free entry into a majority of the city’s museums plus free travel on the city’s transit network of trams, buses and metro. Also available with this card are discounts to many galleries, hotels, recreation facilities, shops, bars and restaurants around the city. For a full list of places which accept the card please check www.warsawtour.pl. The cards are available from tourist information points around the city including the airport and main railway station and sell for 35zł for th 24hr card or 65zł for a 3-day version. strapped down to a bed, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest-style, and if you’re luck is really low you may find yourself having daylights beaten out of you by the guards. Refreshment comes in the form of limitless coffee, though the mug it comes in will smell of urine for a reason. Credit cards not accepted. 42 20, www.lotnisko-chopina.pl. Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (Port Lotniczy im. Fryderyka Chopina) ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1, tel. 022 650 Arriving by train Warsaw Central Station (Warszawa Centralna) is exactly what it says on the tin: central. What it isn’t is easy to navigate. From alighting the train you should take one of the two facing escalators in the centre of the platform which will lead you up into one of the underground passages that flank the main hall. Whichever side you come up on you will be one level below ground level and the ticket hall. To change money look for a Kantor (money exchange) sign. Some of these are open round the clock, and there is also a Western Union office if you need emergency cash. ATMs (bankomats) can be found scattered around with several in both the passageways and the main hall (hala głowna). Tourist Info (08:00 - 20:00) can be found in the main hall and can provide you with maps etc. Tickets for the public transport system can be bought from most of the newspaper kiosks. Left luggage is located in the underground corridor that runs below the main hall. Look for Przechowalnia Bagażu whose stewards will look after your bag in return for 5zł per day. Coded lockers are also available - 8zł for 24hrs for a big bag, 4zł for a small one. Payphones can be found in the main hall with cards available from all the kiosks. Connect to a Polish network via mobile by getting SIM and pre-paid cards from the same newsagents. Both entrances of the main hall are covered by taxi ranks, and by passing via tunnels under the main road you’ll find bus and tram stops though once you enter the signs are more of a hinderance than a help and you may never be seen or heard of again. Officially sanctioned ELE taxis can be found outside the main entrance. The days of ordering train tickets in fractured Polish are over. Now open by the Relay shop close to the arrivals/departure board is an office run by Polish rail (info line 022 94 36, www. intercity.pl). Open from 09:30 - 22:00 (hours subject to change after summer), the multi-lingual staff here can search for the cheapest/easiest connection, sell you international and domestic tickets, and can help plan your trip for you. The services don’t stop there. They can organize hotel rooms, restaurant reservations, taxis and even flower delivery. zolimskie 54, tel. 022 94 36. Climate Poland has a temperate climate with hot summers and cold winters. Seasons tend to be more pronounced than in the west and temperatures can get down as low as -20 C in winter and as high as +30 C in summer. The coldest weather tends to hit around February although the last couple of winters have been fairly mild. Below is a graphic showing average temperatures and rainfall. 300 30 01 30, www.pks.warszawa.pl.Q Ticket Office Open 05:30-22:00. Main Bus Station (Dworzec Autobusowy Warszawa Zachodnia) D-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 144, tel. 0 Customs If you are travelling within the EU those over 18 can now take 10L of spirits, 90L of wine and 110L of beer. Most countries will not allow more than 200 cigarettes from Poland. A work of art produced before 1945 is classified as a ‘cultural good’ and must be authorised before it can leave the country. If the gallery or shop can’t supply the zaświadczenie (permission) when you buy the artwork, check with the Wojewódzki Konserwator Zabytków (Regional Curator’s Office). If a book was printed before 1945, you’ll need permission from the National Library to take it out of Poland. Arriving by car Warsaw is located in the heart of the country and as befits a capital has the most extensive road communications with other major Polish cities. Having said that the competition on the road’s front isn’t fierce. You will have the benefit of arriving in Warsaw from most directions on at least dual carriageway for the final few kilometres. Once you enter the city limits Warsaw traffic can become a serious problem particularly during the week. Most major hotels are located in the central area and you should be heading in most cases for the Central Railway Station (Dworzec Warszawa Centralna) and its neighbour, the Palace of Culture (PKiN). Parking in the central area is generally available on-street where there are standard parking charges payable at roadside machines. Most major hotels will offer some form of off-road guarded parking. Be warned that Polish roads and Polish drivers are not the best especially if you have driven in western Europe. Booze While Polish beer elicits mixed reports from the foreign community, Polish vodka stands alongside the best, and the country is rightfully seen as the ancient home of the wicked sauce. The elite brands are commonly accepted as being Chopin and Belvedere, though those who fancy themselves as connoisseurs of mixology should try swallowing a tatanka - a sweet blend of Żubrówka vodka (produced with a blade of bison grass in the bottle) and apple juice. Drunks hankering for something a little more fiery should look no further than ordering Mad Dog (Wściekły Pies) - a mix of vodka, Tabasco and raspberry juice; it’ll leave you seeing stars. One more to look for, and a specialty hailing from Gdańsk is Goldwasser - a sweetish vodka sprinkled with goldleaf. But stand warned: Polish beer and vodka are rocket fuel. If you’re determined to make a prat of yourself then make sure it’s not in front of the law. A trip to Warsaw’s premier drunk tank (ul. Kolska 2/4) will set you back 250zł for a 24 hour stay. In return for your cash expect a strip search, a set of blue pyjamas and the company of a dozen mumbling vagrants. Those resisting arrest will find themselves Climate 80 20 Rainfall Temperature 70 18 16 60 14 50 Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (Port Loniczy im. Fryderyk Chopina) has seen numerous changes in recent times, in particular the opening of Terminal 2, a glass and steel giant that sits rather awkwardly next to the older Terminal 1. Spacious and user friendly the new terminal now handles almost all incoming and most outgoing traffic (the exceptions are budget airlines - which use the Etiuda Terminal - and some of the holiday charters that still make use of Terminal 1. Terminal 2 is now (finally) equipped with a Tourist Info stand, ATMs, exchange offices and kiosks, as well as a spread of car rental offices. Warszawa Centralna Train Station A/B-4, Al. JeroWarszawa Wschodnia Train Station H-1, ul. KiWarszawa Zachodnia Train Station D-4, ul. Tunelowa 2, tel. 022 474 57 42. Wasteels B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 54, tel. 022 474 42 20, www.wasteels.com.pl. Cut price international tickets, dished out by English speaking staff. QOpen 08:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun. Rainfall (mm) 12 40 10 30 8 6 20 4 10 jowska 16, tel. 022 473 72 97. 2 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 0 Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, www.imgw.pl Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 Temperature (°C) Arriving by plane 18 BASICS Electricity Electricity in Poland is 230V, 50Hz AC. Plug sockets are round with two round-pin sockets. Therefore if you are coming from the UK or Ireland you are definitely going to need a plug convertor. The best place to pick these up is at home as our residents Brits will testify although if you do arrive without a covertor you can try your hotel concierge or reception. If they don’t have one the best place to pick one up is at one of the big electrical outlets often situated on the edge of town. Our advice is save yourself the hassle and get one in the airport as you leave. BASICS Market values Prices in Poland are still fairly competitive despite increases over the last couple of years particularly in the prices of cigarettes. Here are some typical everyday products and prices. Market values as of 23rd July 2008 based on €1 = 3.21zł Product Price (zł) Price (€) MacDonald’s Big Mac 6,90 zł € 2,15 Snickers 1,40 zł € 0,44 0.5ltr vodka (shop) 25,00 zł € 7,79 0.5ltr beer (shop) 3,00 zł € 0,93 0.5ltr beer (bar) 10,00 zł € 3,12 Loaf of white bread 1,50 zł € 0,47 € 2,48 20 Marlboros 7,95 zł 1 ltr of unleaded petro (98) 4,99 zł € 1,55 Local transport ticket (1 journey) 2,40 zł € 0,75 banks or outside ATMs, at which point the natives will assume a stance as far as possible from the next man, often leading to confusion who is and who isn’t queuing in the first place. Note that some municipal offices and post offices employ a ticket system to help organize queues. 19 Smoking Smokers tired of relentless persecution in the west will be delighted to know that few countries can boast such a fierce commitment to the habit as Poland. Although the number of male smokers has plunged from 70% of the population down to 38% in recent years, this is still very much a tobacco friendly country. Poland is fast becoming the major European production centre for leading cigarette brands, with Phillip Morris, Imperial Tobacco and British American Tobacco all being major investors in the economy. Those gunning for a lung-busting taste of a traditional local brand should keep their eyes peeled for brands like Sobieski, Extra Mocne and Meski. Bear in mind that it is taken as bad luck to light your snout off a candle, especially if you are close to the coast; an action which apparently guarantees the death of a sailor. Non-smokers are in for a tough time, and the tobacco free sections (dla niepalących) of restaurants are often in the nether-regions of the venue. Language smarts Many Poles, particularly younger people, have a fairly healthy command of the English language. Many will also be adept at other European languages with German being the most commonly spoken. Older Poles will fiercely contest that they have ‘forgotten’ the Russian taught to them at school but most will still have a reasonable understanding. Mastering the Polish tongue can be a terrifying ordeal and will often result in personal degradation as shop assistants laugh at your flustered attempts. That aside, learning a few key phrases will smooth your time in Poland and may even win you friends and admirers. On the positive side Polish sounds as it appears. This is a great help once you know how to pronounce each letter/combination of letters. Many letters represent the same sounds as they do in English. Below we have listed those particular to Polish. Basic pronunciation of Polish vowels ‘ą’ sounds like ‘on’ in the French ‘bon’ ‘ę’ sounds like ‘en’ as in the French ‘bien’ ‘ó’ is an open ‘o’ sound like ‘oo’ in ‘boot’ Basic pronunciation of consonants ‘c’ like the ‘ts’ in ‘bits’ ‘j’ like the ‘y’ in ‘yeah’ ‘w’ is pronounced like the English ‘v’ ‘ł’ like the ‘w’ in ‘win’ ‘ń’ like the ‘ny’ in ‘canyon’ ‘cz’ and ‘ć’ like the ‘ch’ in ‘beach’ ‘dz’ like the ‘ds’ in ‘beds’ ‘rz’ and ‘ż’ like the ‘su’ in ‘treasure’ ‘sz’ and ‘ś’ like the ‘sh’ in ‘ship’ ‘drz’ like the ‘g’ in ‘George’ r is always rolled and stress is generally always on the last but one syllable. Think you’ve got that? Here are some words and phrases to get you started. Civilities cześć dzień dobry dobry wieczór dobranoc tak nie proszę na zdrowie dziękuje przepraszam kocham cię Mam ma imię Jestem z Anglii hi/bye good morning/ afternoon (do-bri vyeh-choor) good evening (dobrah-nots) good night (tahk) yes (nyeh) no (prosheh) please (nah zdrovyeh) cheers (jen-koo-yeh) thank you (psheh-prasham) sorry (koham tshe) I love you (mam nah ee-myeh) My name is (yehstem zanglee) I am from England Where are the toilets? Do you (male/female) speak English? I don’t speak Polish Please write it down Can I smoke here? One beer please (cheshch) (jen do-bri) Flowers As in much of Eastern Europe the giving of flowers comes with a sophisticated set of rules. Should you wish to stay on the right side of your lover, parents-in-law, etc pay heed to the following. Always give an odd number of flowers (or stems) unless the occasion is a solemn one. If visiting somebody with flowers be sure to remove the paper before you arrive. Decorative foil can be left on. Always give flowers with your left hand in order to shake or kiss the right hand of the recipient. Attention should also be paid to colour. If you’re proposing, then it’s red for your fiancée and pink for her mother. Pink flowers are also considered the most neutral, so when in doubt use those. Yellow is the colour of envy, chrysanthemums are for the dead and carnations remain unpopular, especially among women, due to their communist connotations. Good luck. Street smarts In this guide we have used the following Polish words and their abbreviations: street - ulica (ul.) avenue - aleja (Al.) square - plac (Pl.) market square - Rynek district - osiedle (os.) Religion For over one thousand years Poland has been a bulwark of Catholicism, fighting against the horrors of pagan invasions and looking to Catholicism for a sense of social and national unity. When Poland was partitioned in the 19th century, many turned to the church for solace and during the communist era, underground resistance meetings were surreptitiously held in churches. The deceased Polish-born Pope John Paul II remains a genuine source of pride for all Poles, and is beloved in a way more profound than cynics in the West can understand. Many Poles genuinely believe that John Paul II single-handedly started the overthrow of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe. Small wonder then, that your average Pole takes Catholicism very seriously. Those used to the more easy-going habits of the West may find the Polish enthusiasm a bit unnerving at first, particularly the solemn and opulent processions that occur from time to time and the droves that flock to mass. Toilets Generally speaking toilets in Poland come marked with a circle for women, and a triangle for men. Although the habit is gradually dying some restaurants and bars still charge a nominal fee for use of their facilities - no matter how much cash you’ve already spent in the establishment. This is a practice also used in train stations and most public conveniences. Money Thinking of paying for your tram ticket with one of the 100zł notes in your pocket? Think again. Small shops, newsagents, public toilets, even the occasional fast food franchise and bar, will refuse to break a large note for you. As annoying as coins can be, do carry small change for such moments. Notes come in denominations of 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 złotys, and there are 1, 2 and 5 złoty coins. One złoty equals 100 groszy which come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 groszy coins. Currency can be exchanged at airports, hotels, banks and anywhere with a sign proclaiming it to be a Kantor and you will also be able to withdraw currency at a bankomat using your ATM card. A Kantor will often provide better value than the banks in your home country or the ATM although for obvious reasons be very wary of Kantors in the airports, bus stations and close to tourist sights. Shopping around will reward you with the best rate. The Polish currency has been exceedingly strong in recent years and the value of the dollar has nearly halved while you will be getting 25-40% less złoty for your euros and sterling than a couple of years back. Having said that prices for food, drink, cultural venues and transport still remain comparatively cheap in contrast to Western Europe. A ticket to the theatre or cinema will rarely cost more than 20zł while admission to most museums costs around 5-10zł. Water Not a problem in new buildings, but clapped out plumbing in the older places mean that you shouldn’t be surprised if orange gunk comes pouring out of the tap. In general Warasw water is safe to drink though it tastes nasty and occasionally looks worse. No problems are associated with using it to brush your teeth, though bottled water is extremely inexpensive and easy to find. If you see locals gathered around a street tap with plastic flagons they’re simply taking advantage of one of Warsaw’s many natural wells. Safety In general Warsaw is far safer than most Western cities, and visitors are unlikely to face any problems. Petty crime does exist, and travellers should be on guard against pickpockets working tram and bus routes by the train station. If you’re in a bar or a restaurant keep your wallet inside your trouser pocket, not inside a jacket casually left lying around. The brevity and dexterity of Warsaw’s criminal community has led to a spate of thefts from unattended coats. Those travelling by car are advised to use a guarded car park. Robberies on overnight trains are not unheard of, especially on the routes connecting Warsaw with Prague and Berlin; book a couchette or a sleeper cabin. Avoid being ripped off by opportunistic taxi gits by using clearly marked cabs, something to bear in mind around the train station and airport. The officially sanctioned state company MPT (tel. 9191) is possibly the best bet, and their switchboard features English speaking operators. The vagrants and pondlife who gather around the train station are by in large harmless and easil y ignored. Warsaw’s right bank has traditionally enjoyed something of a no-go reputation, though that is slowly fading; nonetheless avoiding the area around Wschodnia train station at night is wise. Quick currency convertor PLN 1 zł 2 zł 3 zł 4 zł 5 zł 6 zł 7 zł 8 zł 9 zł 10 zł 20 zł 50 zł 100 zł 150 zł 200 zł 250 zł 1 000 zł US$ 2.02zł = $1 $0,50 $0,99 $1,49 $1,98 $2,48 $2,97 $3,47 $3,96 $4,46 $4,95 $9,90 $24,75 $49,50 $74,26 $99,01 $123,76 $495,05 Euro 3.21zł = €1 € 0,31 € 0,62 € 0,93 € 1,25 € 1,56 € 1,87 € 2,18 € 2,49 € 2,80 € 3,12 € 6,23 € 15,58 € 31,15 € 46,73 € 62,31 € 77,88 € 311,53 Pound 4.04zł = £1 £0,25 £0,49 £0,74 £0,99 £1,23 £1,48 £1,73 £1,98 £2,22 £2,47 £4,94 £12,35 £24,69 £37,04 £49,38 £61,73 £246,91 Necessities Gdzie są toalety? (gdjeh song toalety) Czy mówi pan/pani (che moovee po angielsku? pan/panee po angyelskoo?) Nie mówię po (nyeh moovyeh po polsku polskoo) Proszę to napisać (prosheh toh napeesatch) Czy można tu palić (che mohzhnah too paleech?) Jedno piwo (yedno peevo pohpoproszę prosheh) Numbers 1 2 3 10 General Airport Train station Bus station Right/left One ticket to First/second class jeden dwa trzy dziesięć lotnisko dworzec pkp dworzec pks prawo/lewo jeden bilet do pierwsza/druga klasa Queuing Years of practice during the cold war era has meant that the Poles have truly mastered the art of the queue: more to the point, the art of queue barging. Whether you find yourself at a ticket counter, or your nearest KFC, do not make the mistake of being patient. ‘I’m late for something, can I go first’ is a common ploy used to fool foreigners into giving up their place in a line. Old people in particular seem to assume that they should by rights be able to take position at the head of a line. The only time when the common rules of etiquette seem to apply are in yehden dva tshi jayshench Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 20 HISTORY Early fortified settlements on the site of today’s Warsaw were Brodńo (dating from possibly as early as the 9th century) and Jazdów (12th century). History books suggest that the Duke of Płock stayed on the grounds of a small village called Warszowa after a raid on Jazdów in 1281. In the 14th century it became one of the seats of the Mazovian Knights, and in 1413 Janusz the Elder made Warsaw his main residence, signaling its rise to prominence. In 1526 Warsaw was incorporated into the Polish crown and the town rapidly grew in size and stature. 1569 Poland and Lithuania are united and parliament shifts from Kraków to the more centrally located Warsaw. 1596 King Sigismund III Vasa moves his court to Warsaw. 1655 - 1660 sees prolonged warfare with Sweden. 1700 - 1721 The Great Northern War sees Polish forces run ragged by the Swedes and Russians. 1764 Stanisław August Poniatowski becomes king. His finest hour comes in 1791 with the signing of a constitution that promises sweeping reforms. Russia invades in 1792 to quash the constitution and in 1793 the Second Partition of Poland promises the end of the Polish state. 1795 Austria, Russia and Prussia impose a third partition of Poland, effectively ending Polish independence. 1807 Napoleon’s troops enter Warsaw and a semiindependent Duchy of Warsaw is created. Following the collapse of Napoleon’s campaign in Russia, the 1815 congress of Vienna rules that Warsaw is to come under Imperial Russian tutelage, effectively wiping Poland off the map for over a century. November 23, 1830 An armed uprising in Warsaw takes the Russians until September 1831 to crush. 1863 - 1864 Citizens of Warsaw again try and fail to topple the governing Russian government in what becomes known as the January Insurrection. Warsaw flourishes for the next half a century under Mayor Starykiewicz. 1918 The end of World War I leads to the collapse of the partitioning powers. Polish hero Józef Piłsudski is released from detention in Germany and assumes control of Poland. Warsaw is once again the capital of an independent Poland. 1920 Bolshevik troops invade Poland, but are beaten back after the epic Battle of Warsaw, effectively saving post-WWI Europe from the Red Army. 1921 The foundation of the first modern Polish constitution and beginning of what is commonly called the 2nd Polish Republic. 1939 August 23 - The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact is signed. Based around Soviet/German non-aggression it effectively carves Poland up between the two. Poland is invaded on September 1, with the first gunshots fired on the Westerplatte Peninsula in the north, signaling the start of WWII. On September 16 the east of Poland is invaded by the USSR, and Poland capitulates six weeks later. 1944 August 1 – Poland’s Home Army launches the Warsaw Uprising with the intention of liberating Warsaw from Nazi occupation. It ends in defeat two months later with the city in ruins. 1945 January 17 - Soviet and Polish units enter the rubble of Warsaw. Total destruction stands at 84%, civilian losses are estimated at over 700,000. 1945 Poland falls under the Soviet sphere of influence - business is nationalized; political and religious leaders are imprisoned and deported. From 1945 onward Poland falls under the Soviet sphere of influence. Business is nationalized and political and religious leaders are imprisoned. With much of the capital, Warsaw, in ruins, Łódź is used as Poland’s temporary capital until 1948. In 1947 the Communists consolidate a political monopoly after rigged elections. In 1955 the Warsaw Pact is created and Warsaw’s Palace of Culture is completed. Władysław Gomułka becomes Poland’s premier in 1956 and a political thaw begins. Events in Gdańsk are the first to rock the system; protesting about plunging living standards workers at the Lenin Shipyards call a strike in 1970, with the army promptly called in to intervene. Bloody clashes lead to the deaths of 44 workers, and ultimately force Gomułka out of power. The late 1970s witness a dramatic drop in living standards and spiraling prices; a half-mad economic policy propped up by foreign loans is exposed as useless. 1978 sees Cardinal Karol Wojtyła elected as Pope and taking the name John Paul II. The following year he returns for a nine day tour of his native Poland in what is regarded by many as the pivotal point in the collapse of communism. Preaching 32 sermons in nine days his brief return offers hope and unity to Poles, and lights the flame that will later explode in the Solidarność (Solidarity) revolution. 1980 A general strike is called in August by the fledgling Solidarność trade union, led by shipyard electrician Lech Wałęsa. 1981 Martial law is declared by the Minister of Defence General Jaruzelski on December 13. 1982 Solidarność is outlawed by the government. 1983 Martial law is lifted in July and most political leaders released from prison. Lech Wałęsa receives the Nobel Peace Prize. 1985-88 Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika reforms initiate a period of liberalization, though economic crisis and popular frustration continue to deepen. 1989 Following more strikes Solidarność is legalized. Partlyfree elections are held. Solidarność sweeps the elections and the Communist regime collapses. 1990 Lech Wałęsa becomes the first popularly-elected president of post-Communist Poland. 2004 Poland enters the European Union on May 1, 2004 sparking a mass exodus of young Poles seeking their fortune. 2005 April 2 Following a long battle with illness Pope John Paul II passes away. His funeral in the Vatican is attended by a million Poles. CULTURE & EVENTS Poland is an increasingly important centre of culture, and artisans, performers and musicians from all over the world now regularly arrive here to showcase their various talents. From art house sculptors to top-name bands, In Your Pocket is dedicated to bringing news of these events to as wide an audience as possible. Besides the listings on the print guide, we also regularly update our website with all the news and events as they reach us, sometimes after our print guide has gone to press. For the latest event information make www.inyourpocket.com the first place you visit. 21 Ujazdowski Castle ext.135, www.csw.art.pl. The Centre for Contemporary Art is a place for the creation and documentation of art in all its forms. The Centre achieves its goals through exhibitions, performances, presentations of visual theatre, concerts of contemporary music, screenings of experimental films, video art, shows and creative workshops, as well as various interdisciplinary events. The centre was established twelve years ago and is an ongoing work in progress, a unique feature of which is the way the developing art programme is correlated with the reconstruction and organization of the architectural spaces of the Castle in which the Centre is housed. The Museum Of Modern Art/CSW realizes about 400 projects a year. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Fri 11:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. Admission 12/6zł, Thu free. Ujazdowski Castle (Museum Of Modern Art/ CSW) (Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski) G-4, Al. Jazdów 2, tel. 022 628 12 71 Art galleries 22 40, www.greengallery.pl. Contemporary photography, paintings, graphics. A new exhibition with vernisage hits the gallery every month. QOpen 12:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission free. Kordegarda C-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 15/17, tel. 022 421 01 25, www.zacheta.art.pl. Avant garde weirdness. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon. Admission free. Stairs Gallery (Galeria Schody) C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 39, tel. 022 828 89 43, www.galeriaschody.pl. QOpen 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Admission free. tel. 022 827 58 54, www.zacheta.art.pl. Unmissable. One of the leading galleries in Poland, with a focus on the contemporary. QOpen 12:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. Admission 10/7zł., Thu free. Bali Gallery (Galeria Bali) B-3, ul. Jasna 22, tel. 022 828 67 71, www.galeriabali.pl. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. Green Gallery B-1, ul. Krzywe Koło 2/4, tel. 0 601 33 Zachęta National Gallery of Art (Zachęta Narodowa Galeria Sztuki) B-3, Pl. Małachowskiego 3, Cinemas All films (except kids films) are shown in the original language with Polish subtitles. The Poles have become obsessed with multiplex cinemas - they’re everywhere, and most of the big shopping malls can boast one. Expect to pay around 15zł plus for a ticket. Atlantic B-4, ul. Chmielna 33, tel. 022 827 08 94, www. kinoatlantic.pl. Q Box office open depending on repertoire. Mokotów), tel. 022 456 65 00, www.cinema-city.pl. Also at Promenada (ul. Ostrobramska 75), Bemowo (ul. Powstańców Śląskich 126a),Sadyba (ul. Powsińska 31) and Janki (PL. Szwedzki 3) shopping malls. Q Box office open 10:00 - 22:45. Tickets 16-25zł. PU Femina A-2, Al. Solidarności 115, tel. 022 654 45 45, www.kinoplex.pl. Shabby multiplex. Q Box office open depending on repertoire. Tickets 13-20zł, Tue, Thu 13zł. P Iluzjon F-5, ul. Narbutta 50a, tel. 022 646 12 60, www. fn.org.pl. Alternative, underground and cult films. Q Box office open depending on repertoire. Tickets 10-17zł. Kino.Lab G-4, Ul. Ja zdów 2 (Centrum Sz tuki Współczesnej), tel. 022 628 12 71 ext. 135, www. kinolab.art.pl. Independent and alternative gallery and cinema. Very artsy, baby. Q Box office open depending on repertoire. Tickets 6-12zł. Kinoteka B-4, Pl. Defilad 1 (Palace of Culture), tel. 022 826 12 99, www.kinoteka.pl. Multiplex in the heart of the Palace of Culture. Q Box office open depending on repertoire. Tickets 13-20zł. Luna F-4, ul. Marszałkowska 28, tel. 022 621 78 28, www.kinoluna.pl. Q Box office open 09:00 - 20:00. Tickets 5-16zł. Cinema City Mokotów E-6, ul. Wołoska 12c (Galeria Tickets 13-24zł. 201 16 10, www.multikino.pl. Every Wednesday at 12:00 parents with children under the age of 1 year can watch a film with their child. Tickets cost 10zł and include 2 seats: one for the parent and one for the baby. During the screening, lights are only dimmed, the temperature is higher than usual and the sound is turned down. Two changing tables are also available. Multikino Złote Tarasy A-4, ul. Złota 59, tel. 022 201 16 10, www.multikino.pl. Also on Al. Ken 60. Q Box office open depending on repertoire. Tickets 17-27zł. Muranów A-1, ul. Andersa 1, tel. 022 831 03 58, www. muranow.gutekfilm.pl. Flagship cinema of Gutek Film (Polish independent film distributor). Imagine a high street cinema, England and you get the idea: faded velour, grumpy staff, flickering picture and fabulous films... Q Box office open depending on repertoire. Tickets 10-18zł. Orange IMAX ul. Powsińska 31 (Sadyba), tel. 022 550 33 33, www.kinoimax.pl. Q Box office open depending on repertoire. Tickets 20-24zł. PYAUL Paradiso B-2, Al. Solidarności 62 (Museum of Independence), tel. 0 515 14 40 07, www.paradiso.blox. pl. Independant cinema. Loads of flicks by Lynch, the Cohen brothers and Greenway. Q Box office open depending on repertoire. Tickets 5-13zł. Silver Screen G-5, ul. Puławska 17, tel. 022 852 81 11, www.silverscreen.com.pl. One of the poshest cinemas in town. They also have what’s known as the Platinum Screen, which boats extra big seats, free refreshments and fewer plebs. Q Box office open depending on repertoire. Tickets 15-32zł. MultiBabyKino A-4, ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), tel. 022 Cultural Centres Mazovia Region Centre of Culture and Arts A-3, ul. QOpen 08:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Admission free. Elektoralna 12, tel. 022 620 39 62, www.mckis.waw.pl. Cultural institutes British Council B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 59, tel. 022 695 59 00, www.britishcouncil.pl. In addition to the teaching and learning of the English language, this is a fabulous centre offering something for everyone: free internet access (standing only), British newspapers (broadsheets only), a library and a small collection of classic British videos (Fawlty Towers, et al). Plus various exhibitions, concerts and plays. See website for details. Library open Mon - Fri 09:30 - 19:00. Sat 09:30 - 13:00. Closed Sun. QOpen 08:30 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. August - September 2008 Guides to Poland’s key cities: www.inyourpocket.com Warsaw In Your Pocket 22 CULTURE & EVENTS Warsaw Chamber Opera Al. Solidarności 76 b, tel. 022 628 30 96, www. operakameralna.pl. The Warsaw Chamber Opera was founded in 1961 by Stefan Sutkowski, who has served as its Managing and Artistic Director ever since. The company’s inaugural production performed on the 4th September 1961 was Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona. Since October 1986 the Opera has performed at its own theatre, a listed building dating from 1775 whose audience contributes to the wonderful acoustic sound created. At present the Warsaw Chamber Opera consists of over 2 directors, 2 designers, 7 conductors, over 75 soloists, and 2 small-size symphony orchestras (the Warsaw Sinfonietta and the Orchestra of Warsaw Chamber Opera). It also has the period-instruments ensemble Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense, a Mime Group and the 40-strong Chamber Choir. The repertoire of the Warsaw Chamber Opera spans a wide variety of musical styles and genres: from medieval mystery plays to the operas of the Baroque and Classical periods, 18th century pantomimes, the operas by Rossini and Donizetti, as well as works by contemporary composers, several of which were commissioned by the company. The Warsaw Chamber Opera ensembles also give regular concerts featuring chamber, oratorio and symphonic music of various epochs. In 1984 the Warsaw Chamber Opera established the Research and Documentation Centre of Early Polish Music. It deals with the research, publication, performance and recording of newly-discovered works by Polish composers. The music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has long occupied a prominent place in the company’s repertoire. A series of successful productions was followed by the decision to mark the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death with the 1st Mozart Festival (15 June - 26 July 1991). Its programme included all 26 of Mozart’s stage works. The Mozart Festival has been organised on an annual basis since then. Every edition of the event (15 June - 26 July) comprises Mozart’s complete stage output and a selection of his chamber, symphonic, and vocal-instrumental works. The Warsaw Chamber Opera is the only company in the world to have Mozart’s entire operatic output in its permanent repertoire and this unprecedented achievement has won the Warsaw company wide international recognition. In addition to this the Warsaw Chamber Opera has also organized the 4th Claudio Monteverdi Festival, The Celebrations to mark 400 Years of Opera as a Genre and An Ode to Europe Festival. Q Box office open 9:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun depending on repertoire. Tickets 30-120zł. CULTURE & EVENTS Cervantes Institute B-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 22, tel. 022 501 39 00, www.cervantes.pl. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Fri 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Czech Centre G-4, Al. Róż 16, tel. 022 629 72 71, w w w.czechcentres.cz/warsaw. As well as offering language courses and exchange programs they also have a gallery on the premises. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. French Institute B-2, ul. Senatorska 38, tel. 022 505 98 00, www.ifv.pl. Q The Library Open 09:00 - 10:00, 13:00 -19:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Mon, Sun. From August 1-19 closed. Japanese Culture and Information Center C-4, Al. Ujazdowskie 51, tel. 022 584 73 00, www.pl.emb-japan. go.jp. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Lithuanian Centre G-4, Al. Ujazdowskie 12, tel. 022 745 05 93, www.lietuva.pl. Q Art gallery and reading room open 12:00 - 19:00, Sat 12:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Slovakian Institute C-1, ul. Krzywe Koło 12/14a, tel. 022 635 77 74, www.instytutslowacki.pl. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Library Open 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. 23 Theatres Ateneum D-2, ul. Jaracza 2, tel. 022 625 73 30, www. teatrateneum.pl. Q Box office open Mon - Sat 11:00 Centralny Basen Artystyczny C-4, ul. Konopnickiej 6, tel. 022 339 06 08, www.montownia.art.pl. Q Box Drama Theatre (Teatr Dramatyczny) B-4, Pl. Defilad 1 office open 11:00 - 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00, Sun depending on repertoire. Tickets 30- 80zł. 18:00, Sun 16:00 - 18:00. Tickets 40-80zł. 01-31/08/2008 Phoenix’ Town- War*Saw Everything (Miasto Feniksa- War*Saw Everything) War saw Chamb er Opera (Warszawska Opera Kameralna) A-2, B-2, ul. Krakowski Przedmieście 64, tel. 0 501 71 68 55, www.miastofeniksa.pl. Swing by to check to twenty eight photos from the Warsaw Uprising, as well as several before and after shots illustrating just how much Warsaw has changed, and the rebuilding efforts that followed the war. Q Open for 24 hrs. Admission free. Dance & Music Great Theatre - National Opera (Teatr Wielki Opera Narodowa) B-2, Pl. Teatralny 1, tel. 022 826 50 19, www.teatrwielki.pl. This is the big one. Q Box office Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 19:00. Tickets 18-120zł. B-3, ul. Sienkiewicza 10, tel. 022 551 71 28, www. filharmonia.pl. Q Box office open 10:00-14:00, 15:0019:00, Sun depending on repertoire. From June 7 to August 14 closed. Tickets 20-40zł. National Philharmonic (Filharmonia Narodowa) (Palace Of Culture), tel. 022 656 68 44, www.teatrdramatyczny.pl. Q Box office open 12:00 - 18:00, Sun open depending on repertoire. From July 15 to August 15 closed. Tickets 27-65zł. National Theatre (Teatr Narodowy) B-2, Pl. Teatralny 3, tel. 022 692 06 09, www.narodowy.pl. Q Box office open 11:00 - 14:30, 15:00 - 19:00, Sun 16:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon. From June 22 to September closed. Tickets 20-60zł. Sabat Theatre (Teatr Sabat) B-4, ul. Foksal 16, tel. 022 826 23 55 ext. 20, www.teatr-sabat.pl. Prewar cabaret, dinner shows, etc. Q Box office open 10:00 - 18:00, Thu, Fri 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 12:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun. Tickets 90-220zł. Y Small Theatre (Teatr Mały) B-3, ul. Marszałkowska 104/122, (Pasaż Wiecha), tel. 022 827 50 22, www. narodowy.pl. Q Box office open 11:00 - 14:30, 15:00 19:00, Sun open depend on repertoire. Closed Mon. From June 22 to September closed. Tickets 20-50zł. Square Theatre (Teatr Kwadrat) B-3, ul. Czackiego 15/17, tel. 022 829 72 33, www.teatrkwadrat.pl. Q Box office Open 13:00 - 19:30. Closed Mon. From June 24 to August 5. Tickets 25 - 75zł. A-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 49, tel. 022 628 70 71, www.teatrroma.pl. One of Poland’s finest theatres, with past productions numbering Cats, Grease and Miss Saigon. Q Box office open 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 13:00 - 18:00. Tickets 40-90zł. 01/08/2008 Skleroza Concert (Koncert zespołu Skleroza) ul. Górczewska 67 (Dobra Karma Club-Wola), tel. 0 501 33 58 32, www.dobrakarma.pl. This is going to be a bit of a weird night - led by Wojtek Szewko the band comprises of a bass player, trumpeter, drummer and banjomeister, and will wow the crowds with patriotic Warsaw songs linked with revolts, rebellions and occupation. A slideshow featuring pics of Ye Olde Warsaw will accompany the music, as will vodka and gherkins, and the occasional tango interlude. Q Concert starts at 20:00. Tickets cost 10zł and are available from an hour before the show. , tel. 0 604 82 69 90, www.fnok.pl. Classical music in classical surrounds is what this festival is all about. Some of Warsaw’s finest churches have been lined up to host concerts this summer, with the schedule as follows: 03/08/08 14:00 St. Franics Seraph Church, ul. Zakroczymska 1 (B1). 10/08/08 13:00 St. Hyacinth Church, ul. Freta 10 (B-1). 24/08/08 13:30 St. Spirit Church, ul. Długa 3 (B-2). 31.15:00 St. Mary’s Church, ul. Przyrynek 2 (B-1). Q Admission free. 03-31/08/2008 Summer Festival of the New City The Musical Theatre ROMA (Teatr Muzyczny ROMA) 07/08/2008 Iron Maiden G-6, Gwardia Stadium, ul. Museums Jerozolimskie 3, tel. 022 621 10 31 ext. 349, www. mnw.art.pl. The National Museum was created in 1916 following the renaming of the Museum of Fine Ar ts in Warsaw and was originally located on the edge of the old town. The construction of its current home began in 1926 and it opened in 1032 with an exhibition of decorative art. The whole building was finally inaugurated on the 18th of June 1938. The National Museum has survived the vicissitudes of the 20th century intact thanks in no small measure to its first two directors Bronislaw Gembarzewski (in office till 1935) and Stanislaw Lorentz (in office in 1935-1981). At present, the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw includes 780,000 items displayed in its permanent galleries (the galler y of Ancient Ar t, the Professor Kazimierz Michalowski Faras Gallery, the Cardinal Stefan Wysz ynski, Primate of Poland, Gallery of Mediaeval Art, the Gallery of Foreign Painting, the Gallery of Polish Painting, the Gallery of 20th century Polish Art, the Gallery of Polish Decorative Art and Gallery of European Deco. In addition there are a number of temporary exhibitions as well as numerous displays stored in special collections which are accessible to the public on request in special viewing rooms. The museum also boasts the largest Polish scholarl y librar y of ar t catalogues, ar t history books, books on world cultures and a fine collection of old maps and prints. QOpen 10:00 - 16:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Last ticket sold 45 minutes before closing. Admission 17/10zł for entire museum, 12/7zł for permanent exhibitions only. Sat free for permanent exhibitions. August ralna 12/14, tel. 022 502 29 29 31, www.FestiwalBebnow.pl. Nine days of drums, percussion, salsa, rumba, orisha and Afro workshops guarantee your ears will never be quite the same again. The festival will kick off with a parade during which you’ll hear a thousan d drums, tamb ourin es, gongs and other things going bang, and will end at ul. Ordynacka with an exhibition of capoiera, samba and Afro Brazilian dance. You’ll be able to buy drums and instruments from across the world at the market, and the festival will conclude with a right messy knees-up in the Ground Zero club. Schedule as follows: 01/08/2008 - registration of contestants 02/08/2008 - drum workshops etc 03/08/2008 - Carnival Parade 04-08/08/2008 - workshops 09/08/2008 - Closing Par ty at Ground Zero Club (ul. Wspólna 62) 10/08/2008 - Lectures about drum traditions, market, jam session Q Parade starts at 13:00 in front of EMPiK (ul. Nowy Świat 15, C-4). Tickets 40-400zł for the workshop. Reservation available at: 022 502 29 29 31 and info@festiwalbebnow.pl Admission for parade free. National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe) C-4, Al. 01-10/08/2008 III Festival of Drums (III Festiwal Bębnów) A-2/3, ul. Elekto- Racławicka 132, tel. 022 646 06 49, www.ironmaiden. com. Bring your daughter to the slaughter etc. The world’s greatest metal band will be terrorizing the people of Warsaw and displaying how completely bullet proof they are to the vicissitudes of time. This could well be the greatest night of your life, though make sure to get utterly trousered before you turn up - it’s likely to be a dry venue. Q Gates open 16:00, concert starts at 21:30. Tickets 130zł. Available at www. ticketpro.pl and www.livenation.pl. B-1, ul. Krzywe Koło 2/4, tel. 22 635 36 30, www.greengallery. pl. A renowned photographer, traveler and archeologist Olga Białostocka presents ‘Outside Silence’, a photographic study of her stay in Namibia. It was while here she joined the Himba Tribe in Otjipotora, a settlement believed to be the most inaccessible in the world, and her photographs aim to illustrate ‘the real nature of the human being’. QOpen 12:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission free. 21/08-05/09/2008 Olga Białostocka’s Exhibition (Wystawa Olgi Białostockiej) 16/09-08/10/2008 The Ad Hymnos Ad Cantus Festival- Festival of Early Polish Music (Ad Hymnos ad Cantus XXVII Festiwal Muzyka Staropolska w Zabytkach Warszawy) First orga- nized in 1979 this festival features music from as early as the middle ages, right up to the time of Chopin. Included will be works by Ignacy Dobrzyński, Józef Nowakowski, Józef Lipiński as well as several scores by lesser known artists.Q Tickets available at WCO box office. Concerts take place in various historic buildings around Warsaw. Check the ad on the previous page for details. Ujazdowskie (Łazienki Park), tel. 022 842 48 48, www. postermuseum.pl. The ‘Dream about Warsaw’ exhibition celebrates forty years of the Poster Museum in Wialanów, and will see various posters and works pinend to the fences of Łazienki Park, thereby allowing everyone the chance to view posters connected with the life and times of Warsaw - including Russian occupation and the golden interwar years. We’ve been promised a festive atmosphere on opening day as well, with loads of stalls, candy floss and whatnot to keep the restless out of trouble.Q Open 24hrs. Admission free. 23/08-30/09/2008 Dream about Warsaw Exhibition (Wystawa Sen o Warszawie) C-4, Al. Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 WA R S AW C H A M B E R O P E R A Managing and artistic director Stefan Sutkowski 24 September Wednesday, at 8.00 p.m. Seminary Church Krakowskie PrzedmieÊcie 52/54 violin Konstanty Andrzej Kulka Conductor 16 September Tuesday, at 7.00 p.m. Royal Castle - Great Ballroom Plac Zamkowy 4 Kai Bumann 5 October Sunday, at 7.00 p.m. Royal Castle - Great Ballroom Plac Zamkowy 4 Stanis∏aw MONIUSZKO Mass in E flat major Ostra Brama Litany No. 1 Ostra Brama Litany No. 2 Conductor Ignacy Feliks DOBRZY¡SKI 27th FESTIVAL Fantasia for trumpet and orchestra, Op. 35 Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 15 Conductor Antoni Ryszard Zimak STOLPE Credo for choir, string quintet and organ O Salutaris Hostia for choir and string quintet Sc¯ne dramatique for cello and string quintet Polonaise in A flat major for piano and string quintet Fantasie pour le violoncelle Concert ouverture No 3 Conductor 27 September Saturday, at 7.00 p.m. Royal Castle - Great Ballroom Plac Zamkowy 4 Tadeusz Karolak 19 September Józef 16 September – 8 October 2008 Friday, at 8.00 p.m. Seminary Church Krakowskie PrzedmieÊcie 52/54 NOWAKOWSKI Seven Polish Songs for voice, cello and piano Duo for violin and piano Piano Quintet No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 17 Józef ELSNER Requiem in C minor, Op. 42 Salve Regina Mass in F major, Op. 41 WARSAW CHAMBER OPERA is financed by Tadeusz Karolak 8 October 30 September Tuesday, at 7.00 p.m. Royal Castle - Great Ballroom Plac Zamkowy 4 Wednesday, at 7.00 p.m. Royal Castle - Great Ballroom Plac Zamkowy 4 Conductor MAZOVIA VOIVODESHIP GOVERNMENT Additional financial assistance Ryszard Zimak Józef Karol Sales and reservations Warsaw Chamber Opera Box Office, Al.SolidarnoÊci 76b tel. (0-22) 831-22-40 open daily 9.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. www.operakameralna.pl tickets@operakameralna.pl DESZCZY¡SKI Concerto in F major for piano and orchestra, Op. 25 CAPITAL CITY OF WARSAW and LIPI¡SKI Two Polonaises for violin and orchestra, Op. 6 Rondeau de concert, Op. 18 Adagio elegico, Op. 25 Rondo alla Polacca, Op. 17 Symphony No. 3 in B flat major, Op. 2 MINISTER OF CULTURE AND NATIONAL HERITAGE Strategic partner Józef ELSNER Symphony in C major, Op. 11 Conductor Media patronage Kai Bumann 26 CULTURE & EVENTS Dog g H-4, Tor war, ul. Łazienkowska 6a, w w w. sno opdog g.com. S carey pimp cretin Snoop Dogg performs in Poland for the first and hopefully last time ever. Let us waste no more space.Q Gates open 18:30, concert star ts 20:00. Tickets 170500zł. Available at www.ticketonline.pl, www.ticketpro.pl, www.eventim.pl. F-5, ul. Batorego 10 (Stodoła Club), tel. 022 825 60 31, www.vader.pl/xxv. Olsztyn-based thrash band Vader celebrate 25 years of mental music by performing in front of their equally lively fan base in the legendary Stodoła club. Considered pioneers of the metal sound during commie times Vader have approximately 30 albums to their credit, though their biggest claim to fame is providing the music to Witcher - the most successful Polish PC game of all time. Supporting them are a right line-up of lunatics, and judging by their names you’ll be lucky to get out alive. A ticket for this concert also wins you the chance to check out the talents of Dismember, Rotting Christ, Gorefest and Septic Flesh. Q Gates open at 11:00. Concert starts at 12:00. Tickets 130-150zł. Available at Stodoła Club and Hey Joe shop (ul. Złota 8 B-3. Box office opens 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 15:00, Sun closed). CULTURE & EVENTS Until 17/08/2008 Stefan Themerson- Exhibition- The urge to create visions (Wystawa Stefana Themersona- O potr zebie twor zenia widzeń) G-4, ul. Jazdów 2 mean something to you: Dino Saluzzi, Tomasz Stańko, Michał Urbaniak, Scott Hamilton, Bill Evans, Bobby Watson, James Weidman, Pierre Blanchard, Dave Liebman, Leszek Możdżer, Paul Brody, Dr.Lonnie Smith, Kevin Mahogany, The Avishai Cohen, Richard Galliano, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Dean Brown, Jasper van t Hof, Lars Danielsson, Lee Konitz, David Murray. Q Concerts every Sat at 19:00. Admission free. Of Modern Art/CSW, Al. Jazdów 2, tel. 022 628 12 71 ext.135, www.csw.art.pl. Poland’s latest wave of young artists are given the chance to showcase their work in this exhibition, whose aim is to show the creation of a new artistic order and establishment. The exhibition will take a variety of forms, and will include paintings and installations, to animation and visual poetry. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Fri 11:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. Admission 12/6zł, Thu free. 27 27/08/2008 Sno op Solidarity Take a trip up to the tri-city of Gdansk, Sopot and Gydnia this summer to view a wonderful open-air exhibition commemorating the incredible events of 1980. Taking place on SKM (local commuter train) platforms through the Tri-city until the end of September the exhibition charts the events of the ‘Polish August‘ of 1980 when, led by the shipyard workers of Gdansk under the banner of Solidarity, Poles managed to irreversibly change the face of Soviet controlled central and eastern Europe forever. The exhibition aims to show how the strikes looked, what the initial basic aims and demands were and how an unorganized group of disgruntled workers became the focal point of a movement that within 3 months had over 10 million members. The exhibition takes the form of photographs of the time with accompanying texts (in English as well) mounted on pieces of shipyard steel. For those with an interest in the times this is a wonderful collection of pictures. You‘ll find the exhibition on platforms from Gdansk Glowny through to Gdynia Stocznia. The exhibition has been organized by the European Centre of Solidarity and the Solidarity Centre Foundation and you can read more about the events of 1980 and Solidarity in the special Solidarity section of Gdansk In Your Pocket. Q Open 24 hrs. Admission free. Until 30/09/2008 Space of Freedom- Exhibition. 30/08/2008 25 Years of Vader (25-lecie Vader) (Ujazdowski Castle), tel. 022 628 12 71, www. csw. art.pl. Essayist, poet, philosopher, composer and filmmaker. The life and work of the multi-talented Stefan Themerson is celebrated in this exhibition, and as well as film screenings and poetry readings fans will also be able to participate in lectures and workshops run by Bruce Chevsky. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Fri 11:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. Admission 12/6zł. Thu free. Until 31/08-/2008 Establishment G-4, Museum 8, tel. 0 501 15 84 77, www.kapitula.org. Each day (aside from Sunday) pop into St. John’s Cathedral to hear the best Polish organ players in action. Concerts last about 25 minutes and include performances of Mieczysław Surzyński’s work, a.k.a the Polish Bach. If nothing else it’s a magnifficent opportunity to check out the awesome acoustics in the cathedral, before going on to poke around the subterranean tombs of Poland’s previous monarchs. Q Admission 9/7zł. Until 20/09/2008 Great Organs in St. Johns Cathedral B-2, St. John’s Cathedral, ul. Świetojańska ko w s k i e P r z e d m i e ś c i e 15/17(Kordegarda), tel. 022 421 01 25, www.zacheta.art.pl. A fascinating exhibition this, not least because visitors are encouraged to come with their prized pooch; hang around long enough and you might well get to see a Jap attack dog maul one of those little yappy things. Blood sport aside dog lovers will be treated to an exhibition focused around the canines role in the modern world - to meet this end the organizers have laid their hands on all the dog related stuff you could dream of - paintings, scultpture, films and photographs. Artists on show include Małgorzata Sołtysik, Katarzyna Cichoń, Maksymilian Łukomski and Wojtek Pustoła.QOpen 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon. Admission free. Until 07/09/2008 Dog in Big World Exhibition (Wystawa Pies w Wiekim Mieście) C-2, ul. Kra- 0 501 15 84 77, www.kapitula.org. Rated as one of the top organ festivals in Europe this festival gathers together some of the top performers in the world, including those from France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Belgium and Poland. These European masters will be reciting romantic symphonies and Bach preludes amongst other sacral monkey business. Admission to this feast for the soul is priced at a symbolic ten złoty. Q Concerts start every Sunday at 16:00. Admission 10/7zł. Until 21/09 XV International Organ Music Festival B-2, St. John’s Cathedral, ul. Świetojańska 8, tel. Nowogrodzka 49, tel. 022 628 70 71, www.teatrroma. pl. Set in Paris in 1911, the story of the Phantom has wowed audiences around the world for many years and its theatre production is one of London’s longest running shows. Now The Phantom of the Opera arrives in Warsaw with Polish actor Damian Aleksander in the lead role. Note that this production is in Polish but that doesn’t take away from Andre Lloyd-Webber’s incredible score and spectacle. Tickets are selling fast and a number of nights are already sold out. Q Performances start at 19:00, Sat 15:00, Sun 17:00. Tickets 40-90zł. Available at The Musical Theatre Roma box office ( open 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 13:00 - 17:00). Until 31/10 Phantom of the opera -Spectacle (Upiór w Operze) A-4, The Musical Theatre Roma, ul. September niecka, www.redbullxfighters. com. A freestyle motocross show with participants hurtling around the arena at breakneck speeds, performing daredevil tricks and generally coming within an inch of checking out of the world. It’s the first time such an event has been held in Poland, and it’s apparently the last show you’ll ever see at the ‘10th Anniversary Stadium’ (see What to See, Russian Market). Stars to look out for include Travis Pastrana, whose won the Red Bull X-Fighters crown four times previously, Mat Rebeaud, Jeremy Stenberg, and Robbie Maddison. Q Tickets cost 89-159 zł and are available at www.ticketpro.pl, Empik and Media Markt. Tickets available from the middle of July. 06/09/2008 Red Bull XFighters Finals H-2, ul. Ziele- 628 12 71, www. csw.art.pl. A former graduate of Warsaw’s Academy of Fine Arts Magdalena Abakonowicz rates as one of the finest sculptors of the modern age, and you’ll find her work displayed in some of the world’s greatest galleries. Rate her stuff yourself in the ‘Cistern’ exhibition, and read more about this bona fide genius on p ??QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Fri 11:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. Admission 12/6 zł. Thu free. Until 07/09/2008 Magdalena Abakanowicz- Exhibition- Cistern (Wystawa Magdaleny AbakanowiczCysterna) G-4, ul. Jazdów 2 (Ujazdowski Castle), tel. 022 Zamkowy 4 (Royal Castle), tel. 022 355 51 70, www. zamek-krolewski.com.pl. Organized by the chaps in charge of Wawel, Warsaw Castle and the Vilnius Archdiocese this exhibition presents precious artifacts linked with Ancient Lithuania. There’ll be loads of noble and sacral treasures on show, from goblets to crucifixes to reliquaries. Amazingly, the stuff laid out in front of your eyes was very nearly lost to history - when WWII broke out the 270 objects which are on show were hidden in the basement of Vilnius Cathedral, and promptly forgotten about for nearly half a century. The exhibition will be accompanied by lectures about Lithuanian culture, though don’t expect any of them to be in English. Q Box office open 10:00 - 18:00, Mon 11:00 - 16:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00. From September box office open 10:00 - 18:00, Mon, Sun 11:00 - 18:00. Tickets 14/7 zł and are available at Royal Castle. Until 28/09/2008 Vilnius Cathedral Treasury Exhibition (Skarbiec Katedry Wileńskiej) B-2, Pl. 28/09/2008 Rock Picnic Amphitheater at Sowiński Park, ul. Elekcyjna 17 (Wola), tel. 022 836 22 15, www. myspace.com/feelpoland. For the fourth time the denizens of Warsaw get to listen to up and coming bands Polish rock bands while getting stuck into paper plates piled high with sausages and lard. You’ve probably never heard of any of the entertainers, and we imagine you’ll never hear of them after, but that’s beside the point. Most famous of the lot are an outfit called Feel, who we’re promised have enjoyed huge success with their tune Anioła Głos (The Voice of an Angel). Other no marks who’ve been confirmed to perform include Skowyt and Kasa Chorych. Q Concerts start at 16:00. Admission free. 6-14/09/2008 Festival of Jewish Culture (Festiwal Kultury Żydowskiej) , tel. 022 620 30 36, www. Until 07/09/2008 Red Eyes Effect - Exhibition G-4, Museum Of Modern Art/CSW, Al. Jazdów 2, tel. 022 628 12 71 ext.135, www.csw.art.pl. Showcasing the best Polish photography of the millennium so far The Red Eye Effect will be displaying the work of some 30 photographers, including K. Dąbrowski, M. Długosz, A. Bogacka, M. Gomulicki, N. Grospierre, A. Grzeszykowska, R. Bujnowski and R. Kuśmirowski amongst numerous others. This is a continuation of the W Samym Centrum Uwagi exhibition organized in 2005, and aims to teach the visitor more about the history of contemporary photography. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Fri 11:00 21:00. Closed Mon. Admission 12/6zł, Thu free. Warsaw In Your Pocket Until 30/08 Jazz at the Old Town Square Festival (Jazz na Starówce) Old Town Market, tel. 022 769 77 59, www.jazznastarowce.pl. Anticipated to attract some 50,000 jazz buffs this old town festival has become an established part of the Warsaw summer, and is your best chance of soaking up some culture this year in return for absolutely nowt. As the name suggests, it’s the old town square you’ll need to head to, from where you’re ears are given the opportunity to delight to the sound of mainstream, swing, fusion, klezmer and latin jazz. There’ll be performers from across the world leading the party; maybe the following names will Ujazdowski Castle (Museum Of Modern Ar t/CSW), Al. Jazdów 2, tel. 022 628 12 71 ext.135, www.csw.art.pl. Wailing banshee, she-devil, utter nutter, bonkers genius. Call her what you will, there’s no denying Yoko Ono’s ability to stir the porridge and create a storm. ‘Exhibition Fly’ is based on her art cycle ‘Instructions’ and to be fair we can’t come close to describing how potty this exhibition promises to be. See for yourself. QOpen 11:00 19:00, Fri 11:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. Tickets 12/6zł and are available at Ujazdowski Castle. 19/09-26/10/2008 FlyYoko Ono Exhibition (Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski) G-4, festiwalsingera.pl. For the fifth year running rugged ulica Prózna and the area around Grzybowska will host the Festival of Jewish Culture, transforming the streets with a sea of stalls and klezmer sounds. There’ll also be theatre performances and workshops to attend, as well as the chance to dice with best and worst of traditional Jewish cooking. Q Full schedule available at www.festiwalsingera.pl Ticket prices were undecided at press time, please check the website for updates as they happen. The latest events online: www.inyourpocket.com August - September 2008 28 PRESS & MAIL The Sunday Times: In Our Pocket Praise is praise from any quarter, but from the peerless Sunday Times, the broadsheet bible whose travel section is one of the wonders of the Englishspeaking world, it counts for just that little bit extra. Imagine our delight then when we were placed seventh by the said newspaper in a rundown of the web‘s best 100 travel websites. We were described as “a (literally) priceless first stop before your holiday. The guides are free to download and print off as pdfs and have information on where to eat and stay and what to see on European city breaks, including more obscure destinations like Tirana in Albania and Minsk in Belarus.” Moreover, not a month later, and our biggest fans were at it again, the Sunday Times this time praising us simply as “the best guides to Eastern Europe. Updated regularly. Although available locally for a couple of pounds, many can be downloaded free from www.inyourpocket.com.” I think the guides are fantastic, I especially like the use of English in your descriptions of places, or the city itself, unconventional, evocative and very accurate e.g."locals smoking cigarettes by the fistful". I also like the way how not every review is positive. Thanks. Adam Michaelson, Warsaw Good Morning, First I’d like to congratulate you on your guide. It’s very informative, witty and direct with the truth (especially Polish driving). I am an ex-pat living in Poznan for the last 20 months. I spent last year on holiday back in my native Yorkshire so I was quite looking forward to a Polish Easter in Poznan. To my horror most of the city was shut down for the entire weekend and bars and restaurants in Stary Rynek were all in darkness. Can you imagine if a visitor had booked a long weekend and there was nothing to do but trudge the streets? I think if Poznan wants to be considered as a European tourist attraction it should get it’s act together and be serious about keeping the city open at a major holiday time. Kind Regards, Richard Tolson Bonjour, just got back from Krakow and thought I’d drop you a line to say how much I enjoyed your coverage of that city. I loved the writing style - sorry, no witticism from me though! We stayed at Hotel Karmel, a very nice place. Merci! Sylvie Courroy Warsaw is a business city first and foremost and occupancy rates reflect that. Week day prices and weekend prices can vary greatly with some great deals available at weekends. Hotels will list their prices in Euros, US dollars and/or złotys. Whatever the case, your bill will be calculated using the exchange rate of the day. WHERE TO STAY 29 Cream of the crop Hello Mr. Webber! I just have to write to you on behalf of me and my husband in order to THANK YOU for the marvellous city guide of Warsaw! We had so much fun with it - and I literally mean FUN. Your style of writing and way of looking at things gave us much amusement and of course useful information. The way the guide is written and the wide cast of things it covers excellent! I will keep the copy of the April edition at hand and let it remind me how words can be used and the world viewed. As a journalist I enjoyed it, as an author my husband did, and as travellers we really couldn't hope for more. Thank you, and please do carry on! Annmari Salmela and Mikko Ojanperä, Helsinki, Finland We have just returned from a short city break in Krakow, where our hotel - Hotel Amber - gave us a complimentary copy of Krakow In Your Pocket. We soon disregarded the Lonely Planet guidebook we had taken with us and used yours! Informative, readable, amusing, honest, up-to-date. We have tried many guidebooks over the years - some ‘pretty’ but they do not contain useful info - and until now, the only series we have really enthused over are the Bradt guides. Yours was amazing and we will recommend them to our friends and family. Wishing you every success in the future. Val Rowe North Yorkshire, England Hilton Warsaw Hotel & Convention Centre E-3, ul. Grzybowska 63, tel. 022 356 55 55, fax 022 356 55 56, reservation.warsaw@hilton.com, www.warsaw. hilton.com. Opened in mid-March of 2007, the Hilton is the latest glittering addition to Warsaw’s five star club. Guests are greeted by a breathtaking glass lobby off which you’ll find a healthy dose of world class drinking and dining options, while situated above are the conference and function rooms - unlike no other in town. Take time out in the hotel spa and health club, which touts a 25 metre pool as part of its repertoire, or live it up in the top floor executive lounge; equipped with DVDs, snacks, computer games and private check in. Rooms come with a stylish modern look, walk in showers and flat screen televisions. The corner suites are particularly impressive, with floor to ceiling views of downtown Warsaw. Q314 rooms (314 singles €95 - 275, 314 doubles €95 - 275, 10 apartments €345 - 525, 1 Presidential Suite €1595 - 1775). Breakfast €20. Tax 7%. POTHARU FLGKDCW hhhhh Holiday Inn Warsaw A-4, ul. Złota 48/54, tel. 022 697 39 99, fax 022 697 38 99, rez.holiday@orbis.pl, www. holidayinn.com/warsawpoland. Located next to the new Złote Tarasy in the centre of the city. As you’d expect from anywhere that bears the Holiday Inn crest, this hotel has immaculate rooms which include everything the modern day traveller could wish for. This hotel is deceptively large, and a quick tour reveals designer boutiques, beauty parlour and a fitness centre in the basement. Q336 rooms (54 singles €75 - 190, 272 doubles €75 - 190, 10 apartments €175 - 290). Breakfast €21. Tax 7%. PTHARUFL GKD hhhh 022 558 12 34, fax 022 558 12 35, warsow.regency@ hyatt.com, www.warsaw.regency.hyatt.com. Situated right on the doorstep of Lazienki Park, the Hyatt not only has all the five star trimmings, but the biggest hotel swimming pool in Warsaw. By hotel standards the rooms are enormous, and come with easy-on-the-eye cream colours and huge showerheads designed for that mock rain experience. Q250 rooms (90 singles €115 - 200, 51 doubles €130 - 215, 16 suites €195 - 265, 16 apartments €250 - 385, 2 Diplomatic Suite €880 - 950, 1 Presidential Suite €1880 - 1950). Tax 7%. POTHARUFGKDCW hhhhh Have Your Say If you have had an experience to remember at any of the venues listed in this guide, be it good, bad, ugly or downright sad, let the two million regular unique visitors to our website, www.inyourpocket.com, know about it. Every venue on our website now has a module below it for you to comment on the places we write about. You can agree with us, scold us, praise us or damn us to hell (in the case of angry restaurant owners unhappy with their reviews). Hyatt Regency Warsaw G-5, ul. Belwederska 23, tel. I am an American currently living in Bialystok. I love coming to Warsaw and I use your guide book to plan my day. So far everything you had to say about places was true. Recently I came to Warsaw to visit the Fryderyk Chopin Museum on ul. Okolnik to find it is closed for renovation and will not open until the spring of 2010. I asked the workmen if Chopin's childhood drawing room on ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie was opened and they said yes so I proceeded to walk over there. The guide book I used was the February/March issue so I was not aware that the museum was closed. I then went to Le Cedre where I had a very nice lunch in a beautiful restaurant. After that onto the Warsaw Uprising Museum which is highly recommended. Irene Swierzbinski, Bialystok Symbol key P Air conditioning O Casino T Child friendly R Internet F Fitness centre K Restaurant D Sauna A Credit cards accepted H Conference facilities U Facilities for the disabled L Guarded parking G Non-smoking rooms C Swimming pool W Wi-Fi Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 30 WHERE TO STAY Polonia Palace B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 45, tel. 022 318 28 00, fax 022 318 28 89, pp.reservation@syrena.com. pl, www.poloniapalace.com. Originally built in 1913 the structure has undergone an amazing facelift, and positively shines amid it’s surroundings. Inside the grand marble lobby features a glass covered atrium, while upstairs huge rooms come decorated with earth fabrics and contemporary styles. An impressive place. Q206 rooms (198 singles €235 - 265, 198 doubles €235 - 265, 7 suites €295 - 375, 1 apartment €535). €18. PTHARUFGKD hhhh Radisson SAS Centrum A-3, ul. Grzybowska 24, tel. 022 321 88 88, fax 022 321 88 89, rezerwacje.warszawa@ radissonsas.com, www.radissonsas.com. An excellent hotel with top-drawer facilities and rooms themed on Italian, Scandinavian and maritime styles. All come with dataports, three telephone lines, safes and pay-TV, and there’s also stateof-the-art conference, dining and fitness facilities. Q311 rooms (284 singles €95 - 195, 284 doubles €95 - 195, 26 apartments €180 - 280, 1 Presidential Suite €1000). Breakfast €25.Tax 7%. PTHARUFLGKDCW hhhhh WHERE TO STAY Accommodation in the Warsaw Old Town 10 meters from met s from eter om The Wars Castl The Warsaw C tle. s tle. All the windows face t e Castle Square or the Cathedral t windows e the Castle Squ Ca the Cathedral. h Each room created by a diffe ent artiist. o created diffe nt ffe ffer t We started from a concept of creating an unique start t oncept creating n ni c n p place, then we add d the fr added th friendliness, d ded decor and luxury of a multi star hotel. co a lux o xury m tar l. . 31 88 88, fax 022 328 88 89, info@ihg.com, www.warsaw. intercontinental.com. A beautiful three-legged structure, the Warsaw InterContinental is nothing short of an architectural marvel. Accommodation fits the setting, with spacious rooms using pleasant colour combinations and including every facility one would expect. Setting it apart from the competition is a fitness centre and swimming pool on the 44th floor, and huge residential suites for long-term guests. Q404 rooms (325 singles €90 - 290, 327 doubles €90 - 290, 76 apartments €250 - 620, 1 Presidential Suite €1700). Breakfast €15-20. Tax7%. PTHARUFLGKDC hhhhh InterContinental A-4, ul. Emili Plater 49, tel. 022 328 and to list the facilities on offer would require an hour of your time. Art nouveau is the theme and rooms feature the classy ambiance of yesteryear. But for all the five star perks and trimmings our favourite touch is the courtyard garden; an oasis of luxury perfect for evening drinks. Q205 rooms (173 singles €289, 173 doubles €289, 30 apartments €369 - 1300, 1 Paderewski Suite €2000). Breakfast 110zł. Tax 7%. PTJHARUFGKDC hhhhh CASTLE INN tel. 48 42 01 00 tel. +48 22 425 01 00 el. Zamkow lac (square) Zamkowy Plac (square) amko ow lac quare a u e) www castl n p www c stleinn.p www.castleinn.pl t Le Regina B-1, ul. Kościelna 12, tel. 022 531 60 00, Le Méridien Bristol C-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44, tel. 022 551 10 00, fax 022 625 25 77, reservation@lemeridien.com, www.lemeridien.com/warsaw. Breathe in history by booking a night in Warsaw’s most famous hotel. The plaque in the marble clad lobby lists dozens of stars and royalty who have chosen to lodge here, Bielańska Central Warsaw now finds itself choked with skyscrapers and scaffolding, a far cry from not long ago when empty plots scattered with skeletal war ruins were a regular sight (just remember what the Rialto looked like a few years back). But ghosts of the past can still be traced, and none are more conspicuous than the hulking shell on ul. Bielańska 10/12. It’s got quite a history. The site was originally home to a mint, but that found itself demolished to make way for the Warsaw division of the Imperial Bank of Russia. Designed by Leontij Nikołajewicz Benois, a rector of the Fine Arts Academy in St. Petersburg, construction began in 1907 and went on for a further four years. Within another four years the Russian’s had left, the collapse of the Empire seeing all Tsarist subjects head back east with their tails between their legs. The Poles took over the building with glee, first employing it as the National Treasury, then establishing it as the headquarters of Bank Polski in 1926. The building became a key strategic target during the Warsaw Uprising, and on capture served as a base for Polish insurgents. Smashed to pieces by German bombs the building was left to rot in the decades that followed. Originally slated to house the Warsaw Uprising Museum legal wrangles saw that idea bite the dust. Now Belgian property developer Ghelamco plan to redevelop the site as an office complex, and although the former bank is listed as a historic building quite how much of it will survive the whims of the developers remains open to question. In the meantime the sight of window frames hanging from bullet battered walls make for a fascinating reminder of Warsaw’s brutal past. fax 022 531 60 01, info@leregina.com, www.leregina. com. Occupying a restored property in Nowe Miasto, Warsaw’s latest boutique hotel is an attractive ensemble of expensive artwork and designer furniture. Bleached oak and marble mocha are used for the floorwork, and each room comes with unique frescoes, bathrobes and personally controlled air-conditioning; even the Do Not Disturb signs are made from velvet. A monastic silence prevails, and colour schemes are a soothing combination of whites, creams and rich browns. Q61 rooms (61 singles €330 - 480, 61 doubles €330 - 480, 1 apartment €700, 1 Le Regina Suite €850 - 990, 1 Presidential Suite €1600). Breakfast €20. Tax 7%. PTJHARULGKDCW hhhhh Rialto F-4, ul. Wilcza 73, tel. 022 584 87 00, fax 022 584 87 01, reservations@rialto.pl, www.rialto.pl. Poland’s first boutique hotel. Decorated exclusively in art-deco style the furnishings were hand picked from antique stores from across Europe. Individually designed rooms come with custom made Italian linen, DVD players and every extra you can wish for. Our favourite: room number 13, designed in a colonial style and featuring zebra skins and tribal masks. A stay here is not unlike setting foot on the set of a Poirot mystery. A very good in-house restaurant with some classic Art Deco touches completes the picture. Q44 rooms (6 singles €130 - 200, 27 doubles €130 - 200, 11 apartments €250 - 500). Breakfast €24. Tax 7%. PTHARUFGKDW hhhhh Sheraton Warsaw C-4, ul. Prusa 2, tel. 022 450 61 00, fax 022 450 69 20, reservation.warsaw@starwoodhotels. com, www.sheraton.com.pl. Fitness centre, office space, boutique and a line-up of top restaurants and bars make the Sheraton a world within itself. There’s first-class traits aplenty and all rooms come with three phone lines, dataports, evening turndown service, etc. The Club Suites come with complimentary cocktails, personal club attendant and fax, copy and printing facilities. Q350 rooms (326 singles €118 - 210, 326 doubles €118 - 210, 9 suites €168 - 260, 14 apartments €398 - 490, 1 Presidential Suite €1918 - 2010). Breakfast €28. Tax 7%. PTHARUFLGKDW hhhhh Sofitel Victoria Warsaw B-3, ul. Królewska 11, tel. 022 657 80 11, fax 022 657 81 69, rez.sof.victoria@orbis. pl, www.orbis.pl. Dapper rooms boast newspapers and minibar, as well as more mundane items like dataports and If your budget is tight please check our Okidoki hostel and pension okidoki.pl, +48224231212 trouser press. Business rooms come with an additional study, complete with fax, copier and a separate bathroom. Q341 rooms (160 singles €200, 170 doubles €200, 10 apartments €290 - 320, 1 Presidential Suite €2000). Breakfast €21. Tax 7%. POTHARUFLGKDCW hhhhh Marriott B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. 022 630 63 06, fax 022 830 00 50, warsaw-reservation@marriotthotels.com, www.marriott.com/wawpl. A hotel with real pedigree, the Warsaw Marriott has everything from Warsaw’s classiest doorman outside to award winning restaurants inside. The accommodation has been home to a long line of visiting nabobs, including George W. Bush. An extensive program of renovation has recently seen all the rooms upgraded and the beds are so comfortable you may not wish to leave them. Little details include lemon grass shampoo in the bathrooms, mini-bars complete with pipes of Pringles, and views that stretch right across the city. Q518 rooms (361 singles 320 - 752zł, 361 doubles 320 - 752zł, 62 suites 566 - 794zł, 91 apartments 470 - 1368zł, 3 Vice Presidential Suite 4560zł, 1 Presidential Suite 6800zł). Breakfast 84zł. Tax 7%. POTHARUFLGKDCW hhhhh The Westin A-3, Al. Jana Pawła II 21, tel. 022 450 80 00, fax 022 450 81 11, reservation.warsaw@starwoodhotels.com, www.westin.com.pl. A top bracket sanctuary situated amid the skyscrapers of Warsaw’s business district. The lobby buzzes at all hours and a glass lift whisks guests to rooms decorated in warms tones and ultra-modern fittings. Each comes replete with dressing gowns and slippers, in-room movies and mini-bars that will take a considerable effort to clear. Splash out on the executive floor for access to a top floor lounge that features gourmet finger snacks, games and champagne on ice. Q361 rooms (361 singles €118 - 210, 361 doubles €118 - 210, 15 apartments €398 - 490, 1 Presidential Suite €1918 - 2010). Breakfast €28. Tax 7%. PTHARUFGKD hhhhh Novotel Warszawa Centrum B-4, ul. Marszałkowska 94/98, tel. 022 621 02 71, fax 022 625 04 76, rez.nov. warszawa@orbis.pl, www.orbis.pl. Over 170 million złoty has been spent revamping the Novotel and the result is obvious. The giant skyscraper has ditched its former yellow exterior in favour of a sleek silver look, while the lobby has been completely rehauled, with a top notch fusion restaurant and bar added. Upstairs spanking clean rooms come with all expected amenities, as well as grandstand views of the skyline. This is the Novotel experience completely reinvented. Q733 rooms (50 singles €80 - 195, 661 doubles €80 - 195, 12 suites €240, 10 apartments €290). Breakfast €17. Tax 7%. PTHARUFLGKDW hhhh August - September 2008 Warsaw In Your Pocket 32 WHERE TO STAY Upmarket Ożarów Mazowiecki, tel. 022 721 47 47, fax 022 721 47 51, recepcja@mazurkashotel.pl, www.mazurkashotel. pl. Handsome accommodation 14km from central Warsaw. Gleaming fixtures and fittings, plus all the gadgets and extras you require. Q158 rooms (154 singles 515 - 560zł, 154 doubles 550 - 600zł, 4 apartments 1065zł). PTHAR UFGKDW hhhh Boutique Bed & Breakfast C-4, ul. Smolna 14/7, tel. Best Western Hotel Mazurkas ul. Poznańska 177, Holiday Inn Warszawa Józefów ul. Telimeny 1 (Józefów), tel. 022 778 30 00, fax 022 778 30 03, reservations@holiday.aquila.pl, www.holiday.aquila.pl. Located 20km from central Warsaw the Holiday Inn provides all of life’s little luxuries inside a low-rise block building that includes a fully-fledged spa. Rooms are comfortable with a pale and understated modern décor, and amenities include a balcony overlooking the greenery, minibar, climate control and a decent range of goodies in the bathroom waiting to be liberated. A surefire winner with work breaks, though for post-conference moments the hotel also features its own golf course, swimming pool and all year tennis courts. Q147 rooms (144 singles €90 - 170, 144 doubles €100 - 180, 3 apartments €130 - 400). Tax 7%. PTHARUFGKDCW hhhh fax 022 659 88 28, rezerwacja@sobieski.com.pl, www. sobieski.com.pl. The façade has just been given a lick of paint, meaning it’s now back to its overpowering combination of pink and yellow. The interior is more subtle and features a marble lobby, big rooms and fitness facilities. Q429 rooms (60 singles €79 - 139, 327 doubles €91 - 151, 41 apartments €109 - 181, 1 Royal Suite €400 - 695). PTHARU FLGKD hhhh 022 829 48 01, fax 022 829 48 02, bbwarsaw@gmail. com, www.bbwarsaw.com. Quiet and cobbled, Smolna is not a typical city centre street, and neither is this your typical set of apartments. Apartments suit all budgets, though the Queen - featuring jacuzzi and large living space - is well worth the extra outlay. Accommodation has been designed to evoke a real atmosphere of home-from-home and features lots of flowers, natural wood and personal touches courtesy of Jarek, your host. Q11 rooms (11 singles 260 - 390zł, 10 doubles 300 - 420zł). THAGW Campanile E-3, ul. Towarowa 2, tel. 022 582 72 00, fax 022 582 72 01, warszawa@campanile.com.pl, www.campanile. com.pl. Decorated with chequered patterns and green and yellow colour schemes the Campanile accommodation includes satellite TV and pristine bathrooms. High standards and a central location. Q192 rooms (192 singles 209 - 279zł, 192 doubles 209 - 279zł). Breakfast 29zł. PTARUGKW hh Castle Inn B-2, ul. Świętojańska 2 (entrance from Pl. Zamkowy), tel. 022 425 01 00, fax 022 635 04 25, castleinn@castleinn.pl, www.castleinn.pl. When students grow up, grow rich and can no longer stand hostels, they stay in places like this. A dream of a hotel at the centre of Old Town you can expect big rooms, all with individual decor - some classy, some kitsch, all good fun - and - wait for it - velvet doors. Best of all though are the rooms which have the massive (and we mean massive) bathrooms. We dare you to find bigger bathrooms than those on offer here in any other hotel in Warsaw. Much like their clientele the owners of this place have also graduated up from hostels (they run the Oki-Doki). If this is what becomes of hostels when they grow up, bring it on. Q22 rooms (1 single 220zł, 17 doubles 230 - 320zł, 4 triples 200 - 400zł). Breakfest 27zł. THAGW De Silva Piaseczno ul. Puławska 42, Piaseczno, tel. 022 703 73 73, fax 022 703 70 01, piaseczno@desilva. pl, www.desilva.pl. Days away from opening when we went to press, so there’s little to report other than what we’ve learnt from their press material. Guests can expect high-end, mid-upmarket lodgings in a building featuring all the modern trappings needed by the latter day business traveller. Full review shortly.Q139 rooms (139 singles 245zł, 139 doubles 270zł, 70 triples 295zł). PTHARUGKW hhh Jan III Sobieski E-3, Pl. Zawiszy 1, tel. 022 579 10 00, Mercure Grand C-4, ul. Krucza 28, tel. 022 583 21 00, fax 022 583 21 21, h3384@accor.com, www.mercure. com. After months of slavish renovation work The Grand is back in business, this time under the flag of the Mercure brand. The exterior of this Socialist Realist masterpiece has been given a complete facelift, while indoors rooms are exactly as you’d associate with the Mercure logo; modern and crisp looking with air-conditioning, wifi and safety deposit box. It’s utterly unrecognizable from its former state, and there’s even a genuine Frenchman ensuring excellence in the kitchen. Q158 rooms (47 singles €85 - 230, 108 doubles €85 - 230, 3 suites €340 - 400). Breakfest €19. Tax 7%. PTARUGK hhhh Pawła II 22, tel. 022 528 03 00, fax 022 528 03 03, H1597@accor.com, www.orbis.pl. The colourful rooms at the Chopin provide quality accommodation with a hint of Gallic flair. Rooms have a contemporary style and offer guests all expected mod cons: internet connection, air-conditioning, minibar, etc. Q250 rooms (112 singles €91 - 160, 130 doubles €91 - 160, 8 apartments €129 - 235). Breakfast €15. PTHAUFLGKDW hhh Dom Literatury B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście Mercure Warszawa Fryderyk Chopin A-3, Al. Jana 87/89, tel. 022 827 74 28, fax 022 828 39 20, fundacjadl@go2.pl, www.fundacjadl.com. Commanding views of Warsaw’s Old Town relieve the sepia gloom, but lugging your bags to the top floor might give you a hernia. At reception, oblivious to the hotel’s latent menace, awaits a supremely glum and unhelpful desk clerk. His job necessitates daily contact with foreigners, yet he remains resolutely, magnificently monolingual. Q13 rooms (10 singles 180 - 250zł, 7 doubles 300 - 370zł, 1 triple 330 - 450zł, 1 quad 400 - 520zł, 1 apartment 400 - 600zł). HRK Mid-range Belwederski G-5, ul. Sulkiewicza 11, tel. 022 840 40 11, fax 022 840 08 47, belwederski@hotele21.pl, www. hotelbelwederski.pl. Smart rooms found in the sleepy diplomatic quarter. The pink exterior is as wacky as it gets, the rest of the hotel offers conservative mid-range comfort complete with satellite TV and large bathrooms. Q53 rooms (16 singles 250zł, 26 doubles 290zł, 10 suites 330zł, 1 apartment 480zł). THARUK hhh Warsaw In Your Pocket Gromada B-3, Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 2, tel. 022 582 99 00, fax 022 582 95 27, warszawahotel.centrum@gromada.pl, www.gromada.pl. It’s almost a surprise to find such a good deal in the city centre. As the coaches parked outside testify, Gromada is a hit with package tours and conferences. First sight is an over-waxed marble lobby, and a curvy stairwell spirits guests to modern, sunny rooms. The economy class accommodation is a different animal entirely though, with basic rooms that come with adverts for hookers and TVs with a soul of their own. Note that not all rooms have air-conditioning. Q320 rooms (37 singles 200 - 420zł, 271 doubles 230 - 450zł, 12 apartments 400 - 690zł). POTHAULGKW hhh 34 WHERE TO STAY Harenda C-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 4/6, tel. 022 826 00 71, fax 022 826 26 25, rezerwacja@hotelharenda.com.pl, www.hotelharenda.com.pl. A decent familystyle hotel within walking distance of the Old Town. Rooms are decorated in pink and chocolate brown colours. Q43 rooms (36 singles 310 - 340zł, 5 doubles 340 - 380zł, 2 apartments 460 - 490zł). Breakfast 25zł. TJHAGW hh 00, fax 022 618 51 39, rez@hotelhetman.pl, www.hotelhetman.pl. This is three-star indentikit accommodation at its finest. The large rooms come with internet access, hairdryers, cable TV and neutral beige colour schemes. On the Praga side of the river. Q68 rooms (13 singles 250 - 345zł, 50 doubles 300 - 395zł, 5 suites 315 - 415zł). TYHARULGKW hhh 022 838 38 40, recepcja@hotelmaria.pl, www.hotelmaria.pl. A small, family run hotel offering moderate prices and prim rooms featuring random floral designs. Q24 rooms (19 singles 220 - 320zł, 13 doubles 280 - 380zł, 3 apartments 380 - 420zł). PTA6KW hh Maria D-1, Al. Jana Pawła II 71, tel. 022 838 40 62, fax Hetman G-1, ul. Kłopotowskiego 36, tel. 022 511 98 MDM F-4, Pl. Konstytucji 1, tel. 022 339 16 00, fax 022 318 28 89, centralreservation@syrena.com.pl, www.hotelmdm.com.pl. Occupying a spot at the top of Marszałkowska most rooms in the MDM feature grandstand views of Warsaw’s finest piece of socialist realism: pl. Konstytucji. Accommodation comes with plum coloured carpets and predictable three star comfort. Q132 rooms (21 singles €135 - 155, 107 doubles €145 - 165, 4 apartments €195 205). THAULGKW hhh Ibis Hotel - Ostrobramska ul. Ostrobramska 36 (Praga), tel. 022 515 78 00, fax 022 515 78 88, H3129@ accor.com, www.orbis.pl. Practical, fully functional rooms fully in line with the standard you expect from the Ibis chain. Q137 rooms (137 singles 169 - 239zł, 137 doubles 169 239zł). Breakfast 29zł. PTHARUGKW hh Ibis Stare Miasto A-1, ul. Muranowska 2, tel. 022 310 10 00, fax 022 310 10 10, H3714@accor.com, www. orbis.pl. More of the same from Ibis: international standards at competitive standards. Best of all, its location ten minutes from the Old Town means that your immediate choice is no longer limited to spending suitcases of cash in the Bristol. Q333 rooms (333 singles 219 - 289zł, 333 doubles 219 289zł). Breakfast 28zł. PTHARUGKW hh 00, fax 022 318 28 89, centralreservation@syrena.com. pl, www.hotelmetropol.com.pl. Renovations are slowly phasing out the Cold War era rooms, replacing them with decent enough digs in the very heart of Warsaw. True, you’ll still be looking enviously at those staying in the Novotel opposite but this is no more the dreary option of yesteryear. Q169 rooms (16 singles €135 - 175, 141 doubles €145 - 185, 12 suites €195 - 205). OTAUGKW hhh Metropol F-3, ul. Marszałkowska 99a, tel. 022 325 31 Ibis Warszawa Centrum D-2, Al. Solidarności 165, tel. 022 520 30 00, fax 022 520 30 30, H2894@accor.com, www.orbis.pl. Reliable international standards, sensibly priced. Rooms come armed with all expected mod-cons. Q189 rooms (189 singles 209 - 289zł, 189 doubles 209 289zł). Breakfast 29zł. PTHAUGKW hh Partner ul. Marywilska 16 (Białołęka), tel. 022 814 23 00, fax 022 814 50 15, recepcja@partnerhotel.pl, www. partnerhotel.pl. A bright, modern hotel with a Scandinavian aesthetic. Rooms come with pine furnishings and large windows allowing plenty of natural light to spill in. It’s a fair distance from the city centre, so possibly best suited to company conferences. Sauna and a long line of other facilities on site. Q103 rooms (52 singles 235 - 340zł, 40 doubles 255 - 370zł, 6 apartments 300 - 810zł). THARUGKDW hhh Praski G-1, Al. Solidarności 61, tel. 022 201 63 00, fax 022 201 63 03, rez@praski.pl, www.praski.pl. A recent renovation means it towers over most other two star chancers and even the shared facilities are spotless. Nature buffs should ask for a room overlooking the Praski Park bears. Q31 rooms (3 singles 200 - 260zł, 23 doubles 230 - 300zł, 5 triples 255 - 345zł). TYHARULK hh Reytan G-5, ul. Rejtana 6, tel. 022 201 64 00, fax 022 201 65 55, rez@reytan.pl, www.reytan.pl. Found down a quiet side street the Reytan delivers a high three star standard. Crisp bed sheets, bright colours and new furniture. Q86 rooms (10 singles 270 - 400zł, 74 doubles 300 - 430zł, 2 apartments 470 - 600zł). TYHARULGKW hhh Start Hotel Portos ul. Mangalia 3a (Mokotów), tel. 022 320 20 00, fax 022 842 68 51, portos@starthotel. pl, www.starthotel.pl. Simple budget accommodation courtesy of the Polish Start chain. Shell out on the revamped rooms for the best deal, and do expect to be making ample use of taxis throughout the duration of your stay. Q231 rooms (66 singles 160 - 220zł, 165 doubles 160 - 220zł, 8 suites 180 - 240zł). Breakfast 20zł. YHARUGK h Zajazd Napoleoński ul. Płowiecka 83 (Wawer), tel. 022 815 30 68, fax 022 815 22 16, hotel@napoleon. waw.pl, www.napoleon.waw.pl. Napoleon allegedly camped out here during his march to Moscow, hence the name. Rooms have been revamped since those days but still carry a mildly austere atmosphere as a result of the dark colour schemes and vintage lampshades. Q24 rooms (21 singles 220 - 280zł, 21 doubles 300 - 340zł, 3 apartments 400 - 540zł). HAUGKW hhhh Karat G-5, ul. Słoneczna 37, tel. 022 849 33 19, fax 022 849 52 94, hotelkarat@hotelkarat.pl, www.hotelkarat. pl. Standard three-star accommodation in a leafy suburban setting. Plain, tidy rooms come with clean finishes and all the expected facilities such as TV, bathroom and telephone. There’s no minibar, but the night porter is happy to take orders and head off to the off-license. Note that not all rooms have air-conditioning. Q38 rooms (19 singles 250zł, 11 doubles 350zł, 6 suites 400zł). PTHARUKW hhh Kyriad Prestige E-3, ul. Towarowa 2, tel. 022 582 75 00, fax 022 582 75 01, warszawa@kyriadprestige.com.pl, www. kyriadprestige.com.pl. Anglo-Saxons will bemoan the presence of precisely zero English-language TV channels, but given the fact that you get a hell of a lot of room for a ridiculously little amount of money, we feel a bit cheap complaining. Instead, brush up your French, lie back on your comfy bed, laze in your deep bath and make sure you get up early for the top notch buffet breakfast. Q133 rooms (133 singles 299 - 379zł, 133 doubles 299 - 379zł). Breakfast 37zł. PTHARUFGKDW hhh fax 022 574 21 21, recepcja@hotellord.com.pl, www. hotellord.com.pl. Newish hotel within easy distance of the airport. The large rooms are conservatively decorated with clean, cream colours, wood furnishings and rich green carpets. High-standard mid-range accommodation which includes an all-weather rooftop restaurant. Q91 rooms (17 singles 289 - 364zł, 70 doubles 311 - 407zł, 4 apartments 396 - 493zł). PTHARUFKDW hhh Lord Al. Krakowska 218 (Włochy), tel. 022 574 20 00, Warsaw In Your Pocket 36 WHERE TO STAY Enigma The vital role played by Polish exiles during the Battle of Britain, who represented one in eight Allied pilots and whose 303 Squadron boasted the best hit rate against the Luftwaffe, is today common knowledge. As is the role Polish forces played in breaking the siege of Monte Cassino, and the daring raid on Dieppe in 1942. A lesser known Polish contribution towards the Allied victory in 1945, but equally significant, is the battle that took place inside the minds of Poland’s finest academics to crack the German Enigma code. It all began in Poznań, namely in the mathematics class of the university. Ace students Jerzy Różycki, Marian Rejewski and Henryk Zygalski came to the attention of Polish intelligence services on account of their excellent German skills and sharp mathematical minds. Recruited to attend cryptology courses in Warsaw alongside 17 other Poznań University alumni, the three were set to work in 1932 on cracking German ciphers. It was here they made the first vital Engima breakthrough using a mathematical theorem since described as ‘the theorem that won WWII.’ On the day before the Nazi invasion of Poland the three fled to Romania where they immediately sought contact with the Allies. Originally they turned up at the British Embassy in Bucharest, but having been told to ‘come back in a few days’ decided to try their luck with the French instead. This proved more successful and from there they found themselves in France, working in Cadix, a secret intelligence cell operating in the unoccupied south. With the risk of discovery by the Germans growing greater the team were forced to flee. Różycki drowned at sea in 1942 after the boat carried him sank in suspicious circumstances, Zygalski and Rejewski however made it to Spain, in spite of being robbed by the man guiding them over the Pyrenees. More calamity followed: the pair were arrested by Spanish police and imprisoned, only freed the following year after intervention by the Red Cross. Seeking sanctuary in England they were employed in Boxmoor cracking simple SS codes. In spite of having done the groundwork that broke the original Enigma code their knowledge was not called on by the American and British codebreakers who were cracking new and improved Enigma codes at Bletchely Park, hence the vital Polish contribution has been allowed to fade in the memory. After the war Rejewski returned to Poland where he spent the rest of his days under scrutiny from internal security services, and working in a succession of menial jobs. When he published his life story in 1973 he became an unwitting superstar, and his work was finally recognized with a series of honours. He died in 1980, buried in Warsaw’s Powązki Cemetery. Zygalski chose to remain in England and spent the post-war years working as a maths teacher. He died in 1978 and is buried in London. Although the trio have since received numerous posthumous awards their role in winning the war remains a little-known fact in the West, a cause not helped by silver screen rubbish like the 2001 movie Enigma. Now, those visiting Warsaw can try their own hand at espionage and intrigue. Enigma Warsaw (www.enigmawarsaw.com) is an outdoor, activity-driven game aimed at groups of 4-40 people. Played out on the streets of the capital it involves problem solving and teamwork with tailor-made events lasting from four to six hours. During this time you’ll see Warsaw’s most high profile spots, as well as ones you’d never have known about, making it a unique and adventurous way of learning more about the city. For more details visit the website or contact tel. 022 351 22 22. WHERE TO STAY Budget Amicus ul. Hozjusza 2 (Żoliborz), tel. 022 561 00 00, fax 022 561 00 59, amicus.recepcja@op.pl, www.amicus. emeteor.pl. This church-owned establishment offers bright, prim rooms, each featuring ecclesiastical touches like bibles and crucifixes. There’s no elevator, so don’t stay on the top floor. Q18 rooms (11 singles 115 - 135zł, 11 doubles 157zł, 6 triples 206zł, 1 quad 253zł). HAK 37 Aramis ul. Mangalia 3b (Mokotów), tel. 022 842 09 74, fax 022 858 21 26, rezerwacja.aramis@puhit.pl, www.puhit.pl. Slightly forbidding at first glance this one star hotel offers base comfort at even lower prices. Do go the extra yard and shell out on a renovated room - perks are minimal but the rooms are clean and come with television and internet access. Q230 rooms (1 single 130 - 180zł, 90 doubles 130 - 180zł, 139 triples 130 - 180zł). Breakfast 18zł. YARUG h Atos H-6, ul. Mangalia 1, tel. 022 841 43 95, fax 022 841 65 43, atos@starthotel.pl, www.puhit.pl. Another hotel where spending the extra on a premium room is wholly encouraged. The ‘lux’ rooms tout television and internet access, and sport a clean design that uses lots of plywood fittings. A favourite with local conferences, so book in advance to guarantee a bed. Q231 rooms (67 singles 150 - 210zł, 151 doubles 150 - 230zł, 158 triples 150 - 220zł). Breakfast 20zł. YHARUGK h Etap H-3, ul. Zagórna 1, tel. 022 745 36 60, fax 022 622 55 01, H6401@accor.com, www.orbis.pl. A super addition to Warsaw’s budget bracket, and one of the first Etap hotels to be launched in Poland. It’s a winning formula here: bright, modern rooms inside a sparkling white building in the quiet Powiśle district. The rooms come with a simple design but your cash gets you all the facilities the modern traveller requires: wireless net access, ensuite bathrooms and cable television. Q176 rooms (176 singles 179zł, 176 doubles 189zł, 14 triples 189zł). Breakfast 18zł. PAUGW h 022 619 57 44, rezerwacja@hithotel.pl, www.hithotel. pl. Singles, and doubles as well as apartments ranging in size from 30 to 60 metres. Shuttered away in a colourful building close to the zoo section of Praga. It’s brand new and cheap and they’ve just added a second star to their sign. Q102 rooms (12 singles 150 - 210zł, 36 doubles 170 - 230zł, 6 triples 190 - 240zł, 48 apartments 250 - 500zł). Breakfest 23zł. HARUGKW hh 23 65, mazowiecki@hotele21.pl, www.mazowiecki. com.pl. What used to be a grubby budget hotel has seen modest refurbishments and now promises utilitarian comfort at cut prices. The peep show next door may have closed, but the hotels proximity to several of Warsaw’s top bars make it a popular choice for a particular breed of traveller.Q56 rooms (22 singles 135 - 210zł, 34 doubles 180 - 260zł). ARULK h 08 00, fax 022 620 26 29, rezerwacjawarszawa@ premiereclasse.com.pl, www.premiereclasse.com.pl. Your best one star option in the city, and as such often fully booked. Basic, modern rooms come equipped with private bathrooms and television, and the location is just a walk away from the train station. Q126 rooms (126 singles 189zł, 94 doubles 189zł, 32 triples 189zł). Breakfast 20zł. TAUGW h Pr of esor ski H-6, ul. Bobr owiecka 9, tel. 022 Hit G-1, ul. Kłopotowskiego 33, tel. 022 618 94 70, fax 559 22 01, fax 022 559 22 18, recepcja@centrumkonf erencyjne.com.pl, w w w.centrumkonf erencyjne.com.pl. Providin g you don’t min d sh ellin g ou t for large ta xi bills wh en ever you fan cy goin g in to to wn, t h e Profes orski offers cl ean an d fun c ti onal am eni ties. A real bu g ger to fin d. Q150 rooms (150 sin gl e s 120 - 197z ł , 148 d ou bl e s 140 - 219 zł). HARUFLGK Mazowiecki B-3, ul. Mazowiecka 10, tel./fax 022 827 Star t Hotel Felix ul. Omulewska 24 (Praga Połódnie), tel. 022 210 70 00, fax 022 813 02 55, felix@starthotel.pl, www.felix.com.pl. A lumbering giant of a hotel whose size accounts for the number of Polish conference meetings booked up. Depressing from the outside, though many of the rooms have been subject to renovation and have a spotless, sterile style that should suit the taste of budget travellers. Found on the right side of the river. Q227 rooms (96 singles 170 - 279zł, 120 doubles 170 - 279zł, 5 triples 180 - 289zł, 3 apartments 200 - 289zł). Breakfast 28zł. HAR UGKD hhh Courtyard by Marriott ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1 (Okęcie Airport), tel. 022 650 01 00, fax 022 650 01 01, wcy@courtyard.com, www.marriot.com/wawcy. In many senses this place, almost directly opposite the check in desks, is an extension of Warsaw Airport. People use the superb lobby bar as a departure lounge, and for those with an early morning start the big, comfortable rooms here are as good a place as any to wait for a flight. Fear not the noise of the planes: we slept like a baby (as did our baby) even though our room had a direct view of the runway. With rates lower than you think the one catch is the cost of in-room internet: €19.95 for 24 hours access. Ouch. The breakfast is another matter: it’s well worth paying the extra for.Q236 rooms (118 singles €155, 116 doubles €155, 2 apartments €239 - 299). Breakfast €18. Tax 7%. PTHARUFGKW hhhh Gromada Airport ul. 17 Stycznia 32 (Okęcie), tel. 022 576 46 00, fax 022 846 15 80, warszawahotel.airport@ gromada.pl, www.gromada.pl. A huge newly expanded wing has opened, adding beds and upping the overall quality. Rooms incorporate bright, sunny colours, while the conference rooms could fit a small army. Just 800 metres from the airport, so don’t worry about getting stuck into the bar the night before your morning flight. Q352 rooms (292 singles 200 - 420zł, 286 doubles 230 - 450zł, 29 apartments 500 800zł). PTHARUFLGK hhh Airport hotels Airpor t Hotel Okęcie ul. 17 Stycznia 24 (Okęcie), tel. 022 456 80 00, fax 022 456 80 29, r ezer wacja@airpor thotel.pl, w w w.airpor thotel.pl. G o o d valu e for th e busin ess travell er, ro oms in clu d e da tap or ts, sa telli te T V an d pl en t y of na tural li gh t. Win s b onus p oin ts for th e impres si ve, top-fl o or pan orami c bar. Q170 ro om s (10 sin gl es €130 - 155, 153 d oubl es €145 - 165, 7 apar tm en ts €185 - 240). Ta x 7%. P T Y H A R U F L G KDW hhhh Premiere Classe E-3, ul. Towarowa 2, tel. 022 624 Novotel Warszawa Airport D-7, ul. 1 Sierpnia 1, tel. 022 575 60 00, fax 022 575 69 99, rez.nov.airport@ orbis.pl, www.orbis.pl. Comfortably inside the mid-range bracket, Novotel is a canny choice for those who expect professional standards at competitive prices. Splashy colours, dataports and shining bathrooms lend a comfortable, practical tone to the rooms. Q280 rooms (279 singles €80 - 165, 279 doubles €80 - 165, 1 apartment €180). Breakfast €15. Tax 7%. PTHARUFLGKDCW hhh Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 38 WHERE TO STAY Serviced apartments 75 81 54, fax 022 398 46 80, biuro@dreamapartments. pl, www.dreamapartments.pl. A series of modern apartments found scattered around the city with locations including Nowy Świat, old town and the CBD. The design is sharp and stylish, with facilities including fully fitted kitchens, sound system and washing machines, and all come with separate lounge areas. Q10 rooms (10 apartments 180 - 450zł). No breakfest served. TAGW WHERE TO STAY Hostels Garden Villa G-6, ul. Dolna 42, tel./fax 022 841 11 73, hostel@gardenvilla.pl, www.gardenvilla.pl. Frankly you’re in the middle of nowhere, fortunately you’ll find yourself rewarded by quirky rooms decorated with bright colours and a slightly chaotic style not dissimilar from a British boarding school; you half expect to find Billy Bunter making off with the jammy donuts here. Cheap and decent, with a name that is indicative of the quiet suburban location. Q16 rooms (8 doubles 140 - 160zł, 2 triples 165 - 195zł, 2 quads 240zł). 41 dorm beds 45-60zł per person. Breakfast 13zł. HGW 39 Dream Apartments A-2, ul. Andersa 21/84, tel. 0 604 TM Duval B-1, ul. Nowomiejska 10, tel. 0 608 67 93 46, fax 022 831 91 04, duval@duval.net.pl, www.duval.net.pl. Four apartments with distinctly differing styles - Japanese (rice paper curtains, oriental paintings), Polish (thick drapes and wooden furnishings), 19th century retro (floral patterns and china sets) and glass (hyper-modern with leather furnishings and a shiny kitchen unit). This is class, and an impressive addition to your Warsaw accommodation options. Q4 rooms (4 apartments 270 - 350zł). No breakfast served. JARGKW InterContinental A-4, ul. Emili Plater 49, tel. 022 328 88 88, fax 022 328 88 89, warsaw@ihg.com, www. warsaw.intercontinental.com. Luxury apartments aimed at the long stay corporate traveller. Guests are awarded all the privileges granted to those staying in the hotel, including 24hr room service and use of the fitness centre. Q76 rooms (76 apartments €250 - 620). Breakfast €15-20. Tax7%. PTHARUFLGKDC hhhhh Old Town Apartments B-1, Rynek Starego Miasta 12/14 apt.2, tel. 022 820 92 27, fax 022 831 49 56, warsaw@bookaa.net, www.warsawshotel.com. A series of apartments dotted around the city, not just in old town. Prices to suit each income bracket. Choose from smart one bedroom flats to 120m2 studio apartments. Q50 rooms (50 apartments €50 - 155). Breakfast €9. TJARGW Residence Diana C-3, ul. Chmielna 13a, tel. 022 505 91 00, fax 022 505 91 01, info@residencediana. com, www.residencediana.com. An outstanding set of serviced apartments filled with designer furniture and extras such as DVD players, hi-fi and fully functioning kitchen. Very chic, and absolutely perfect for the travelling CEO. Services include a 24hr English-speaking reception, laundry and business facilities. Also available, discounted use of the spa in Le Regina hotel in the new town district. Q46 rooms (46 apartments €85 - 280). Breakfast €18. Tax 7%. PTHARLGDC Residence St. Andrew’s Palace B-4, ul. Chmielna 30, tel. 022 826 46 40, fax 022 826 96 35, info@ residencestandrews.pl, www.residencestandrews.pl. Plush apartments and properties for short and long term rental inside a beautifully restored townhouse.Q24 rooms (24 apartments €95 - 216). TARG Royal Route Residence C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 29/3, tel. 022 692 84 95, fax 022 831 49 56, warsaw@bookaa. net, www.warsaw-apartments.net. Named after Polish monarchs, and located inside a renovated town house in the city centre, flats at Royal Route Residence overlook Warsaw’s premier shopping street. All studio apartments feature a chic, contemporary design and come with CD players, high speed internet access and cable TV and the fully equipped kitchens include microwave and fridge. Apartments sleep from one to six people. Q15 rooms (15 apartments €100 - 160). TARG 08, info@hostel-helvetia.pl, www.hostel-helvetia.pl. A hostel/budget hotel crossover right in the centre of Warsaw close to the University and Krakowskie Przedmiejscie. On offer free wi-fi, use of a computer, a kitchen and television room. Both brightly decorated private rooms and dorms are available, and of particular note is the common room; decked out in the style of an artsy cafe.Q19 rooms (3 singles 150 - 200zł, 15 doubles 160 - 220zł, 2 triples 195 - 210zł). 23 dorm beds 45-70zł per person. Breakfast 12zł. YAGW Helvetia C-3, ul. Kopernika 36/40, tel./fax 022 826 71 Nathan’s Villa F-4, ul. Piękna 24/26, tel./fax 022 622 29 46, warsaw@nathansvilla.com, www. nathansvilla.com. Poland’s b est h ostel just keeps get tin g b et ter. Re cen t chan ges in clud e a n ew an d improved reception area and the addition of numerous private rooms that would not be out of place in a good standard hotel. Nathan, a backpacker and hedonist himself, has considered ever y detail from high speed internet to free laundr y. The kitchen/common room is a fantastic space to share a crate of beer with other travellers, and the high standards extend to the accommodation: modern bunk beds and gleaming bathrooms inside a fully renovated cour tyard building. Absolutely no cur fews, lockouts or checkout times, and staff who will fall over back wards to help guests. Q19 rooms (6 doubles 160 - 210zł). 85 dorm beds 45-65zł per person. ARGW Oki Doki B-3, Pl. Dąbrowskiego 3, tel. 022 826 51 12, fax 022 826 83 57, okidoki@okidoki.pl, www. okidoki.pl. A charismatic hostel stuffed with abstract art, bits and bobs from thrift stores and wacky colour schemes. The last few months have seen a dramatic overhaul, with more private rooms added. Rooms don’t have numbers, just themes, and have been designed by a team of local artists. Take a look at ‘The Realm of Narnia’, like something straight out of C.S. Lewis, or ‘The Communist Dorm’, filled with commie iconography and scenes from Socialist Paradise. Kitchen and internet also available for guests, as well as what the owners promise is ‘the cheapest beer in Warsaw’. Watch this space for news on a second Oki Doki venture due to open in the old town. Q37 rooms (1 single 120 - 130zł, 21 doubles 152 - 215zł). 60 dorm beds 47-65zł per person. Breakfast 10zł. TYAGW Kanonia F-1, ul. Jezuicka 2, tel./fax 022 635 06 76, hostel@ www.warsawShotel.com • warsaw@bookaa.net kanonia.pl, www.kanonia.pl. An atmospheric old town hostel accessed down a narrow cobbled street straight from the pages of Hans Christian Andersen. Living quarters are cramped and sometimes noisy and guests shouldn’t be surprised to find nosey tourists peering through the windows. Expect the standard hostel trappings including a cheerfully painted kitchen, round-the-clock reception and a few computers on standby for your gmail moments. Pay extra for breakfast and bike hire. Q9 rooms (3 singles 150 - 170zł, 2 doubles 150 - 170zł, 2 triples 220zł, 2 quads 260zł). 36 dorm beds 45-55zł per person. Breakfast 13zł. GW Magdalena Abakanowicz Until September 7th art fans visiting Ujazdowski Castle have the opportunity to view the works of Magdalena Abakanowicz, one of Poland’s best known sculptors. In an industry dominated by chancers and spoofers her works are DariuszKrakowiak knock out, a fact reflected by her reputation as one of the most influential artists of her genre. Born in 1930 her family were part of the aristocracy, and fled north the moment the Russkies launched their 1920 invasion of Poland. Distantly related to ancient Mongolian warlords Abakanowicz yo-yoed across Poland in the post-war years, before finally enrolling in Warsaw’s Academy of Fine Arts in 1950. It was during this time of Stalinist repression that she attended compulsory textile classes, acquiring a knowledge of fiber design that would go on to influence her works. She hit the big time in the Swinging Sixties, with 3-D reliefs made of dyed sisal fiber. Sometimes reaching over three metres tall these figures became her signature work, and known to critics as Abakans. By the 70s she started widening her scope, creating fearsome works comprising of dozens of faceless figures, and visitors to Poznań can today view one of her permanent installations in the Citadel Park – some 112 cast iron headless figures standing over two metres high. Mad as a monkey with a spanner this lady, and well worth further investigation. Check her out while you can. Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 40 RESTAURANTS As suits a capital city, Warsaw is host to both fine restaurants and inflated prices. Levels of customer service still lag behind the West, and quality troughs and peaks with violent irregularity. The figures in brackets denote the price of the cheapest and most expensive main dish on the menu in the respective restaurant. Smoking or non-smoking ...nowhere in your guide does it mention the huge quantities of awful tobacco smoke produced by even a handful of customers in many establishments (in Krakow). There were quite a few times when we visited highly rated places in your guide and had to turn around and walk out again… and I’m a smoker! - Richard Bowen, Scotland Entering a bar or restaurant can be a risky business these days for both smokers looking to enjoy their habit and for non-smokers who wish to enjoy their meal, drink or coffee and newspaper without having to breathe in someone else’s fumes. This is particularly true of Poland where you face a number of issues. Many places will claim to have non-smoking sections but the size of many of these places, notably in Krakow, the passion for nicotine which still exists here and the plain poor segregation make these completely useless. To confuse matters some businesses are also adopting complete bans on smoking ahead of expected legislation already in place in other parts of the new EU such as Latvia. In order to clarify this we have adopted a new set of definitions and symbols,which are included at the end of each review, as regards smoking American Amigos A-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 119, tel. 022 629 39 69, www.restauracjaamigos.pl. A steak house in name, a mistake house in reality. Find mediocre cattle and bland burritos served at sky high prices inside a cowboy interior filled with all the requisite horse shoes and cattle horns. There’s plenty of competition for the title of Warsaw’s best American eatery, this place doesn’t come close. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:30. (24-99zł). PTABXS 022 222 07 00, www.hardrockcafe.pl. It is hard to knock the HRC. We are well aware of the fact that where you come from the brand might be slightly naff, but in these parts the sublime customer service and excellent value food - try finding a better gourmet burger any cheaper in Warsaw - are reason enough to come here. If coming just for drinks, head downstairs. You can enjoy trying new and exciting concoctions from the very long cocktail list in the company of some of the city’s most attractive people; indeed, it’s a wonder they let us in. One gripe would be the irregularity of live music events, but it’s a minor one.QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (33-79zł). PTAUEBXS Hard Rock Café B-4, ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), tel. G Champions Sports Bar & Restaurant B-4, Al. This restaurant or bar has a complete ban on smoking on the premises X This restaurant or bar has a smoking section on the premises The use of neither symbol means that the old rules apply in that smoking is permitted on the premises, and even if there is a designated no smoking area we have deemed it completely useless anyway. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 022 630 51 19, www.champions.pl. Hard to fault this high-quality burger bar tucked away on the ground floor of the Marriott. And while most do people appear to settle for the burgers - perhaps the best in the city - we love the massive range of tapas-style starters. Go for the mini-cheesburgers, the potato skins or the crispy onion rings. Around three million television screens placed everywhere you could imagine will ensure that if you’ve come here for the big match, you will not miss a kick. We could also mention the electronic dart boards, but we won’t. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. (34-79zł). PTAUXSW Pink Flamingo ul. Lirowa 42, (Ochota), tel. 022 658 00 46, www.pinkflamingo.pl. A carbon copy of a mid-west 50’s yank diner, complete with the mandatory jukebox, steaming coffee machine and black and white checked flooring. Just the sort of place you see appearing in thrillers involving serial killers, in fact. The menu roars through the staples of American cooking, and includes burritos, steaks and Louisiana tiger prawns, and is well worth the trip to this forgotten quarter of residential Warsaw. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (24-49zł). PTABSW www.rodeodrive.pl. A vast location that spirals up a good few floors. On the ground floor it’s a Dodge City-style bar, with TVs tuned to football and a carpet of peanut shells scattered on the floor. Upstairs opens into a restaurant area and it’s here booted girls wearing cowboy hats serve some of the best steaks in Warsaw. The filet mignon is well worth the outlay, and comes best paired with their bacon branded beans. Unfortunately memories of your visit may be dampened by the staff, specifically their inability to calculate a bill properly. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (20-80zł). PTAUBXSW www.jeffs.pl. Originally found in the Galeria Mokotow shopping mall Jeff has now added another restaurant to his repertoire, this one on the road running to the airport. The m.o is exactly the same, with a ranch-style menu and interiors that don’t go beyond your standard soup of number plates and road signs. Recommended are the ribs, a favourite with American exiles. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 01:00. (19-59zł). TAUEXS Jeff’s E-5, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 32, tel. 022 825 16 50, Rodeo Drive C-3, ul. Chmielna 2, tel. 022 829 47 61, Symbol key P Air conditioning E Live music T Child friendly J Old Town location I Fireplace V Home delivery A Credit cards accepted S Take away U Facilities for the disabled 6 Animal friendly W Wi-Fi Rooster C-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 8, tel. 022 892 98 10, www.rooster.pl. Rooster is where the Wild West meets Baywatch, and it’s very much a venue which allows lads to indulge in their primary passions - eating chips while cheering at girls. Expect tanorexic waitresses who look like they fried themselves in Chernobyl amid interiors featuring telegraph poles and Harley Davidson gear. The food is of the regular burgers and steak variety, and isn’t half as eye-catching as those it’s served by.QOpen 11:00 24:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 01:00, Sun 11:00 - 23:00. (17-56zł). PTABXS The best ice cream in Warsaw in Ale Gloria's summer garden! Warsaw In Your Pocket 42 RESTAURANTS RESTAURANTS 43 ul. Puławska 101 tel./fax. 22 854 07 82 ww.banjaluka.pl kontakt@banjaluka.pl Authentic Balkan cuisine prepared to traditional recipes by our Serbian chef. Check it out! SomePlace Else C-4, ul. Prusa 2 (Sheraton Warsaw Hotel), tel. 022 450 67 10, www.sheraton.com.pl. Part of the Sheraton Hotel SPE is more than a restaurant, this place is every bit as good as a one way ticket home. The menu is a classic countdown of Uncle Sam’s favourites with the burgers ordered regularly concluding with deft beneath the table manoeuvres to loosen the belt. This place isn’t as serious as most hotel eateries, and the results are evident in some seriously lively nights. Live bands encourage visiting business droids to lose both ties and inhibitions, while a set of screens positioned behind the bar show live coverage of all the big sports fixtures. QOpen 12:00 - 00:30, Mon 12:00 - 23:30, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:30, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. (31-105zł). PTAUEXSW 60, www.fridays.com.pl. Filled with American absurdities this is the Friday’s experience as replicated the world over. The burgers are sub-par, and the monster Mud Slide is sickly sweet, leaving you in no doubt how you’ll be feeling the following morning. Points go to the fillet mignon, which doesn’t disappoint, and the staff who look great fitted out in bells, whistles and dunce caps. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (27-70zł). PTAUBXS Mala Serbia F-3, ul. Emilii Plater 25, tel. 022 622 46 40, www.malaserbia.pl. When it opened this was Poland’s first Serbian eatery, and a cracking place to tuck into skewered meats and piping hot bread stuffed with cheese. Now it looks like the food comes second place in Mala Serbia. We visited to re-review this eatery and found every table occupied by drinkers enthralled by big screen football action. We’ll be back soon to see if we enjoy better luck. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. (2065zł). PTAEBXS Brazilian Churrasco do Landa B-3, ul. Próżna 8, tel. 022 620 50 80, www.churrasco.pl. A routine looking restaurant with staff wearing Brazil football tops and a menu of strictly average South American bites. The locals don’t seem to mind the final result, though more international diners will leave less than impressed. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (39-50zł). PTAUXS is this lack of focus which eventually lets it down: there is simply too much on offer. If they stuck to what they knew best it could easily become a great restaurant.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 12:30 - 23:00, Sun 12:30 - 22:00. (20135zł). PTAXS 658 00 68, www.hongkonghouse.com.pl. A popular eatery with pastel colour schemes and a range of baffling sounding dishes: duck for real hero and old Chinese style guts being a couple of examples. Interesting. The more standard dishes are consistently good. QOpen 12:00 23:00, Sat 12:30 - 23:00, Sun 12:30 - 22:00. (26-65zł). PTAXS 98 25, www.redorange.com.pl. Cleverly recognizing that Chinese cuisine has moved on over the past few decades, Red Orange is Warsaw’s first attempt at Chinese Fusion. Mixing the classic with the modern, and a little of the Polish, you can expect a treat here as stodgy pierogi become tasty dim sum, and well-sized prawns get dipped in the zest of citrus fruits and are whisked to your table. The décor is refreshingly simple and unobtrusive: the food is king here.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (20-49zł). TARUBXS G-3, ul. Prusa 2 (Sheraton Warsaw Hotel), tel. 022 450 67 05, www.sheraton.com.pl. Exquisite dishes at premium prices. The menu covers every kitchen from Japan to Singapore, with the seafood earning particularly high scores. Q Open 12:00 - 15:00, 18:00 - 23:00; Mon, Sat 18:00 - 23:00; Sun 12:30-16:30. (52-132zł). PTAUXSW Hong Kong House E-4, ul. Filtrowa 70, tel. 022 TGI Friday’s E-2, al. Jana Pawła II 29, tel. 022 653 83 Tawerna Tabaka B-3, ul. Szkolna 2/4, tel. 022 828 10 60, www.tawernatabaka.pl. An exotic Balkan spot that provides welcome respite from the wet winter murk. Set inside a warm stone-clad interior Tabaka features several pots and plants, fruit and herbs dangling from the ceilings, and some curtained off boudoirs. It looks lovely, but the pull here is the food. The menu is a labyrinth of recipes from Macedonia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia to name but a few influences, and includes great big lamb shish kebabs. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (25-46zł). PTAEBXSW British London Steak House F-3, ul. Krucza 51, tel. 022 827 00 20, www.londonsteakhouse.pl. A dark, gloomy eatery that’s acquired a name for serving the most revolting version of the British fry-up you’ll ever come across. This place hasn’t been spruced up since the 90s and is looking increasingly tired; remember that red phone box and the scruffy mannequin of the British copper? They’re still here. As are the same chefs by the looks of it; the food is certainly every bit as bad as it was a couple of years ago. The name suggests that steak is the forte here, but we’ve yet to see any proof of this.QOpen 11:00 - 23:30. (30-79zł). PTAGBSW Red Orange A-3, ul. Grzybowska 9, tel. 022 890 Balkan Banja Luka G-6, ul. Puławska 101, tel. 022 854 07 82, www.banjaluka.pl. Diners cross town to get to Banja Luka, where the intrepid will find themselves rewarded with a hunters heaven. This is feasting as done the Balkan way, with food served inside an interior of primitive timber fittings and ceramics, or al fresco in a garden that evokes images of a country cottage. Starve yourself for a few days beforehand to make the most of the mountains of grill food that arrive to your table; you’ll need to be airlifted home. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (18-49zł). TAEBXS Belgian Moliera 6 B-2, ul. Moliera 4/6, tel. 022 828 03 49. Offering both French and Belgian food served in perhaps Warsaw’s finest interior: it’s all exposed brick, displays of illuminated bookshelves and those streetlamps you’d see in a Maigret adaptation. The menu features the great and the good of Franco-Belgian cooking, including fondue sets, coq au vin and big pots of fresh - yes, they import them daily - mussels. The only drawback is the rather smelly, gloomy, drunk-ridden collonade you have to walk under to get here. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Mon, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (28-68zł). PTAUBXS Chinese Cesarski Pałac B-2, ul. Senatorska 27, tel. 022 827 97 07, www.cesarski-palac.com.pl. A Chinese restaurant in Warsaw called Caesar’s Palace. Doesn’t exactly breed confidence, does it? In fact, what we have here is a cracking little place whose lunch menu is one of the best value in the city, and as such you can expect to fight for a table as the clock hits 1pm. The food is a mix of Chinese flavours, with more Szechaun dishes than Beijing, though it The Oriental Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 44 RESTAURANTS The Royal Route Known locall y as Trak t Królewski the Royal Rou te is a title used to describe the road once taken by Poland’s kings to get from the Royal Castle in the old town, to the palace complex in Wilanów. The streets most familiar to readers, Now y Swiat and Krakowski Przedmiescie, are covered in detail elsewhere in this guide, so we’ll star t off on pl. Trzech Krz yz y, Warsaw’s poshest shopping district, and an area known for its ‘closed at dawn’ bars. Translated to mean Three Crosses Square the name is something of an inaccuracy, and more eagle-eyed readers will b e able to spot four cruci fi xes: t wo date from 1731, another – held by the figure of St John of Nepomuk – dates from 1752 and a final one tops th e church. Th e rotund looking church in the centre is that of St Alexander, and it’s here that Allied agents gathered during the war to swap information while disguised as the deaf mu tes the church has historicall y catered for. Head past the Sheraton and onto ul. Wiejska 4/6/8 to catch a look at the Polish Parliament (Sejm), a series of dull looking low-level buildings. Par ts of it are open to the public, bu t our ad vice is to give it a wide ber th if there’s any public demonstrations going on – the miners in par ticular have a penchant for turning the whole area into a battlefield during their annual marches. Head back onto al. Ujazdowskie to look enviousl y into some of the most elegant lodgings in Warsaw. Most of these 19th centur y structures have since been occupied by embassies bu t i t’s not hard to squint and imagine the days when i t was Warsaw’s leading entrepreneurs who resided in these grand mansions; number 17 was home to Michal Szlechow, a caviar magnate, while 12/14 was the domain of the Marconi architects. Then, lumped amongst these wedding cake masterpieces is the US Embassy (al. Ujazdowskie 29/31), perhaps the best example of crap architecture in Warsaw – a position that’s fiercely contested. Built in late fifties this horror has to be seen to be believed, bu t don’t for a minute think you can get away with photographing the evidence. As you continue down Ujazdowski you’ll pass the castle (p ??), the neo-renaissance astronomical observatory and botanical garden. But the real point of interest should be the Bel weder Palace (ul. Bel wederska 52), a building whose histor y merits a book. Buil t in the 18th centur y it was extensivel y remodelled in the 1820s, and became the official residence of the Tsar’s brother Prince Konstantine. His life took a colour ful turn in 1830 when the November Uprising kicked off with an attack of the palace. The prince escaped, disguised as a woman, and the rebellion was crushed within a year. Marshal Józef Pilsudski used the palace as his residence during the inter war years (his statue stands ou tside), and the list of residents includes th e Na zi Hans Frank, Le ch Walesa, all Poland’s post-war leaders and General Jaruzelski, the man responsible for declaring Mar tial Law in 1981. The rest of the journey to Wilanów is a largel y undistinguished trip through suburbia, but one structure that can’t help bu t stop you in the tracks is the Russian Embassy (ul Bel wederska 25). This intimdaating structure looks ever y bit a Bond building, and its not hard to imagine cold war intrigues being played ou t behind the darkened windows. www.wook.pl. Decent, if nothing-special, Chinese inside a red and black interior reminiscent of a Las Vegas cocktail bar. The menu features a range of predictable Chinese dishes, a busy open kitchen, funky bar and several well-dressed students taking the orders. It’s location - attached to the Marriott - may lead one to assume you’ll be paying astronomic prices. No worries on that scale, Wook is affordable to everyone but derelicts. Completely non-smoking, unfortunately. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (14-33zł). PUEGBSW RESTAURANTS Wook B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. 022 630 74 74, 45 European 01 07, www.restaurantbistrodeparis.com. Take a deep breath before ordering the bill, a meal here is guaranteed to leave the bank account feeling bruised. The financial distress is worth it. Head chef Michel Moran has created a masterpiece, with numerous French classics served alongside highly lauded seafood dishes. An elegant interior decorated with voluptuous drapes and bottles of vintage is just right for pre-theatre dining. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. (61-91zł). PTABXS Hotel), tel. 022 650 01 74, www.marriot.com/wawcy. Situated in the Courtyard Hotel opposite the airport this place makes its way into our listings on account of being your best (and only) option if you’ve just got off the flight from hell, have had your day disrupted by strikes or find yourself between flights. Hats off to him, head chef Tadeusz Cendrowicz has come up with a belter of a menu, and your one problem will be fitting through the plane door after. Check out the tuna steak, or for something more snacky choices like the club sandwich.QOpen 06:00 - 22:30. (38-88zł). PTAUBXSW Bistro de Paris B-2, Pl. Piłsudskiego 9, tel. 022 826 with Austrian and Bavarian culinary accents Polish cuisine Wide choice of wine and beer Brasserie D-7, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1 (Courtyard by Marriott Warsaw, 55/73 Marszałkowska St., phone +48 22 622 45 94, dekanta@dekanta.pl, www.dekanta.pl Banquets • Parties • Catering • call + 48 503 515 617 Jazz Hotl B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 13, tel. 022 826 74 66, www.jazzhotl.pl. A beautifully designed dining room occupying a part of the former Europejski Hotel. Cream coloured sofas and seats are placed inside a room coloured with soft green and beige shades, evoking an atmosphere that high-society would love. Crowd pleasing jazz performances at the weekend, and a modern menu that is equally pleasing throughout the rest of the week: try the veal escallops. QOpen 12:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. (20-80zł). PABW Malinowa C-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44 (Le Royal Meridien Bristol), tel. 022 551 10 00, www.warsaw. lemeridien.com. One of the most elegant dining rooms in Poland, and deemed worth of an entry in the Michelin Guide. Faultless gourmet dining inside the swish confines of the Bristol Hotel. Definitely impressive, with a reputation for its seafood. QOpen 19:00 - 23:00. Closed Mon, Sat. (69-125zł). PTAUEGSW five star. The menu meanwhile deserves attention of its own. Created by Thomas Preidelt it presents high end European and Polish choices, though for us Mezza’s real highlight is the weekly Sunday Brunch, arguably the best of the bunch. QOpen 06:30 23:00. (42-110zł). PTAUXS Café Kredens Vogue B-3, ul. Złota 7, tel. 022 827 66 01, www.cafekredensvogue.com.pl. The Kredens team have done it again, this time coming up with a corking venue that looks like something out of Flash Gordon. Garish rose and lime colour schemes compete for visual attention with comic book prints, plastic gizmos and chandeliers; there’s a chance they’ll be changing the interiors over summer, so catch this oddity while you can. They’re a café in name only, this is more of a restobar with a mixed menu consisting of burgers, shashlyks and pastas, all of which come served promptly and without incident. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri 12:00 - 03:00, Sat, Sun 14:00 - 24:00. (30-44zł). PAESW Papu F-4, Al. Niepodległości 132/136, tel. 022 856 77 88, www.restauracjapapu.pl. A newish venture from the team behind Zielnik, and equally lauded. The interior is an upmarket collection of palms, flowers and sconces, while the menu comprises of showcase European food prepared with a sense of flair, including tuna steak seared at your table. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00. (35-75zł). PTABXSW Dekanta F-4, ul. Marszałkowska 55/73, tel. 022 622 45 94, www.dekanta.pl. The uncluttered interior has shades of the Austro-Hapsburg era with its vaulted ceilings, arched windows and staff dressed as promiscuous looking maidens. Flagstone flooring and a bar with wooden casks mounted behind it complete your immersion into the days of Franz Jozef, and the menu is a collection of generous meaty meals like stroganoff and schnitzel. Once you’ve cast the napkin aside head upstairs for wine and views of Marszałkowska. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 24:00. (27-52zł). PAEBXS www.derelefant.pl. A real old-timer and the profusion of top dining the city now boasts mean Der Elefant is often overlooked. You won’t find gourmet surprises, but the menu reveals all manner of grilled treats that remind of home cooking, washed down with big steins of beer. The interior consists of a rattan furnished conservatory and a pub style back room with a bar and a blue elephants head dangling dangerously from the wall. Not bad at all. QOpen 10:30 - 00:30, Sat 11:30 - 00:30, Sun 12:30 - 00:30. (16-39zł). TABXS Podwale - Kompania Piwna B-1, ul. Podwale 25, tel. Der Elefant A-2, Pl. Bankowy 1, tel. 022 624 79 05, Marconi C-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44 (Le Meridien Bristol), tel. 022 551 18 32, www.warsaw. lemeridien.com. More informal than the Malinowa restaurant right next door, this place is still a class ahead of the others. Dishes encompass a variety of influences and run includes a saddle of lamb that some might choose to die for. Q Open 06:30 - 10:30, 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 06:30 - 10:30, 12:30 16:30, 19:00 - 23:00. (69-115zł). PTAUEXW 356 55 76, www.warsaw.hilton.com. The Hilton’s showpiece restaurant, and definitely a place to impress someone important. This is a vast hotel with a convention centre to match, but Meza’s designers have been clever enough to incorporate lots of smart wooden pillars and walls to break up this smart space. A glass wall separates it from the rest of the hotel, affording diners the chance to watch the comings and goings inside Warsaw’s latest 022 635 63 14, www.podwale25.pl. Enter via a mock Bavarian courtyard to discover chambers filled with benches and the sounds of oompah music - sometimes live, sometimes too loud. The portions are enormous, and arrive on wooden boards or in steel pans, adding to the atmosphere of beer hall revelry. Expect plenty of cabbage, and packed tables throughout the day. The best value in old town, and well worth stopping by if you’re following the tourist trail. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 01:00. (21-49zł). PTJAUEBXS www.poezja.waw.pl. A well-designed, urbane eatery in the same spot once occupied by Rubikon. The chef remains the same, which is good news for foodies. Initial staffing problems appear to have been dealt with and this restaurant looks like it can look forward to a bright future. The menu is modern European and on the whole highly recommended, though as in most Polish restaurants, be wary of the steak; no matter how you want it cooked expect it to look like it was butchered minutes earlier.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 14:00 - 23:00, Sun 14:00 - 22:00. (24-64zł). PTABXS Poezja (Poetry) C-4, ul. Książęca 6, tel. 022 622 67 62, Meza E-3, ul. Grzybowska 63 (Hilton Warsaw Hotel), tel. 022 Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 46 RESTAURANTS Edward Gierek Born in Zagórze, an outlying district of Sosnowiec, Edward Gierek (1913 – 2001) is best remembered as the man who took Poland to the brink of bankruptcy with his half-mad economic policies. His father died in a mining accident when Gierek was aged four, and soon after his mother hitched up with a new fella and made the decision to up sticks and move the brood to France. By the age of 17 he was a card carrying member of the French commie party, and it wasn’t long before his subversive activities had come to the attention of the authorities. Regarded as a political pest he was deported back to Poland, and was immediately called up for national service. By 1937, and with a marriage to his name, Gierek made the decision to head westwards once more, this time to Belgium where he grafted in the mines by Ghent. His personal history gets a bit cloudy around this time, though it’s commonly accepted he fought behind the frontlines with a unit of Polish guerillas. With the war over Gierek and wife moved back to Katowice in 1948, no doubt pleased as punch that the country was now communist controlled. It didn’t take long for Gierek to rise through the ranks, and in 1957 he was appointed as the regional head of the Communist party. He set about his task with ideological zeal, approving grandiose projects like the Spodek and Park of Culture and Recreation. He also remained true to his mining roots, and although conditions for Silesia’s miners remained brutal, under Gierek these modern day Gollum’s at least enjoyed the benefit of cheaper cars and housing. Championed as a man of the people Gierek enjoyed considerable public support, though a dark side surfaced during the student protests of 1968. ‘Don’t make ripples in this still Silesian water’, he warned local academics, before ominously adding, ‘or it will break your bones’. But the threat of military intervention did little to deter the protestors, and a sudden hike in food prices sparked a wave of rioting in December, 1970. Scores of people were killed, forcing Władysław Gomułka to resign his post as Polish First Secretary. The nation needed a new man, someone who could unite the country and lead Poland forward. The dynamic Gierek was the perfect candidate, and his promises of economic and social reform were just what the masses wanted to hear. He forged close links with the West, in particular France and Germany, and propped up by huge foreign loans set about modernizing industry and bringing the country out of the dark ages. His strategy was an immediate success, and saw him hailed an economic mastermind by workers across the country. But the oil crash of 1973 sent shockwaves throughout the globe, and by 1976 Poles were once more feeling the pinch. He had borrowed billions, and now his creditors wanted the money back – the cost was passed onto the people by ways of further price increases, and imports were cut dramatically while everything which could be exported was leading to empty shelves and longer queues than ever before; all this while Gierek and his cronies continued to enjoy a high life of hunting and holidays. By 1980 the people had had enough, and inspired by Lech Wałęsa’s Solidarity movement strikes and protests ripped through the country. Poland was in crisis, and Gierek was forced to abdicate his position. The hardline regime that followed him, led by General Jaruzelski, pinned Poland’s mounting economic and social crisis on him, and he was forced to resign his party membership before being locked away for a year. Choosing a quiet life after his ignominious exit from politics Gierek lived out the rest of his life in the southern town of Ustroń, and passed away in 2001 following a battle against a lung infection. The mark he left was immense, but while the rest of Poland finds itself still paying off the debts he racked up, the people of Katowice have something a little more solid to remember him by – namely the Gierkówka highway. Rondo Royal A-3, ul. Rondo ONZ 1, tel. 0 505 00 00 00, www.rer.com.pl. Opened in December this place has all the hallmarks of greatness; it’s certainly got the grapevine going bananas. You may hear whispers that this place is ‘invite only’, that’s actually a lie, it’s open to all - all who can afford it, anyhow. This is as exclusive as Warsaw dining gets, and frequented by guests who slide into Top 100 rich lists. Found hidden on the ground floor of the Rondo 1 skyscraper the staff have been headhunted from some of Warsaw’s premier establishments, while the manageress is an off-duty model. Wow indeed. A black, plasticky interior comes decorated with a water feature, and the lives of the lobsters swimming in the tank hang in the balance at your whim and fancy. Our tip though is to let the chef surprise you - he hails from Parmizzano and clearly knows his stuff. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (26-360zł). PTAUEBXSW Ringside views of Nowy Swiat are one of the draws here, and with all the drinking that goes on here it’s easy to overlook this place as a restaurant. Don’t make such a mistake, this is still a very good destination in an area that’s overflowing with options; the menu is Mediterranean in spirit and features pretty good pizzas. QOpen 10:30 - 23:30, Sun 11:30 - 23:30. (19-69zł). TABXS www.youandmebar.pl. The narrow as hell yet shaded and glorious terrace is the top draw here, as is the half-decent stab at an English breakfast. The lunchtime menu is top value, and given that they claim to serve the cheapest beer in Poland, you can eat and drink well here for peanuts. At night You & Me becomes a rather trendy bar that fills up with no tie, coloured-shirted types from the media companies whose offices line this street. Come prepared to do and talk business and you will love the place. QOpen 08:30 - 24:00, Fri 08:30 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (1565zł). PTABXSW St. Traffo C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 36, tel. 022 826 67 69. You & Me C-4, ul. Żurawia 6/12, tel. 022 420 34 34, French Absynt C-4, ul. Wspólna 35, tel. 022 621 18 81, www. kregliccy.pl. Recent dispatches reporting the demise of Absynt were mistaken. Visiting this bijoux little French restaurant recently we were delighted to be served a tender, sweet rabbit dripping in the most gorgeous Dijon sauce we have tasted in Warsaw. Desserts are a worth a look too: the chocolate soufflé doesn’t come cheap, it will attempt to kill you with its deliciously tangy taste, but it’s worth the effort and expense. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (45-75zł). PTAXS 45 85, www.bistro-zuzu.pl. French and Italian recipes have been mixed together to create a cracking menu in this suburban beacon. Mokotów has always proved a desirable place to live, now it’s winning recognition for its growing list of restaurants. The non-assuming design features modern art pinned to London grey walls, and a scattering of armchairs amid dark wood fittings. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 21:00. (17-46zł). PTAGBSW Bistro Żużu F-5, ul. Kazimierzowska 43, tel. 022 646 Brasserie Stanislas A-3, Al. Jana Pawła II 22 (Mercure Hotel), tel. 022 528 03 60. Hotel restaurants rarely get better than this. Though we would prefer it if the curtains which block out the outside world would come down, we really couldn’t fault the food. The beef fillet with foie gras might be expensive (as in 89zł expensive) but boy was it worth it. Start saving now for Christmas.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (50-89zł). PTAUEXSW Warsaw In Your Pocket 48 RESTAURANTS ul. nowy swiat 19 for reservations call 022 826 65 70 open from 12:00 www.sensecafe.com RESTAURANTS 49 warsaw’s premier spot for top-class casual dining in the heart of the city La Rotisserie B-1, ul. Kościelna 12 (Le Regina Hotel), tel. 022 531 60 70, www.leregina.com. An intimate restaurant with vaulted ceilings and calming cream and caramel colour schemes. Occupying a part of the boutique hotel Le Regina this is a superb indulgence if you’re looking to make an impression on someone special. Head chef Paweł Oszczyk isn’t afraid to experiment, and he’s created a menu that blends the best of Polish and French cooking. Try the pork shank braised in beer, or for dessert strawberry soup with mint and black pepper. QOpen 06:30 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 07:00 - 23:00. (95-128zł). PTARUGBSW Fusion E-2, Al. Jana Pawła II 21, tel. 022 450 86 31, www.westin.com.pl/fusion. Beautifully presented food in a modern though frequently empty interior. The menu is tiny and largely made up of experimental fish dishes, but the results are definitely worth the visit. The roast duck with mandarin sauce comes completely recommended. Q Open 06:30 - 10:30, 12:00 - 22:30, Sat 07:00 - 10:30, 12:00 - 22:30, Sun 07:00 - 10:30, 12:30 - 22:30. (38-149zł). PTAUEXSW Moonsfera ul. Wybrzeże Gdyńskie 4 (Polish Olympic Association Building), tel. 022 560 37 33, www.moonsfera.pl. A magnificent rooftop venue whose curved glass windows allow views of nighttime Warsaw as she glitters below. Split across various sections, including a blissfully luxurious lounge, this chic venue offers a range of international fusion with dishes and a blond wood bar to top the evening off at.QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. Closed Sat. (44-61zł). PTAUGBSW tel. 022 402 31 91. A sexy restobar serving Italian influenced European food. Kitted out with a VIP room anda decent menu this looks like it could become a bit of a winner, though it’d be great if someone stole the televisions - you don’t visit restaurants to watch reality shows. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (22-65zł). PTABXSW what Buck Rogers’ latest spaceship would look like. From an open kitchen the chefs display their full repertoire, showing off every trick in the book as they create dishes like steamed bass in banana leaf, char grilled jumbo prawns and sushi sets. An aquarium packed with live oysters allows diners to pick out which mollusks they wish to see carved apart. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (28-265zł). PTABXSW Ginger B-3, ul. Zgoda 12, tel. 022 827 30 03, www.gin- Prowansja G-4, ul. Koszykowa 1, tel. 022 621 42 58, w w w.prowansja.pl. A charming restaurant with lots of wood finishes and farmhouse touches. The menu is held in high regard by the French community, with one reader declaring the sole as ‘the best in Warsaw’. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (36-64zł). PTAEBXS ger.com.pl. Now better known as a 24hr bar Ginger doesn’t do a bad job of fusion food, though the interiors are usually enough to send prospective diners scarpering - find lemon toned seating matched with leopard print dashes and a rather cheap looking neo-tikki aesthetic. The menu includes the likes of tomato soup served with basil ice cream, and offerings like wasabi steak. Q Open 24hrs. (24-48zł). PABSW No5 Lounge Restaurant A-3, ul. Grzybowska 5, Fusion Essencia B-4, ul. Marszałkowska 94/98 (Novotel Warszawa Centrum), tel. 022 596 12 34, www.essencia.pagi.pl. A sweeping space illuminated by ever changing sof t lighting, ambient tunes and impor ted chinaware. Small details count, and Essencia has plenty; the staff have been outfitted in designer uniform, and all microscopic telephones to be in constant touch with the kitchen. The menu is new wave fusion, combining both western and eastern influences, and proves that dining in hotels has definitely changed for the better. Q Open 06:30 - 10:30, 12:00 - 15:00, 18:00 - 23:00, Sun 07:00 11:00. (25-65zł). PTAUX Warsaw In Your Pocket KOM B-3, ul. Zielna 37a, tel. 022 338 63 53, www. komunikat.net. It’s been a couple of years since KOM was launched, but we’ve still yet to find an interior to rival it. Formerly a telephone exchange the building is pre-war restored with reclaimed period originals - the toilet floor is from Berlin, while the basement features cables that once relayed secret discussions between Stalin and Churchill. The menu features food from across the globe, and the chef is not afraid to get seriously artistic. Find foods like grilled tuna in sesame sauce, or filet mignon with coffee powder. Celebrate clinching a deal over their ‘business brunch’, or by taking a lucky dip from the drinks list; the cocktails are cracking, while the whisky list is reputed to be one of the longest in Poland. Q Open 12:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. From September Open 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 17:00. (35-69zł). PTYAUBXSW Orchidea B-3, ul. Szpitalna 3, tel. 022 827 34 36, www.restauracjaorchidea.pl. As long as you don’t want a Michelin star chef to cook your meal, you will enjoy it here. Good, well-priced food in a decent setting on a busy street. There is no terrace per se but the windows pull out in their entirety making it quite literally a cool place to dine. A mix of diners from top business types going incognito to giggling schoolgirls confirm the laid-back vibe. No fewer than eight vegetarian dishes make the final cut, of which the green tagliatelle with sun-dried tomatoes, home made pesto and rocket is the best.QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 23:00. (24-48zł). PTABS papaya.waw.pl. An ultra clinical stark white interior is accentuated by the occasional violet dash; this must be Sense C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 19, tel. 022 826 65 70, www.sensecafe.com.pl. Sense is what you want it to be. You want a simple cocktail bar where plenty of flirty chat with the barmaids is part of the attraction? You got it. You want cutting-edge fusion cuisine that’s hard to fault? You got it. Most people end up doing both: kick off with some Mojitos at the bar before tearing yourself away to enjoy the food. Go for the crispy seafood platter as a starter, before trying one of the many great, weirdly named noodle dishes, such as the First Lady (duck with soba noodles stir fried with bok choi and spinach). Finish it all off with a happy ending (we mean sorbet and ice cream; the girls aren’t that flirty).QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 00:30, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (35-65zł). PTABXS Galician C.K. Oberża B-4, ul. Chmielna 28, tel. 022 828 45 85, www.ckoberza.pl. Budget priced dinners, frothing litre steins of beer and a convivial ambiance inside a basic dining room dominated by dark woods. Expect pork chops, potato pancakes and plates of animal cadavers, all of which are happily devoured by a young flock of carnivores. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (24-42zł). YAXS August - September 2008 Papaya C-3, ul. Foksal 16, tel. 022 826 11 99, www. 50 RESTAURANTS Healthy Eating Biosfeera F-6, Al. Niepoległości 80, tel. 022 898 01 55, www.biosfeera.com. An ultra-funky interior full of hanging canvas lamps, orange dashes and shining wood finishes generates the hip atmosphere normally lacking in Polish vegetarian haunts. The tabolleuh salad is a fantastic way to prime yourself for the meatless main courses that come with names like Szpinakolada and Tortilla Kama Sutra. Freshly squeezed juices and fruit cocktails come as refreshment, and expect the thousand-yard stare if you ask for a beer and an ashtray. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. (23-33zł). TAUGBSW 47, www.greenway.pl/warszawa.php. Packed at all hours. The dishes are not inspirational, and frequently resemble plates of mashed beetroot, but this canteen style affair offers healthy decent fare at prices that cannot be faulted. A healthier more pleasant step up from the milk bar experience, this is the new face of Polish budget dining. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 19:00. (7-13zł). AGBS RESTAURANTS German www.adlerrestauracja.pl. Huge helpings of sausage and schnitzel served by saucy maids dressed like Heidi. A favourite with an older, corporate crowd this is a tight, rotund space cluttered with pots, pans and tankards. Any hopes for a boisterous beer hall atmosphere are tempered by the flocks of sensible suits who fatten themselves here. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (38-65zł). PTABXS 51 India Curry C-4, ul. Żurawia 22, tel. 022 438 93 50, Adler C-4, ul. Mokotowska 69, tel. 022 628 73 84, www.indiacurry.pl. Follow the pungent smell of spices to find this courtyard gem. Decorated with a fountain and pics of mythical figures this is a spacious venue and a popular choice with a ties off, after-work, expat crowd. The murgh mekhani is our top dish, and perfectly paired with a glass of ginger lemon juice. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (23-68zł). PTAUXSW 13 92, www.maharaja.pl. Inch your way to the top floor via a scummy staircase to find a shabby pink interior with the worn down look of a Brit student quarter curry house. But there is good news; the food has improved, and dramatically so, with the butter chicken being a particular favourite. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (22-60zł). PTAXS Maharaja F-4, ul. Marszałkowska 34/50, tel. 022 621 Greek Santorini ul. Egipska 7, (Praga), tel. 022 672 05 25, www.kregliccy.pl. It’s a trek to get here, out in Praga, there’s no disguising that. But if what you want is a real Greek meal, with tons of choice - more than 21 meze, we counted, to get through - and plenty of grilled lamb dishes. The only disappointment is the lack of seafood dishes on the menu: we saw onl y two, one octopus, one prawn, and such slim pickings didn’t instill enough confidence to try them.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (36-70zł). PTAREXS Greenway C-4, ul. Krucza 23/31, tel. 022 621 64 Namaste India C-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 15, tel. 022 357 Mandala B-4, ul. Emilii Plater 9/11, tel. 022 428 44 54, www.mandalaklub.com. Situated down a prewar bullet-scarred courtyard a trip to Mandala usually begins with passing token drunks mumbling at walls and scouring the ground for cigarette butts. Clientele at this beatnik spot include students, artists and people with spectacular dreadlocks, and you’ll find these characters digging into a selection of basic, half-decent Thai and Indian dishes. It’s difficult to imagine a stack of money being spent on this place, but the industrial, whitewashed style manages to work. QOpen 12:00 - 21:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. (19-45zł). PTAE BXSW Porta 13 C-3, ul. Chmielna 13, tel. 022 505 99 99, www.porta13.pl. The fact that this is a self-proclaimed ‘bio’ restaurant might suggest sandals and vegetarians, but instead we were pleasantly surprised to find some rather trendy local office workers enjoying a good lunch. We joined them and tucked into some light sea food sat on Porta 13’s terrace, in a courtyard behind Chmielna. A classic ‘eat, drink and stay’ venue where a quick after work bite can lead to a very long night.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (26-80zł). PTAEBW Sadhu Cafe E-1, ul. Wałowa 3, tel. 022 635 81 39, www.sadhucafe.pl. Formerly a boiler plant this basement restaurant comes with a soothing wooden interior sparingly decorated with Indian tablecloths. The menu is a cryptic minefield, with mysterious dishes like Mumbai Mamma and Raga in the Key of Mint making an appearance. On the down side the food really isn’t that good. QOpen 13:00 - 23:00. (25-49zł). PTAEGS Zorba ul. Dereniowa 6 (Ursynów), tel. 022 648 45 89, www.zorba.pl. Sit among classic columns and hanging vines and choose from a menu of gyros, suvlaki and fish. Warsaw has a number of Greek restaurants, and they all seem to involve an adventure in a taxi - this one is worth the odyssey. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (26-48zł). PTABXSW 09 39, www.namasteindia.pl. To call Namaste a restaurant is a misnomer. This is a tiny grocery store with fogged up windows and two rickety tables set aside for customers. The staff are swamped with orders, so do what those chained to office desks do and ring before hand to cut on waiting time. This is some of the best ethnic food we’ve ever tried, with prices set so low you can’t help but ask what’s the catch. There isn’t one; we’ve tried pretty much everything on the menu and have yet to find a weak link - and, best of all, they’ve recently doubled the menu in size.QOpen 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (14-22zł). GS Hungarian Borpince B-4, ul. Zgoda 1, tel. 022 828 22 44, www. borpince.pl. Good trout, as well as the signature Hungarian dish: goulash. If your pleasures are more liquid then you’ll be pleased to know they’ve also got a bit of a rep as a wine bar; we counted over 58 on their list, and are assured there are more lurking around. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30. (27-68zł). PTAXS Budapest H-3, ul. Zwycięzców 15, tel. 022 617 08 17. It’s hard to imagine Warsaw’s most affluent area as home to one of its best bargains. Enjoy piping hot Hungarian dishes cooked just the way a grandmother would inside a couple of clay coloured rooms that feature strings of paprika and a cat nosing around under the tables. Fine dining this is not; the menu arrives on a piece of scrunched up paper, and soft drinks are served straight from a can. But there’s no complaints about the end product, and the meatballs will have you licking the bowl. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. (10-19zł). PTAUBXSW Namaste India Clay Oven B-2, ul. Piwna 46/1, tel. 022 635 77 66, www.namasteindia.pl. When Namaste first opened in 2006 it proved such a success story that a new venue was needed to cope with the overflow of custom. The result is Namaste Indian Clay Oven, an Old Town hideout with a far more formal atmosphere to the fogged up, hole-inthe-wall style of the original. To say they’ve expanded would be using artistic license - their new venue holds 12 people, a fact that can lead to congestion as flocks of prospective diners hover around waiting for tables to empty. The crowds are here for the food, the best Indian dishes in Poland, possibly Central Europe. Amazingly the owner, Ashan Monnani, appears unaware of this, and the prices have been pegged at little higher than those found in a fast-food stop. The mob favourite is the chicken tikka masala, and it comes perfectly complimented by sides like bhajis and naan. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (16-40zł). GBS Tandoor Palace G-4, ul. Marszałkowska 21/25, tel. 022 825 23 75, www.tandoor.com.pl. A large slice of the monthly editorial budget invariably ends up in the Tandoor Palace cash tills and it should come as no surprise that the Warsaw Curry Club choose to hold their weekly meetings here. This has long been considered one of the best curries in Central Europe; the madras is scorching and the chicken tikka masala has a fan club of its own. Twangy music, sari clad service and murals of Ganesh complete the eastern immersion, and it’s not rare to find turbaned proprietor, Charanjit Walia, walking between tables and trading jokes with the regulars. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30. (26-72zł). PTAXSW Indian Arti A-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 121/123, tel. 022 626 90 02. Traditionally the majority of natives have been priced out of Warsaw’s Indian restaurants. That changed with the opening of Namaste last year, and now the launch of Arti has seen the gospel of curry spread even further. With a stone clad bar and nasty paper flowers climbing the walls you will not find diners coming here to marvel the décor, nor for that matter the view: four lanes of traffic and grassy wasteland. They’re here for the food, cracking renditions of Indian staples with firepower ranging from tame to lifethreatening. Utterly cheap, as well, with business lunch available in return for 21zł. QOpen 11:30 - 22:30. (25-42zł). PTAGBS The most up to date guides available? Don’t believe others’ ad speak. Check what’s available online at www.inyourpocket.com Warsaw In Your Pocket Indonesian Galeria Bali Buddha Club B-3, ul. Jasna 22, tel. 022 828 67 71, www.galeriabali.pl. A lavish and elaborate effort which brings Bali to your doorstep. The incense filled interior comes adorned with statuettes of Indonesian icons posed in prayer, and everything you see is up for sale. You do find Indonesians eating here, but that doesn’t stop many diners from commenting that the tastes aren’t the most authentic. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (39-100zł). PTAUXS August - September 2008 52 RESTAURANTS International restaurant99.com. A sunny Californian-style bistro with a modern look and a reputation for serving high-powered office bods - which makes the lack of wifi internet all the more surprising. The menu is bold and original, though the recent contents of our mailbag suggest the kitchen staff may be resting on their laurels. QOpen 09:00 - 23:00, Fri 09:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:30. (36-99zł). PTAUBS www.restauracja-anytime.pl. A sharp looking restaurant that serves as a treat for the eyes; you could be in a design catalogue with all those clever lights, canvas sheets and scientifically positioned plants. The menu is nowhere near as original as such a design would suggest, but that’s not to be taken as a slur. A jigsaw of standard international dishes - duck with apple and cranberry - are cooked to perfection before landing on your table courtesy of amiable staff. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. (31-49zł). TABXSW RESTAURANTS 99 E-2, Al. Jana Pawła II 23, tel. 022 620 19 99, www. Biblioteka (The Library) C-3, ul. Dobra 56/66 (University of Warsaw Library), tel. 022 552 71 95, www. biblioteka.hotel.com.pl. This place really is a library, or at least it was: the library of the University of Warsaw no less. But the food here is certainly not for penniless students. Wasted on them would be the sublime breast of pheasant with carrot mousse and baked apple, while the similarly good home made truffles with raspberry sauce are a treat for graduates only.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. (4575zł). PTAUXSW Bierhalle D-1, Al. Jana Pawła II 82 (Arkadia), tel. 0 601 67 79 62, www.bierhalle.pl. Warsaw’s best beer is the primary reason to visit, but this place is no one trick pony. To call this place a microbrewery is a little misguiding; Bierhalle is vast, and the menu sits up on a level with many more expensive restaurants. Portions are enormous, and aside from hefty beer food like sausages and herring the kitchen even manages to stretch to producing decent tortillas. A visit is here is not to be missed. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 10:00 - 23:00. (13-35zł). PTAUEBXSW www.bostonport.pl. A tiny but award-winning kitchen with an unassuming seafaring motif and a menu that includes steaks, seafood, and lighter bites more suited for the summer seasons. A friendly welcome throughout the year, with a more central location just added on ul. Żelazna 32 (A-4). QOpen 11:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 19:00. (31-60zł). PTAGBS www.browarmia.pl. One of two microbreweries in Warsaw, you would expect there to be a good range of beers on offer here, though what you may not expect is the decent food. The grilled turkey in plum sauce was way beyond anyone’s expectations, while the setting - the terrace overlooking Warsaw’s version of the Champs Elysee - quite frankly warrants higher prices than these. Get here quick before they read this and put the prices up.QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (29-64zł). PAUEBX 53 ATRIO Restaurant & Bar an excellent place for EVENING WINING & DINING, business lunch and delicious breakfast Anytime E-6, ul. Przejazd 2, tel. 022 493 08 49, Opening hours 8 am – 12 pm closed on Sunday al. Jana Pawła II 23, tel. 022 6539600 atrio@atrio.waw.pl www.atrio.waw.pl only 20 meters away from The Westin, Radisson SAS and Mercure hotels only 5 minutes’ walk from Hilton hotel Atrio A-3, Al. Jana Pawła II 23, tel. 022 653 96 00, www. atrio.waw.pl. One of our favourite restaurants in town, and it’s a view shared by most of Warsaw. The head chef here has done a smashing job of perfecting each and every dish on the tiny menu, with particular marks awarded to the grilled lamp chops. White/black colours and large windows lend a chic, modern aesthetic to Atrio, while the black clad service has been expertly schooled in their job.QOpen 08:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. (27-69zł). PAUBXS Barbecue C-4, ul. Krucza 6/14, tel. 022 627 15 28, www.barbecue.waw.pl. They won’t be winning points for design, this is a cheapy looking bi-level restaurant that offers no surprises décor wise. Your reason for swinging by is the selection of grilled meats, one of the best choices in town. T-Bone, fajitas, ribs, lamb, chicken, duck. You name it, it’s here, all grilled in an open kitchen by young chefs wearing big white toques. Is it any good? Steak has a tendency to disappoint out in Warsaw, and this place is no exception, and at these prices there’s no excuse. Stick to ordinarys like pork chops and you’ll have no reason to complain. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00. (20-50zł). PTAUEBXSW Boston Port ul. Okolska 2 (Mokotów), tel. 022 844 03 15, BrowArmia B-3, ul. Królewska 1, tel. 022 826 54 55, No thank you Polish restaurant tipping etiquette can be confusing for foreigners. While in other civilised countries it’s normal to say thanks when a waiter collects the money, you’ll be horrified to learn that in Poland uttering the word ‘dziękuje’ (thank you), or even thank you in English, is the sign that you won’t be wanting any change back. This cultural slip-up can get very expensive. We have heard instances of a customer leaving a 200zł note for an 80zł meal and then having to chase down the cheeky waitress to ask for the change. And while this is an extreme case, this happens far more often that you’d expect. To put things into context, even though salaries have risen for wait staff in the last couple of years thanks to a severe lack of supply, a typical waiter/waitress would be receiving around 10-15zł per hour. The waitress above assumed that the client wanted to leave a whole day’s salary. Nice work if you can get it. What’s more, the waiter will do his or her best to a) make you feel deeply embarrassed if you try to get anything back b) conveniently disappear having pocketed your change or c) play the fool and suggest that it is your fault. We suggest that you only say thank you if you are happy for the wait staff to keep the change. Otherwise we advise you to use the word ‘proszę’ only when handing back the bill and the payment. One final tip and this is to demonstrate we are not completely anti wait staff. If you add a tip to your credit card payment the wait-staff have to pay tax on it. Anything that you give in cash probably isn’t declared. So if you do receive good service we urge you to reward it and to make a tip in the form of cash. Przedmieście 11, tel. 022 892 98 00, www.bistrorestauracja24.pl. What was the stylish looking Le Marche has been resurrected as the rather garish Bistro Bez Kantow - just check out the ghastly yellow and black signage outside... Possibly inspired by the success of the nearby Przekąski Zakąski BBK are now open around the clock (though food is only served between 6am and 11pm), with the food on offer being far superior in both choice and quality than the local competition. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 22:00. (25-60zł). PTABXSW Bar Bistro Bez Kantów C-2, ul. Krakowskie City Cafe Bar F-4, ul. Polna 54, tel. 022 353 38 18, www.citycafebar.pl. A split-level café/bar with a modern finish that includes white leather seating, maroon walls and dark woods. Although you can’t classify City Café as being sterile, it won’t be winning any prizes for thinking outside of the box. The menu features a few sandwiches, as well as one of your few chances of enjoying quiche in Warsaw. Drinks are more adventurous, with hot chocolate served with chilli, and cherry flavoured coffee part of their repertoire. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. (12-20zł). PABXSW 022 492 74 09. It’s hard to do justice to Concept restaurant, one of the most impressive dining experiences to be found in Warsaw. Set inside a former pre-war bathhouse this place is accessed down a gloomy looking courtyard, flanked on each side by kebab stands and student dives. Don’t turn back. Instead find yourself in the Likus Concept Store, where a turn to the left leads you to this place. Decorated with glazed floor tiles, shimmery fabrics and a skylight this place looks every inch a masterpiece. And the food is by no means second fiddle to the visual overload; presented on designer cutlery diners enjoy dishes like fillet of red deer with spinach, black pepper and foie gras, before concluding with chocolate and ginger mousse served with curry sauce and ice cream. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 17:00. (40-150zł). PASW International & Polish cuisine Concept C-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 16/18, tel. Bazaar B-3, ul. Jasna 14/16a, tel. 022 826 85 85, www. bazaar.com.pl. Though you’re welcome just for drinks the food is the real draw here, with a modern menu served amid an interior of shiny dark woods juxtaposed with touches like gilded mirrors and a huge velvet sofa. A top-to-bottom glass frontage allows for outside views while enjoying a menu that features a hip menu of typically European dishes. Note they plan on a brief refit over summer, which could lead to opening hours changing at a whim.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (32-79zł). PTAUBXSW Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 54 RESTAURANTS 356 10 82, www.courtepaille.com. Tucked away in a far corner of the first floor of Arkadia, next to the iPods, this superior chop house is wasted on a shopping centre; it should be front and centre on Nowy Swiat or such like. Start with the cream of potato and onion soup, and follow it up with the lamb confit. There are steaks, sausages and tons of other stuff too, topped off with a good wine list. Needless to say it is well worth the trek out to Arkadia, and best of all, it’s the house policy to get another steak on the grill should you not like the original one laid before you. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 24:00. (19-70zł). PTABXW RESTAURANTS krokiecik.com. A basic café that hums with custom thanks to its position in the heart of the city. Polish café standards served in a room decorated with tiles and wood, while coffee machines hiss and splutter in the background. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 19:00. (14-20zł). TAEXS 55 Courtepaille Al. Jana Pawła II 82 (Arkadia), tel. 022 Krokiecik B-3, ul. Zgoda 1, tel. 022 827 30 37, www. La Passion du Vin A-4, ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), Dyspensa G-4, ul. Mokotowska 39, tel. 022 629 99 89, www.dyspensa.pl. Good little bistro close to the entrance of Łazienki Park, set next to an antique shop. On entering you will immediately think that half the furniture has been pinched from next door. The food is impressive too, the carpaccio being a fine effort that shaves the post while the golonka hits the back of the net every time.QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (45-73zł). PTASW Fabryka Trzciny ul. Otwocka 14 (Praga Północ), tel. 022 619 17 05, www.fabrykatrzciny.pl. Set inside a disused factory the Fabryka Trzciny complex has been at the forefront of Praga’s revival, hosting everything from catwalk shows to jazz nights. The restaurant isn’t half bad either, with an experimental menu featuring Polish and European recipes. Recommended, though you’ll be journeying well into the heartland of Praga to enjoy it. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Mon 12:00 - 17:00. (32-45zł). PTYAUBXSW Grand Kredens F-3, Al. Jerozolimskie 111, tel. 022 629 80 08, www.kredens.com.pl. The grand daddy of the expat dining experience. Kredens haven’t changed in years, and still offer a vast menu of everything from calamari to game - all of which are cooked to the highest standard. The interior could be a film set, with lampposts, bicycles and deep sea divers helmets filling the spaces that aren’t occupied by suits taking advantage of their expense accounts. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 24:00. (31-95zł). PTAEBXS Hotel Rialto’s Restaurant F-4, ul. Wilcza 73 (Rialto Hotel), tel. 022 584 87 71, www.hotelrialto.com.pl. Star chef Kurt Scheller has upped his sticks and left, taking his whiskers and cookbook with him. Replacing him is Pawel Suchenek, a man whose sharpened his talents in some of Europe’s most prestigious hotels. His new look menu is a delight, from start to finish, and includes some delectable starters, and an even better duck breast accompanied with apple tart and zubrowka sauce. Best of all, Suchenek has created a light menu that doesn’t leave the diner feeling bloated, meaning it’s still possible to squeeze in his trademark strawberry tartar at the finish. The restaurant itself is small and stylish, set inside an Art Deco space that smacks of the age of Lempicka, while the expert waiters have mastered the art of appearing at just the right moment. All in all a complete pleasure, and a true Warsaw highlight. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30. (68-80zł). PAUXSW tel. 022 222 04 95, www.winnica.pl. An imperial looking venue featuring a grand piano and elegant furnishings. First and foremost these guys are known as a winery, and your options are limited only by your credit card. But the menu is also winning plaudits, with high end offerings including duck and steak, complimented by smart service which can help suggest what bottle to order with which dish. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. (55-75zł). PAEBXW Latino Brasserie@ferdy’s A-3, ul. Grzybowska 24 (Radisson SAS Centrum Hotel), tel. 022 321 88 22, www.ferdys. com.pl. Veneered surfaces and potted shrubs generate a prosperous atmosphere redolent of an ocean liner. On the menu, take your pick from a list that takes its influences from Polish and Argentinean cooking; steak platters and gaucho fries. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (59-125zł). PTAUXSW Lilla Weneda B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 022 630 36 65, www.marriott.com. Open for breakfast during the week, and it should come as no surprise that it’s not just hotel guests taking advantage of the quality offered by this Marriott based restaurant. It might look more than a conference room than a restaurant but there’s no doubting these guys no how to jump start your day. On Sunday the brunch (159zł for all you can swallow) has made a reputation for itself across town. Q Open 06:30 - 11:00. From September Open 06:30 - 11:00, Sun 06:30 - 11:00, 12:30 - 17:00. PTAUX pl. Formerly the domain of Warsaw’s woofters, celebs, bar owners and hotshots, NoBo has lost the too-cool-for-school crowd, and that alone is reason enough to poke your nose in. The interior, all slit screens, scarlet sofas and dark corners, is great for drinks, but there’s more to this venue than the barman’s apparent skill. The food here is top notch, and a recent convention of travel hacks had them proclaiming the steak as the best in Poland. The menu has been shortened over the years, and what you now find is a succinct collection of dishes that the chef has utterly perfected. Finish your meal with the NoBo brownie, a death-by-chocolate affair that feels pleasingly sinful. Now the bad news; they’re closed over August, so you’re just going to have to wait for this delight.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Fri 12:00 - 24:00, Sat 18:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. (29-52zł). PTYAUESW 43 79, www.nomia.waw.pl. A new eatery for the New Town. Nomia looks eclectic enough with plenty of weird lamps, bluish sofas and vivid colours, while the views of the square have you hoping lunch will never end. The menu has earned its fair share of plaudits, and includes international dishes with a Polish slant - the duck in orange sauce is fabulous. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. (29-52zł). TAUBXSW 82, www.passepartout.pl. Our favourite spot on Warsaw’s left bank, and a popular haunt with the Saska Kępa rich set. Modern interiors feature deep, pale sofas though the real highlight here is the back garden: utterly unmissable. The menu is an ambitious effort, incorporating everything from quesadillas to pierogi. Don’t miss the cheesecake, one of the top desserts to be found. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (24-67zł). PTAUBXS NoBo F-4, ul. Wilcza 58a, tel. 022 622 40 07, www.nobobar. Platinium Club and Restaurant B-2, ul. Fredry 6, tel. 022 596 46 66, www.platiniumclub.pl. A modern design marvel that originally made its name as an ultra posh club but has since been wooing patrons on account of some clever cooking during daylight hours. The menu dares to be different and includes the likes of smoke eel served on water melon, and linguin with shrimps in lemon sauce. Stick around for nightfall and watch the venue fill up with catwalk beauties and toothpaste smile toyboys. QOpen 17:00 - 03:00, Mon, Tue 17:00 - 01:00. Closed Sun. (30-70zł). PAEBXW Pod Gigantami C-4, Al. Ujazdowskie 24, tel. 022 621 30 59, www.podgigantami.pl. A newish venture, though look around the classic furnishings and you could easily be in the thick of a 19th century period drama. Top-class, knowledgeable service flits between the tables, which come tucked amid a series of dining chambers decorated with marble busts and gilt framed fittings. The menu is typically high-end with the pick of the bunch being the duck in raspberry sauce. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (42-75zł). PTAEXSW Porto Praga G-1, ul. Stefana Okrzei 23, tel. 022 698 50 01, www.portopraga.pl. A stunning effort and ample proof of Praga’s resurgence. This is a dead ringer for one of those trendy riverside eateries you’d find in England, with plenty of bare bricks, patterned wallpaper and huge windows. This place has been two years in the making, and the attention to detail is second to none; the marble has been imported from Italy, while the menu places an emphasis on the freshest produce cash can buy. Take to the cherry coloured leather seats before perusing a menu that features premium quality global dishes that run from mango shrimps to t-bone steak. Keep an eye out for the new shrimp and lobster menu, the most impressive in the city. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (32-68zł). PTAUEBXSW Qchnia Ar tystyczna G-4, ul. Jazdów 2 (Zamek Ujazdowski), tel. 022 625 76 27, www.qchnia.pl. There’s a raft of modish eateries in Warsaw, but you can’t get more cutting edge than taking centre stage inside a city centre castle that doubles as a modern art gallery. In summer you’ll find the best seats outside, touting grandstand views of a park and lake below, though eating inside the post-modern stone-clad interior is by no means second best. The surroundings are faultless, meaning the food has a lot to live up to. It’s not bad, just not memorable, with a selection of creative interpretations of Polish cooking. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (29-68zł). TABXSW Nomia B-1, Rynek Nowego Miasta 13/15, tel. 022 831 Rubikon ul. Wróbla 3/5 (Mokotów), tel. 022 847 66 55, www.rubikon.waw.pl. Warsaw foodies will be familiar with Rubikon in their previous incarnation as a side street eatery just off Pl. Trzech Krzyży. The team have relocated across town, now plying their trade inside a restored prewar villa tastefully fitted with cream tones and dark woods. The menu is as good as we remember, with dishes like rabbit or duck in honey and lemon sauce prepared with flair. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (48-72zł). PTABX Smart Bistro C-4, ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 022 578 26 78. Small but perfectly formed and simply designed bistro close to Warsaw’s media row. The menu is monolingual, as in Polish, but once the friendly staff have helped you understand it you should order the grilled trout: far better than it has any right to be. The ice creams are big, well worth the calories, and if you can bag the two armchairs by the window then a visit here is a joy. We’re less keen on the terrace: noisy due to the busy street it abuts. QOpen 07:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 19:00. (26-38zł). PAUBS August - September 2008 45, www.kareta.pl. An equine motif prevails in this popular Żoliborz café; beast skins cover the benches, and framed drawings of carthorses fill all possible wall space. Home made honey is available and guests can sample a truly impressive list of spring waters. But unless you like Polish stodge, you’ll probably want to be eating your dinner elsewhere. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (26-63zł). PTABS Kareta ul. Mickiewicza 23 (Żoliborz), tel. 022 839 01 Passe Partout H-3, ul. Zwycięzców 21, tel. 022 616 28 Warsaw In Your Pocket 56 RESTAURANTS Brunch Hilton’s Meza E-3, ul. Grzybowska 63, tel. 022 356 55 55, www.warsaw.hilton.com. Warsaw’s latest five star have come up with a humdinger of a brunch, and you’ll hear many people proclaiming it as the best in town. Kicking off at 12:30 and lasting until 16:00 155zł (kids under 6 free) gets you Bloody Mary, and sparkling wine, premium seafood (lobster, oysters), prime rib of Angus beef cut in front of your eyes, sushi and some superb desserts. Kids are kept nicely segregated and have a Wii to keep them from running amok. (Open from September 7). Hotel Marriott’s Lila Weneda Restaurant B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. 022 630 51 76, www. marriott.com/wawpl. A Sunday institution. From 12:30 - 17:00 a fee of 155zł (children from 6-14 years old half price, under six free), gets unlimited Żywiec, white and red wine and soft drinks. Buffet spreads include a sushi bar, salad bar, Mexican, Italian and international food. In the kids corner a childminder keeps things lively, and the menu includes pizza, pancakes and nuggets. Q Brunch available from September. Hyatt Hotel’s Venti Tre Restaurant G-5, ul. Belwederska 23, tel. 022 558 12 34, www.warsaw. regency.hyatt.com. From 12:30 - 16:30. 150zł per person, (half price for those between six and twelve, free for those under six). Hot and cold meals, plus sushi, as well as wine, beer and soft drinks. Kids section comes with TV, toys, babysitter and a separate menu of pizza, fries and the like. Société G-5, ul. Różana 14, tel. 022 540 13 33, www. societe.pl. Here’s more proof that Mokotów is finally emerging from its gastronomic slumber. This is a crisp, clean effort with stark white colours and purple dashes, attractive lighting and a separate sushi bar to cater to Warsaw’s favourite fish fad. Impeccably laid tables come complimented with single roses and highback, paper white chairs while the menu covers international tastes like New Zealand lamb and Norwegian salmon. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (31-51zł). PTABXSW Studio Buffo G-3, ul. Marii Konopnickiej 6, tel. 022 626 89 07, w w w.studiobuffo.com.pl. Once a culinar y pace-setter, the explosion of Warsaw’s fine dining scene sees Buffo plunge way down the rankings. Popular for clandestine business meetings the wood heav y interior has a contemproar y Swedish aesthetic, though the menu - modern Polish/European - is not as good as one expects for this area of town. QOpen 09:30 - 23:00, Sa t, Sun 13:00 - 23:00. (21-49zł). PTAUBSW The Olive G-3, ul. Prusa 2 (Sheraton Warsaw Hotel), tel. 022 450 67 06, www.sheraton.com.pl. A mix of faultless Polish and Mediterranean cuisine served in a curvy glass room attached to the Sheraton. The Sunday Brunch - featuring unlimited booze and food - is an expat highlight. Q Open 06:30 - 10:30, 12:00 - 23:00; Fri 06:30 - 10:30, 12:00 - 22:00; Sat 07:00 - 10:30, 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 07:00-10:30, 12:30-16:30, 16:30 - 22:00. (47-119zł). PTAUEBXSW MDM), tel. 022 339 16 63, www.hotelmdm.com. pl. The flagship restaurant of the MDM hotel offers an experience that isn’t unlike eating aeroplane food. A bright design is topped off with views that go straight down Marszalkoska, while the menu takes no chances by serving global favourites. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (25-55zł). PTARUXW Upstairs Bar & Bistro F-4, Pl. Konstytucji 1, (Hotel ul. Emili Plater 49, tel. 022 328 88 88, www.warsaw. intercontinental.com. From 12:30 - 16:00, 135 złoty wins you access to the buffet bar (including Mexican cuisine and sushi) and beer and wine, and a welcome margarita. Half price for kids between the ages 6-12, and free for those under six. The kids corner features a child carer, a menu that includes pizza and spaghetti and a nice chap performing magic tricks. Highly rated by all who visit. InterContinental’s Downtown Restaurant A-4, Villa Rossini Villa Rossini G-7, ul. Tyniecka 16a, tel. 022 201 35 88, www.villa-rossini.pl. Warsaw’s fine dining scene takes a new direction with the re-opening of Villa Rossini, a pre-war detached villa situated in the expat enclave of Mokotow. Proprietor and head chef Frank Funke brings with him years of experience bossing some of the world’s best kitchens including, most recently, the Warsaw Sheraton. The ultimate goal is the first Michelin star in Poland which should be an indication enough of the standards that await. Set in a residence once owned by the British Embassy, interiors of this multi-floor effort change with each level, while bathrooms (complete with bathtubs) feature the occasional mannequin. Split into different parts the restaurant’s sections include themed dining rooms upstairs, a hyper-exclusive dining space on the top floor and a ‘peacock balcony’ for courting couples. The menu is a masterpiece, with each room coming with its own seperate card. In the bistro choose from the caviar menu, or opt for dishes like pepper cured turbot, while elsewhere choose from inventive takes on Polish cuisine, traditional Swiss dishes or specialities from the Hanseatic region such as steamed shellfish on mustard sauce.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. (12-70zł). PTAUBSW Le Royal Meridien Bristol’s Marconi C-2, ul. Kra- kowskie Przedmieście 42/44, tel. 022 551 10 00, www.warsaw.lemeridien.com. From 12:30 - 16:30. 155zł (half price for children, under 6 free) gets as much wine as you can drink and an international buffet including oysters and homemade pasta. The children corner has a babysitter, toys and games. Sheraton Hotel C-4, ul. Prusa 2, tel. 022 450 67 05, www.sheraton.com.pl. From 12:30 - 16:30. One of the most popular brunch experiences in the city. Cost is 145zł (children from 4-12 are half price, under 4 for free), which gets you unlimited booze and a choice of Mediterranean and Asian. In the kids corner, a babysitter, games and PlayStation. Jana Pawła II 21, tel. 022 450 80 00, www.westin. com.pl. From 12:30 - 16:30. 159zł, (half price for those between 4 and 12 years, free for the under fours), which includes hot and cold fusion dishes, white and red wine and even the possibility of getting a Mongolian wok to your table. The kids corner comes with a babysitter, toys, Playstation and separate menu. The Westin Hotel’s Fusion Restaurant A-3, Al. Warsaw In Your Pocket 58 RESTAURANTS ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy building) tel. 22 222 09 23 www.uszwejka.pl. We love it. Foodies will run for the hills; this is brash, basic beer food, namely big platters of meat served with potatoes and cabbage. It won’t win gastro prizes, but it will keep the cold at bay, and the interior of light woods and drinking memorabilia serves as a pleasant background to defrost inside of. QOpen 08:00 - 24:00, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 13:00 - 24:00. (17-39zł). PTAEBXS www.restauracjavillafoksal.pl. A private residence that has been transformed into a smart eatery with easy colour schemes and a relaxed contemporary interior. The inventive menu is modern European, though like so many restaurants on this stretch presentation takes precedence over quality. The real pull here is the summer garden, often booked for wedding receptions and company bashes. QOpen 12:00 23:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 23:00. (32-72zł). PABXS RESTAURANTS U Szwejka F-4, Pl. Konstytucji 1, tel. 022 339 17 10, 59 Villa Foksal C-3, ul. Foksal 3/5, tel. 022 827 87 16, We invite you to welcome spring in the Italian style... Zadra A-2, ul. Andersa 29, tel. 022 831 96 68, www. restauracjazadra.pl. Unable to accommodate all the paintings collected over the years the owners have stored their surplus in Zadra, a restaurant and gallery where everything from the cutlery to the wardrobes has a price. It’s a concept that works well and the theatrical interiors are ideal for highbrow dinners. Those who value their privacy will appreciate the VIP room that is soon to be unveiled, complete with its own private entrance for the times you wish to exit without alerting the attentions of the waiting paparazzi. The menu is suitably high-end and features dishes like skewered shrimps served in chili sauce, and lamb chops in cranberry sauce. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (18-70zł). PTAEBXSW International menu with Polish and Italian cuisine accents Warsaw 3/5 Foksal St., phone +48 22 827 87 16 BANQUETS, WEDDING RECEPTIONS, CATERING +48 502 042 588 info@restauracjavillafoksal.pl , www.restauracjavillafoksal.pl Centorrino B-4, ul. Chmielna 28a, tel. 022 826 69 30. At the far end of a somewhat scruffy courtyard, this place warrants closer attention for the sheer quality of the food. For this is a Warsaw rarity: a real Italian ristorante, with not a pizza in sight. Hurrah. Instead, feast on well chosen Italian dishes, such as the perfect - and we mean it - beef carpaccio, served correctly for once with rocket and chunky, chipped Parmesan. This place will come into its own when the weather gets colder and the winter garden/enclosed terrace shuts out the rest of the world - provided they seal up the cracks and leaks in the wooden frames. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 23:00. (38-55zł). PTABXS Doppiozero B-4, ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), tel. 022 222 09 23. Italian owned, apparently, and it shows. The service is absolutely knock dead beautiful, but that’s certainly not the reason you get so many people showing up here. The pizza is the best in town (and the most expensive), and the menu has been expanded to include some smashing pasta and salad options. A glass front allows plenty of opportunity to give the eye candy walking into Złote Tarasy a come hither look, while the interiors are a mesh of Ferrari red colours and stainless steel. Café, bar and restaurant all rolled into one, and definitely worth a visit providing you don’t mind acting Italian for an evening. QOpen 09:00 - 23:00. (16-43zł). PAUBXSW Italian restauracjaarsenal.pl. Consistent Italian offerings inside a non-descript wooden interior ideal for informal gatherings. Recipes are cooked using ingredients imported from Italy and the menu reads like a bible to Italian cooking. The presence of both indoor and outdoor play areas means you can expect heaps of little people running amok. QOpen 08:00 - 23:00. (18-77zł). PTAUEBXSW Arsenał A-2, ul. Długa 52, tel. 022 635 83 77, www. Bacio B-4, ul. Wilcza 43, tel. 022 626 83 03, www. bacio.pl. Share space with romancing couples and business types clinching deals inside a froufrou interior decorated with vines and cherubs. On the menu a mix of Polish and Italian dishes, including a divine pepper steak. QOpen 12:00 24:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 24:00. (27-66zł). PTAXS Il Sole A-3, Al. Jana Pawła II 27, tel. 022 653 64 84, www.ilsole.com.pl. An interesting design featuring blown up pictures of Italian street life, huge paper lamps and cloth backed seating hovers on the tasteful side of kitsch, while the menu rounds off the menu with successful interpretations of everything that the Italian kitchen has become famous for. We opted for pork fillet in gorgonzola sauce and were not left disappointed. A great discovery, with additional boxes ticked for proficient service from attractive girls and prices that won’t have you defaulting on your monthly rent. QOpen 11:00 24:00. (24-52zł). PTAUEBXSW Mille Gusti A-3, ul. Elektoralna 23, tel. 022 499 51 78, www.millegusti.pl. Warsaw has great Italian restaurants in abundance, and now there’s another eatery to add to that list. Found in close proximity to Hala Mirowska this spot looks the business, with a simple white decor that comes alive in the evening when the lights dim and the atmosphere goes up a notch. The best spot to enjoy it all is the bay window at the back, from where you can cast your goggles on both greenery and staff. Meals begin with a complimentary bread that comes paired with a fantastic sauce. From there you’re on your own to choose from bites like duck carpaccio with truffle/raspberry sauce or more substantials like sliced sirloin marinated in ginger. They’re all winners. QOpen 12:00 23:00. (23-62zł). PTABXSW Bacio Di Angelo C-1, ul. Wilcza 8, tel. 022 622 44 54, www.bacio.pl. A great place to indulge someone special. A pet project from the same team behind Bacio this gastronomic standout is what happens when cupid meets cooking. A beautiful interior of flowery tablecloths and wooden furniture generates the perfect atmosphere for a romantic rendezvous, and the dishes come sent straight from the heavens. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 24:00. (27-65zł). PTAXSW Balgera G-5, ul. Rejtana 14, tel. 022 849 56 74, www. balgera.pl. One of Warsaw’s leading restaurants, with a committed fanbase proclaiming this as the number one Italian spot in the city. Stylishly uncluttered, Balgera combines clean design with five star cooking that comes courtesy of imported chefs. Northern Italian food at its best, and the panna cotta makes for a terrific dessert. QOpen 12:00 23:00, Sat 13:00 - 24:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (60-100zł). AEXSW Chianti C-3, ul. Foksal 17, tel. 022 828 02 22, www. kregliccy.pl. A few years ago this would have been rated as one of the best Italian’s in town. Warsaw’s moved on, Chianti hasn’t. The foods not bad, but you’ll pay over the odds for dishes that are cooked far better in numerous locales. On the plus side the candle-lit vaulted interior is amongst the most romantic in town. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (21-59zł). PTAEBXSW Spend Sunday like an expat and check out brunch in town. The best are listed on page 56 August - September 2008 Warsaw In Your Pocket 60 RESTAURANTS The Female Schindler Known as the female Schindler, Irena Sendler - who died in April at the age of 98 - is credited with having saved the lives of some 2,500 Jewish children in the Warsaw ghetto during the Second World War. A catholic social worker at th e time of th e Nazi occupation of Warsaw in 1939, Sendler was an early member of the Zegota, the Polish Council for Aid to Jews, set up to assist the 500,000 Jews rotting in the infamous Warsaw Ghetto. In December 1942, when disease and death in the Ghetto were at their peak, the Zegota put her in charge of its children’s depar tment. Wearing nurses’ uniforms, she and a colleague, Irena Schultz, were sent into the Ghetto with food, clothes and medicine, including a vaccine against typhoid. Such acts were illegal (Poles were forbidden from h elping Jews) and th e pair faced deportation themselves if caught. When the Nazis began liquidating the Ghetto shortly afterwards, sending its wretched inhabitants to the death camps at Treblinka and Auschwitz, the Zegota decided to try to save as many children as possible. Using the codename Jolanta and wearing a Star of David armband, Sendler became part of the Ghetto’s escape network. Some children were transported in coffins, suitcases and sacks; others escaped through the sewer system beneath the city. An ambulance driver who smuggled infants beneath the stretchers in the back of his van kept his dog beside him in the front seat, having trained the animal to bark to mask any cries from his hidden passengers. The children saved by Sendler were given new identities and placed in convents, with sympathetic Polish families, in orphanages and in hospitals. Those who were old enough to talk were taught Christian prayers and how to make the sign of the Cross, so that their Jewish heritage would not be suspected. In October 1943 Sendler was betrayed and arrested, and taken to Pawiak Prison. Though subject to horrific torture – her legs were broken so badly she never walked properly again – she refused to divulge the name of a single accomplice, nor the whereabouts of any children she had saved. She was sentenced to death, only to be rescued in a daring raid by the Zegota. She immediately returned to her work using a new identity. After the war Sendler set about reuniting the children she saved with their parents. Most parents, alas, had been killed at Treblinka. She continued in her profession as a social worker, and in 1965 became one of the first Righteous Gentiles to be honoured by Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem. At that time Poland’s Communist leaders would not allow her to travel to Israel, and she was unable to collect the award until 1983. In 2003 she was awarded Poland’s highest honour, the Order of the White Eagle; and last year she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, though the prize went instead to the unspeakable Al Gore. A biography by Anna Mieszkowska, Mother of the Children of the Holocaust: The Story of Irena Sendler, was published in 2000. I t is now rumoured that Sendler’s exploits are about to made into a film. RESTAURANTS Parmizzano’s B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, (Marriott Hotel), tel. 022 630 50 96, www.marriott.com. Excellent food served in the serious, exclusive surrounds of the Marriott. The menu frequently changes with the season to focus on different aspects of Italian cooking. High-quality ingredients, a stellar wine list and expert service combine to make this one of the elite restaurants in Warsaw. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (79-180zł). PTAUXS Piccola Italia D-6, ul. 1-go Sierpnia 46, tel. 022 846 87 37, www.piccolaitalia.pl. Well out in the sticks, and placed inside the sort of building that looks like a leftover Soviet facility. The interiors look pretty tacky what with all the bits of ivy and chequered tablecloths, but the food rates highly with a great range of homemade pastas. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (26-46zł). PTAXSW Piccolo Bacio C-4, ul. Hoża 58/60, tel. 022 622 66 65, www.bacio.pl. Offering one of the best lunchtime deals in the city (three courses of sushi and pasta for 27zł), this place is predictably buzzing around 1pm, only for it to be dead when we visited later in the evening. This is more a reflection of its location in a business district than a criticism of the food, however.QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (27-79zł). PAXS tel. 022 498 88 77, www.nanowolipkach.pl. Hidden among the everyman soc-realist leftovers of Muranow is this little treasure, unknown to all but the locals who pack this venue noon and night. If ever there was a candidate for Warsaw’s best kept secret it’d be this place. From the inside it’s not much to look at; a piano, shrivelled sunflowers and crappy caricatures. So sit outside, away from the furnace heat of the open kitchen, and get stuck into the best-deal pizza you’ll find. The menu includes exotics like curry and banana toppings, though our suggestion is to play straight and order the capriciossa; an absolute revelation, and priced at tags lower than your high-street dial-a-pie garbage. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (16-29zł). PTAGBS 61 GREAT ITALIAN DISHES Warm and elegant atmosphere Warsaw, 14 Reytana St. +48 22 849 56 74 www.balgera.pl Pizzeria Na Nowolipkach ul. Nowolipki 15 (Muranów), Rusticoni A-4, ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), tel. 022 222 05 Presto C-3, ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 022 434 22 18. The flavours lack the gusto associated with Italian cooking, but at least the prices undercut pretty much every rival restaurant. Light, modern furnishings, and a team of tall, blonde waitresses add an informal buzz, and the pizza comes with a good homemade sauce. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (18-39zł). PTABXS 19, tel. 022 668 81 40, www.questoequello.pl. Unless you live there you might consider Ochota a step too far to go in search of Italian food, after all, it’s not like Warsaw is short of budding Luigi’s cooking up a storm. But Questo Quello is most certainly worth the journey. The interiors are nothing of note, smart and understated with trimmed shrubbery and dimmed lighting, but the menu most certainly hits all the right notes. There’s someone in the kitchen who clearly cares about delivering quality, and best of all the prices don’t assume everyone who enjoys good food is a CEO. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (27-67zł). PTAUGBSW 49, www.rusticoni.pl. Formerly of Wilcza the Rusticoni team have moved down to Złote Tarasy, occupying a chunk of the sunken level. Italian owned there’s a keen attention to detail with an array of goodies set behind a glass counter. Light and bright this open plan restaurant boasts some cracking lunch deals, while the eye candy outside is every bit as tasty as the desserts. QOpen 11:00 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (12-45zł). PTAUBXS San Lorenzo E-2, Al. Jana Pawła II 36, tel. 022 652 16 16, Questo e Quello D-5, ul. Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920r. www.sanlorenzo.pl. A swank restaurant with photos by the door check affirming that this is where dozens of minor celebs choose to eat dinner. By Polish standards the prices are astronomic, though they’ll still barely make a dent in your Western expense account. The food is pretty decent, and the chef prepares great lamb chops treated with a dash of red wine sauce. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (40-140zł). PTAUBS Venezia F-4, ul. Marszałkowska 10/16, tel. 022 621 69 73, www.venezia.com.pl. Once the darling of expat epicureans Venezia consists of two rooms: one decorated in trattoria style, the other with trashy Venetian murals; you’ll find most people prefer to do their dining in the astro-turfed garden. The menu is vast, which always raises concerns, and you’ll find many of Venezia’s former plaudits taking their dinner elsewhere. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:30. (26-140zł). TABXS 94, www.warsaw.regency.hyatt.com. It’s no surprise to find such an outstanding meal in one of Warsaw’s premier hotels. An open plan kitchen and giant glass windows allow for a more informal atmosphere than one would expect while the chef never fails to deliver nothing less than top quality. It’s almost embarrassing to order pizza in a place like this, but the wood-fired oven is the source of the best pizza we’ve tried in the city and that’s reason enough to swallow any culinary snobbism. QOpen 06:30 - 23:00. (48-95zł). PTAUEBXSW Venti Tre G-5, ul. Belwederska 23, tel. 022 558 10 St. Antonio B-2, ul. Senatorska 37, tel. 022 826 30 08, www.stantonio.pl. Six fresh oysters at 37zł. A bargain? Not exactly but this is one of very few places we have ever seen said delicacy for sale in Warsaw, so by default a good deal. You can also try grilled scampi, a perfectly cooked duck with apples and oranges, and enjoy it all in something of a weird setting: half government building, half museum. Somehow, the mix works.QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Mon, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (29-59zł). PTAEBXS Trattoria Ti Amo B-3, ul. Świętokrzyska 34, tel. 022 620 79 97, www.tiamo.pl. If they improved the kitchen and fired the staff then this place would be a delightful neighbourhood Italian. As things stand it seems that the customer is the enemy in this distressing locale. Staff issues aside the food isn’t too good either. The spaghetti is bland and you’ll find better pizza hiding in your deep freeze. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30. (19-49zł). PAXS Japanese Akashia E-1, Al. Jana Pawła II 61/204, tel. 022 636 67 67, www.akashia.pl. An oriental masterpiece with bonsai trees and suchlike scattered around a minimalist interior. The Japanese dishes here are great, the Korean ones even better; the most authentic in the city according to the Korean spy in our employ. If you’re dining for two try the traditional grill dishes, prepared at your table, and perfectly washed down with a glass of plum wine. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (30-60zł). PTABXS Roma ul. Grottgera 2 (Mokotów), tel. 022 841 01 33, www.restauracjaroma.pl. Stuffed with dusty bottles and dripping candles Roma provides an intimate background for first dates. The menu is huge, with an encyclopedic choice of Italian standards as well as a list of grill food. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 13:00 - 23:00, Sun 14:00 - 21:00. (2565zł). PTABXSW Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 62 RESTAURANTS In the news The big scandal gripping Poland in the last couple of months revolves, not for the first time, around former President and Solidarity front man Lech Wałęsa. Dogged in recent years by rumours of alleged involvement with the Polish secret police, a book published in June saw the debate reaching fever pitch with allegations that Wałęsa operated as an agent and informer under communism. The debate has divided the country, though thus far the mudslingers appear short of any credible evidence to back their claims. Either way, its unlikely our favourite walrus look alike will be stripped of his Nobel Prize, and he continues to draw support from seemingly all those who matter. It’s seemingly a bad time for Poles who shaped the nations modern history; July saw the death of former foreign minister Bronisław Geremek who died in a headon car accident. Geremek, described by Wałęsa as ‘the greatest Pole of the 20th century’, played a key role in the 1989 Round Table Talks which marked the end of totalitarianism, and it was he who signed Poland’s membership of NATO in 1999. Sticking to international politics the planned construction of a US missile shield in the north of Poland soutwest of Gdansk is still making headlines, and according to some sources the States are now ready to enter negotiations with Lithuania after the talks with Poland continue to stall. The news coincides with the decision by the military prosecutor to charge seven Polish soldiers with launching an artillery strike on an Afghan village. Six civilians were killed, and evidence suggests no valid reason for the attack. There’s bad news on the transport front as well. Plans for a second metro line in Warsaw are once more in jeopardy, this time after estimates doubled from the original three billion złoty earmarked for the project. Local Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz Waltz has gone on record confirming there’s no chance of the line being ready in time for Euro 2012. And if you thought the incompetence had hit a nadir then wait for this. Celebrations marking the completion of the brand new, singing, dancing Warsaw-Łódź train line were brought to a halt with the news that a freight train had derailed on the opening day. The new line had been promoted as an engineering masterpiece, cutting down journey time to what it had been back in 1939. Did we mention Euro 2012 earlier? So we did. Poland’s plans to host the championship are in all sorts of bother, so much so it’s almost hard to know where to begin. First off the man in charge of the construction behind the new national stadium (think Wembley style farce), Michał Borowski, has been placed under investigation following revelations he wasn’t entirely truthful in his previous position as Warsaw’s chief architect. Elsewhere worries, fanned by a hyena-like Italian press (who still harbour hopes of being used as host nation), continue to fester as to whether both stadiums and infrastructure will be ready for such a tournament. UEFA honcho Michel Platini has done nothing to alleviate Polish fears that the championships might still be snatched away from them, and was quoted as saying a decision would be made in September. Finishing on a sporting note, while Poland’s footballers embarrassed both themselves and their country this summer, one man whose hellbent on rescuing national pride is Formula 1 ace Robert Kubica. Kubica snatched victory at the Canadian Grand Prix back in June – on the same circuit that nearly killed him the previous year – and at press time he stood fourth in the rankings with eight races to go. artsushi.pl. Brand new Japanese/Korean spot with a subtle white appearance and a steady stream of custom. On the menu everything from Kmichi soup to extravagant grill sets. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (35-60zł). PTABXSW RESTAURANTS Art Sushi B-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 56, tel. 022 621 77 20, www. Kobe B-2, ul. Piwna 12/14, tel. 022 831 30 13, www. kobe.waw.pl. Not one inch of the city has been spared Warsaw’s devotion to sushi, and that includes the old town, where Kobe lead the charge with their ulica Piwna venture. Sitting uneasily between antique shops and gargoyles Kobe manage to do a good job on all the basics, making this a favourite choice with American’s flapping maps about and fiddling around with digital cameras. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00. (50-69zł). PTAXS Maestria B-2, ul. Podwale 1, tel. 022 635 30 61. For Poles sushi is the new black, and you won’t find a more fashion conscious eatery than this one. Standing in King Zygmunt’s shadow Maestria takes the sushi experience in directions new, with a decadent interior comprising of chandeliers, sofas and dark woods, a far cry from the rice paper panels found in Warsaw’s three hundred other Jap restaurants. And the menus a belter as well, with coconut soup to kick off with, and a smashing chicken breast served with figs and bilberries. You’ve got great sushi as well, but you kind of expect that from the man who brought you Sakana and Tomo.QOpen 11:00 - 22:00. (30-70zł). PAEXS Sakana B-2, ul. Moliera 4/6, tel. 022 826 59 58, www. sakana.pl. Warsaw’s best sushi, so some say. The food floats by on small wooden boats while the small interior is brightened by bamboo bits and bobs, hand-crafted pottery and kimono suited staff. Frequently packed, so expect to eat shoulder to shoulder with other sushi afficionados. According to one reader, ‘the best sushi I’ve tried outside of New York’. Also at (C-2), ul. Bednarska 28/30, Open 12:0021:30. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (11-80zł). PTAGB So-An F-4, ul. Koszykowa 54 (entrance from ul. Lwowska), tel. 022 630 81 00, www.so-an.pl. A well-designed space featuring thatched ceilings, paper lanterns and chefs sporting Mr Miyagi style headbands - sometimes upside down. Aesthetics aside So-An serves average sushi in a market that is now seriously competitive. QOpen 12:00 23:00. (48-69zł). PTABXS Soho 77 A-4, ul. Żelazna 41 (entrance from ul. Sienna), tel. 022 890 20 00, www.sushi77.com. No sushi, and not just noodles but a whole host of Jap treats including dumplings filled with duck. Delicious. The interior is compact and pleasantly fitted in dark Oriental woods. A decent experience, with prices that won’t leave the bank balance seeing stars. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30. (30-59zł). PTAUGSW 63 Sopot development I n b e t w e e n t h e wa r s th e s easid e resor t of Sopot, or Zoppot as it is in German, developed a reputation as the Monte Carlo of th e Bal tic. This was primaril y due to th e large casin o complex that existed on the spot that is now being redeveloped between the pier and the Sofitel Grand Sopot hotel. The hotel itself was part of the complex and Sopot was the place to be seen. Although the city escaped a lot of the destruction at the end of WWII suffered by its neighbour Gdansk, the casino compl ex was d es troye d primaril y by Re d Arm y ar tiller y as i t shelled the beaches at the fleeing Germans. During the post war years a series of concrete blocks appeared housing shops and more recently bars and clubs. That is all changing now though as the city of Sopot attempts to bring back the glor y days of the resor t and while the casino complex is not being rebuilt the developers are looking to recreate the spa resor t that existed here from the time of Napoleon. A huge development is springing up and a series of new buildings will completely change the face of the city. Central to this development and the first to open is the 189-room Sheraton Sopot Hotel Conference Center & Spa. Included here are 4,300 sq. metres of congress space, a 400sq. metre ballroom, 2 restaurants, 2 bars and the return of lu xur y spa facilities with a 2,000 sq. metre natural spa. The bulk of the new development which will include a modern version of the long lost Therapeutic House, cafes, restaurants, apar tments and office space is scheduled for completion in 2009. Th e wh ol e area h as b e c om e m ore p e d es trian friendl y wi th the opening of a new tunnel taking traffic under ul. Bohaterow Monte Cassino. And this is only par t of the regeneration of the city. The pier has recently undergone major refurbishment and this is about to be complemented by the addition of a modern yacht marina. The development is planned to star t in spring 2009 and is estimated to last for two years. The total cost is expected to be around €11 million and on completion the marina will have moorings for 100 yachts as well as a full suppor t net work of chandlers and marina mana gemen t. These two pieces of construction are just part of the redevelopment plans aimed at making Sopot, one of Europe’s premier seaside resor ts once more. There is also to be a 66zl million modernization of Sopot’s beautiful natural theatre at Opera Lesna in the forest in upper Sopot, plus that the sadly neglected horse racing track immediately southeast of Sopot Wyscigi train station is about to undergo a much needed 300,000zl facelift. In addition a number of hotels are penciled in to handle the expected growth in tourism to the city over the coming years. Until then check out the pages of w w w.inyourpocket.com to find out the best the city has to offer. Besuto C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 28 (pav. 2), tel. 022 828 00 20, www.besuto.pl. Hidden among the prefab cabins and ramshackle pavilions on Nowy Świat 22 is Besuto, a surprising addition to the lines of scabby student bars and shops selling spanners. From the outside it looks pretty unimpressive, cold green and black colour combos doing little to draw the passer-by. The good news is the sushi, very decent hot and cold cuts prepared in front of your eyes and despatched on boats that circle the bar. Definitely worth a visit, and with low prices attached to the results. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 23:00. (59-89zł). PAGBS Ginza E-3, ul. Grzybowska 63 (Hilton Hotel), tel. 022 331 39 39, www.ginza.pl. Completely independent of the Hilton, in spite of their location, this place offers a more metropolitan atmosphere than your usual Warsaw sushi space, with black and white pics of Tokyo streetscapes and an urbane look that consists of night black colours and maroon place mats. The menu touts decent sushi options, as well as a commendable duck in teriyaki sauce. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (34-246zł). PYAUGBSW Hana Sushi D-1, ul. Jana Pawła II 82 (Arkadia Shopping Mall), tel. 022 331 75 18, www.hanasushi.pl. Arkadia shopping mall-stationed sushi restaurant that proves Warsaw’s top mall is more than just a shopping trip. A modern interior is tempered with Samurai swords, flower arrangements and sheets of canvas hanging from the walls, and black-robed chefs prepare everything from seafood goulash soup, to steamed lobster to standard sushi options. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. (21-148zł). PTAUBXSW www.inaba.com.pl. Here’s a restaurant that was around years before sushi became a fashion statement. Japanese owned and run everything about Inaba strives for authenticity, and this is one of only three places in town that can claim a Japanese master chef calling the shots in the kitchen. A pleasantly panelled interior creates a great atmosphere and those who want more than just raw fish should take a look at the grill dishes: try the duck in teriyaki sauce. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (20-58zł). PTAXSW Inaba B-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 84/86, tel. 022 622 59 55, Izumi Sushi F-4, ul. Mokotowska 17, tel. 022 825 79 50, www.izumisushi.eu. Warsaw’s sushi boom shows no sign of flattening out and Izumi is one of the latest ventures to come rolling off the production line. Marking the final part of Pl. Zbawiciela’s regeneration is this work of art, where decorations are limited to sleek metals and black woods and flavours are fresh and full. Don’t just limit yourself to the raw fish standards; also on the menu find substantials like duck with mango salsa. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (39-69zł). PABXS Sushi 77 E-3, ul. Żelazna 41, tel. 022 890 18 11, www. sushi77.com. Imaginative sushi sets - try the Californian rolls - served inside a hyper-stark metallic interior. Does Warsaw need another sushi stop? If they’re as decent as this then why not. Also deliver across the city. Also at (B-4), ul. Nowogrodzka 38, Open 12:00-22:30, (F-4), ul. Polna 48, Open 12:00-22:30, Al. KEN 49 (Ursynów), Open 12:00-22:30. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30. (29-49zł). PTAGSW Sushi Cafe Skorupka B-3, Pl. Dąbrowskiego 2/4, tel. 022 892 06 89, www.sushi.skorupka.pl. An absolutely diminutive sushi stop with an interior that features absolutely no rice paper panels, just lots of multi-coloured seats and lights and changing photo displays. The staff always outnumber the diners in this spot, which is never a comfort, but the sushi here is by no means bad - it’s just no better than your zillion other choices. If you’re working or staying in the area it could be just what you’re after. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 23:00. (40-90zł). PAGSW Kiku Japanese Dining Gallery B-2, ul. Senatorska 17/19, tel. 022 892 09 01, www.kiku.pl. Our advice when coming to this typically Japan-in-a-packet decorated place is simple: forget the sushi and just ask for the noodle menu. Never before in this city have we eaten such fresh, spicy and downright tasty noodles as we have at Kiku. At around 25zł a bowl, a portion of noodles here - and the seafood ones are best - represents terrific value.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. 11/07 gh Magdalena Kondeja. (25-55zł). PAGSW Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 64 RESTAURANTS 87, www.sushiteatr.pl. Shock white colour schemes, soft lighting and a designer atmosphere inside Warsaw’s most exclusive sushi address. In return for a small fortune expect beautifully presented dishes prepared by a team of master chefs. This is essential dining. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30, Sat, Sun 12:30 - 22:00. (20-100zł). PAGBS Sushi Teatr B-3, Pl. Piłsudskiego 9, tel. 022 826 47 Mediterranean Boathouse H-3, ul. Wał Miedzeszyński 389a, tel. 022 616 32 23, www.boathouse.pl. Ever met anyone whose had a bad time here? We haven’t either. This is the original expat haunt, and one deserving of every accolade sent its way. The menu changes with the season, and includes some quality New Zealand lamb, though the real clincher here is the garden. Actually its more of a park, and the riverside views are fantastic for sunset Sunday dining. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (70-139zł). TAIBXSW La Cantina C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 64, tel. 022 331 67 98, www.lacantina.com.pl. An attractive split-level space with exposed brickwork and an open grill catching the eye. It looks good, but the best news of all is the food. What had acquired a reputation as one of the most incapable kitchens in the city has gone some way to repairing the damage, with decent Italian inspired bites. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. (26-195zł). PTAEBXSW Tokio C-2, ul. Dobra 17, tel. 022 827 46 32, www. tokio.info1.pl. Contrary to the belief that sushi can only be tremendously good or tremendously bad, Tokio’s sushi actually strikes us as middle-of-the-road. The pieces are medium sized, the prices moderate, and the flavours are not quite as tasty as they could be. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (28-50zł). PTAXSW Tomo C-4, ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 022 434 23 44, www. tomo.pl. One of the best sushi bars in Poland, Tomo is an attractive venue, reguarly filled with monied twenty somethings holding court around the bar and keeping an eye on expensive motors parked outside. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (45-95zł). PTAUGSW Jewish Pod Samsonem B-1, ul. Freta 3-5, tel. 022 831 17 88, www.podsamsonem.pl. Maybe the Polish food in Israel is this bad, though we would hope not. Pod Samsonem benefit from a tourist trail location that sees a perpetual stream of custom, though stop anyone leaving the door and you’ll find few pledging to return. Prices are low but so are the standards, with stone faced service slamming plates of Jewish stodge onto wood tables. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00. (15-35zł). TABXS 32 17, www.warszawa-jerozolima.com.pl. The waiters frequently grab a microphone and launch into a series of Karaoke classics, perhaps as a distraction from the ordinary meal in front of you. Hummus, kebabs and falafel are served alongside staple Jewish specialties like gefilte fish. Little more than acceptable. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00. (32-49zł). PTAEXS Middle Eastern Efes H-2, ul. Francuska 1, tel. 022 616 25 80. Head to the suburb of the rich and powerful to track down Poland’s premier kebab. Either join the queue at the takeaway window, or practice patience inside as you wait for a table to be vacated; there is no such thing as quiet hour here, which speaks volumes for the quality you can expect. This is the Warsaw kebab experience reinvented. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00. (1228zł). TAUGBS Sheesha Lounge B-3, ul. Sienkiewicza 3, tel. 022 828 25 25, www.sheesha.pl. Already established as one of Warsaw’s most exotic nightspots Sheesha are beginning to lure the pre-drinks crowd on account of a strong menu bursting with eastern promise. Kick your meal off with falafel or tabolleuh, before hitting main courses like chicken biriyani or the spicy duck. As night marches on find Warsaw’s movers and shakers dancing between the ottomans and hookah pipes. QOpen 16:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 02:00. (27-42zł). PAEBS Sphinx C-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 42, tel. 022 826 07 50, www.sphinx.pl. Shoarmas, gyros, pizza and steaks all served with an accompanying dollop of cabbage amid an interior of plastic trees and multi-coloured lanterns. The authenticity is there to be questioned: here’s a Polish chain serving the food of the pharaohs with recipes, according to the sign above the door, coined by Tom Maltom. It’s hard to imagine a bloke called Tom cooking pizza for King Tut but don’t let that put you off, Sphinx is cheap, simple and has the ability to hit your daily calorie count in one fell swoop. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (1948zł). PTAXS Warszawa-Jerozolima E-1, ul. Smocza 27, tel. 022 838 Lebanese & O riental shop next door Taste the Exotic! sh t One tram stop from the old town FULLY AIRCONDITIONED ery Too! Catering & Deliv Lebanese Le Cedre G-1, Al. Solidarności 61, tel. 022 670 11 66, www.lecedre.pl. This engaging den of exoticism has stood the test of time and through the years acquired a loyal fan base who swear this to be one of the most authentic Eastern exports to be found this side of Lebanon. Kick off with a selection of starters, and don’t dare overlook the Harissa - spicy tomato paste served with freshly baked triangles of pitta. With the snacking over sharpen your jaws to do battle with their skewered meats, before wrapping up the night with a scented hookah pipe. Most recently the interiors have been treated to a top-to-bottom makeover, with the overall effect not unlike entering a luxurious Bedouin tent, complete with lanterns, sofas and silky drapes. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (32-59zł). PTAXSW Samira F-4, Al. Niepodlegołości 213, tel. 022 825 09 61, www.samira.pl. Half grocery store, half Lebanese restaurant. The interiors here are shocking, what with the stone cladding and garish green schemes, but the results on your plate fire all the correct shots. Accessed down a ropey looking alleyway Samira presents superb Lebanese dishes at extremely moderate prices, making it a real discovery for bargain hunters. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 12:00 - 18:00. (15-60zł). PAGBS Mongolian Tshingis Chan B-2, ul. Senatorska 27, (Cesarski Pałac), tel. 022 827 97 07, www.cesarski-palac.com.pl. Warsaw’s first and still only Mongolian grill, of the kind where you pick what you want and a top Mongolian chef cooks it all for you - either in a wok or on a Hibachi grill - before your very goggles. There is plenty to choose from and in classic East Asian style all of the cuts of meat are lean and mean with not a sliver of fat to be seen. Perhaps that’s why Poles appear to give it a wide berth. Or it could just be the rather expensive prices.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 12:30 - 23:00, Sun 12:30 - 22:00. (30-65zł). PTAS Lebanese Restaurant t Le Cedre® Al. Solidarności 61, Warsaw tel. 022 670 11 66 www.lecedre.pl B e l l y D a n cer ever y Fr i d ay! Warsaw In Your Pocket 66 RESTAURANTS Nuevo Latino Conquistador C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 64, tel. 022 826 52 84. An unassuming entrance fools the passer-by into thinking this place is smaller than it is. Think again. Enter and find a smart three level restaurant with white shirted staff and an unmistakable air of exclusivity; perfect for the cocktail crowd. The menu features exotic choices like grilled ostrich though we’ve been hearing stories of a drop in standards - we’ll be investigating in the near future. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00. (2870zł). PTAEBXSW RESTAURANTS 67 Polish www.alegloria.pl. The work of celebrity restaurateur Magda Gessler, Ale Gloria features a surreal strawberry theme and a series of basement rooms that are little less than hallucinogenic; check out the white geese. The menu is modern Polish with dishes like pink duck breast with spicy strawberry salad or wild boar in Bombay gin and honey sauce. A darling of the local press columns. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (54-89zł). PTAUEBXS Ale Gloria C-4, Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3, tel. 022 584 70 80, A Balkan Feast Belvedere G-5, ul. Agrykoli 1 (New Orangery in Łazienki Park (enter from ul. Parkowa)), tel. 022 841 22 50, www.belvedere.com.pl. Bugger the food and just enjoy the setting: the New Orangery in Łazienki Park. Has a restaurant ever before made such great use of such a wonderful space? Not in Warsaw it hasn’t. All joking aside the food should not be ignored at all: this is as upmarket as Polish cuisine gets. We doubt you will find roasted quail served with foie gras on a bed of rhubarb on too many Warsaw menus, for example. Even the pierogi are more noble than elsewhere. It all costs a fortune of course, but if you have the cash, go for it.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (49-175zł). PTABXS Ceprownia B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 7, tel. 022 828 28 84, www.ceprownia.com.pl. Zakopane arrives to your doorstep in this thumb-sized mountain themed karczma. This is log-cutters heaven, with so much timber incorporated in the design that it comes as a surprise that there’s any trees left in Poland. Diners, many of them the product of the university opposite, pack onto benches to sample sizzling treats that leave absolutely no gap for seconds. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. (15-38zł). ABXS 828 03 92, www.pierogarnianabednarskiej.pl. Hidden down ul. Bednarska this modest spot is a budget treasure. Subsidized by a nearby monastery they specialize in homemade pierogi filled with cheese, as well as more maverick fruit fillings. QOpen 12:00 - 18:30. (6-14zł). TGS Ciepłe Kluchy C-2, ul. Bednarska 28/30, tel. 022 the minute you walk in. The food is equally good, chosen from a menu which is mercifully short, with just a couple of starters and several main courses to choose from; how it should be, in other words. We went for the żurek followed by the potato pancakes with smoked salmon and red caviar, and couldn’t fault a thing. QOpen 12:00 - 23:30. (29-98zł). PTAEBXS Cztery Pory (The Four Leeks) B-3, ul. Marszałkowska 17 17, www.chlopskiejadlo.pl. Another nationwide chain enterprise, this one with jars of pickles and strings of hams decorating a charmingly primitive interior filled with wooden chests and rusty saws. The menu is meat and potatoes farmers fare with portions coming in giant servings; this is a carnival of calories that may leave some guests needing to be rolled home in a wheelbarrow. Star t with local soups dished up inside a loaf of bread before loosening the belt and working through homemade dumplings, lard and sausages, served by staff who look like they’ve just finished milking cows. A winning intro to Polish food. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (20-50zł). PTAUBXS Chłopskie Jadło F-4, Pl. Konstytucji 1, tel. 022 339 140, tel. 022 692 86 76, www.czterypory.pl. A bare orange affair with none of the clutter and peasant fittings you find in the majority of Polish restaurants. The menu too makes for a pleasant change, with modern interpretations of Central European food; pick from the likes of duck in glazed pineapple sauce. Considering the nearest dining option is the kebab shop then it’s no surprise The Four Leeks is gaining popularity. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (3559zł). ABXS Flik G-5, ul. Puławska 43, tel. 022 849 44 34, www. flik.com.pl. A golden oldie. Flik have been around for years and never fail to impress with their reliable Polish menu. While the surrounds are not the most adventurous the menu does not fail, hence you’ll find it frequently filled with expats who have made Mokotów their enclave. QOpen 12:30 - 24:00. (25-80zł). PTAUBXS 16 05, w w w.folkgospoda.pl. Boys and girls wearing peasant attire present fortifying portions of Polish food inside a rugged interior featuring all the requisite stout furnishings and ceramic pots. Live music gets the par ty star ted and your options include local classics such as pigs knuckle with cognac pepper sauce. Now open for breakfast. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (14-59zł). PTAUEXS Folk Gospoda E-2, ul. Waliców 13, tel. 022 890 Delicja Polska F-4, ul. Koszykowa 54, tel. 022 630 88 50, w w w.delicjapolska.pl. Delicja Polska combines beautifully presented food in a swish setting decorated with chintz, flowers and candles. Enjoy duck with apple dumplings and cranberry while aproned staff cater to your whim and fancy. In summer sit out in the front where a small terrace has been stuffed with flower pots and shrubbery. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (42-75zł). PTABXSW Dom Polski H-3, ul. Francuska 11, tel. 022 616 24 32, www.restauracjadompolski.pl. Much ink has been spilt over the virtues of Dom Polski, some of it in these pages, but there is no getting away from the fact that this is a good restaurant. Found in a discreet villa on Warsaw’s millionaires’ row you can expect Rolls Royce service from Chłopskie Jadło B-2, ul. Wierzbowa 9/11, tel. 022 827 03 51, www.chlopskiejadlo.pl. Think of this as Chłopskie Jadło Part II. This is essentially a carbon copy of their venture on the other side of town, with the same menu, same design, same everything. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (12-68zł). PAUEBXS Warsaw In Your Pocket Galeon G-6, ul. Huculska 1, tel. 022 558 01 80, www. galeon.waw.pl. Another seafaring venture, this one decked out like a Spanish galleon, complete with fishing nets hanging off the ceiling and a model ship bursting from behind the bar. But there’s more to this place than seafood, and the newly-added Polish menu deserves attention of its own. Try out signature Polski dishes like pierogi and pork knuckle. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. (33-89zł). PT ABXSW August - September 2008 68 RESTAURANTS Polish Food Those wanting to take a quick foxtrot through the world of the Polish kitchen should consider putting the following to the test: Smalec: Fried lard, often served complimentary before a meal with hunks of homemade bread. It sounds evil, but it works like a miracle any day, especially an arctic one. Ideally partnered with a mug of local beer. Any Polish restaurant worth its salt should give you lashings of this prior to your meal. You only need ask. Soup: Keep your eyes peeled for Poland’s two signature soups; żurek (sour rye soup with sausages and potatoes floating in it) and barszcz (beetroot, occasionally with dumplings thrown in). Table manners go out of the window when eating these two, so feel free to dunk bread rolls in them. Bigos: You’ll either love it or vomit. Bigos, a.k.a hunters stew, is made using meat, cabbage, onion and sauerkraut before being left to simmer for a few days. If you have second helpings then consider yourself a Pole by default. Gołąbki: Boiled cabbage leaves stuffed with beef, onion and rice before being baked in a tomato sauce. Urban myth claims Poland’s King Kazimierz fed his army gołąbki before his victory outside Malbork in a battle against the Teutonic Order. The unlikely victory was attributed to the hearty meal his troops had enjoyed before hand. Kiełbasa: Sausages, and in Poland you’ll find several varieties made primarily with pork, but sometimes using turkey, horse, lamb and even bison. Few varieties to watch for including Krakowska, a Kraków specialty which uses pepper and garlic, kabanosy which is a thin, dry sausage flavoured with carraway seed and wiejska; a monster-looking u-shaped sausage. Kiełbasa was also the nickname of one of Poland’s most notorious gangland figures of the 90s. Pierogi: Pockets of dough traditionally filled with meat, cabbage or cheese, though you will also occasionally find maverick fillings such as chocolate or strawberries. Placki: Nothing more than potato pancakes, often paired with lashings of sour cream. Again, all your traditional folksy Polish restaurants will have these on the menu, if not you have every right to raise a few questions in the direction of the kitchen. Zapiekanki: Also known as Polish pizza. Take a stale baguette, pour melted cheese on it and then cover it with mushrooms and ketchup from a squeezy bottle. Best eaten when absolutely plastered. Where to buy it: various fast food cabins dotted around the city centre. Dessert: Few things in life get a Pole more animated than a good dessert. Sernik (a kind of cheesecake) being a must if you want to even attempt to convince a Pole you have visited their country. Kaszanka: This is the Polish variation of blood sausage, in this case pig’s blood mixed with groats, and is generally served fried with onions. Unlike in other countries it is not served in the form of a sausage. A variation on the blood dish is Czernina, a soup made of duck’s blood mixed with poultry broth. An interesting tale is attached to this dish as it was the dish served by the parents of young women to her suitors as a sign that their proposal of marriage was not accepted. RESTAURANTS Gar B-3, ul. Jasna 10, tel. 022 828 26 05, www.restauracjagar.pl. A rather posh looking venture with a silvery, perfect for winter interior and some Laura Ashley frilly, floral touches; it looks smashing. The culinary concept is simple enough, traditional recipes served in big steaming pots: that means casseroles, French bean stews and Poland’s own signature dish, gołąbki, stuffed cabbage leave to you and me. You won’t leave hungry and you won’t leave with much change for that matter either. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. (39-98zł). PTABXSW 69 Gościniec Kołomyja ul. Od Lasu 23, Konstancin-Jeziorna, tel. 022 754 05 94, www.kolomyja.pl. Unless you’re jammy enough to live in one of those posh big houses in Konstancin Jezioma the chances are you’ve never head of Gościniec Kołomyja. Set inside a timber inn this place is all wood-fires and local handicrafts, and just the kind of spot to buckle down and try and force a roasted piglet down your throat. It might be a trek from downtown Warsaw but that’s had little effect on their popularity, a clear indication of the excellence you can expect. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (22-49zł). TAUEBXSW Gospoda Kwiaty Polskie B-2, ul. Wąski Dunaj 4/6/8, tel. 022 887 65 20, www.gospodakwiatypolskie.pl. Within a heartbeat of the Rynek Gospoda Kwiaty Polskie serves up cracking Polish country cooking inside an interior that blossoms with folk art and ceramics. Primary school paintings of happy sunflowers adorn every available space and diners seem happy to sacrifice the formality of nearby restaurants in return for big portions of bargain Polski classics. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00. (17-72zł). PAS Honoratka B-2, ul. Miodowa 14, tel. 022 635 03 97, www.honoratka.com.pl. Operating as Honoratka since 1826 this is very much a place where you breathe in the history of centuries past - Chopin used to dine here. Split into five vaulted cellars the menu that arrives to your table reads like a 15th century banquet. Mugs of mead go alongside dishes like roast boar in juniper sauce, while the meal for two is an assembly of every meat to have ever been hunted. The garden, set in the grounds of a former castle, is the perfect after-thought following a day exploring the nearby old town. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (23-45zł). PTABXSW Karpielówka ul. Indiri Gandhi 11 (Ursynów), tel. 022 644 85 10, www.karpielowka.com.pl. By the Imielin metro stop in the south of the city, this traditional restaurant comes decked with typical mountain lodge decorations; beast skins, log furniture and stone cladding. The masculine menu features huntery dishes like skewered meats, goulash and potato pancakes and the results do not come in meagre portions. Regular live music completes the tankard hoisting atmosphere. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. (25-46zł). PTARBXS Maska (The Mask) H-3, ul. Obrońców 12a, tel. 022 616 11 19. Famous for its connections to the theatre world Maska fills with local embassy workers, so an ideal spot to eavesdrop on political intrigues. Flowers, candles and stage masks decorate a wood cut interior, and it’s a multi-lingual babble that drowns out the jazz sounds played in the background. The food is certainly not gourmet, but it is a highly recommended calorie hit with the best pierogi this side of the river. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 23:00. (18-35zł). AEBXS Oberża Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem (Under the Red Hog) E-2, ul. Żelazna 68, tel. 022 850 31 44, www. La Boheme B-2, Pl. Teatralny 1, tel. 022 692 06 81, www.laboheme.com.pl. A swish, upmarket interior of pastel yellow and marble is complemented by a menu featuring good looking Polish dishes served with a nouvelle twist. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (39-69zł). PTAUEBXSW Literatka B-2, ul. Senatorska 3, tel. 022 827 30 54, www.literatka.com.pl. A strange little place where candles and cherubs come positioned amid floral diversions and the sort of scarlet walls you’d see in Pigalle. When he’s not having a cigarette outside the chef cooks your standard choice of old town Polish dishes: pierogi, boar and duck. It’s not bad, but it’s not going to inspire repeat visits, especially if the staff persist in vanishing for lengthy stretches; next time we’ll help ourselves to the takings. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 01:00. (22-69zł). PTAEBXSW czerwonywieprz.pl. It’s high time Warsaw had a commie themed restaurant and you can’t get much better than the Red Hog. The menus, printed on red sheets, reveal Polish dishes that honour the baddies of the past and present: Mao Chicken and Fidel’s Fingers to name a couple. A portrait of all the great dictators sits centre stage, and the atmosphere is topped off with plenty of red sashes, classic Soviet tunes and delightful staff dressed like keen young communists. But this is more than just a novelty restaurant aimed at one-off visitors. The food is generally pretty good and there’s few better places to crack open a bottle of sparkling Russian wine to get the party started. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (19-65zł). PTAUBXSW Polka, Magda Gessler po pr ostu B-2, ul. Świętojańska 2, tel. 022 635 35 35, www.restauracjapolka.pl. No other restaurateur dominates the Warsaw scene like Magda Gessler, and Polka is her latest offering to Warsaw’s growing band of gastronauts. Like her other ventures Polka has a fair y tale design that makes use of floral prints and countr y clu t ter, and the interiors here are a fancy muddle of frou frou chambers. But it’s with good food that the name Gessler is most commonly associated with, and here there’s plenty of that to choose from. Find your usual assor tment of Polish delicacies, made using the finest locally sourced produce. In added boon the prices are kind on the eye as well. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (25-39zł). PTABXS Różana Restauracja Polska G-5, ul. Chocimska 7, tel. 022 848 12 25, www.restauracjatradycja. com.pl. A two floor pre-war villa full of chichi touches, flowers and crocker y. Ver y pretty, but you’ll soon learn they attract return custom on account of the cooking, not the interiors. The setting might look high end but the prices are cer tainly not, and you’ll find Różana recognized across the city as one of the best dinner deals around. For your main tr y out the veal liver with onions and cherr y sauce. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. (36-79zł). PTAEBXS 84, www.radiocafe.pl. A part of Warsaw folklore. A fiercely loyal fanbase squeeze into Radio Cafe’s photo lined walls to smoke heavily and enjoy a standard mix of Polish and European dishes. It’s not progressive, but then that’s part of the appeal. QOpen 07:30 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 23:00. (18-45zł). ABXS Podwale 5 B-2, ul. Podwale 5, tel. 022 828 77 00, www. podwale5.pl. Podwale 5 is the realization of one mans life ambition to run a restaurant, and though its been getting good reports at this young stage we’ve already been told to expect a name change some time soon. In the meantime expect a spread of Polish/European food like veal shank served inside a bright interior decorated with saintly murals and a courtly theme. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (38-79zł). PAUSW Radio Café B-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 56, tel. 022 625 27 Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 70 RESTAURANTS Further reading The Polish Revolution: Solidarity by Timothy Garton Ash Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award ‘The Polish Revolution: Solidarity‘ counts as the seminal work covering the Solidarity era, and ranks as one of the most important books written on post-war European history. As one of a handful of Western journalists based in Poland throughout the 1980s, Timothy Garton Ash offers an insider, eye-witness account, from his arrival to what was then the Lenin Shipyards, to a 1997 meeting with General Jaruzelski in post-communist, capitalist Poland. First penned in 1983, the book has been re-published three times, most recently in 2002. However revisions to the text have been kept to a minimum. Although postscript chapters have been added, much of the original text remains the same, and his prose is a tense, bleak reflection on the times. Written at the height of the cold war, the author is left to reflect in one of the concluding chapters ‘There is no historical law which says that empires must evolve peacefully, and the post-war history of Eastern Europe gives us little reason to believe this one will. It is therefore probable that those tensions will not be reduced, and we shall, sooner or later, face a nuclear war‘. There is little cause for optimism in Ash‘s original work, and the author clearly holds the view that Poland is doomed to remain under the thumb of the Kremlin for decades to come. Covering the meteoric rise of Solidarity - within months of its inception some ten million Poles were members, including some 30% of the ruling Communist elite - Ash documents the innocence and idealism of the early months, and of the imminent threat of Soviet invasion. The background to the strikes is covered in detail - including the protests in 1970 - and no stone is left unturned in this meticulous work. The key players in the drama are examined in minute detail, and the author paints a vividly lifelike picture of Lech Wałêsa: ‘Now he teases the crowd in Victory Square. His speech is impossible to reproduce, disjointed, full of slang, wildly ungrammatical, at times almost nonsensical… and then the masterly common touch… was he speaking off the top off his head? Either way, the crowd love it‘. However it is the chapter on the declaration of Martial Law that carries the most impact. Simply titled ‘War‘, the shock and bewilderment of the governments actions is carried through to the reader. ‘People could not have been more taken aback if martians had landed‘, comments one onlooker. Although expertly organized, leaders of Solidarity were completely caught on the hop by General Jaruzelski. Within hours communications had been cut, and the lions share of leaders apprehended. The tension of those days translates superbly into print. As we know, Poland went on to buckle the communist system, and this book serves as a superb window into the past; an important reminder on a chapter of history that is still relatively unknown in the west. In his postscript the author examines the failings of Solidarity post 1989, as well its role in the collapse of Soviet Union. This is a weighty read, but the author succeeds in turning a serious subject into an addictive lesson in Poland‘s stormy past. ka 2, tel. 022 827 01 98, www.restauracjapolska. pl. Another feather in the cap of the revitalized theatre quarter. The interior is an attractive blend of lampshades, flowers and framed pictures, and the cooking is up-toscratch, featuring high end offerings like rabbit, as well as a cheesecake apparently made to the recipe of an unnamed grandmother. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (39-85zł). PTAUEBS www.restauracjarycerska.pl. Equipped with the obligatory collection of crossed scabbards, tapestries and chandeliers Rycerska is a typical old town eatery with a focus on old Polish recipes served up by formal, stiff-lipped service. Dine on highly decent game dishes while gazing at the museum pieces scattered around. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (35-60zł). TAEBX RESTAURANTS Restauracja Polska Przy Trakcie F-2, ul. KrólewsU Dekerta B-2, Rynek Starego Miasta 38/42, tel. 022 635 65 11, www.udekerta.com.pl. A traditional and formal main square restaurant set within a maze of subterranean rooms. The service is tight-lipped and solemn, while the menu is your standard old town rip-off fare. A textbook tourist trap. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. (39-60zł). PTJAREBXS 71 Blofeld James Bond; roving womanizer, man of mystery and secret agent supreme. But what’s he got to do with Gdynia? Absolutely nothing, to be precise. His nemesis does, however. Swivelling in his leather armchair, and never without his trademark Persian pussycat, the evil Blofeld will need no introduction to fans of classic Bond. Fictitious he might be, but don’t let that ruin a good yarn. First appearing in Ian Fleming’s 1964 novel ‘Thunderball’ it is revealed that Blofeld was born in Gdynia on May 28, 1908 – sharing the same birth date as his creator. The son of a Polish father and a Greek mother the young Blofeld attended the University of Warsaw, studying economics and political history, before enrolling in Warsaw Polytechnic to read engineering. He was later employed in the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs and dabbled in the Warsaw Stock Exchange. With WWII looming on the horizon he sold Polish military secrets to the Nazis, before destroying all records of his life and fleeing to Turkey. It was while working for Turkish radio that he set up his own intelligence service, and proved what a thoroughly nasty piece of work he was by selling classified information to the highest bidder. With Rommel vanquished on the plains of Africa Blofeld chose to back the Allies, and his sterling work was recognised in the form of several decorations. With the war over he founded SPECTRE, a criminal organization with designs on world domination. Blofeld failed to appear in Fleming’s follow-up book, The Spy Who Loved Me, but made a return in ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’. Here Bond discovers Blofeld living in Switzerland under the pseudonym of Comte de Bleuville. His wicked plan to destroy Britain’s agricultural economy is foiled by Bond, but Blofeld has the last laugh by murdering the agent’s wife at the end. ‘You Only Live Twice’ sees 007 reunited with his arch-enemy, this time in Japan where Blofeld is plotting a World War. Bond saves the day, and also takes the ultimate revenge for the death of his spouse by throttling Blofeld. On the silver screen Blofeld first materializes in ‘From Russia With Love’, and then in ‘Thunderball’. His appearance is kept a mystery however, and viewers are only treated to a shot of his face in his third cinematic outing, the 1967 flick ‘You Only Live Twice’. Memorably portrayed by Donald Pleasance the megalomaniac carries a facial scar attributed to a fencing injury, and boasts a piranha infested pond used to despatch his enemies. Unlike the book Blofeld survives the ending, and makes a return in the 1969 version of ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’. Played by a sinister looking Telly Savalas Bond’s arch-enemy mimics his literary exploits by killing Bond’s missus at the end. He returns two years later, this time played by the rather benign looking Charles Gray in ‘Diamonds are Forever’, and then ten years later in the opening sequence of ‘For Your Eyes Only’. Played by John Hollis, with a voice supplied by Robert Rietty, Bond finally finishes off his adversary by dropping the wheelchair-bound baddie down a factory chimney. But Blofeld returns, and Bond fans can see him played by a rather bland Max von Sydow in ‘Never Say Never Again’, a rather rubbish 1983 remake of ‘Thunderball’. Since then Bond films have been a dime-a-dozen, with villain and rogues aplenty; none however come close to achieving the cult status of Gdynia’s most sinister son. Rycerska B-2, ul. Szeroki Dunaj 11, tel. 022 831 36 68, U Fiszera A-2, Pl. Bankowy 1, tel. 022 620 46 11. A real relic from 90s Warsaw. The menu is comprised of grilled meats and large plates of warming winter nosh, though they’ll try and fleece you for every coin in the pocket: expect to pay extra for chips, sauces etc. The mildly rustic interior is a sad collection of chequered tablecloths and brass instruments, which is a joy to behold if you’ve had your fill of New Warsaw. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00, Mon 11:00 - 24:00, Sun 13:00 - 24:00. (19-37zł). TAEBXS U Fukiera B-2, Rynek Starego Miasta 27, tel. 022 831 10 13, www.ufukiera.pl. The most famous restaurant in town with a guestbook that speaks for itself; Naomi Campbell, Henry Kissinger and Sarah Ferguson are a few of the names who’ve taken a seat here. The interior is a work of art, crowded with paintings and antiques, it’s hard not to feel a part of history when dining here. The food is the perfect indulgence with perfectly presented game dishes. Your bill is a different matter, and may present a double Dutch situation. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (23-105zł). PJABXS Sarmacja A-1, ul. Stawki 2, tel. 022 860 62 96, www. restauracjasarmacja.pl. There’s finally a reason to visit Warsaw’s ugliest skyscraper and that’s Sarmacja, a budget diner serving platters of Polish grill food at rock bottom prices. Not bad for a low rent experience, with interiors that bring to mind a mountain cabin; lots of timber beams, craftwork and paintings of moustached country folk. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (14-59zł). PTAUXSW Senator B-2, ul. Szeroki Dunaj 1/3, tel. 022 831 79 68, www.restauracja-senator.pl. A formal Old Town restaurant with candlesticks and oil paintings hanging from the striped wallpaper. The menu is an A-Z of kitchen classics like herring, bigos, pork knuckles and something enigmatically described as the ‘chef’s pettitoes’. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. (25-45zł). PTAEBXS w w w.staraszafa.pl. Supremely atmospheric the Old Cupboard has it all from pinstriped wallpaper adorned with sepia family photographs, to odds and ends like shoes and cherubs scattered around. The food is old Polish, and apparently made to family recipes handed down the ages, and includes the likes of duck and steak in mushroom sauce. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (2658zł). PTAEXS Stara Szafa G-3, ul. Ludna 10, tel. 022 622 48 12, U Kucharzy B-2, ul. Ossolińskich 7, tel. 022 826 79 36, www.gessler.pl. Akin to dining in the kitchen of The Savoy, the chefs work in front of the diners inside what once played the role as the kitchen of the Europejski Hotel. It’s a great experience with the owner flitting from table to table while a pianist works his magic fingers in the background. The menu is typical of high class Polish restaurants, with lots of game and other posh meats. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (36-80zł). TAEXS 84, www.zapiecek.eu. Packed through all hours this pierogi kitchen assumes the ‘Grandmothers country cottage’ look, with pots and pans hanging from every shelf, and lots of hard timber touches. Much talked about, their deliciously light dough pockets come with all the fillings you can imagine: from cherry to mushrooms, and there’s a street-level take away window for lunch-on-the-run. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00. (17-35zł). PAGBS Zapiecek C-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 28, tel. 022 826 74 Stary Młyn ul. Wybrzeże Gdyńskie 2, tel. 022 839 73 77, www.starymlyn.waw.pl. Timber benches and a thousand flowerpots make this outdoor restaurant a great place for an afternoon out. The days specials, scribbled on a blackboard, include masculine helpings of sausages, shashlyks and lard. Ten pint pipes of beer are available for less than 50zł, and if you’ve got the juniors with you then feel free to leave them larking around in the sandpit or by the lamb enclosure. Regular live, rowdy music. QOpen 15:00 - 24:00, Fri 15:00 - 02:00, Sat 13:00 - 02:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (13-45zł). EBS 18a, tel. 022 840 09 01, www.restauracjatradycja.pl. Sister restaurant of Różana Restauracja Polska and you’ll find pretty much the same deal in operation; superb Polish food prepared with flair and served by first class staff. Set inside a fully restored villa this place is the embodiment of romance, especially the moment the weather heats up and the garden gets opened. The fillet of pike perch comes accompanied by a delicious leek sauce, and in spite of all the frills and chinaware the prices are nowhere near as prohibitive as one would imagine. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. (37-62zł). PTAEBXS Zgoda B-3, ul. Zgoda 4, tel. 022 827 99 34, www.res- Tradycja Restauracja Polska G-5, ul. Belwederska tauracjazgoda.pl. An old timer that’s had a refit and a new burst of life. Dishes like żurek soup, shashlyk and pancakes are chalked up on the blackboard and served from behind a glass counter. Low prices, competent cooking and a casual trattoria ambience (whitewashed walls, timber furnishings) are rewarded by a constant stream of customers. QOpen 09:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. (22-45zł). PTABXS Portuguese Portucale ul. Merliniego 5 (Mokotów), tel. 022 898 09 25, www.portucale.pl. This gets the thumbs up from our resident Portuguese epicurean, and you can’t say fairer than that. Situated out in the no-mans land of distant Mokotów your journey is made worthwhile on account of a superb wine list - check their wine store, stocking some 200 brands - and a menu that is split between delicious seafood choices and hunks of meat. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (30-69zł). PTABXSW Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 72 RESTAURANTS Quick Eats 89, www.balgera.pl. A good-looking, split-level endeavour selling Italian ingredients, pastries and desserts. Quality tiramisu and other goodies available for take away. QOpen 08:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00. ABXSW RESTAURANTS Russian 33 66, www.babooshka.pl. A smart little place, if you’re a peasant, otherwise be prepared for benches, beer and borscht. Russian cuisine isn’t for the faint hearted, and the Babooshka chain excels at serving large portions of vein clotting meats and veg in return for a matter of coins.QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. (11-17zł). PAUGBS 73 Café Balgera G-4, ul. Koszykowa 1, tel. 022 629 01 Babooshka C-3, ul. Oboźna 9 lok. 102, tel. 022 406 Valencia E-1, ul. Stawki 2 (Intraco building, 38 floor), tel. 022 860 62 17. Once considered one of the top dining experiences in town, Warsaw has moved on, leaving the staff at Valencia wondering where all the customers went. The 38th floor of Warsaw’s most humdrum skyscraper is the setting for a tacky interior and an ambitiously priced menu. QOpen 13:00 - 22:00. (33-230zł). PAX Lokanta Express F-4, ul. Koszykowa 54, tel. 022 Tex-Mex Blue Cactus G-5, ul. Zajączkowska 11 (Mokotów), tel. 022 851 23 23, www.bluecactus.pl. Eight years ago - just after it had opened - the whole In Your Pocket crowd came from far and wide to eat at Blue Cactus. We liked it then and we like it now. While other expat legends die, and others get better, Blue Cactus has remained solidly reliable throughout. You can always guarantee decent food, with our tip being to gather up a gang of friends, forego the mains and just order all the appetizers on the menu - the portions are huge - before proceeding to eat tapas style.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (32-75zł). PTABXSW El Popo B-2, ul. Senatorska 27, tel. 022 827 23 40, www.kregliccy.pl. One of the first Tex-Mex eateries to open in Warsaw, El Popo suffered something of an identity crisis a while ago but has emerged the other side a better and dare we say wiser place to eat. The fajitas sizzle with flavour, and come with the sharpest, spiciest peppers in town, while the tortillas knock those of another, more celebrated venue into next week. If you want a table on the wooden terrace overlooking Plac Teatralny you may need to come prepared for a scrap, a long wait, or simply reserve one in advance.QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (29-62zł). PTAEBXSW tel. 022 328 87 30, www.warsaw.intercontinental.com. Some of Warsaw’s best restaurants are found inside hotels, and the Inter-Continental’s Frida falls into that category. A genuine Mexican menu - not your standard choice of burritos - cooked by Mexican natives inside an interior of warm fabrics and potted plants. Q Open 16:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 17:30 - 23:00. From September Open 12:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 17:30 - 23:00 (70-290zł). PTAUXSW 630 86 66, www.lokanta.pl. At last Warsaw has a kebab shop that doesn’t look like it’s been hit by a bomb. Owned by the same people behind Lokanta this tiny effort has got the requisite slab of meat spinning on a skewer, and a limited menu of fast bites aimed at the lunch crowd. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00. (8-22zł). PAGS 72, www.marak.pl. A bare-bones soup kitchen with a stark atmosphere. Limited menu, but the Thai soup and Boston Crab soup are great and comes with bread rolls. Now open in the train station, as well. QOpen 10:00 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00. (12zł). GBS Seafood Molo (The Pier) C-4, ul. Krucza 17, tel. 022 425 76 79, www.molo.waw.pl. While Warsaw suffers in snow, relive your summer at the coast in this tacky fish emporium. Modelled on a Sopot seaside snack cabin The Pier comes with a suitably crass interior of flimsy furniture and nautical extras. Light, bright and tiny, the dishes are pretty good with prices kept to a minimum and a lunch on the run atmosphere prevailing. QOpen 09:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. (13-17zł). UBXSW Osteria F-3, ul. Krucza 6/14, tel. 022 621 16 46, www. osteria.pl. Formerly the top seafood choice in Warsaw, though nowadays you may find the end results do not justify the price tags. Nonetheless, the menu does feature fresh oysters, Spanish mussels, and some very good octopus, and the background is as good as any to dine in; watch the African fish look on in alarm from the safety of aquariums as their colleagues meet their end in the open kitchen. The modern interior of bubbling portholes and illuminated shells is popular with a well turned-out crowd. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (59-235zł). PTABSW Marak B-3, ul. Świętokrzyska 18, tel. 022 829 92 Restaurant, Tapa y Toro, in the Złote Tarasy complex offers a wide selection of traditional regional Spanish dishes, served up by our head chef Carlos Peña, a native of the city of Leon. Treat yourself to his authentic tapas, fish, mariscos, meat, vegetables and delicious desserts. Come and enjoy the Spanish atmosphere… Złote Tarasy level: -1, tel.: +48 22 222 01 20 www.tapaytoro.pl McDonald’s B-3, ul. Marszałkowska 126/134, tel. 022 829 59 64, www.mcdonalds.pl. Various locations including ul. Krucza 50 (C-4), Al. Jerozolimskie/ Jana Pawła II, pawilon 64, WPP ( Warszawa Centralna; A-4) and Al. Solidarności 117 (A-2). Breakfast served in selected branches till 10:30. QOpen 07:00 - 01:00, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat 07:00 - 03:00. (13-17zł). PTAGBSW 20, tel. 022 828 54 17, www.miedzynamicafe.com. Reopened after a brisk redecoration that seemingly involved no more than lick of white paint and a scrub of the floorboards. This is essentially still the same Między Nami of old, with stark walls, light bulbs pointed at the ceiling and cool projections. The seats are only wide enough for people who enjoy a Big Mac free diet, not that we imagine any of the clientele lowering themselves to fast food levels. To a man the crowd here are all stylists, restaurateurs and the sort of people who wear their polo shirt with the collar tucked up. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 16:00 - 23:00. (17-35zł). TBXSW Między Nami (Between You and Me) C-4, ul. Bracka Strefa Gourmet C-4, Pl. Trzech Krzyży 3, tel. 022 584 71 01, www.strefagourmet.pl. The interior, filled with mirrors, glass and black finishes, will take the breath away, and must surely stand out as one of the most extravagant décors to be found in Poland. Pop the big question here and we guarantee the answer will be yes. On the menu premium Japanese and Russian dishes, including oysters and handmassaged Kobe beef. Take advantage of the luxurious sofas in the glass-topped foyer for an after-meal whisky. QOpen 09:00 - 23:00. (26-178zł). PTAUBXS Frida B-4, ul. Emili Plater 49 (InterContinental Hotel), What’s Hot, What’s Not While everyone else has been busy barbecuing themselves in the beer gardens of Warsaw the local landlords and restaurateurs have been a busy bunch. First off it’s a big welcome back to Villa Rossini, contenders for Poland’s classiest restaurant. These guys have gone ten rounds with the local council in their bid to re-open, and the results have been worth the wait – sort out an overdraft and head here now, this could welcome become Poland’s first Michelin starred venue, and we can’t recommend it highly enough. Next there’s Maestria, up on Podwale. You may think Warsaw doesn’t need another Japanese restaurant, but when they’re as good as this you’ll be willing to overlook the saturated market. Also making an impression on us is Courtepaille, a French themed eatery positioned exactly where Louisiana once was. Drinks wise we love Amnesia Too, and it’s fingers crossed that this venue overcomes the curse that has hit all other ventures that have tried this spot. There’s also a fair few places that have used the summer to brush themselves up – we’re expecting the Panorama Bar on the top floor of the Marriott to open any time soon, and we’re hearing rumours Foksal 19 might resurface after their summer sabbatical. NoBo, purveyors of Warsaw’s best steak, will be taking a break in August, as will the Piekarnia nightclub – we’ll have to see if they resurrect their glory years. Finally, there’s not a single expat who didn’t shed a tear when Kathmandu closed down in murky circumstances. The word is they’ll be back soon, this time renting from people who aren’t looking to shaft them. Przekąski Zakąski (Snacks & Appetizers) B-2, ul. Ossolińskich 7 (entrance from ul.Krakowskie Przedmieście), tel. 022 826 79 36, www.gessler.pl. At last Warsaw has a 24hr eatery that doesn’t involve queuing for food poison while tramps pick at bloodied bandages and drunk lads fight over kebabs. If anything this place is seriously trendy, with a late night club crowd jangling the keys to their dad’s Merc. Occupying a part of what was once Hotel Europejski this venture is a creation of the Gessler restaurant clan, though unlike their other ventures a trip here won’t have your bank manager hunting you down with a shotgun. All the food here is tagged at 8zł, with simple fillers like sausages, herring and pigs trotters served within minutes of being ordered. Top up your booze quota by ordering 4zł shots of vodka. Q Open 24hrs. (8zł). A Warsaw Tortilla Factory A-4, ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), tel. 022 222 06 61. Finally. After months of delays WTF have finally opened in Złote Tarasy, and it’s been well worth the wait. Lunch on the dash has never been this good with Poland’s best burritos, tacos and quesadillas knocked out within minutes of ordering. Order the mango habanero salsa if you want to know what being nuked feels like. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. (9-21zł). PAUGS Warsaw In Your Pocket Spanish Casa To Tu C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 54/56, tel. 022 828 00 66, www.casatotu.pl. Scattered with muskets, hams and kitchen tables the basement rooms of Casa To Tu have all the hallmarks of a Spanish coastline cottage. Up the stairs a street level room comes equipped with a large square bar, as well as a hidden back bit containing a smattering of tables. The menu is a joy, with a good selection of tapas and paellas, as well as a selection of soups that range from gazpacho to spicy garlic.QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 24:00. (19-56zł). PTABXSW 222 01 20, www.tapaytoro.pl. A smart spot decorated sparingly with wood finishes and cream flourishes. Situated next to two of Warsaw’s better live venues, Hard Rock and Akwarium, theses guys never seem short on overspill custom, though all the signs seem to suggest they’d fare well wherever their location. Mars, even. Tapas are excellent here, prepared by Carlos the Spanish chef and fresh fish are served from Thursday through to Sunday. A lunch menu has also been introduced and you’re allowed to enjoy your meal without the usual fug of smoke that comes with dining in Warsaw; smokers find themselves shunted to the bar, a glass screen protecting the snacks and nibbles positioned in front of them. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00. (24-82zł). PTAUBXSW La Fiesta Tortilla Bar C-3, ul. Foksal 21, tel. 022 829 85 60, www.lafiesta.pl. Miles behind the standard set by Tortilla Factory, but miles in front of the awful ‘The Mexican’ around the corner. Filled with cacti and tropical-coloured tiles this is a warming winter stop with rock-bottom prices and a very attractive waitress. Expats know their Mexican, and you won’t find many of them in here. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (27-39zł). PABXSW Taqueria Mexicana B-3, ul. Zgoda 5, tel. 022 556 47 20, www.taqueriamexicana.pl. One of the better Tex Mex options in the city, and with prices that undercut most of the competition. Seen from afar as a multi-coloured tenement building Taqueria has all the zippy atmosphere of Mexico City, and the food isn’t half bad - decent burritos served on fresh tortillas QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (32-52zł). PTAEXS The Mexican C-3, ul. Foksal 10a, tel. 022 826 90 21, www.mexican.pl. Unclog your system and get your guts gargling by attending The Mexican, a venue with shocking burritos that come served under a slurry of cabbage and florid sauce. What a shame - centered around an adobe courtyard you won’t find a finer looking Mexican restaurant in town. If only they focused half as much attention on the food. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 01:00. (1740zł). TAEB Tapa y Toro A-4, ul. Złota 59, (Złote Tarasy), tel. 022 August - September 2008 74 RESTAURANTS Fast food & Delivery Your body might be a temple, but there comes a time when even the leanest of machines needs to be filled with burgers, chips and calories. Fast food culture has not escaped Poland and you’ll find several chains of McDonald’s dotted around. The flagship megadonald’s can be found on (B-3) ul. Marszałkowska 126/134 and is open 24hrs, as is the one on ul. Ostrobramska 73. The one on ul. Radzymińska 249 is open until 01:00. In the centre the one on (C-4) ul. Krucza 50 (corner of Al. Jerozolimskie) opens from 07:00 - 01:00, while the McD’s in the train station is open from 06:00 - 02:00. All now serve McDonalds breakfast up to 10:30. KFC have no 24hr enterprises though several branches throughout town, including (C-3) ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 4/6 (open 09:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 24:00, Sun 10:00 - 22:00). KFC also offer a home delivery service in Warsaw though you’ll be lucky to find an English-speaker on the other end. Try your luck by ringing 022 536 36 36. Behind the counters you should find the staff in both KFC and McDonald’s will usually understand a smattering of English, and if you’re desperate for their other locations then hit their respective websites at www. mcdonalds.pl and www.kfc.pl. Polish style baguettes and kebabs can be found in chains of A Petit and Oskar - you’ll see them everywhere around the train station, and central area, though you’ll probably give them a miss after one try-out. With regards to pizza be warned about the Polish tradition of lumping tomato ketchup onto the sacred pie. The local favourite here is Telepizza and you should check www.telepizza.pl to find the nearest location. If you want something more upmarket then drop into Rusticoni at their new home in the Złote Tarasy shopping mall (A/B-4 ul. Złota 59) to pick up a pizza the way it was intended to be made. You’ll find most restuarants will deliver food to your door, all you have to do is pay for the taxi. One outstanding service perfect for winter nights sat in front of your TV dressed in your underwear is Room Service. Cooperating with a range of restaurants, from Mexican to Indian to Thai they’ll deliver to all corners of Warsaw, and usually within an hour of ordering. Order online at www.roomservice.pl or give them a bell on 022 651 90 03. All the Indian restaurants we list offer a home delivery service. Tandoor Palace (022 825 23 75) offer a loyalty card for their regulars, while Namaste (022 357 09 39) have become a lunchtime hero for office workers around town. A final word of warning: give the Vietnamese snack cabins you see dotted around a wide berth. Only a few years back a warehouse filled with dead cats and dogs was raided by the police. Their destination? Your plate. RESTAURANTS Warsaw Tortilla Factory F-3, ul. Wilcza 46, tel. 022 621 86 22, www.warsawtortillafactory.pl. You will not find a better burrito in Poland, and the range of salsas will have your temperature going into orbit - order the mango habanero sauce to know what it’s like to eat a firework. The platters are recommended for groups wanting to dip and dive into a selection of Tex-Mex goodies, and the red-shirted staff are more than capable of fixing margaritas that leave you with brain damage. A firm editorial favourite, and not just for food - this is turning into one of the better live music venues in Warsaw, with the acoustic sounds of Lindsay Martell frequently thrilling a whooping crowd. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (23-79zł). PTAEXSW Maharaja Thai B-1, ul. Szeroki Dunaj 13, tel. 022 635 25 01, www.maharaja.com.pl. The interior may be disappointingly drab considering the location - inside a medieval towerhouse - but the food most certainly isn’t, with a collection of fiery typically Thai dishes. We had the red curry and our taste buds knew about it immediately. Not gourmet dining, but a decent stop in an area of town not known for culinary variety. QOpen 12:30 - 23:00. (24-57zł). TJABXS 75 Thai Chinese crossover that brings to mind the steamy holein-the-wall eateries found in Chinatown’s the world over. Supremely cramped this is the kind of place where diners knock elbows with each other while staff shout orders over the permanent buzz. Pleasantly decorated with bamboo shoots, rice paper lanterns and oriental scribbles Dżonka has a neighbourhood feel with regulars welcomed like returning family. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. (2030zł). PGBS Dżonka C-4, ul. Hoża 54, tel. 022 621 50 15. A Thai/ www.sunanta.pl. Hit and miss - visit on a good day and you’ll be rewarded with a red curry duck that stands alongside the best. If things go wrong then expect to hear plates smashing in the kitchen, skimpy servings and staff acting like rabbits in front of a freight train. The interiors are pleasant and intimate, with dark woods and bamboo bits, though smokers won’t be seeing much of them. This is a no-smoking zone, so sit outside if you want to enjoy your cheroot. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 13:00 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 21:00. (29-79zł). PAUGBS Sunanta C-4, ul. Krucza 16/22, tel. 022 434 22 16, Oriental restaurant & b ba bar Suparom Thai Food G-4, ul. Marszałkowska 45/49, Dziki Ryż (Wild Rice) G-5, ul. Puławska 24b, tel. 022 tel. 022 627 18 88, www.suparomthaifood.pl. Decent versions of Thai food served by staff who don’t mind slamming plates in front of you before disappearing off to swear at each other. Ever a reliable takeout option although, staff aside, eating inside the pagoda-style interior is a real sensory pleasure. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00. (28-55zł). TAGSW 848 00 60, www.dzikiryz.pl. Formerly on Hoża the Dziki Ryż team have upped sticks and moved into a space vacated by Café Brama. Decorated with black shades, canvas lanterns, empty bird cages and flamboyant plant life the interiors are cheap but lively, while the menu is a decent enough canter through Thai and Asian recipes, though by no means worth trekking half of Warsaw for. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (26-35zł). PTABXS Turkish Lokanta B-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 47a, tel. 022 585 10 04, www.lokanta.home.pl. If you want a kebab but don’t want food poisoning then this Turkish restaurant fits the bill. A wood-fired oven for pizza, a charcoal grill for their kebabs and Turkish tea, coffee and wine to wash it all down with. Popular with the office crowd, Lokanta’s sofas, cushions and timber beams make it a choice space for an after-work wind down. Business lunch available. QOpen 09:00 - 23:30, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 23:30. (12-44zł). PTAEBXSW Kwai B-4, ul. Marszałkowska 64, tel. 022 621 21 81, www.kwai.pl. A great space with sunny views of Marszałkowska, and an open, airy atmosphere accentuated by the choice of simple white and brown colours. Oriental keepsakes handpicked from designer stores create enough visual diversions to keep the interiors alive, while Warsaw’s best photograph - three Asian police goons - keeps a vigilant eye on diners. More often than not guests will be met by the two South Korean sisters behind this venture, and they’ll guide you through a menu that combines the very best of Korea and Thailand. If they’re not on hand with their own personal recommendations we recommend starting with Moo Manao - pork tenderloin served with lime and chili sauce - before ordering Tan Ori; duck breast in ginger and orange sauce. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 23:00. (37-75zł). PTAXSW Milk Bars Milk Bars - Don’t expect a gastronomic experience. Do expect a rare insight into Eastern-Bloc Poland. Subsidised by the state, this was food for the masses back in the day. With the fall of communism many bar mleczny found themselves forced out of business although a few of these canteens have survived and, aside from offering an interesting diversion for amateur anthropologists, they make it possible to eat lots in return for a handful of coins. A Polish friend will know which are the best and it is still interesting to see many younger Poles still making regular visits to their favourite one. Value is value wherever you are. Queue up at the counter, peruse the choice of soups, meat and veg on offer before placing your order, then watch in awe as matronly ladies serve up everything from budget excellence to bowls of slime. We’ve seen both ends of the scale being reached in the same place. One tip is to go earlier as the choice and quality in some tends to fall as the day progresses. In Warsaw keep an eye out for Bar Mleczny Bambino (C-4 ul. Krucza 21) or dine with students over at Uniwersytecki (C-3 ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 20/22). Emergency Number 0800 200 300 Emergency line 0800 200 300 - In a sign that Poland is becoming more sensitive to the needs of the foreign tourist, the police have set up a seasonal hotline number for non-Polish speakers to use in times of trouble. Contact the number shown between June 2 and September 30 and the English, German or Russian speakers will assist you with the local police. Lemongrass C-4, Al. Ujazdowskie 8, tel. 022 696 33 00, www.lemongrass.waw.pl. The first thing you’ll notice about this place is its sheer size - you could sink a small ship in here and still have room for a carnival. However the space has been cleverly split up, and by the time word spreads it’s safe to assume there won’t be too many empty seats. The design is sleek and modern with aquariums underneath the bar, the scent of lemongrass throughout and the clever use of green and blue back-lit glass to add to the mood. Heading the team in the kitchen is Sanad Changpuen, a veteran of the Sheraton’s Oriental restaurant, and he’s assembled a menu that brings you the best in creative Asian cooking. Choose from a vast array of goodies, from red curry duck to Mongolian rib eye beef. To sample everything would take a year of repeat visits, but we’re going to do our best on that front. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (35-65zl). PTARUGBSW LEMONGRASS Oriental restaurant & bar al.Ujazdowskie 8 tel.: +48 22 696 33 00 www.lemongrass.waw.pl Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 76 CAFÉS Cafe Gallery Belle Epoque B-1, ul. Freta 18, tel. 022 635 41 05, www.stare-miasto.com. A complete haven of calm with an pleasingly incoherent mix of gramophones, globes, lampshades and antiques. There’s character in abundance here, with the added plus of crackly jazz classics playing in the background. An essential interruption to your old town tourist duties. QOpen 13:00 - 23:00. EBXSW cafeprozna.pl. Making a stir with Warsaw’s intellectuals this month is Cafe Prozna, a cracking cafe set inside a shattered building that looks ready to keel over. You’ll be lucky to find a seat inside this narrow venue, even more so if there’s a lecture or reading going on. Decorated with pre-war photographs Prozna comes with a pile of well-thumbed history books in the entrance, tiny tea candles and a basement level to soak up any overflow of custom. The only disappointment here are the smoothies; nowhere near as good as the venue deserves. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Mon, Sun 10:00 - 22:00. EGBSW CAFÉS Kafka C-3, ul. Oboźna 3, tel. 022 826 08 22, www.kafka. com.pl. Join bookworm types, and people pretending to read clever books in an effort to impress, inside Warsaw’s latest literary café. Giant windows allow passers by to peer in at you struggling through your dog eared copy of Gogol, while a series of low slung sofas do their best to swallow you for the afternoons duration. A great place for daydreamers, with decorations coming in the form of a towering bookshelf taking up one whole side and black and white checkered flooring. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 22:00. PUGSW Kawangarda C-4, ul. Wilcza 32, tel. 022 625 32 02, www.kawangarda.pl. It’s becoming increasingly fashionable to assume a look of intellectuality and be seen sipping coffee in a cafe. Kawangarda plays exactly into the hands of that crowd, with regular art exhibitions pandering to amateur academics. It looks nice enough, with a modern and simple design, and Kawangarda is exactly what this end of Wilcza has lacked for so long. QOpen 07:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 23:00. EGS Łysy Pingwin (Bald Penguin) H-1, ul. Ząbkowska 11, tel. 022 618 02 56. At the heart of Praga’s Boho renaissance stands the Bald Penguin, a tatty bar/café swarming with academics and unsigned musicians. Run by a Swedish Buddhist this spot is as wacky as you find with its collection of jumble sale lamps, artistic ‘happenings’ and courtyard dedicated to the Gallic art of boules. QOpen 15:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 15:00 - 02:00. EW Madame Walewska E-2, Al. Jana Pawła II 22 (Mercure Hotel), tel. 022 528 03 62, www.madamewalewska. waw.pl. Named in honour of Napoleon’s Polish paramour, this small hotel café offers an outstanding range of desserts and pastries. Apple pie with pear, Black Forest gateau and other delights served by coquettish waitresses, whatsmore, if you order in advance they promise to make any cake you desire. QOpen 07:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:30. TAUXSW 77 Cafe Próżna B-3, ul. Próżna 12, tel. 022 398 19 42, www. Chłodna 25 E-2, ul. Żelazna 75a (entrance from ul. Chłodna), tel. 022 620 24 13, www.chlodna25.pl. The unofficial home of Warsaw counter-culture, and something of a community centre for wacko art types; they’re all here, from expat hacks typing up tomorrow’s copy, to drama queers committing theatre scripts to memory. Distracting them from the duty at hand are jazzy tunes, poetry slams and the occasional dog going woof. Chairs of varying style and condition, board games, beer-by-the-bottle and batty artwork all add to the atmosphere, making C25 every bit as appealing as it is curious. Don’t miss it. QOpen 08:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. EBW 57, www.coffeeheaven.eu.com. Poland’s definitive coffee chain, and not unlike something you’re used to experiencing back home. Generic surroundings show little imagination but the coffee, served in paper cups, is ideal for your first thing in the morning caffeine fix. Made-on-the-day sandwiches and smoothies are equally impressive and Coffeeheaven have handy locations across town, including the train station, a must-visit for anyone looking to stock up before taking their chances on Poland’s rail network.QOpen 07:00 - 22:00, Fri 07:00 - 22:30, Sat 08:00 - 22:30, Sun 08:00 - 22:00. PAGBSW Coffeeheaven C-4, ul. Nowy Świat 46, tel. 022 828 20 Tarabuk Księgarnia Kawiarnia C-3, ul. Browarna Coffee Karma F-4, Pl. Zbawiciela 3/5, tel. 022 875 87 09, www.coffeekarma.pl. Earnest looking intellectuals read Hesse while taking languid sips of hand-roasted coffee. Huge windows afford views of Pl. Zbawiciela, and the staff are also adept at fixing exotic smoothies. Ten out of ten. QOpen 07:30 - 22:00, Sat 09:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 22:00. PTABXSW Costa Coffee C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 49, tel. 022 490 58 47, www.costacoffee.pl. Within the space of three minutes Costa Coffee have invaded Poland and opened in practically every major urban area - from Katowice to Gdansk. Their Warsaw venture is precisely the same as all others, with generic and sterile fittings offset by what is good and reliable coffee. QOpen 08:00 - 22:00, Sat 09:00 - 22:00, Sun 09:00 - 21:00. PTABXSW Czuły Barbarzyńca (The Tender Barbarian) C-2, ul. Dobra 31, tel. 022 826 32 94, www.czulybarbarzynca. pl. Owlish academics fill this esoteric bookshop cum café. Springy sofas and chairs are scattered amongst shelves full of clever sounding titles. Ten out of ten for character alone. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 22:00. PAXSW RoRo Lounge Cafe A-3, ul. Rondo ONZ 1, tel. 022 351 70 70, www.ro-ro.com. You can really impress someone with your knowledge of Warsaw by bringing them here. Given that it is on the ground floor of a skyscraper with no clue as to its existence, it is place you simply have to know about it via word of mouth. Serving good ice creams, salads and light meals by day, at night an after-work crowd comes for a quick one on the way home and ends up staying until it’s time to start work the next day. The sit-down PlayStation may have something to do with it.QOpen 08:00 - 23:00, Fri 08:00 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. 14, www.samefusy.pl. An arcane looking candlelit cellar that induces a zen-like calm on all who visit. The design is great, with tree trunks used as tables, and a scattering of artistic oddities (feathered warrior masks) attached to the walls. Perch yourself on one of the stools before taking your pick from over a hundred teas garnered from afar afield as Tibet and Africa. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 24:00. JAXS 6, tel. 022 827 08 14, www.tarabuk.pl. Where coffee meets culture. Found in student land Tarabuk has shelves lined with complicated books, most of which will refuse to make sense unless you’ve mastered the local lingo. Board games available for the less cerebrally inclined, and a good spot to listen in on academics talking in hushed tones. The interiors aren’t that superior to a high school library, yet this spot has acquired a habit of drawing people back. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. PTAGBSW Let’s do lunch We at Warsaw In Your Pocket are old enough to remember dear old Gordon Gekko in the classic, epoch-defining film Wall Street, declaring that “lunch is for wimps.” Well, not anymore it isn’t, at least not in Warsaw. Lunch here is king, the new dinner, as it were, and as such the city’s restaurants are fighting each other tooth and nail to grab a piece of the lunchtime pie. So much so that many are offering two or even three course lunches at quite frankly ridiculous prices, enough to make a Dutchman feel generous. Indeed, so cheap are some places that we are certain that they must be taking a loss just to get bodies through the door. As more and more places join the battle, you can expect these prices to get even lower, which is all good news for the penniless gourmet. For the lunch menu - look out for them everywhere - is often a good way to try out some very good and otherwise expensive restaurants. Warsaw legend Sense is one place in particular that might otherwise be out of bounds to wallet-watchers, but which at lunchtime offers a great set lunch for 29zł. You & Me has a similar lunchtime deal for a record-low 19zł, while Porta 13, RoRo Lounge and Piccolo Bacio are three more places well worth tripping to for a lunch fantastic. We should of course point out that drinks are not included… As we go to press the latest word on the Warsaw street is that the big five-star hotels are about to enter the cutprice lunch wars, with deals starting in the autumn. You will read about any developments right here. Vienna Café and Restaurant B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie Same Fusy B-1, ul. Nowomiejska 10, tel. 022 635 90 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 022 630 51 41, www.marriott.com/wawpl. A welcome splurge. Popular for hushed one-on-one meetings, Vienna is all upholstered chairs and trays of cakes sitting on important-looking cutlery. Surrender to desire and take on their all-you-can-eat dessert buffet once they re-open after their summer break, that is.QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Possible floor restoration in June/July.There won’t be no more dessert buffet. (27-55zł). PTAUXSW Szpilka C-3, Pl. Trzech Krzyży 18, tel. 022 628 91 32. Szpilka once stood on the cutting edge of Warsaw’s night scene, offering a modern European menu, round-the-clock hours and sharp design. Today this white-on-white café, bar, meeting place, buzzes long after the rest of Warsaw sleeps, but that’s no reflection of quality. The food verges on abysmal, though it’s still a good bet if you’re looking to greet dawn with a strong drink. Q Open 24 hrs. PABSW W Biegu Cafe F-4, ul. Mokotowska 19, tel. 022 621 84 51, www.wbiegucafe.pl. Huge photos of beaming faces enjoying their latte grin down at the crowds, and the staff carry on all the cheerful nonsense by appearing genuinely happy to serve. Bah. The décor is smart, modern, with the sort of colourful sofas you see in the lifestyle sections of glossy magazines. Chocolate brown walls and ambient soundtracks top off the interior, while the menu features a non-inventive choice of pastas. From dawn till dusk, definitely a decent place to wile the hours. QOpen 08:00 - 23:00, Sat 09:00 - 23:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. (1525zł). PABSW Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 78 NIGHTLIFE Although Warsaw fails miserably to share in the vibrancy associated with neighbouring capitals it still has its fair range of slick bars, dirty dives and mental clubs. You just have to find them. The figures in brackets denote the price of the cheapest pint of lager, which in many cases rarely dips below 10zł. More’s the pity. The opening hours we list are the official hours given to us by the bars themselves. In practice many will keep their doors open until the last guest. Café Foksal C-3, ul. Foksal 21, tel. 022 828 06 05. You may think that Café Foksal is merely an overflow for the nearby Tam Tam and Foksal 19 venues, but behold, it has character of its own. Fashionably battered furniture, cupboard doors functioning as tables, rough wallpaper and a bike stuck to the ceiling make for a cosy atmosphere with possibilities for intimate chatting. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. (9zł). ABX Cafe Bar Lemon B-3, ul. Sienkiewicza 6, tel. 022 829 55 44, www.cafelemon.pl. The door thugs here have a noble and distinguished reputation for brutality, and it came as no surprise in May to see them in the headlines for kicking a student girl into hospital. It’s not the first such incident, so be warned and stay clear. Q Open 24hrs. (9zł). PAUBSW Bars & Pubs amnesia.pl. Tiffany lamps, exposed brickwork and a scarlet theme generate a vaguely Rubenesque atmosphere, and it’s each man for himself at the weekend, when a permissive crowd squeezes into this lively basement bar. QOpen 16:00 - 12:00, Fri 16:00 - 04:00, Sat 18:00 - 04:00. Closed Sun. (10zł). PAEB Amnesia B-2, ul. Wspólna 62, tel. 022 625 52 80, www. Cafe Przejście G-4, Pl. Na Rozdrożu (underground pas- Amnesia Too F-3, ul. Wilcza 50/52, tel. 022 623 02 22, www.amnesiatoo.pl. Some say the location is cursed, but we’d wager this place is going to stay alive for quite some time. Set inside a dark, brothel red interior, Amnesia features lots of shadowy corners, mirrored basement corridors and a VIP room for more private gatherings. Things get lively at weekends when DJs enter the fray and play classic disco hits to a crowd hellbent on wiping out the memory of the week that was.QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 18:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. PTAREBXSW tel. 022 356 55 75, www.hilton.com. Attached to the Hilton, though Axis goes way beyond hotel bar standards. This bi-level bar has top-to-bottom windows, steel fittings and lots of stark colours. It’s a hip and urban combo with clubbish soundtracks played in the background, sometimes by DJs well into the night, and a mezzanine level with Austin Powers era carpeting. On the menu a series of adventurous light bites, including wedges served with guacamole, and the accurately described ‘mini burger’. Test them out for yourself by hitting them between five and seven each day when this two hour window sees bar snacks served complimentary, and the availability of cut price drinks. QOpen 17:00 - 01:00. (15zł). PAUBXW 50, www.barbelow.pl. Clocks stop in the subterranean Bar Below where a drink around the bar does not end until life stories are exchanged with the expat regulars who reside here. This is a typically chic new Warsaw bar with a difference; attitudes are left outside the door and its one of the few places where strangers mingle with effortless ease as they’re cajoled into joining darts competitions in the back room. Sport comes beamed onto a series of plasma screens, while the bar menu goes way beyond the call of duty with its award winning fry ups. Irish landlord, Niall, has created the perfect bar, striking a balance between trendy urban drinking space and your local back home. QOpen 17:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00. (10zł). PAW sage nr. 2 under Al. Szucha), tel. 022 696 85 50. A dark and divey tunnel-shaped bar found festering in the depths of a stinking subway. Hardcore barflies and other desperados nurse cut-price beers in the shadows, while local radio stations do their bit to drown out their rasping ramblings. We’d guess the interior extras have been salvaged straight from the scrap heap, with an unlikely collection of trumpets, springy sofas and even a disco ball on display. For all this it’s far from a forbidding venue, and with Warsaw far from embracing the 24hr vibe of neighbouring capitals any venue that can tout round-the-clock opening hours merits attention. Q Open 24hrs. Closed Sun 07:00 - 16:00. (5zł). PAEW Axis Bar E-3, ul. Grzybowska 63 (Hilton Warsaw Hotel), Casablanca C-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 4/6, tel. 022 828 14 47, www.casablanca.com.pl. Where internet meets beer. A friendly pub that’s stood the test of time and remains a haunt of expats, travellers and students alike. The interiors are completely passé but it’s the atmosphere that’s the magnet. Chess competitions, karaoke and other events keep the nights lively, while the online character allows the opportunity to spot shady characters surfing rude websites. QOpen 09:00 - 01:00, Sat 10:00 - 02:00, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. (7zł). REBW Casino Club B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 13, tel. Bar Below B-4, ul. Marszałkowska 64, tel. 022 621 18 022 826 73 71, www.casinoclub.com.pl. Found in what was once the casino of the Hotel Europejski this spot looks set to struggle from the start - any club that’s empty at midnight Saturday has its work cut out, and this place more so than others. The club room is straight off The Shining, and the DJ fails to lure what few people have wondered in onto the dance floor with his limited range of shit hop. QOpen 22:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. (12zł). PAXW Bierhalle C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 64, tel. 022 827 61 77, Champions Sports Bar & Restaurant B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 022 630 51 19, www.champions.pl. A classic sports bar filled with glittering trophies, signed shirts and other sporting detritus. Some 40 screens and projectors beam out action from across the world, while those wishing to exercise more than their eyes can choose from pool tables, playstations and dart machines that beep and whir during moments of particular drama. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. (12zł). PAUXSW Column Bar C-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44 (Bristol Hotel), tel. 022 551 10 00, www.lemeridien. com/warsaw. A cavernous art nouveau interior provides perfect acoustics for the house pianist, while parlour palms and marble columns top off this seriously impressive venue. In summer the courtyard garden provides perfect sanctuary for high society to take languid sips on Martini concoctions. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00. (29zł). PAUEBXW www.bierhalle.pl. Warsaw’s best beer served in a bi-level space filled with chunky woods, bare bricks and industrial flourishes. The menu, presented by girls dressed in countryside apparel, features big photographs of what you can expect, including life-size pics of the beer - order a big one here and you’ll be left getting to grips with clunky two pint steins that are ideal for showing off your bicep flexes. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 23:30. (8zł). PABXW Warsaw In Your Pocket 80 NIGHTLIFE Legia Warszawa Warsaw might be a city of two football teams, but there’s only one you’ll find the man in the street professing to support. Legia Warszawa are the big one, and they inspire the sort of envy and hate a Brit would normally associate with Man Utd. Formed in 1922 as the Polish army football team this mob are one of the most successful teams in the country, with eight league titles (most recently in 2005/2006) and twelve Polish cups to their name. Last season saw them puff their way to second place, with bitter rivals Wisła Kraków running away fourteen points clear of the nearest competition. Hopes for silverware rested on their cup run, and just guess who they were matched with in the final – none other than their Krakowian nemesis. Legia triumphed on penalties, but the game is best remembered for the riot that marred it. With fifteen minutes remaining nutters from both sides poured onto the pitch chucking flares, tearing down hoardings and rolling around like overgrown apes. So into Europe they go, though this time round they’ll do so without their supporters following another riot last summer; that time with Vilnius on the receiving end. With the first leg of their qualifying UEFA campaign fizzling into a 0-0 draw against minnows Gomel, it looks unlikely they’ll advance any further. It’s worth bearing in mind that while Polish football has improved beyond measure, watching Legia can still be a white-knuckle experience, and far removed from the sanitized English game. Plans are afoot to move to a sparkling 34,000 seater stadium, but in the meantime you’ll find the green and whites playing in the ramshackle 13,000 capacity Polish Army Stadium on Lazienkowska 3. A visit to one of Poland’s top sides is a must for fans of the beautiful game, but do consider sitting in the pricey seats to avoid any hairy encounters with Legia’s more lively followers. Tickets are priced between 37-84zł and are available from the club shop by the stadium, as well as numerous outlets across town. Currently the big heroes you’ll find cheering if you go down will be Zimbabwean. First off there’s the long serving Dickson Choto, a tough tackling defender whose passion and guts have endeared himself to the faithful. Next up, his fellow countryman Takesure Chinyama, who led the clubs goal scoring charts last season with 15 goals to his name. Another of note is Brazilian-born Roger Guerreiro, a tricky winger/forward who found himself the centre of a right rumpus after his Polish citzenship was fast tracked just in time for Euro 2008. Rumours continue to link him with a move abroad, and Ajax are reputedly waiting in the wings. One player who will definitely be around is the star summer signing, former Levante captain Inaki Descarga. You’ll be able to catch this motley mob in action at the following upcoming home games: August 8 Polonia Warszawa August 22 Jagiellonia Białystok September 26 Piast Gliwice Note kick-off times may vary due to television. As might the opposition Legia face. Polish football is in the midst of an enormous corruption crackdown, and teams are yo-yoing in and out of leagues as the PFA ponder who to punish. www.drinkbarnawspolnej.pl. The Drink Bar is the size of a cupboard and comes enveloped in the sort of smog that has you considering a new set of lungs. The décor is eccentric, and the seating minimal, meaning you’ll often find yourself sitting shoulder-to-shoulder trading stories with strangers while their mates covertly pass reefers to each other. Getting to the toilet is an adventure in itself and involves slaloming past booze casualties slumped in their chairs. QOpen 15:00 - 02:00, Sat, Sun 17:00 - 02:00. (8zł). PW NIGHTLIFE Drink Bar F-3, ul. Wspólna 52/54, tel. 022 629 26 25, Iguana G-5, ul. Zajączkowska 11(Mokotów), tel. 022 851 23 23, www.iguanalounge.pl. Once the preserve of the middle-aged expat, Iguana has changed its spots and joined the list of Warsaw’s lounge bars. Draped in a lazy reddish glow, this NoBo copycat succeeds in generating a great atmosphere courtesy of good music and even better drinks. QOpen 18:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 18:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Sun. (10zł). PAUEBXW Indeks C-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 24, tel. 022 826 92 39, www.indeks-klub.pl. Steps away from the university, so don’t be surprised to find Warsaw’s academics taking post-lecture refreshment in here. The fact that it’s in a basement gives this subterranean pub something of a Krakowian spirit, as do the rock-bottom prices, scabby crimson walls and self-service bar. It can get positively suffocating, so make use of the ground level terrace instead. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00. (7zł). PAEBXW JJ Wine Lounge H-3, ul. Wał Miedzeszński 389a, tel. 022 616 32 23, www.boathouse.pl. Wine lovers have never had it this good in Warsaw, and JJ - the latest wine bar to hit the city - is probably the best to date. Set inside the Boathouse restaurant this venue comes with a rotating menu of world wines, an expert sommelier on hand, and a smart, relaxed interior in which to cut loose in. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (12zł). PABXW tel. 022 450 80 00, www.westin.pl. An airy bar set under the glass lift in the Westin Hotel. Light coloured furnishings are interspersed by a smattering of manicured plants, while in the evenings live piano music lends a comfortable, upmarket tone to go alongside your cocktail. QOpen 07:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 24:00. (16zł). PAUEW 81 Beer gardens For most of the year you’ll find Warsaw buried under a sea of frozen gunk, so it’s no surprise that the moment Mr Sun peers out the natives take their clothes off and retire to the nearest beer garden. Warsaw’s got millions of them, whether they be one rickety table standing outside a bar with bullet holes in the walls, or tranquil gardens where all that’s missing is a unicorn jumping over a rainbow. We’ve picked out our favourites, now all you have to do is follow us. Wisła Your riverside options are limited to the few boats moored by the old town. Now these really put the bar in barge, and you’ll find each amply stocked with life vests should the worst come to the worst. If you don’t have your sea legs then head across the river to La Playa, on on ul. Wybrzeże Helskie 1/5. For your troubles you’ll find a canvas-roofed wooden cabin with the heady atmosphere of a Hawaiian beach bar. During the day an artificial beach plays host to volleyball and badminton and as night settles you’ll often find DJs playing their stuff under the stars. Pole Mokotowskie It’s not just tramps that drink in parks, and this is the proof. A favourite with expats Pole Mokotowskie is home to a series of beer hall-style bars, with Lolek (see By night) being the most high profile. Playgrounds and BBQs make it great for Sunday afternoon family time but don’t be surprised to see the occasional weirdo hiding in the bushes after dark. The choice is endless, but don’t accept inferior beer – instead head to Bierhalle (they of microbrew legend) who aside from two downtown ventures operate a seasonal bar each summer in this park. City centre Plenty of places to choose from, with most of the action situated on Chmielna, Foksal and pl. Trzech Krzyzy. The traditional favourites are Szparka, Szpilka and Szpulka, and their working hours mean as soon as one closes the other one opens. Bliss. If you don’t like being stared at then Sense have a newly expanded back garden in which to enjoy Warsaw’s best cocktails, while expat Bradley’s have a scattering of tables in the shade. Nearby Złote Tarasy has a great spread of bars on the ground level, including Hard Rock and Akwarium. Beach bums will appreciate the artificial beach that is promised to re-appear again at Club Hotl, and the strip of bars along Żurawia also promise to be lively long into the night. A final nod goes to Kaiser, whose all weather terrace is possibly the best people watching space going. Old Town Most of the action is centred on the main square, with each and every restaurant putting the patio furniture out and going hell-for-leather for the tourist dollar. One place worth a mention is Fukier, who have a huge garden and an al fresco menu far cheaper than their restaurant inside. A short walk away Pub 14 has a secluded terrace tucked behind the walls of the Barbican, and special mention goes to Kompania Piwna who have a courtyard that mimics a Bavarian square. In close proximity visit Honoratka restaurant, whose garden is large enough to shield an army. Five minutes further and New Town’s ul. Freta becomes lined with parasols. Less popular, but equally scenic, visit Rynek Mariensztacki. Extravaganza F-4, Al. Armii Ludowej 26, tel. 022 579 30 30, www.clubextravaganza.com. Found on the side of the Focus office building Extravaganza is a design marvel, with padded chillout room, vinyl booths and glowing glass blocks. This place packs out like a sardine tin at weekends, and it’s usually rollicking good fun. But hold your horses, this is another place that plans on taking advantage of Warsaw’s traditional summer lull by shutting in August for a revamp. Ring ahead to check if they’re back open for September.QOpen 11:00 - 18:00, Fri, Sat 21:00 - 05:00. Closed Sun. Fr. 11:00 18:00, 21:00 - 05:00. (10zł). PAEW Gniazdo Piratów ul. Ogólna 5 (Żoliborz), tel. 022 633 71 82, www.gniazdopiratow.com.pl. Relive your pirate dreams of yesteryear while cracking jokes about Seaman Stains inside this imperious addition to Warsaw culture. Jolly Roger flags and lanterns hang from the rigging and live sea shanties have the crowds singing along in a tuneless chorus. QOpen 17:00 - 02:00. (6zł). PAUE www.hardrockcafe.pl. Hard Rock is deceptively large. The main entrance, on the upper floor, reveals a small bar area with high stools, wood finishes and bar tenders shaking ice and inventing cocktails. Sneak downstairs and Hard Rock unravels into rock star heaven with all the requisite guitars, signed pictures and stage outfits hung from the walls. The bar down here stretches as far as the eye can see and propping it up is a crowd that’s as equally foreign as it is local. Table seats go like hotcakes so be prepared to exercise patience. A list of events are lined up to ensure Hard Rock doesn’t become another short-lived Warsaw fad including live radio shows from the DJ booth. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00. (11zł). PAUEBXW Hotel), tel. 022 328 87 25, www.warsaw.intercontinental.com. Housed in the basement of the InterContinental, Hemisphere is a smart space featuring leather armchairs and an ever-stretching bar - perfect to enjoy complicated looking tapas snacks. Pro-bar staff mix cocktails for the casual after-work set, and big matches see huge plasma screens wheeled out. Each Wednesday join a small crowd of expats for whisky tasting sessions. QOpen 17:30 - 24:00. Closed Sat, Sun. (17zł). PAUXW Hard Rock Cafe B-4, ul. Złota 59, tel. 022 222 07 00, JP’s Bar A-3, Al. Jana Pawła II 21 (The Westin), Hemisphere A-4, ul. Emili Plater 49 (InterContinental Kaiser B-4, ul. Chmielna 24, tel. 022 826 31 91. Underworld figures, Legia football players and expats talking about tax breaks and strip clubs congregate within these pristine white walls decorated with strings of fairy lights. Although rather a routine looking bar, Kaiser is always a good night out with its central location making it an ideal start point before going onto more nefarious activities. This was once a football friendly bar, though the scarves have now been taken down to deter the visiting stag parties. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00. (11zł). PAEBW La Playa C-1, ul. Wybrzeże Helskie 1/5, tel. 022 331 49 75, www.laplaya.pl. If you can’t afford the ticket to Magaluf then do the next best thing and get yourself to La Playa. For your troubles you’ll find a canvas roofed bar, an expanse of sand and an array of tables shielded under parasols. At weekends this place opens more or less around the clock, making it a popular spot for braindamaged after-party people. If you’re really feeling daring then wade out into the reeds and go skinny dipping in the Wisła. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. (9zł). AUEBW Hossa A-3, Al. Jana Pawła II 25, tel. 022 653 45 55, www.hossaclub.pl. The addition of a covered area attached to the side of the Atrium complex has seen Hossa pique the interest of passing drinkers. This bar once had the life of a sock, now it buzzes during the day as local office workers skip work in favour of liquid relief. The main gimmick in this modern bar are the drinks, which fluctuate in price according to demand - keep track of your alcoholic investments on the screens positioned above the bar. And don’t be tempted by the food on your left, this place is a bar first and foremost, and that’s reflected in the quality of chow on offer. QOpen 08:30 - 24:00, Sat 16:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. (6zł). PAUBXW Living Room C-3, ul. Foksal 18, tel. 022 826 39 28, www.livingroom.pl. A trendy bar decorated entirely with clean cream colours and little else. It’s the patrons that supply the colour here with several candidates for Miss Polska found curled up catlike on the vanilla sofas. Seating extends downstairs and there’s a decent musical menu that features obscure dance and jazz acts. QOpen 10:00 - 03:00. (10zł). PABXW Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 82 NIGHTLIFE Mela Verde C-3, ul. Chmielna 8, tel. 022 826 63 46, www. melaverde.pl. Throughout the week Mela Verde operate as a mediocre Italian restaurant, doling up bites to the human traffic that flows down Chmielna. As the week closes they take on a new guise, that of a laugh-a-minute, anything goes nightclub. You’ll find their club area sheltered underground, and you shouldn’t be surprised to find it packed with locals tripping over while attempting dance moves, and harassing the DJ to play the club hits of old. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00. (10zł). PTAW NIGHTLIFE Panorama Bar & Lunch B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 022 630 74 35, www.marriott. com. Freshly re-opened after an early summer refit one thing that hasn’t gone anywhere is the view. Set on the 40th floor of the Marriott this has to be the highest bar in Poland, and the views of the city glimmering below are simply knockout. Gone are the JR Ewing decorations, replaced instead by slick modern interiors and a pair of private rooms, while the bar staff remain as adept as ever, making this the choice environment for pre-seduction drinks and corporate climbing. QOpen 18:00 - 02:00. (17zł). PAUEX www.paparazzi.com.pl. Look forward to an urbane cocktail bar with a huge bar as centre piece, and photos of screen icons clinging to the walls. This is the place where city traders ruthlessly advance their careers over expense account drinks and Escada clad bimbos hunt for foreign sugar daddies. A slick and impressive venue, and exactly what you’d expect when you take an affluent crowd and a legendary cocktail list, put it in a mixer and shake it all up. Priceless. Q Open 18:00-01:00, Fri, Sat 18:00-02:00, From September Open 16:00-01:00, Fri, Sat 16:00-02:00 (11zł). PAW 83 583 01 80, www.klubmelodia.pl. A trendy late 20s crowd congregate each weekend in Melodia, no doubt to celebrate making pots of cash over the course of the week. Take your time to explore, this place is huge, with a bar, restaurant and club all housed under the one roof. Decorated with dark woods and moody orange shades this place drips with money and the dressy crowd contains enough Miss Polska six footers to have your head swivelling around like an eager meerkat. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00, Fri 10:00 - 04:00, Sat 12:00 - 04:00, Sun 12:00 - 02:00. (7zł). PAEBW Melodia (Melody) C-4, ul. Nowy Świat 3/5, tel. 022 Paparazzi B-3, ul. Mazowiecka 12, tel. 022 828 42 19, NoBo F-4, ul. Wilcza 58a, tel. 022 622 40 07, www. Lobby Bar B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 022 630 50 30, w w w.marriott.com/ waw.pl. A well-heeled hotel bar that warrants its listing for its location alone. Situated in the hear t of Warsaw, and inside the landmark Marriott building to boot, you won’t find an easier spot to arrange a meeting in. As such it’s a permanent hive of activity with tables frequentl y occupied by international business travelers tapping away on laptops. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00. (17zł). PAUEXW www.lolekpub.pl. A loud and lively beer hall situated in th e middle of Pole Mokotowskie park. Inside i t’s all clinking glasses as groups of lads settle down on wooden benches to sing into the night, while softening prospective hangovers with food cooked on an open grill. Not unlike a Bavarian beer hall, in spite of the presence of prehistoric wall etchings. QOpen 11:00 - 03:00. (9zł). AEBX 58 21, www.maracana.com.pl. A huge sports bar set in the no-man’s land of Chlodna. With neighbours including a dodgy knocking shop and a kebab stand you’d be forgiven for giving this place a miss. That’d be a shame, because the signs are this is going to become a blinding place to soak up the local matchday experience. Set on three levels this place has ten plasmas and three projectors, though so far plans to install Sky Sports have yet to come to fruition. Nonetheless, if you’re looking to catch Euro 2008 in the company of locals, as opposed to portly expats, this place could be the answer you’re looking for. QOpen 17:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 02:00. (6zł). PUEB nobobar.pl. Now fool-free and back to their best NoBo have shed their image as an uber-cool bar, preferring instead to attract a crowd that runs deeper than models gazing at their own reflection. Sure it lacks the atmosphere of old, but it’s still a good night with impressive cocktails. Covertly hidden on ulica Wilcza this spot brings to mind a Moroccan whorehouse with its blood red sofas, dark corners and slash screens. Find vampy girls schmoozing around the bar, curtained off beds in the back and DJs playing chilled out trance sounds from a raised DJ den. Closed in August, mind.QOpen 12:00 - 05:00, Fri 12:00 - 06:00, Sat 18:00 - 06:00. Closed Sun. (9zł). PYAUW Pistaccio Lobby Bar & Lounge E-3, ul. Grzybowska 63 (Hilton Warsaw Hotel), tel. 022 356 55 55, www.hilton. com. A highly impressive venue and already great for people spotting; on our visit we spied a celebrity chef on one side and an Australian tea magnate wearing women’s Dior glasses on the other. The ceiling must be the highest in Warsaw, generating a light, airy atmosphere, with spectacular hanging lights casting a glow on the drinkers below. Take your drinks on low slung red and green chairs, or else prop up a mirror heavy bar to trade flirty remarks with the smartly presented bar girls. QOpen 08:00 - 01:00. (17zł). PAUW pixelclub.pl. A double decker bar inside that great big concrete slab that rises over Chmielna. A long metal bar dominates the upstairs, which comes with bright orange shades, a pop art feel and people who are blatantly not hip enough to do their drinking in Warsaw’s better known nightspots. The service flaps and faffs and thoroughly fails in their duty to serve, allowing you plenty of time to enjoy the views instead. QOpen 13:00 - 24:00, Fri 13:00 - 02:00, Sun 15:00 - 24:00. (9zł). PABX www.opiumclub.pl. Persian drapes and overpowering incense dominate the interior, while Warsaw fashionista hold court on the cushions and mattresses scattered on the floor of the chill out lounge. Downstairs, in the space once occupied by the ghastly Barbados club, a largeish club area filled with figures of Buddha and a couple of bars. QOpen 16:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 21:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. (9zł). PYAEB Opium B-2, ul. Wierzbowa 9/11, tel. 0 609 54 26 37, Pixel Club B-4, ul. Chmielna 35, tel. 022 826 50 33, www. Lolek E-5, ul. Rokitnicka 20, tel. 022 825 62 02, Organza Shot Bar B-3, ul. Sienkiewicza 4, tel. 022 827 Maracana A-3, ul. Chłodna 35/37, tel. 0 604 15 50 70, www.kluborganza.pl. Flushed in orange colours you could use this place as a warm-up spot before hitting the clubs next door, or you could do as many patrons choose and use Organza Shot Bar as your one way ticket to oblivion. The name is a giveaway; shots are the order of the day here, and with Poland sinking into its annual freeze you could do a lot worse than pitching up here to melt that icicle hanging from your nose. The music policy is rather random, and at times positively rubbish, but that does nothing to stop people launching themselves on the dance floor and enjoying one of the best, not to say least pretentious, nights in Warsaw. QOpen 18:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 18:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Sun. (9zł). PAEBW Plan B F-4, Al. Wyzwolenia 18, tel. 0 508 31 69 74, www.planbe.pl. Walk up a curving stairwell to enter Plan B, a venue where the ceilings are high and the windows are low - so low you’ll have to crouch for views of Pl. Zbawiciela. Plan B has seen minimal investment with a design that must have set the owner back the price of a plate of sausages; white tiles, tatty posters and red springy sofas. But this place has become astonishingly popular, especially with students and other sorts who look like they’ve just finished band practice. Music is weird, with plenty of experimental grooves, while coloured projections on the ceilings add to a trippy atmosphere. Q Open 13:00-02:00, Fri, Sat 13:00-04:00, Sun 16:00-02:00. From September Open 11:00-02:00, Fri 11:00-04:00, Sat 12:00-04:00, Sun 16:00-02:00. (7zł). AEBXW Marszałkowska 85, tel. 022 628 37 67, www.klubpodgwiazdami.pl. Under the Stars is an apt name for this rooftop bar, and the views of Marszalkowska are a summer highlight, providing you don’t fall off the balcony. Accessed by a clunking lift (fire hazard, anyone?) this wannabe retro-space gets a crowd of good-looking regulars drinking in a Sunset Studios style atmosphere. QOpen 14:00 - 23:00, Sun 16:00 - 23:00. (7zł). UB Pędzący Królik (Running Rabbit) B-2, ul. Moliera 8, tel. 022 826 02 45. Putting the bar into barmy, the design is all chequered floors, pink armchairs and huge mirrors. The highlight: a giant portrait of a rabbit reclining with a fan. Totally bonkers, and a kick in the nuts to all the hyper-trendy drinking spots in the neighbourhood. The name alone deserves a gold button: The Running Rabbit. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00, Fri 10:00 - 24:00, Sat 11:00 - 24:00, Sun 11:00 - 23:00. (10zł). PABXW Pod Gwia zdami (Under the Star s) B-4, ul. Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 84 NIGHTLIFE Porto Praga G-1, ul. Stefana Okrzei 23, tel. 022 698 50 01, www.portopraga.pl. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. Poland’s finest contribution to cocktail culture is this place, a three-floored paradise where drinkers are shown their table by slinky hostesses with catwalk looks. Filled with colonnades and cherry colours Porto Praga looks superb, though it’s the cocktails that are the main attraction here. The menu has been custom-designed by Danny Undhammer, and other kings of the trade, and you won’t find better cocktails in the country. Try the Mango Collins. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (10zł). PAUEBXW Pub 14 B-2, ul. Wąski Dunaj 20, tel. 022 635 08 04. Set inside a white house hidden behind the Barbakan walls is this student fave. Spanning three floors Pub 14 is a drinkery of legendary standing, and after a brief refit is back open and ready for action. Gone are the smashed toilet seats and scarred tables, replaced instead by sparkling fittings and a beaming bar angel answering to the call of Ania. If she’s not working then sit outside, where green awnings provide shadowy respite from the sweating sun. QOpen 10:00 - 03:00. (7zł). PJAEB the heart of student land, Qfajka is permanently cloaked in darkness with only just enough candle light to illuminate the bookshelves, classical sofas and odds and ends attached to the walls. Young, weird academic sorts love it, and it’s a great place for a beer if you can see through the haze.QOpen 13:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 13:00 - 01:00. (7zł). P www.rabarbar.pl. Formerly the home of celebs desperately looking like they didn’t want to be noticed Rabarbar remains a popular haunt, only nowadays the traffic jam at the bar consists of local suits talking shop. One of the most enviable locations in town keeps business brisk and this remains one of Warsaw’s most enduring bars. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (11zł). AEBX NIGHTLIFE ul. nowy swiat 19 for reservations call 022 826 65 70 open from 12:00 www.sensecafe.com 85 Qfajka F-4, ul. Śniadeckich 8, tel. 022 522 82 25. In Rabarbar B-2, ul. Wierzbowa 9/11, tel. 022 828 01 30, the best cocktails, the coolest atmosphere and warmest welcome can be found at.... whirling in a bid to keep up with the exotic beats, while a picky door policy filters out those dressed in the wrong kit. QOpen 16:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 04:00. (11zł). PAEB Hotel), tel. 022 450 67 10, www.sheraton.com.pl. You may know people who live here. Someplace Else is an expat legend, and amid the American memorabilia you’ll find a regular crew of foreigners shouting their orders above the live music which plays every night. The perfect bar menu and live sports complete the picture. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00, Mon 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. (13zł). PAUEXW RoRo Lounge Cafe A-3, ul. Rondo ONZ 1, tel. 0 505 44 44 44, www.ro-ro.com. Despite the slightly odd location, this place could become Warsaw’s next top bar and must hale cost a pretty penny to fit out. The hugely-generic décor won’t win any awards and the big screen televisions seem unable to receive any chanel other than Fashion TV, but the cocktails are another story altogether: don’t miss the Pink Pussycat, it’s possibly the best new drink of the year.QOpen 08:00 - 23:00, Fri 08:00 - 24:00. Closed Sat, Sun. (10zł). PAUEW www.sensecafe.com. Exploding on the scene a few years back the team behind Sense have proved this bar is no fad, with cloth-clad staff knocking out what are consistently the best cocktails in town; try the Sexy Becks, named in honour of the Beckham look alike who invented it. This is one of the best looking venues of its kind, with the centerpiece being a crushed glass circular bar from which after-work expat playboys down shots of ginger rose vodka while flirting with uber-Bambi girls. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 02:00. (13zł). PABXW SomePlace Else C-4, ul. Prusa 2 (Sheraton Warsaw Szparka Café C-4, Pl. Trzech Krzyży 16a, tel. 022 621 03 70, www.cafeszparka.pl. Most people can’t wait to tell you how much they hate Szparka, but those are the same people you’ll see rolling out of their doors come the early hours of Sunday. The multi-level interior has the bland appeal of a chain bar back home, the staff can infuriate and the conversations you’ll overhear revolve around gloating about personal wealth. Nonetheless, there’s a special ingredient in the air that keeps people coming back for more, not least the obscenely flexible opening hours. Just stay away from the food. QOpen 07:00 - 05:00, Sun 07:00 - 03:00. (11zł). PAEBW The Cinnamon B-3, Pl. Piłsudskiego 1, tel. 022 323 76 00, www.thecinnamon.com.pl. Some claim the glory days of Cinammon have gone, which is great news if you’ve ever been turned away by the stuck-up half-wit guarding the velvet rope - is this Warsaw’s most loathsome character? You’ll still find a crowd of platinum blondes dancing on the bar and knocking over cocktails, though it seems the glitterati have chosen to move on. Occupying a chunk of the Metropolitan building the décor is all lunar curves and smooth lines, though is starting to look increasingly passe.QOpen 09:00 - 02:00, Fri 09:00 - 06:00, Sat 12:00 - 06:00, Sun 12:00 - 02:00. (11zł). PAUBW Stacja Rynek (The Market Square Station) B-2, Sense C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 19, tel. 022 826 65 70, Rynek Starego Miasta 15, tel. 022 635 76 82, www. stacjarynek.pl. An engaging old town effort with crimson colours and Persian rugs stretched out over the floor. Accessed via a steep stairwell this subterranean venue has a downtempo atmosphere with jazz sounds on the speakers and a collection of springy armchairs to dissolve into. Not bad at all, and hopefully the start of old towns social renaissance. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. (9zł). PABX www.surf-spot.pl. If you can’t afford the plane fare to Hawaii this winter then do the next best thing and roll up to Surf Spot, a tropical drinkery with a tikki hut bar, coconut palms and beach themed murals. Its tiny size means it doesn’t take many to generate a party vibe, and this is quite the spot to get your weekend started before heading off down Sienkiewicza’s other choices. QOpen 16:00 - 01:00, Tue 16:00 - 24:00, Thu 16:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 06:00, Sun 18:00 - 24:00. Closed Mon. (8zł). PAEBXW Surf Spot B-3, ul. Sienkiewicza 3, tel. 0 516 03 03 74, Sheesha Lounge B-3, ul. Sienkiewicza 3, tel. 022 828 25 25, www.sheesha.pl. It’s all very Arabian Nights in this high-octane spot, with ottomans strewn around the gallery seating upstairs and a series of hookah pipes that present all manner of temptation to reformed kleptomaniacs. Jangly rhythms have the crowds spinning and Warsaw In Your Pocket 745 46 10, www.bodega.pl. It isn’t just the wine you come for here, though with more than 150 varieties in stock at any one time - and many available by the glass - it would be reason enough. No, it’s the vibe. It’s the fact that you know everybody else knows far more about wine than you, and that they don’t care. No snobs here, just good people who enjoy good wine in a terrific Nowy Świat setting. It is no surprise that new friends are made at the bar here, and that nights here tend to be long.QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. PAUX Vinoteka la Bodega G-3, ul. Nowy Świat 5, tel. 022 August - September 2008 86 NIGHTLIFE 621 86 22, www.warsawtortillafactory.pl. Long known for serving Poland’s best Tex Mex food the Tortilla Factory really comes alive in the evening when things have been known to get seriously boisterous. Since reopening there’s been a number of cosmetic changes, from tables kitted out with private beer taps to a car chassis bursting out of a wall. This is also starting to emerge as Warsaw’s best live music venue with DJs and rock’n’roll nights most evenings, and a decibel level that occasionally goes off the scale. The hook here is the atmosphere, which is naturally helped by the bartenders studious commitment to creating cocktails that will leave you feeling you’ve been attacked by an axe the following day. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (10zł). PAEXW wineria.com. Half shop half wine bar, a masterstroke which allows visitors to purchase the bottle they’ve just put to the test. Find this Argentinean owned spot on the second floor of Złote Tarasy, soothingly decorated with a subtle modern hand. A number of stools come set around wooden wine casks, and there’s an educated staff on hand to guide you through the wine list. There’s wines from across the world with a particular onus on the new world, and all are helpfully priced at a snip of what you would pay in other establishments. Your tipple is served either by the glass or by the bottle, and there’s a range of cheese and tapas to compliment your choice. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. (10zł). PAUG NIGHTLIFE H-1, ul. Ząbkowska 6, tel. 0 660 78 03 19, www. oparyabsurdu.pl. You’ll be able to ID this place by the giant tarantula that hangs above the entrance. That’s a prelude to the weirdness that lies inside this piece of squatter heaven; set over numerous rickety levels this place has everything from whirring lights to Singer sewing machines and cat shaped helium balloons. And if you thought things couldn’t get much more bizarre wait for a troop of accordionists to materialize from nowhere before launching into tracks from Dr Zhivago. QOpen 12:00 03:00. (7zł). PEXW 87 Warsaw Tortilla Factory F-3, ul. Wilcza 46, tel. 022 W Oparach Absurdu (In The Mists of Absurdity) Wineria F-3, ul. Złota 59, tel. 022 425 32 89, www. Zakątek B-4, ul. Chmielna 5. Faintly redolent of a Kraków liquor den, it fills with educated whisperings, and a surreal, gentle quality attributed to the smattering of antiques, cushions and low-key tunes. Excellent. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (7zł). 177, tel. 022 825 20 26, www.zielonages.pl. Many profess the Green Goose to be their favourite pub, and it’s little surprise. Although a routine-looking Polish bar, with wood cutter furnishings, solid benches and token promotional bumph supplied by breweries, the atmosphere positively sizzles in the evenings when crowds of students mob the bar and drink their memories of the week away. Thursday, Friday and Saturday are set aside for karaoke, presenting the ideal opportunity to make a prat of yourself in front of all and sundry. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00, Fri 09:00 - 04:00, Sat 10:00 - 04:00, Sun 10:00 - 02:00. (8zł). PABX Zielona Gęś (Green Goose) F-5, Al. Niepodległości The Secret Garden While Nowy Świat is best known for its glitzy bars and flashy restaurants more intrepid explorers will be familiar with it for contradictory reasons; Warsaw’s cheapest booze. Step into the courtyard at number 22 and you’ll find yourself summoned into a shadowy demi monde of dark, divey bars where beer retails for as little 5zł. Occupying a rat-like maze of low-level prefab blocks are a series of super bars squirreled amongst crappy stores selling pet food and second hand ironing boards. Accessed through mesh grill doorways most remain nameless , with opening hours generally left to the discretion of the owners. Essentially populated by students, artists and people who aspire to work in music all these bars come bathed in darkness, with drinkers squeezed in like sardines. Couple of places to keep an eye out for: our favourite, Yamaya, a reggae themed space with ocean coloured walls and a multi-national staff who must surely secretly add rocket fuel to their beer. Also of note, Kociarnia, cloaked in a dim-red glow with all the atmosphere of a low-rent brothel. Verdict: neither secret, nor a garden, but this backyard complex has all the power of stepping through a looking glass and entering a parallel universe. Here’s a Warsaw you never expected to find on the doorstep of its most hoity-toity streets. Clubs tel. 022 898 28 24, w w w.balsam.net.pl. Impress your friends by telling th em abou t this place. Li t tle known ou tside clubbing circles Balsam has acquired cul t status. Hidden inside the gu ts of For t Mokotów, a series of vaul ted rooms are home to var ying degrees of madness, and the crowd consists of people wearing prescription glasses and off their heads on disco beans. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Fri 11:00 - 05:00, Sat 12:00 - 05:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (8zł). AUE BXW Balsam E-6, ul. Racławicka 99 (For ty Mokotów), Bollywood Lounge B-3, ul. Przeskok 2, tel. 022 827 02 83, www.bollywoodclub.pl. A weird and horrid location, you’ll find Bolly wood sitting inside a nasty pre-fab building overlooking kebab shops and potholed roads. It promises little but delivers plenty; the astroturfed terrace heaves with hotties at night, while inside it’s all sequinned eastern drapes, scented water pipes, low-slung armchairs and projection screens beaming out Indian cinema hits. There is a limited food menu on show, but the true reason for visiting becomes apparent at night, namely some kick-arse parties featuring Bhangra tunes blasting from every angle. QOpen 12:00 - 02:00, Fri 12:00 - 04:00, Sat 16:00 - 04:00. Closed Sun. (9zł). PAEB www.club70.pl. A dark, smoky cellar that draws student types dressed in orange tank tops and charity shop cast offs, all grooving away to the sounds of the 70s. Nights like these have been popular in British universities for years, and it’s a simple concept, and one that is guaranteed to work well. QOpen 20:00 - 04:00. Closed Sun. (8zł). PYABW 826 74 66, www.clubhotl.pl. Housed in a former hotel the management have opted to drop an ‘e’ from the name, while some guests appear to have dropped an ‘e’ of an entirely different sort. The dance floor is practically non-existent though that does little to stop the patrons from wiggling their hips, though the principal feature of this cracking club is an outdoor artificial beach, whose existence allows clubbers the chance to build sand castles and act half their age. A strict door policy smiles favourably on wasp-waisted super lookers. QOpen 22:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. (12zł). PABW Club Hotl B-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 13, tel. 022 Fabryka Trzciny ul. Otwocka 14 (Praga Północ), tel. 022 619 05 13, www.fabrykatrzciny.pl. Housed in a battered factory building this spot has the scummy charisma of Berlin, mid 90s. Brick wall, dials and pipes have been left exposed, with leather sofas and red emergency lamps sprinkled at random intervals. Edgy artwork and experimental sounds complete the concoction. Not open daily, but you’ll usually find special events going off each weekend and this has emerged as one of the most popular haunts for private fuctions, catwalk shows and launch parties. Q Open during events only. (9zł). PAUEBXW Ground Zero F-3, ul. Wspólna 62, tel. 022 625 39 76. Ground Zero is set inside a former Cold War nuclear shelter and there are times when it’s tempting to test just how bomb proof it really is. This is Warsaw’s most notorious meat market with chart dance hits played to crowds of lads aching to knock each other out and teenaged girls impressed by such shows of gorilla virility. Often packed to the rafters, a disturbing indictment on the youth of Warsaw. QOpen 21:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. (8zł). PAE Dekada E-4, ul. Grójecka 19/25, tel. 022 668 97 77, www.dekada.pl. Adventures and amorous encounters come guaranteed in this slice of Warsaw folklore, a direct result of the people found inside. Here its all 007 barbie bombshells soaking up attention off expats twice their age, an interesting mix that combines for colourful nights. Watch the pantomime while sitting inside a 1950s tram, or else take your chances on a dance floor that packs out most nights - the musical menu changes daily, with weekends tending to err towards disco and chart sounds. QOpen 19:00 - 06:00, Sat 20:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. (6zł). PAE Enklawa B-3, ul. Mazowiecka 12, tel. 022 827 31 51, www.enklawa.com. This is where a young, elite crowd head to the moment the doors close at Paparazzi. Find pin slim girls and office wizzkids trotting down the red carpet in the entrance, before opting to drink within an inch of Hades inside a two level interior of stone cladding and suspended steel tubing. The musical menu suits the bevvied-up out-ofsync dance moves practiced by the guests, with disco, salsa and chart hits getting airplay throughout the week. QOpen 21:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Sun. (9zł). PAEX Need a taxi but don’t know who to trust? Check our list of recommended taxi firms on page 125 Warsaw In Your Pocket Club 70 A-3, ul. Waliców 9, tel. 022 654 71 41, Luztro C-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 6, tel. 022 826 64 72, www.luztro.pl. This is Warsaw’s top space for electro, minimal and techno sounds, and something of a byword for hedonism. Dark and dirty this is a place where walls shake and every possible space is utilized for dancing. Beer comes served in plastic glasses, though judging by the line to the toilet - and the lines inside - most patrons appear to be consuming stimulants of a different nature. Nights here, especially the Sunday night after party, are the stuff of legend. QOpen 21:00 - 08:00, Fri, Sat 21:00 - 14:00, Sun 14:00 - 08:00. Closed Mon. (8zł). PAXW August - September 2008 88 NIGHTLIFE NIGHTLIFE 89 Mono Bar B-3, ul. Mazowiecka 11a, tel. 022 827 45 57, www.monobar.pl. Decorated with a Clockwork Orange era design Mono Bar comes dolled up in vintage chocolate and carrot shades, with big circles imprinted on the walls, and retro sofas that wouldn’t be out of place in a 70s council flat. The crowds cool, with some of the demure blondes being too cool for their own ego, but they do know how to party and the weekends here can be great fun. Expect disco, funk and house emanating from the decks. QOpen 19:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon, Sun. (9zł). PAEW eraclub.pl. A no-expense spared design masterpiece found in the basement of the National Opera. Descend the curving stairwell and all you’ll see is boys with attitude, dressed in collars up polo shirts, and a heart-stopping spread of gazelle like girls. If you were wondering where the good lookers went, you’ve found the answer. Tread down wood boards and through vaulted tunnels to reach the main arena, checking out the numerous side rooms on the way; this place was formerly known as Bedroom, and that’s because of the alcoves found shooting off in every direction. Each comes decorated with poufs, loungers and Persian drapes, and serve as a great spot to enjoy illicit activities. QOpen 22:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. (16zł). PAEBXW Palladium Club A-4, ul. Zlota 9, tel. 022 822 87 02, www.palladium.art.pl. Set in a former cinema this place is a real find for music lovers, and what it lacks in décor (is there any, aside from some coloured lighting), it makes up for in its concerts. The students love this place, and this is just the ticket if you want to catch the likes of Rufus Wainwright or Jose Gonzalez in the flesh. Q Open during events only. (7zł). E Pawiarnia (The Peacock’s House) H-1, ul. Brzeska 16, tel. 0 609 485 030, www.pawiarnia.pl. Found on what was once dubbed Warsaw’s most dangerous street Pawiarnia is more proof of Praga’s resurgence. Dull nights don’t exist here so don’t be surprised to walk in on tango workshops, jazz nights or DJ sets. Scruffy and ruffled looking this place is a beatnik haven, decorated with randomly selected furnishings, peacock feathers and the works of local artists. QOpen 17:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon. (5zł). UEX Platinium Club F-2, ul. Fredry 6, tel. 022 596 46 66, www.platiniumclub.pl. Set inside a former bank the entrance here is beautiful, while the interiors suggest the investment of several suitcases of notes; glowing glass archways next to chandeliers, and underfloor lighting topped with antique chairs. Quite a masterpiece, all complimented with a decent musical menu and bartenders at the peak of their trade. Unsurprisingly a door selection is strictly enforced, enabling Warsaw’s glamour pusses to party without the fear of having their labels pawed by plebs. QOpen 17:00 - 03:00, Mon, Tue 17:00 - 01:00. Closed Sun. (12zł). PAUEW Underground Music Cafe B-3, ul. Marszałkowska 126/134, tel. 022 826 70 48, www.under.pl. The backpacker and student choice. Beer monster teenagers stagger around to chart hits inside a design that would have looked futuristic two decades back. Not for the serious clubber but always a good night out, as proved by the huge queues you see outside. QOpen 13:00 - 05:00, Sun 16:00 - 05:00. (9zł). PAB dish guarantees big crowds for sporting fixtures. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00, Fri 09:00 - 04:00, Sat 12:00 - 04:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. (8zł). PAUEBSW Vinyl B-4, ul. Żurawia 22, tel. 022 438 92 95, www. Opera B-2, Pl. Teatralny 1, tel. 022 828 70 75, www.op- vinyl-club.pl. Recognizable by the gramophone that hangs above the entrance Vinyl is fortunately a little more interesting than its name. This was once the home of the legendary On/ Off club, and it’s very much the same concept as before; the ground floor is a café and restaurant by day, before transforming into a chill-out bar by night. Downstairs holds a further two bars, and DJs who take full advantage of the absence of neighbours to reek havoc on the eardrums. The sound system is top notch, and like On/Off before it, the club nights at Vinyl have been known to get blurry. Glowing glass blocks and chessboard colours lend a sleek look, and this spot is very much assuming a name as one of the places to head too to get off your head. Note the club section is open weekends only. Q Closed August. From September Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00-05:00. (9zł). PAUBW Irish Pub B-2, ul. Miodowa 3, tel. 022 826 25 33, www. irishpub.fip.pl. A low-profile, scruffy Irish pub that transforms whenever musicians take to the stage; within minutes you’ll find the assorted patrons singing along in out-of-key merriment, and showcasing dance moves you thought were exclusive to your drunk uncle: remember that wedding he fell into the cake. Check out the frayed posters to see what live entertainment lies in store, or ask at the bar while waiting for your clumsily poured Guinness to settle QOpen 11:00 02:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 04:00. (8zł). PAEBX Patrick’s B-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 31, tel. 022 628 93 71, www. patrickspub.pl. An essential stop off if you want to mingle with local headcases and British stag groups. Expats tend to know better and avoid this grotty pub, and we’ve heard several libelous stories circling on the grapevine about this bar. All we’ll say is be careful with who you choose to drink with. QOpen 10:00 - 05:00. (8zł). PAEB Casino Casinos Poland B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 022 584 96 53, www.casinospoland. pl. On the first floor of the Marriott this has to count as one of the most popular casinos in the country. On the menu are American roulette, blackjack, seven card stud, poker and fruit machines. A VIP salon is also available, and prospective visitors should bear in mind ID is required for entry. Admission is free for guests of the Hotel Marriott. QOpen 11:00 - 07:00. (9zl). PYAU August - September 2008 Organza B-3, ul. Sienkiewicza 4, tel. 022 827 50 70, www. kluborganza.pl. Cramped and sweaty dance floor downstairs, deeps sofas on the ground floor and a mezzanine level thoughtfully provided to keep an eye on prospective partners. Organza was once hugely trendy, now it’s just hugely popular, essentially with people in good jobs who like to misbehave every now and again. The DJs record bag includes lots of Latin, funk and disco, sounds which pretty girls in Warsaw seemingly love to gyrate too. QOpen 20:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 20:00 - 05:00, Sun 20:00 - 01:00. Closed Mon. (9zł). PAEBW Warsaw In Your Pocket Irish Bradley’s E-3, ul. Sienna 39, tel. 022 654 66 56, www. jimmybradleys.pl. You’ll need to traipse through an office block to find this bubbly boozer that has all the familiarity of your local back home. This L-shaped Irish run space is the most authentic paddy pub in town, and comes with framed rugby shirts, live music at the end of the week and a menu that includes obscenely portioned breakfasts. Loners won’t find a shortage of English accents to befriend and a satellite www.inyourpocket.com 90 A GLASS OF WINE WITH YOUR MAIN DISH ON PRESENTATION OF THIS AD! NIGHTLIFE METRO JAZZ CLUB A GLASS OF WINE WITH YOUR MAIN DISH ON PRESENTATION OF THIS AD! NIGHTLIFE Your every business day will probably finish with a great success in ... 91 invites you to listen to exceptional live jazz music each Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. ENJOY GOOD FOOD, EXCELLENT WINE AND DRINKS! Every 2 weeks a special show - please check our website for current details Open 7 days a week from 9 pm to 4 am Vegas Taxi - call (+48) 887 801 801 and we will drive you to the club free of charge Warsaw, Hoza 35 st. | tel. +48 22 696 82 06 www.vegasclub.pl | info@vegasclub.pl METROPOL HOTEL ul. Marszaùkowska 99 a (right in the city centre) tel. +48 (0) 22 32 53 106 | www.hotelmetropol.com.pl Jazz tel. 022 428 20 27, www.adamiakjazz.pl. The name alone is enough to have Polish jazz fans foaming at the mouth. When it originally opened in 1970 Akwarium became the first jazz club in communist Poland, and over the decades became a legend in its lunchtime. Reopened after a seven year hiatus the new location couldn’t be more different from its predecessor, featuring a swish, upmarket look and only a piano recovered from the former site to remind of the old days. With a string of world class performers lined up to play this place looks set to become one of the most important live music venues in the city. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 01:00. (9zł). PAUEBW nia Palace Hotel), tel. 022 318 28 33, www.poloniapalace. com.pl. A slick bar with a jazz policy and black and white prints of music heroes lining the walls. Vases of pink, feathery flowerlike things add a dash of colour, while the bar staff do the rest by banging out knock-dead cocktails; the bar bods here know their stuff, and our advice is to let them surprise you with off-the-menu inventions. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00. (16zł). PAUEW Akwarium Jazzarium B-4, ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), Jazz Bistro G-4, ul. Piękna 20, tel. 022 627 41 51, www.jazzbistro.pl. Glossy venture aimed and packaged towards a smart-casual set of customers. An attractive interior, strong cocktails and frequent live performances that are never loud enough to disturb conversation. QOpen 08:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. (9zł). PAUEBXW Jazz Bistro Gwiazdeczka B-2, ul. Piwna 40, tel. 022 887 87 64, www.jazzbistro.pl. Spotless whitewashed archways and vaulted ceilings are cheered up by trimmed shrubs, and then there’s the show-stealing cobble-floored, glass covered atrium. Very striking. Live performances most evenings. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. (9zł). PAEBXW Nu Jazz Bistro C-4, ul. Żurawia 6/12, tel. 022 621 89 89, www.jazzbistro.pl. A cavernous bar decorated sparingly with slick furnishings and attractive staff. Good cocktails, served by proficient bartenders, and a strong fusion menu. The occasional jazz performances can be excellent, and the basement bar features comfortable seating and a big screen for sports action. Neither loud nor lively, expect the tables to be occupied by couples with single roses in front of them. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 01:00. (10zł). PAEBXW Microbreweries Mall), tel. 0 601 67 79 62, www.bierhalle.pl. Decorated with an industrial motif, and dominated by a giant, tailormade glass brewing machine, this easily ranks as the best microbrewery in Poland. Upstairs a more Bavarian theme prevails with waiters in lederhosen and sausages imported from Germany. It’s the beer that is the magnet though, and you won’t leave until you’re completely plastered. You may not want to leave at all. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 10:00 - 23:00. (8zł). PAUEBXW Bierhalle D-1, Al. Jana Pawła II 82 (Arkadia Shopping Tygmont B-3, ul. Mazowiecka 6/8, tel. 022 828 34 09, Bojangles Bar & Lounge B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 45 (Polo- Jazz Café Helicon B-2, ul. Freta 45/47, tel. 022 635 95 05. A top jazz venue that’s reopened following a full refit to grant it a new lease of life. The black and white floor tiles can get slippy with spilt beer but what else can you expect from an atmospheric jazz dive. Trumpets dangle above tables occupied by music fans, while a dividing wall has been knocked through to soak in the extra customers. The live music nights are red hot and reason enough to visit an area that goes to sleep the moment night sets. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 01:00. (7zł). AEB Hotel), tel. 022 629 40 01, www.hotelmetropol.com.pl. Bathed in a soothing forest green glow this is a classic jazz bar where aesthetic shortcomings are brushed over with a pot of atmosphere. Take to one of the swivelly barside stools to knock back the barman’s creations while taking in nightly jazz performances that fluctuate hugely in both style and volume. It’s largely hotel guests from the Metropol who do their drinking here, but that’s no reason to pass it by. On the menu, beer food like burgers, pizza and tortillas. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (10zł). PTAUESW www.tygmont.com.pl. Warsaw is drastically short on live music venues, but this is the pick of the bunch. Things get dark and loud but the weekend jazz performances can be memorable as chanteuses take to the stage as smoke swirls around them. A cellar location and shadowy coat check guy give it all the atmosphere of a speakeasy, but be warned, this is for serious music lovers only - we were publicly castigated by a hissy pianist for talking. Save on such embarrassing situations by nursing a bourbon and staring intensely at the floor.QOpen 17:00 - 03:00, Sat 18:00 - 04:00, Sun 19:00 03:00. (10zł). PAEB BrowArmia B-3, ul. Królewska 1, tel. 022 826 54 55, www.browarmia.pl. Warsaw’s other microbrewery comes with a decent design with all the tanks, dials and pipes on display but little of the raucous atmosphere of its rival Bierhalle. Nonetheless the beer makes up for other shortcomings with a number of decent lagers brewed onsite including a smashing ginger lager. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (12zł). PAUEBX Nightlife Tours Night Guides tel. 0 501 22 69 39, www.nightguides.com. Night guides show individuals or groups a different side to the city at night. They offer a range of tours each with the aim of showing you as much of the lights, fun and action as Warsaw can offer. Contact them for details about tailor-made tours available 363 days a year (exceptions Christmas and New Year’s Eve) Warsaw In Your Pocket Metro Jazz Club F-3, ul. Marszałkowska 99a (Metropol Zen Jazz Bistro B-3, ul. Jasna 24, tel. 022 447 25 00, www.jazzbistro.pl. The Jazz Bistro brand carries on growing - nine in Warsaw - though unlike other chain enterprises you won’t catch these guys settling for monotone replicas of their flagship venture. The latest addition to the family is this white-brick venue, where guests recline to jazz sounds inside an area decorated with rich chocolate coloured fittings. The interiors could be plucked straight from the pages of a lifestyle magazine, with velvet jazz sounds proving a fitting accompaniment. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 24:00. (13zł). PABXW Poland is an increasingly important centre of culture, and artisans, performers and musicians from all over the world now regularly arrive here to showcase their various talents. From art house sculptors to top-name bands, In Your Pocket is dedicated to bringing news of these events to as wide an audience as possible. Besides the listings on these pages, we also regularly update our website with all the news and events as they reach us, sometimes after our print guide has gone to press. For the latest event information make www. inyourpocket.com the first place you visit. Poland Happenings August - September 2008 92 NIGHTLIFE NIGHTLIFE 93 Welcome to the newest venue in warsaw American style lap dance club 3 floors of the most desirable girls in Warsaw Restaurant with international and american food Enjoy the hottest and sexsest dancers in the world Adult entertainment Kokomo F-3, Al. Jerozolimskie 53, tel. 022 356 20 16. One of the most central strip bars in Warsaw, though don’t let that stop you taking advantage of the Kokomo taxi service. They’ll deliver you to Kokomo’s doorstep free of charge, and from there on in it’s your eyes that will be doing all the work as they pinball around their sockets focusing on the troupe of pin-up bunnies. Two rooms to choose from, as well as a well-stocked drink bar serving all the concoctions necessary to complete your preview of heaven. QOpen 21:30 - 04:00. Admission: varies according to what you look like... (12zł). PA Sofia B-3, Pl. Powstanców Warszawy 1, tel. 022 827 16 93, www.sofia.net.pl. Also known as The Bulgarian Embassy. No self-respecting male can leave Warsaw without first experiencing the joys of Sofia. Two big halls are home to a small army of undressed nymphs, with individual lap dances starting at 50zł for one song. If you’re too cheap to fork out for the pleasure then prop up the bar and perv at the women who perform tamer routines on top of it. QOpen 20:00 - 04:00. Closed Sun. (12zł). PAX Sogo Club C-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 6, tel. 022 629 47 33, www.sogoclub.pl. Touted as Poland’s biggest strip club, though you may want to argue that point with them. They’ve got 50 girls working for them, but you won’t find them all at the same time, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing or else you wouldn’t ever leave. The private routines can get seriously physical and you won’t see us filing any complaints about this place. A great addition to Warsaw, especially if you believe the imminent rumours of Sofia closing it’s doors. Watch out for a 24hr Tex Mex eatery due to be unveiled in the coming weeks. QOpen 20:00 - 05:00. (12zł). PAUE Vice advice Those who visited Warsaw at the start of the decade may have lingering memories of a seriously sordid city. With an estimated 1,500 brothels in operation the capital was starting to give the likes of Prague and other flesh pots a run for their money. Then along came Mayor (and current President) Lech Kaczyński, a one man anti-sleaze machine on a personal crusade to rid Warsaw of its growing red light reputation. Although total victory remains far off his war on the worlds eldest profession has been a striking success with countless bordellos closed down by the law. But while the choice is no longer what it once was lonely men with a saucy agenda still have numerous choices to pick form. Although there is no specific red light district you’ll find a small concentration of cathouses situated around al. Jerozolimskie, ul. Wilcza and ul. Nowogrodzka. Most of these tend to be uncomplicated affairs with five or six girls working a shift and prices ranging from 100 to 150zł per hour. They’re simple enough to find, just look out for the flyers that clot up the gutters or get pinned to car windscreens. Do not expect English to be spoken, nor should you expect to be greeted by the winsome Playboy bunnies pictured on the aforementioned flyers. A-Studio is probably the pick of this lower bracket b u n c h (w w w. a -s tu d i o. pl), a n d wi n s c o n si s te n tl y decent reviews, and cheapskate mongerers should also consider a trip to Aisha on ul. Chmielna 10. For those yearning to satisfy their animal urges there are a couple of points that are worthy of consideration. Scumbag brothels are a dime a dozen in Warsaw. For each A-Studio effort there are several more places decorated with bare mattresses and sick looking girls from Belarus. STDs are an inescapable fact of the sex industry, and one should not think they are beyond reproach. Exercise common sense at all times. Neither should one assume that the girls are on the game because they enjoy sleeping with balding men twice their age. Poland has an appalling track record when it comes to human trafficking, and several Warsaw brothels are filled with women cheated and bullied into the trade. This is particularly true of the street scene, which is so disturbing it deserves no more comment. Those looking for something a little more classy have a few options. Firstly hit one of the go go clubs in the capital. All operations will claim their dancers are strictly off limits to Joe Public. This is a lie, and most girls will have their price, usually starting from 500zł. Do watch off for rip-off scams; it’s not unusual for a girl to pocket the cash before disappearing into thin air. Alternatively hit one of the villas in the suburbs. Most taxi drivers will be on a commission to take clients to a particular place, so don’t necessarily trust your chirpy driver to take you to the best one. Villa Rosa and Studio Relax are both popular choices with prices starting from 200zł for a horizontal workout. Finally, for a choice of independent escorts hit one of the many websites to find the lady of your dreams. In particular check www.odloty.pl or www.sexatlas.pl. New Orleans B-3, ul. Zgody 11, tel. 022 826 48 31, www. neworlean.pl. The area around Zgoda is fast becoming a Bermuda Triangle of bars and clubs, and where better to go missing than a place where women are happy to talk to you for a change. The last few months have seen New Orleans reinvent themselves, and a trip here couldn’t be more different from the stag happy clubs found elsewhere on this page. From Monday to Thursday you’ll find the girls kitted out in evening dress, with a higher-class of punter choosing the girl of his dreams before sitting down to a good, intelligent natter. Of course, this being a strip club, the removal of the aforementioned evening dress is also an available option. At weekends you’ll find New Orleans reverting to the more standard formula, with girls kitted out in next to nothing, and offering the usual hip-grinding action. QOpen 21:00 - 04:00. (15zł). PAX 625 20 16, www.chili-club.pl. A lame strip club with a pair of gorillas on the door, and an admission charge that appears to depend on the cashiers frame of mind. So what of the star attraction? The girls are by no means hideous, but you’re not going to be tempted to throw down the car keys in return for some jiggery pokery. QOpen 21:00 - 04:00. (13zł). PAW Night Club Chili F-3, ul. Marszałkowska 77/79, tel. 022 Vegas Gentlemen’s Club B-4, ul. Hoża 35, tel. 022 696 82 06, www.vegasclub.pl. Warsaw’s newest strip club, and according to some, it’s best. It’s certainly the most exclusive. Guests tread down a red carpet before slipping past a face check that isn’t keen on drunken oafs. One armed bandits, roman pillars, pink seats and splashes of neon add the Vegas effect, but the real reason you’re here are the girls - ten out of ten, frankly. It’s 50 złoty to get in, then 100zł for each dance, and if you really want to impress then why not shell out on their premium champagne: a snip at 28,000zł. For something different check out their special shows held every second week, so far there’s been everything from Paris style revue to ‘Rock Night’ featuring the ‘Ramstein girls’. QOpen 21:00 - 04:00. (16zł). PAUEW Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 94 GAY WARSAW While Poland is one of the few countries in which homosexuality has never been punished by state law, do not for one moment think you have entered a gay friendly nation. Centuries of hardcore Catholicism matched with provincial attitudes have conspired to create an atmosphere where homosexuality is still regarded as morally incorrect by a vast number of the population. Warsaw, a thriving capital city with a blossoming international population does however offer a far more tolerant understanding; only this year a pride march in Kraków – Poland’s self-proclaimed capital of culture – ended in bloody street battles after being ambushed by local thugs and extremists. In Warsaw, this, a similar march went off peacefully, in spite of the veiled threats from a hundred or so skinheads. The march, illegally banned by city authorities for a few years, was deemed a success, and attended peacefully by over four thousand demonstrators. Whether or not attitudes are softening remains open to debate. Both the former prime minister, Jarosław Kaczyński, and his president and twin, Lech Kaczyński, have stirred discontent; the latter by proclaiming homosexuality as being ‘unnatural’ and the former for declaring homosexuals should be banned from taking teaching posts. Harsh sentiments, but not nearly as malignant as the ones voiced by LPR politician Wojciech Wierzejski whose memorable rants reasoned ‘gays should be bludgeoned… they are all paedophiles and members of the mafia’. And to add an element of farce to the world, authorities are currently locked in talks as to whether to ban the Teletubbies from the screen. Root cause is the handbag touting Tinky Winky, a nailed on queer and a bad example to kids if you believe some. Watch this space to see how this one develops... Yet by the same rule inroads into bigotry are being made. In 2004 Poland had its first gay wedding (not officially recognized), and the following year Warsaw’s public transport body became the first company to officially acknowledge homosexual relationships by giving gay employees and their partners the right to free transport. Although Warsaw, as yet, offers no natural centre for the gay community this can’t be taken as a sign of something more sinister – even the straight scene struggles to boast any area that can be regarded as a true nightlife hub such as Barcelona’s Las Ramblas. While public demonstrations of affection are at best tolerated, at worst dangerous, the city offers numerous gay friendly venues; whether they be the trendy Między Nami café (C-4, ul. Bracka 4), the expat Tex-Mex favourite the Warsaw Tortilla Factory (B-4, ul. Wilcza 46) or full on techno hangouts like Luztro (C-4, al. Jerozolimskie 6). For gays in Poland the road ahead remains a long one, but for a country that still listed homosexuality as a disease up until 1991 the nation has already started cautiously edging forward. For further info on gay life in Poland click to the English-language website www.gayguide.net. WHAT TO SEE Fantom C-4, ul. Bracka 20a (entrance through the courtyard), tel. 022 828 54 09, www.gay.pl/fantom. The oldest existing gay venue in Warsaw can be found down a dark courtyard on Bracka occupying the basement of a pre-war palace. Two separate entrances here. Ring the buzzer on the right hand side of the building and descend the stairs to access their sauna. On entry you’ll be handed a pair of nasty flip-flops and a threadbare towel. Inside find a bar area, and a long corridor that leads to a scummy looking jacuzzi, dark room and sauna. It might be getting murky, but this is definitely the choice of sauna for many of the capitals queers. The left hand entrance leads to a more fully-clothed area with a popular bar, a couple of cinema screens and a labyrinth. QOpen 14:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 14:00 - 05:00, Sun 18:00 - 03:00. (6zł). ARW Galeria (Gallery) A-3, Pl. Mirowski 1, tel. 022 850 41 55, www.galeria.sxx.pl. Occupying the gap left by the closure of Le Madame this is one of the best clubs to open in Warsaw for a long while. Ring the bell, and if the reflective door swings open you can count yourself as being one cool cat. Situated in the basement of Hala Mirowska the Galeria is predominantly gay but can count itself hetero-friendly. To call the interior bare bones would be being generous - ordinary lighting with a few scabby sofas thrown around. The atmosphere is something else, however, and not unlike something found in a Berlin haunt. QOpen 20:00 - 04:00. (8zł). PAEXW galla.pl. A modern sauna downstairs, complete with curtained off showers, steam room, lounge area and a pitch black labyrinth. Upstairs a communal video area with a giant vinyl mattress. Men only on most days, apart from Sunday’s which see lesbians and curious couples welcomed. QOpen 14:00 - 23:00, Fri 14:00 01:00, Sat 12:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. DXW 95 Essential Warsaw When US General Dwight Eisenhower visited Warsaw immediately after the war he was moved to comment, “I have seen many towns destroyed, but nowhere have I been faced with such destruction.” Rebuilt from scratch following total devastation in 1944, Warsaw is not the cultural void one expects from a city that was turned to dust as little as a lifetime ago. Firstly, a walk around the streets of Old town (B-1/2) is a must for any first time visitors. Painstakingly restored following original designs the meticulous reconstruction of the historic centre was only completed as late as 1962. Today the area’s inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List speaks volumes for the effort involved. The burgher houses that line the Old Town Square (B-1/2, Rynek Starego Miasta) are particularly striking, with many boasting intricate details on the façades. The historic centre is also home to numerous churches, including the striking St John’s Cathedral (B-2, ul. Świetojańska 8) whose details number the gothic artworks of Wit Stwosz as well as the tombs of knights, regents and eminent citizens. Marking edge of old town is the Royal Castle (B-2, pl. Zamkowy 4), reconstructed from a pile of rubble at incredible cost between 1971 and 1984. The prescribed tour will take you through the Kings’ apartments and chambers, heavily adorned with paintings of famous Polish moments. Although you’ll find plenty of photographic opportunities in and amongst the tight cobbled alleyways save a few shots for the viewing platform at the top of the beautiful St Anne’s Church (B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieśćie). There is far more to Warsaw than its old town however, and one museum that demands to be visited is the Warsaw Uprising Museum (D-3, ul. Przyokopowa 28). It’s here, inside Poland’s best museum, that you’ll learn about the cities doomed rebellion against the Nazis in 1944. Packed with interactive displays, photographs, video footage and miscellaneous exhibits this is guaranteed to leave a deep mark on all visitors, and will go a long way in explaining why Warsaw is far from the architectural pearl it once was. Although the Nazis flattened the Jewish Ghetto after a heroic uprising in 1943 there a re still traces of Warsaw’s Jewish past, including a remaining piece of the Ghetto wall (E-3, ul. Sienna 55), a memorial where the loading ramp to Treblinka once stood (E-1, Umschlagplatz) as well as one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe (D-1, ul. Okopowa 49/51). The cities defining landmark however has to be the fearsome Palace of Culture and Science (B-4, pl. Defilad 1). Looking like something you’d see in Ghostbusters, the building towers at just over 231 metres in height - making it the tallest and largest structure in Poland. Commissioned by Stalin as a ‘gift from the Soviet people’. Completed in 1955, and built using an estimated 40 million bricks the crowning glory is the viewing platform on the 30th floor. Examples of the Socialist Realist style abound throughout the city, but it should not be forgotten that this was once also a royal city. Visits to Łazienki Park and Palace (G-4, ul. Agrykola 1) and Wilanów Palace - dubbed ‘The Polish Versailles’ - (ul. Stanisława KostkiPotockiego 10/16) offer a marvellous glimpse of how the other half once lived. At we are passionate about providing the best tourist and business service available to both groups and individuals traveling to Poland. If you want your stay to be truly memorable we’re delighted to organize whatever tour or event you wish to see. Our offer includes: • tailor-made tours of Warsaw and the rest of Poland • walking tours of Warsaw • personal tour guide & tour leader services in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and other languages • restaurant reservations and evening events (private piano concerts, gala dinners, dance shows, boat trips, etc...) We’re also happy to provide: • accommodation booking as well as • transfer and transportation services. EXCELLENCE Galla A-3, ul. Ptasia 2, tel. 022 652 19 86, www.sauna- We never forget that EXCELLENCE means PERFECTION and our goal is to satisfy your interests and needs. EXCELLENCE Travel & Business Service Agency mob.: +48 502 734 352 office@excellence.travel.pl, www.excellence.travel.pl Rasko E-2, ul. Krochmalna 32a, tel. 022 890 02 99, www. klubrasko.pl. A super gay bar found hidden behind a set of mirrored windows. This is a tight compact space with an orange tinge and a spate of events going off throughout the week: from drag shows to karaoke nights. Top off the entertainment with a sneaky look into your future - find a fortune teller holding court by the door most nights. This is as informal as gay clubs go, and though there’s a fair smattering of uber-preened club queens you’ll find none of the snooty attitudes prevalent in other establishments. QOpen 18:00 - 02:00. (7zł). PAUEW Tours Excellence Travel D-6, , tel. 0 502 73 43 52, www. excellence.travel.pl. Tailor-made, private tours to both the city of Warsaw and eslewhere across the country by licenced guides. Regular walking tours are offered with either a private guide or as part of a group in a multitude of languages including English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish. Special events such as recitals and boat trips can be organised and travel and transfer services are also available. Tomba Tomba B-1, ul. Brzozowa 37, tel. 022 831 95 39, www.tomba-tomba.pl. Six floors, apparently, though its easy to lose count if you’ve taken what everyone else appears to have taken. When Le Madame closed last year Tomba Tomba picked up the baton to act as Warsaw’s principal den of inquity, complete with party-sized jacuzzi and a gay following getting splashy in it. Fast forward a year and the queers have been edged out, with only some seriously saucy murals to act as a reminder of what once was. The heathen atmosphere remains, however, with a sweat-clad crowd going bananas to electro sounds played at memory loss volume. QOpen 22:00 - 10:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. (8zł). PX Utopia B-3, ul. Jasna 1, tel. 022 827 15 40, www.utopiaclub.eu. The cretins choice. Door selection is ruthless, ensuring only idiots wearing figure hugging black Prada get to pose inside these plastic confines of what still, amazingly, is rated as one of Warsaw’s top clubs. The dance floor is tiny, situated in a sharp lit white room, with softly lit chill and rooms spidering off in different directions. Although you’ll probably see a few people locked in naughty clinches, you can’t help but wonder if the crowds are in reality playing gay for the night to add to their cool points. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri 12:00 - 07:00, Sat 15:00 - 07:00, Sun 17:00 - 23:00. (10zł). PAE Trakt B-3, ul. Kredytowa 6, tel. 022 827 80 69, www. trakt.com.pl. Warsaw’s only specialized tour guide agency. Tours are available in over 20 languages - including sign language - and cover all the major tourist sights in Warsaw, including Łazienki and Wilanów palaces, and the parliament building. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Mazurkas Travel B-1, ul. Wojska Polskiego 27, tel. 022 389 41 82, www.mazurkas.com.pl. QOpen 08:30 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Wagabunda Bike Tours B-3, ul. Czackiego 3/5, tel. 0 605 85 84 58, www.wagabunda.com. They will bring the bike to you and collect it when you’re done. Also on offer is the Warsaw by Bike guided tour available in a variety of languages. Q Open on request. The law The legal situation is simple; age of consent is the same as for straight couples: 15. Adoption by homosexuals is not permitted, and though marriage is not recognized there are no legal issues associated with being registered as a gay couple. As with straight people, prostitution is not illegal, simply because there is not a law against it. What is illegal however is pimping, so forget any fast-cash scenarios you may have hatched. Warsaw City Tours B-3, ul. Marszałkowska 140, tel. 022 826 71 00, www.lrc.com.pl. QOpen 08:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 14:00. August - September 2008 Warsaw In Your Pocket 96 WHAT TO SEE Escalator Claiming a special part in every Varovian’s heart are the set of escalators that connect pl. Zamowy to the mouth of the W-Z tunnel that runs underneath the old town. Constructed by a team of 80 Soviet and Polish specialists when it was unveiled in 1949 it became the first escalator in Warsaw, with a capacity to handle 10,000 people per hour. Designed by engineers from the Moscow Mietrostroj factory the 30 metre stairs were hailed as a symbol of Soviet and Polish cooperation, though the project was not without its cock-ups. The cellar of an 18th century tenement house was slated as the engine room, but an error in calculations meant that the engine was 80 cm too big. In a city smashed by war this didn’t prove a problem and little attention was paid when the decision was made to shave a few bits off a historic property in order to house a mechanical contraption. The passageways were designed by Henryk Stamatello and featured heating in winter as well as two socialist realist reliefs illustrating the bond between Poles and Russians. ‘Together we rebuild’ proclaims one, and ‘Together we fight’ another – thoughts that can be taken with a pinch of salt considering the Russkies reluctance to help during the Warsaw Uprising. Nonetheless the ‘moving stairs’ proved a revelation, and a preserved sign illustrates the novel appeal they had on locals, officiously declaring ‘it is forbidden to continually ride up and down the escalators’. Like London’s Tower Bridge, or Paris’ Eiffel Tower, they became an accustomed backdrop in films, their celebrity status cemented by their appearance in the classic 1953 flick Przygoda na Mariensztacie (Adventure in Mariensztat). The escalators finally passed out on July 30, 1997 and remained bolted from the public for another eight years. Following an eight million złoty restoration program the official ribbon cutting was conducted by then president of Warsaw Lech Kaczyński on July 21, 2005. Considerably modernized the new escalators weigh ten times less than the originals, and run at half a metre per second. However, in a remarkable sign of historical appreciation, the team working on the redesign were keen to retain many of the historic details. The socialist reliefs are still there, protected by a sheet of glass, while the old control panel can be spotted if you sneak into the toilet by the pl. Zamkowy exit. Black and white pictures lining the passageways depict the original construction effort, while anyone with misty-eyed memories of the former escalator can view bits of it in the Museum of Technology. WHAT TO SEE Churches Holy Cross Church (Kościół Św. Krzyża) C-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 3, tel. 022 556 88 20, www. swkrzyz.pl. No Chopinologist can leave Warsaw without first visiting the final resting place of his heart. Added to the church in 1882 his heart was sealed in an urn and then placed behind a tablet bearing his likeness specially carved by Leonardo Marconi. Although this serves as the churches key draw there’s several other features of note to tempt the visitor inside this astonishing Baroque creation. The churches history originally dates from the 15th century when a small wooden chapel stood on the site. Destroyed during the Swedish Deluge of the 1650s construction on a church to replace it began in 1682, the cornerstone being ceremoniously laid by Prince Jakub, son of King Jan III Sobieski. Designed by the royal architect, Jakub Bellotti, it was completed in 1696 though through time would see numerous additions to its shape. The most notable of these would come in the following century when Józef Fontana added two Baroque crowns to the square-cut twin towers. His son Jakub would later extensively refurbish the façade with Jan Jerzy Plersch adding elaborate decorative touches to the interior. Throughout history the church has played its role in Warsaw’s glories and calamities. It was here that the last Polish King forged the Order of the Knights of St Stanislaus, and it was directly outside in 1861 that Russian troops brutally suppressed a patriotic protest. It was this bloodbath that lit the touchpaper for the January Uprising of that year. Devastated during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 the church was painstakingly rebuilt at the end of the war and is today a feast for the heart, eyes and soul. The organ (built in Salzburg in 1925) is the largest in Warsaw, and other points of note include an urn with the remains of Nobel Prize winning author Władysław Reymont, and tablets honouring various Polish icons including poet Juliusz Słowacki and WWII hero Władysław Sikorski. QOpen 10:00 - 16:00, Sun 14:00 - 16:00. 13/15, tel. 022 687 77 02, www.katedrapolowa. pl. Comprising of both the St. Francis of Assisi Church and monastery and built between 1662 and 1663 by the Piarist friars, the extraordinary Military Cathedral, also known as the Church of Our Lady Queen of the Polish Crown, is the capital’s main garrison church. Having spent time as an Orthodox Church, prison, orphanage and a depot for German soldiers during WWI, the church was reconstructed based on original 17th-century drawings after independence in 1918 and became the seat of the field bishop of the Polish Army. Again rebuilt after its destruction during WWII, the church is now decorated with a peculiar mix of religious and military artefacts, including a number of large oil paintings depicting the most well known of Poland’s battles and uprisings.QOpen 07:00 - 18:00. No visiting during mass please. C-4, Pl. Trzech Krzyży, tel. 022 628 53 35. Modelled on the Roman Pantheon, this church boasts a sculpture of Christ that dates from the 18th century. It was here that Allied secret agents met during WWII. The church’s lower level is used for services for deaf mutes. Father Jakub Falkowski, parish priest of St. Alexander’s, founded the nearby Institute of Deaf Mutes and the Blind. QOpen 09:30 - 19:30. No visiting during mass please. 97 Military Cathedral (Katedra Polowa Wojska Polskiego) B-2, ul. Długa St. Alexander’s Church (Kościół Św. Aleksandra) Jesuit Chur ch (Kościół Jezuitów) B-2, ul. Świętojańska 10, tel. 022 831 16 75. Built at the behest of King Zygmunt III Waza’s confessor, Piotr Skarga, this lovely little Renaissance church was built between 1609 and 1626 for the city’s Jesuit community. Having had something of a varied and colourful history to say the least, it suffered at the hands of the Swedes in the latter half of the 17th century, who looted it of its entire contents, and even spent time as a storehouse during the Partitions. Also known as the Holy Mother of Grace Church after the city’s patron saint, the church was returned to the Jesuits at the end of WWI only to be destroyed by the Germans in 1944. Rebuilt between 1948 and 1957, of the few remaining original parts of the interior, of particular interest is the 17th-century picture of the Holy Mother herself. The crypt, which is entered through the bookshop to the left of the church, contains the remains of Prince Karol Ferdynand Waza and Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski (1595-1640), the Jesuit priest, poet and court preacher to King Władysław IV. QOpen 06:30 - 21:00, Sun 07:30 - 21:00. St. Anne’s Church (Kościół Św. Anny) B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 68, tel. 022 826 99 77, www.swanna.waw.pl. St Anne’s survived the war with a few token scratches and a collapsed roof, but what the Nazis failed to destroy was very nearly demolished by a team of incompetent builders - by 1949 the whole church threatened to come crashing to the ground. The thoughtless construction of the nearby Trasa W-Z tunnel had led to several landslides, resulting in huge cracks appearing in the floor of the church. It took a team of 400 people two weeks of tireless work to stabilise the undersoil and shore up the foundations. Intriguingly, this wasn’t the first time St Anne’s had survived vicious conflict to find disaster around the corner. It escaped destruction during the war with Sweden (1650-1655) only to be gutted by fire two years later, apparently the victim of an arson attack. The classicist façade dates from 1788 and is the design of the royal architect, Piot Aigner. The interior holds even more classicist and rococo details. The view tower is one of the best in Warsaw. QOpen 06:30 - 19:30, Sun 08:00 - 22.30. A-2, ul. Nowolipki 18, tel. 022 838 30 95, www.swaugustyn.pl.Q Open 07:00-13:00, 18:00-19:30. St. Augustines Church (Kościół Św. Augustyna) Tourist information Tourist Information (Informacja Turystyczna) B-4, Dworzec Centralny Train Station, tel. 022 94 31, www.warsawtour.pl. Also in the Okęcie Airport international arrivals (Open 08:00 - 20:00) and ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 39 (Open 09:00- 20:00). QOpen 08:00 - 20:00. Adam Stawicki St. Benno’s Church (Kościół Św. Benona) B-1, ul. Piesza 1, tel. 022 635 70 65. Benno’s has a wacky history. King Sigismund III was devotee of St. Benno and invited peer priests from Bavaria to Warsaw in the 17th century. Their main aim was to support Germans living outside their home country. Ironically, in 1944, the chapel was blown to smithereens by you-know-who. Rebuilt by the Poles in 1958, it now has an interesting interior dating from 1977. August - September 2008 Warsaw In Your Pocket 98 WHAT TO SEE Pawiak Prison Pa w i a k P r i s o n (Więzienie Pawiak) A-2, ul. Dzielna 24/26, tel. 022 831 92 89, w w w. muzeumniepodleglosci.art.pl. Built in the 1830s to serve as a Tsarist prison, Pawiak came to the fore during WWII when it slipped into the hands of the Gestapo. During the Nazi occupation it became the largest political prison in Poland and saw over 100,000 inmates pass through its gates. Of this number, over 37,000 were executed within the grounds, while a further 60,000 were transported to extermination camps. Subterranean cells designed to house three people were often crammed with anything up to 18 prisoners. Dynamited during the German retreat, Pawiak has been restored as a memorial to all those who suffered inside, and now houses haunting photo displays, prisoners belongings and reconstructed cells. A mangled tree, preserved after the war, stands outside the gates bedecked with obituary notices dating from 1944. QOpen 09:00 - 16:00, Wed 09:00 - 17:00, Fri 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission free. WHAT TO SEE Sakramentek) B-1, Rynek Nowego Miasta, tel. 022 635 71 13, www.sakramentki.opoka.org.pl. Founded by Mary Sobieski, wife of King Jan III Sobieski, to commemorate her husband’s victory over the Turkish army at the Gates of Vienna. The baroque-style church was designed by Tylman van Gameren and was completed in 1692. In 1944 it served as a Polish field hospital, and received a direct hit from a German bomb, killing more than 1,000 civilians, priests, nuns and soldiers who were sheltering inside. Today it has been fully restored and has a charred wooden cross as tribute to those who died. Q Open by prior arrangement. St. Franics Seraph Church (Kościół stygmatów Św. Franciszka Serafickiego) B-1, ul. Zakroczymska St. Casimir’s Church (Kościół Benedyktynek - 99 Monuments kowskie Przedmieście 5. Patriot, poet and the man who inspired Romanticism in Poland, Mickiewicz stands out as Poland’s greatest literary figure - as well as a figure of hope during a bleak age of Russian oppression. His involvement in politics saw him exiled east in 1824 by the ruling Russians, before finally heading to western Europe in 1829. A bid to return to his homeland in 1830 was thwarted at the border, and he never saw his native Poland again. Much mystery surrounds his life; his role as a national cultural icon meaning that much of the seamier side of his life has been covered up, including his involvement in strange cults and alleged womanising. To this day, even his birthplace remains a hot source of argument. Some say Nowogródek (Lithuania), others say the nearby Zaosie. A champion of freedom, he died during a cholera outbreak in Turkey, 1855, while recruiting a Polish legion to fight the Russians in the Crimea. Originally buried in Paris, Mickiewicz’s body now lies in Wawel Cathedral, Kraków. His defining masterpiece, Pan Tadeusz, is a beautifully written epic portraying Polish society in the 19th century. His statue dominates ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście, and traces of bullet holes dating from WWII are still visible on the monument. Adam Mickiewicz Monument (Pomnik Adama Mickiewicza) B-2, ul. Kra- Warsaw University The University of Warsaw - which vies with the Jagellonian University of Kraków for the title of Poland’s most respected seat of learning - occupies a suitably grand location on Krakowskie Przedmieście, Warsaw’s own version of the Champs Elysee. Established in 1816 after the partition of Poland, the university employs more than 5,500 people, who look after around 55,000 students. A walk around the university’s main campus is one of the most enjoyable diversions a visitor to Warsaw can take. A genuine campus-like atmosphere greets you as you wander through the grand main gates, where inside a number of fantastic period buildings and palaces, set amongst leafy courtyards, exude erudition and learning from every brick. Students sit on benches reading books and smoking cigarettes, a few hurry between buildings scurrying from lecture to lecture. It all adds to the buzz. The most impressive building in the complex is the magnificent Kazimierzowski Palace, originally built in 1637 as the main residence of King Jan II Kazimierz, from where it takes its name. Destroyed and rebuilt at least four times since then, it has served as the rectorate of the university since 1960. The latest renovation of the palace was completed only in 2006, and has left it loking better than ever: a treasure of Neo-Classicla architecture and one of Warsaw’s finest buildings. Other buildings worthy of note on campus are the Neo-Classical Tyskiewicz Palace and the Baroque Uruski Palace, both of which were likewise built in the 17th century as the residence of aristoctratic families. The universities students have long been at the vanguard of Poland’s struggle against invaders and occupiers, The university was even closed for in 1830 after its students took part in the Cadet Rebellion against the Russian Empire, and reopened only in 1863. Similarly, many students - who were studying in secret, the Nazi’s having closed the university in 1939 - joined the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, determined to recapture the campus from the Wermacht, who had taken it over for use as administrative offices and an officer training school. Alas, the campus gates, so impressive today, proved impenetrable, and hundreds of students were killed before the game was given up. By the time of the Nazi withdrawal later in the year more than two thirds of the university had been destroyed - some of it deliberately by the vengeful Nazis - and more than 80 per cent of the university’s library and art collection had been looted. 1, tel. 022 831 20 31, www.warszawa.ofmconv.opoka. org.pl. Completed in 1733 this baroque masterpiece holds the remains of St Vitalis; see the glass coffin for yourself by visiting the chapel to your left. Many of the religious relics found scattered around were donated by Pope Benedict XIV in 1754, and this church is also entered in the history books as holding the first free mass in Warsaw following the flight of the Nazis. Q Open 06:30-12:00, 15:00-20:00. St. Hyacinth Church (Kościół Św. Jacka) B-1, ul. Freta 10, tel. 022 635 47 00, www.freta.dominikanie.pl. This nice little Baroque church was built by the Dominicans between 1603 and 1639 by the architect Joannes Italus. Of particular interest inside the predominantly white interior is the Chapel of St. Dominic. Paid for by the Kotowski family and designed by Poland’s greatest late-17th-century architect, Tylman van Gameren, the chapel was one of the few parts of the church to survive the war. During the Warsaw Uprising the church was used as a hospital and was almost completely destroyed in 1944. Its current form dates from 1959. QOpen 07:00 - 18:00. St. John’s Cathedral (Katedra Św. Jana) B-2, ul. Świetojańska 8, tel. 022 831 02 89. Originally built in the 14th century, Warsaw’s oldest house of worship is steeped in history. The last king of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, was crowned and buried here, and in 1791 he also declared the Constitution of May 3 inside the building. The crypt holds the bodies of Henryk Sienkiewicz (writer), Gabriel Narutowicz (Poland’s first president), as well as various Mazovian knights. Other interesting details to look for include the covered walkway that links the Cathedral with the Royal Castle. It was added in 1620 as a security measure following a failed assassination attempt on King Sigismund III. As with most major landmarks, it was the scene of heavy fighting during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising and was subsequently left in a heap of ruins. Rebuilt in pseudo-gothic style, the interior today boasts the gothic artworks of Wit Stwosz. The 18th century bell that was destroyed in 1944 has since been recovered and glued together, and can now be found in the centre of ul. Kanonia. On the external wall by the main entrance are fragments of a Goliath - a remote-controlled tank used by the German army. Q Open 10:00-13:00, 15:00-17:30. Royal Castle Zamkowy 4, tel. 022 657 21 70, www.zamekkrolewski.pl. More a palace than a castle, this building is the pride of Warsaw, reconstructed from a pile of rubble at incredible cost between 1971 and 1984. Much of the furniture was donated by now deceased commie buddies such as the GDR and USSR, and much of the money for rebuilding came from generous donations from exiled Poles. Dating back from the 14th century, the castle had been the residence of Polish kings, then of the president and then the seat of parliament. The prescribed tour will take you through the Kings’ apar tments and chambers, heavily adorned with paintings of famous Polish moments. Maps on the wall reflect Poland’s greatest days, when it stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Some of the halls are reputed to be intermittently haunted by a ‘white lady.’ According to legend her appearance signals imminent disaster. The nearby chapel boasts an urn containing the heart of Polish hero and freedom fighter, Tadeusz Koścuiszko. Next on the tour, the Houses of Parliament. Last but not least, the opulent Great Assembly Hall has so much gold stuck to the walls, it’s hard to resist the temptation to scratch some off - just a bit, they wouldn’t notice. Behave or get accosted by vigilant wardens and enjoy the views across the river to the Praga district instead. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Mon, Sun 11:00 - 18:00. Last ticket sold 60 minutes before closing. Admission 5-20zł. Agnieszka Osiecka Monument (Pomnik Agnieszki Osieckiej) H-2, ul. Francuska. Agnieszka Osiecka (1936 - Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski) B-2, Pl. 1997) was a Polish poet and journalist, and the author of over 2,000 songs, many of which were turned into pop hits. She’s also known for a particularly grisly connection to the Swinging Sixties; her first marriage ended in tragedy when her husband, Wojciech Frykowski, became one of those slain by Charles Manson’s family of weirdos in what would turn out to be one of the crimes of the century. Osiecka’s favourite café, Maska, stands round the corner from her monument. Przyrynek 2, tel. 022 831 20 87 ext. 21,22. Scan the horizon of the new town and the chances are you’ll find your eyes settling on the Gothic shape of the Church of the Visitation of St Mary. Built in the 15th century on the whim of a Mazovian princess this brick beauty allegedly stands on the site of an ancient pagan place of worship. Extensively remodeled over the centuries it was rebuilt true to its original form after WWII. Q Open during mass and by prior arangement. St. Mary’s Church (Kościół Nawiedzenia NMP) B-1, ul. i Wigury. Fittingly located on the route from the airport one of the first sights that will greet visitors as they crawl into the city centre is the sight of a lone aviator standing at the top of ul. Żwirki I Wigury. The statue actually honours two men, Franciszek Żwirko and Stanisław Wigura, Poland’s most renowned aviation heroes. To list their achievements would require an extra page, suffice to say their finest hour came when they clinched victory in the Challenge 1932 international air contest. That was also to be the year the pair of aces died, crashing while on their way to another flying competition in Prague. The statue is a replica of the one unveiled in 1932 on pl. Uni Lubelskiej. Blown up by the Nazis a faithful copy was reconstructed and placed in its current location in 1967. Aviator Monument (Pomnik Lotnika) E-4, ul. Żwirki Want to know what’s hot & what’s not? Check the latest news on page 73 Urbanlegend Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 100 WHAT TO SEE Lost Warsaw Having been battered, bullied, burned and bombed so many times in the past it’s perhaps surprising that possibly the grandest structure that ever stood in Warsaw was actually torn down by the locals, no less than 14 years after it was completed. Commissioned by the Governor General of Poland, Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko, work commenced on St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in 1893 and continued until 1914. Earmarked to serve as place of worship for Warsaw’s ruling Russian community the building was the work of the architect Leontij Benois, a professor in The Tsarist Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. The site, on what is today pl. Piłsudskiego was not chosen by accident; in 1840 the same patch of land was occupied by an obelisk commemorating Polish generals who had collaborated with the Russians during the 1830 November Uprising. It was financed by huge taxes levied by the insufferable Gourko, as well as a collection of funds ordered by Tsar Alexaner III, though Russia’s looming economic crisis meant that construction took 18 years. The results though were staggering. Consisting of five gold plated domes, and a 70 metre bell tower (then the tallest building in Warsaw), the cathedral proved even more dazzling on the inside. Raising comparisons to St. Mark’s in Venice, copper and oak main doors led to an interior dripping with oil paintings and icons. Sixteen mosaic panels were designed by Viktor asnetsov, and the building was heavily adorned with precious stones. The cathedral operated as a Russian shrine until 1915 when Warsaw was captured by German forces. The next three years saw it function as a German military church, though the moment Poland gained independence plans were floated to demolish this symbol of Russian hegemony. The debate on what to do with it reigned for years, with arguments including that the building had no artistic value, that the square needed to be freed up for military parades and that the foundations were already sinking. Finally in 1922 the tower was taken down, and between 1924-1926 some 15,000 detonations were set off to rid Warsaw of the cathedral. Not one to miss a mark, the Warsaw magistrate sold public bonds so as to allow every Pole the chance to take part in the iconoclasm. The resulting rubble was used to strengthen the banks of the Wisła and the rescued Finnish granite put to effect in many Warsaw churches. Of the surviving decorations a few of the mosaics can now be viewed at the St. Mary Magdalene Church in Praga (one of only two Warsaw orthodox churches to survive the 20s), pulpit and altar pieces in the St. Peter and Paul Church in Pyry and icons in the Pokrovy Orthodox Church in Baranowicze, Belarus. WHAT TO SEE de Gaulle’a) C-4, Rondo de Gaullea. Charles de Gaulle is the subject of Warsaw’s newest monument. Striding away from what was once the Commie party HQ, the monument is a gift from the French government and can be found on (C-4) Rondo de Gaulle’a. A resident of Warsaw in the 1920s, de Gaulle is a bit of a hero in these parts for the role he played in The Battle of Warsaw in 1920. With Europe in turmoil following the aftermath of WWI the Red Army launched a huge military strike, aimed at enslaving the rest of Europe. The Bolsheviks expected an easy march to Paris, but the Poles has other ideas. With the Red Army just 23km from Warsaw Marshal Piłsudski launched a deft action to split the Bolshevik forces in two and encircle them. The battle raged from August 13-August 25, 1920, with the Poles claiming a historic victory in what Woodrow Wilson went on to describe as the ‘seventh most important battle in history’. The Bolshevik forces were decimated, and Europe saved. De Gaulle fought with distinction and was awarded the highest military honour in the country, the Virtuti Militari. Ignacy Paderewski G-4, Park Ujazdowski. Born in Kuryłówka in 1860 Paderewski is fondly remembered as a politican, patriot and musician. Having entered the Warsaw Conservatorium at the age of 12 he worked as a piano tutor after graduation. The death of his wife, just a year after they married, spurred him to comit his life to music and in 1887 he made his public debut in Vienna. His talent was obvious and his growing popularity saw him storm both Europe and the States, not just as a pianist, but a masterful composer as well. He was based in Paris during WWI and it was during this time he became actively involved in politics, becoming spokesman for the Polish National Committee. With the end of the war he sought a return to his homeland where, having played a key role in the Wielkopolska Uprising (which saw Poznań merged into the newly reformed Polish state), he was elected Poland’s third ever prime minister. It was he who signed for Poland’s part in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, though his fall from grace was just around the corner. Many thought he had sold Poland short and in the face of growing public discontent he resigned from office in December 1919. A short stint as Poland’s representative in the League of Nations followed before he opted to resume his musical career. Aside from being a skilled musician, the mop haired Paderewski was also a popular public speaker, known for his devastating wit. One anecdote recalls him being introduced to a polo player with the words: ‘You are both leaders in your spheres, though the spheres are very different’. Not one to miss a beat Paderewski deadpanned ‘Not so very different, you are a dear soul who plays polo, and I am a poor Pole who plays solo’. During WWII he became an eminent figure in the London based exiled Polish Parliament, though died in 1941 with the country of his birth still under occupation. Józef Piłsudski Monument (Pomnik Józefa Piłsudskiego) F-2, Pl. Charles de Gaulle Monument (Pomnik Charlesa finest hour undoubtedly came in 1920 when he beat off the Bolshevik hordes at the gates of Warsaw, inadvertently saving a battered post-war Europe from being flooded by the rampant Soviets. Unveiled in 1995 this particular monumen is the work of Tadeusz Łodziany, and Piłsudski fans can view another such monument to the man on ul. Belweder. B-2, ul. Podwale. A huge monument honouring Jan Kiliński, a Warsaw cobbler who became the unlikely hero of the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising. Despite being wounded twice, Kiliński and his troop of peasants captured the Russian Ambassador’s Warsaw residence; an action that ultimately led to his imprisonment in St. Petersburg. Said to embody the Polish virtues of bravery and patriotism, his statue was erected in 1936 and originally located on pl. Krasińskich. In reprisal for an attack on the Copernicus Monument, Nazi troops hid Kiliński inside the vaults of the National Museum. Within days, boy scouts had daubed the museum with the graffiti ‘People of Warsaw! I am here, Jan Kiliński.’ After the war the cobbler was returned to his rightful place, before being finally relocated to ul. Podwale in 1959. 101 Gestapo HQ G-4, Al. Szucha 25, tel. 022 629 49 19, www.muzeumniepodleglosci.art.pl. Every bit as disturbing as Pawiak is the former Gestapo HQ, found on Al. Szucha 25. Built between 1927 and 1930, the building’s original purpose was to serve as a centre for religious beliefs. In 1939 it came under control of the Nazi regime, and for the next five years became one of the most feared addresses in Poland operating, among other capacities, as a brutal interrogation centre. The imposing building, currently housing the Ministry of Education, was left untouched by the carnage of war and now also holds a small but sobering museum within its bowels. Cells, where prisoners were held prior to interrogation, have been left largely as they were. Known as ‘trams,’ Poles would be sat on wooden benches facing the wall as they awaited their fate. Forbidden to eat or sleep, they were compelled to sit motionless in darkness, sometimes for days on end. Failure to do so would lead to almost certain death. The bullet marks scarring the walls tell their own harrowing story. Although the torture cells have long since been blocked off, the English language tape that the curator plays paints a vivid and repulsive picture. Prisoners were subjected to savage beatings, attacked with dogs and electrocuted. Those who didn’t co-operate would, in some cases, be forced to watch their own families being tortured. The office where prisoners would have been ‘checked in’ also remains, complete with a faded portrait of Hitler and battered issues of Wehrmacht magazine lying around. Manacles, bullwhips and other sinister instruments can also be seen stacked on the bookshelf. QOpen 09:00 - 16:00, Wed 09:00 - 17:00, Fri 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission free. Gestapo HQ (Mauzoleum Walki i Męczeństwa) Jan Kiliński Monument (Pomnik Jana Kilińskiego) kowy. Built in honour of the man who made Warsaw the capital of Poland, the column was erected back in 1664 and stands twenty two metres high. During the war the column collapsed under bombardment and the original now lies close to the Royal Castle (and is considered lucky to touch). The figure of Sigismund survived and the new column was proudly re-erected in 1949. King Sigismund’s Column (Kolumna Króla Zygmunta) B-2, Pl. Zam- Monte Cassino Monument (Pomnik Monte Cassino) B-2, ul. Długa 52. The Battle of Monte Cassino was The Citadel The Citadel (Cytadela) ul. Skazańców 25 (entrance from ul. Wybrzeże Gdyńskie), tel. 022 839 12 68, www.muzeumniepodleglosci.art.pl. First off a tip. The entrance to the Citadel is on Wybrzeze Gdanskie and is not that easy to find. Once you get there you discover a complex built in the wake of the 1830 November Insurrection, and commissioned by Tsar Nicholas I to serve as a fortress for the occupying Russian garrison - and as a political prison and execution ground. Housing as many as 16,000 troops, the main purpose of the citadel was to deter and quash any patriotic movement within the city. Of the 40,000 prisoners who have passed through its gates, familiar names include national hero Józef Piłsudski, communist agitator ‘Red’ Rosa Luxembourg and Feliks Dzierżyński - the monster who would progress to become head of the Russian secret police. As well as being a supreme example of 19th century fortress architecture, the 36 hectare site has several points of interest. The labyrinth of tunnels and prison cells have been well preserved and contain numerous exhibits, including paintings, prison relics and firearms. Outside of the military museum, which forms part of the complex,is a small arsenal of heavy-duty military equipment, including T-34 and T-54 tanks, and a Katyusha rocket launcher (a.k.a Stalin’s organ). Also of note are a Nazi bunker dating from 1940, a symbolic cemetery, and The Gate of Execution - it’s here that Polish heroes Traugutt and Dąbrowski were executed in front of a crowd of 30,000 in 1864. QOpen 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Last ticket sold 30 minutes before closing. Admission free. 1 2 Orthodox Cathedral in centre, in the foreground Saski Palace 1 Today – Sofitel Victoria, 2 Today – Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Piłsudskiego. Casting a steely gaze over the square named in his honour is a gloomy looking Field Marshal Piłsudski, a man many Poles hold responsible for winning the country its independence in 1918. Regarded as a political and military hero this man did more than most to free Poland from the shackles of Russian control; his early years saw him imprisoned in Siberia after being wrongfully convicted of plotting to assassinate the Tsar, though his actually a series of four intense and sometimes controversial battles that took place between January 20 and May 18, 1944, culminating at a 1,300-year-old Benedictine monastery on the top of the 1,100 metre Monte Cassino in southern Italy. After the successful Allied landings in Italy in September 1943 a route was needed from the Allied position north of Naples to Rome, and the only way through was via the Liri Valley. Blocking the valley was a mass of German-occupied hills around the town of Cassino. Involving British, US, French, North African, New Zealand, Ghurkha and Polish troops, fierce battles raged against the Germans on a slow and brutal advance towards the monastery, whose eventual capture would give the Allied forces the access they needed to open the road to Rome. At a cost of over 25,000 lives including the deaths by heavy allied bombing on February 15 of a number of Italian civilians who were taking refuge in the monastery, the final battle ended on the morning of May 18 when a reconnaissance group of soldiers from the Polish 12th Podolian Uhlans Regiment finally reached what was by then an empty and completely devastated monastery. The Battle of Monte Cassino paved the way for the Allied advance on Rome, which fell on June 4, 1944, two days before the Normandy invasion, and is one of Poland’s proudest military achievements. On May 18, 1999, exactly 55 years after the event, an 8.5-metre monument designed by the Polish sculptor Gustaw Zemła was unveiled in a small park by just north of the (A-2) Archaeological Museum. Resembling the outline of Italy with a number of eerie, battle-related elements built into it, the monument also features a pair of wings, supposedly representing Nike and the Polish Hussars. Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 102 WHAT TO SEE Krakowskie Przedmieście... Visits to Poland’s most prestigious street, Krakowskie Przedmieście, start by the Royal Castle, next to the sabre rattling statue of King Sigismund. A popular meeting point with lovers and buskers alike we’d suggest you kick off your walk by impressing your date with the geeky story behind the escalator. From there head to St Anne’s a neo-classical effort that survived the war but came within a whisker of collapse when work began on the W-Z tunnel running beneath it. The 1949 tunnel project caused several landslides and it took a team of 400 workers two weeks to shore the foundations and stabilise the soil. Bt the real hero of the hour was Romauld Cebertowicz, a professor who invented a way of solidifying the soil by way of directing electric currents into it. The interiors of St Anne’s house numerous intricate details, but the real reason for visiting is the ‘taras widokowy’, a viewing platform on top of the next door tower. Next, make a beeline instead for the Mickiewicz monument that honours Poland’s best loved bard. This statue was erected in 1898, the centenary of his birth. Unveiled at a time of Imperial Russian repression the very creation of his likeness was regarded as something of a bombshell, and over 12,000 patriotic Poles turned up to cheer the ribbon cutting. Standing just behind is one of the Warsaw’s biggest mysteries. Everyone knows the pink building with that great big chunk missing from its facade, but what the devil is it? Built in 1784 to serve as a travellers inn this mysterious structure is actually student digs, as well as home to a branch of the WBK bank and a music shop. The 17th century Camelite Church next door is one of the original examples of the classicist style to be found in Poland, and comes topped off with a sea green orb representing the world. Next up it’s the Presidential Palace, that fenced-off building guarded by stone lions and stern soldiers. Construction on it started in 1643 at the behest of Stanislaw Koniecpolski, though was only completed after his death. It passed into the hands various aristocratic families and in the 18th century became the famed venue for lavish society banquets. None were more celebrated than the party held to celebrate the coronation of Stanislaw II August Poniatowski in 1789; over two million zloty was spent on entertaining 4,000 guests, a sum which must have been unheard of in those days. But it was money well spent; Poniatowski would prove to be one of Poland’s finest monarchs, and the constitution of May 3, 1791, signed on these very grounds, is recognized as Europe’s first. When Poland regained independence in 1918 the reconstructed building was commandeered to serve as home to the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers. When Herman Goering visited in 1937 he spent so much time pottering around admiring the architectural details he was late for his meeting with the Polish Foreign Minister. It saw more momentous events in 1955, this time when the Warsaw pact – the Soviet Union’s answer to NATO – was ratified within its walls. In 1989 round table talks between the communists and opposition were held here, paving the way for political freedom, and in 1994 it was appointed as the official home of the Polish president. (C-2/3), ul. Karowa. C-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście. The founder of modern astronomy. A sheltered academic, he made his observations a century before the invention of the telescope and without help or guidance. His book De Revolutionibus (1530) posited that the earth rotated on its axis once a day, travelled around the sun once a year, and that man’s place in the cosmos was peripheral. This may seem obvious today, but it was an utterly radical idea at the time. Although astronomers who propagated his ideas were burnt at the stake and the Catholic church placed De Revolutionibus on its list of banned books (as late as 1835), there was no turning back progress. The modern cosmological view - that our galaxy is one of billions in a vast universe - is this man’s legacy. The statue itself was built in 1830 and has seen its fair share of adventure. During WWII the Nazi’s placed a bronze plaque insinuating that the great man was in fact - gasp - a German. In 1942, a boy scout called Alek Dawidowski, ducked the guards and removed the plaque. Boiling with fury, the Nazis removed the statue, hid it in Silesia and dynamited a few other surrounding monuments for good measure. The statue was recovered in the years following the war, while Dawidowski has entered Polish folklore as a result of his bravery. The plaque at the centre of the storm can be viewed in Warsaw’s History Museum. WHAT TO SEE Nicholas Copernicus M o n u m e n t ( Po m n i k Mikołaja Kopernika) Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Grób Nieznanego Żołnier za) B-3, Pl. 103 ...Krakowskie Przedmieście have been fittingly added. Piłsudskiego. The only surviving part of the destroyed Sa xon Palace. The palace was constructed during the 17th century though the tomb was not added to the complex until 1925. Eerily, the tomb was the only part of the structure to survive being dynamited by the Nazis. The ashes of unknown soldiers from WWII Urbanlegend Next door it’s the Le Meridien Bristol Hotel, long regarded as one of Warsaw’s most exclusive hotels. Tread through the marble lobby and you’ll learn why; etched in brass by reception you’ll find the names of dozens of celebrities who’ve stayed here, including Picasso, Nixon and Dietrich. An even more interesting story can be found opposite, namely inside ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 13. A superb bygone creation the Hotel Europejski closed its doors in 20006 following nearly 130 years of service. Built on the site of a guesthouse called the Gerlach the Europejski was funded by publisher Aleksander Przezdziecki, and inspired by the designs he had seen on his world travels. Touched up by architects like Henryk Marconi it came to be known as Warsaw’s first modern hotel. The hotel, which once greeted The Rolling Stones, Robert Kennedy, Marlene Dietrich and Indira Ghandi might have closed, but its current owners have big plans. The lower floors are already occupied by trendy spots like U Kucharzy and Hotl, and there’s plans afoot to develop the upper floors into luxury apartments, offices and a prestigious hotel. Heading back on yourself don’t miss a quick look in at ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 15. Now home to the Ministry of Culture and Art this is where Napoleon met his paramour Marie Walewska at a ball held in his honour. One thing that won’t have escaped your notice at this stage is the preponderance of young people, some of them carrying books, others staggering out of bars. Yep, you’ve guessed it, the university is here, its main campus lying behind the grand gateway at number 26/28. Dating from the 17th century the main building, known as Villa Regia, was remodelled and renovated several times, before finally being earmarked as the home of Warsaw’s new university. Established in 1819 and opened for class a couple of years later the uni had a tough time under Russian rule. Closed in retaliation for the 1830-31 Uprising the university continued to operate underground, though by 1859 the Tsar had been placated enough to the extent he rubber stamped the creation of a School of Medicine. Today, with some 57,000 students on the roll call the university stands out as the largest in Poland, as well as one of the best - a title hotly contested with Kraków’s Jagiellonian Uni. Notable alumni include former Israeli premier Yitzhak Shamir, writer Witold Gombrowicz, award-winning hack Ryszard Kapusciński, current president Lech Kaczyński and poet Julian Tuwim. Having failed in your attempt to get as few phone numbers from the student body cross the street making a line for the Church of the Holy Cross (see p 100). Much has been written about this place, so we won’t add anything other than make sure you put it on your list of unmissables. Finally, at the end of KP, it’s Copernicus himself and his statue has also played its part in Warsaw’s recent history. To those deported and murdered in the East (Pomnik Poległym i Pomordowanym na Wschodzie) E-1, intersection of Bonifraterska, Andersa and Muranowska. Dating from 1995, and designed by Maksymilian Biskupski, this monument remembers the victims of Soviet aggression and all those deported to the wastes of Siberia. Museums Starego Miasta 20, tel. 022 831 76 91, www.muzeumliteratury.pl. Find out about the smart Alec who inspired Romanticism in Poland. As well as having a number of manuscripts and historical artefacts connected with Mickiewicz, the museum also has exhibits connected with other leading Polish writers. QOpen 10:00 - 15:00, Wed, Thu 11:00 18:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat. Admission 6/5zł, Sun free for permanent exhibit only. Warszawska 21, Otrębusy, tel. 022 758 50 67, www. muzeum-motoryzacji.com.pl. The biggest car museum in Poland is home to vehicles owned by Presley and Monroe, as well as limousines once used by villains like Stalin, Beria and the Nazi hierarchy. The collection also includes tanks, rickshaws, motorcycles and a tractor dating from 1895. Certain cars can be hired for special occasions. QOpen 08:00 - 17:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. Admission 8/5zł, children under 7 free. B-3, ul. Kredytowa 1, tel. 022 827 76 41, www.pme. waw.pl. From August till September the bulk of this museum will be closed to the public, with only an exhibition dedicated to roadside chapels on view to the public.QOpen 09:00 16:00, Wed 11:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission free. Adam Mickiewicz Museum of Literature (Muzeum Literatury im. Adama Mickiewicza) B-1, Rynek Nike B-2, near Pl. Zamkowy (Trasa W-Z scarp). Just Car Museum (Muzeum Motoryzacji i Techniki) ul. before hitting the WZ tunnel that rumbles below the old town visitors can’t fail but see a giant cast iron statue of Nike: as in the Greek Goddess of Victory, not the shoe. Standing with sword and shield raised aloft this noble structure is actually officially named ‘Monument to the Heroes of Warsaw 1939-1945’, and remembers the thousands of locals who fought and died against nazi rule. The statue made its debut in 1964, originally standing on pl. Teatralny. This was before there was any official memorial to the Warsaw Uprising, and as such Nike became the favoured assembly point for Polish veterans, as well as student agitators in later years. In 1999 pl. Teatralny underwent a well-deserved facelift and the fearsome Nike found herself forklifted over to her current spot where she stands with a watchful eye over the cars and buses that gasp too-and-fro. Ethnographic Museum (Muzeum Etnograficzne) Syrena. The mermaid is a symbol of Warsaw. Legend has it Prince Kazimierz got hopelessl y lost while on a hun tin g expe di tion in th e area that is now Warsaw. In a stroke of luck a mermaid appeared and guided the hapless prince to safety by firing burning arrows. The mermaid has remained an icon and statues of her can be found in (C-1), Old Town Square, (D-2), Świętokrzyski Bridge and on Firemen’s Museum (Muzeum Historii i Techniki Pożarniczej) A-3, ul. Chłodna 3, tel. 022 620 98 27, www.mazowsze.straz.pl. The first organized fire brigade began operations in Warsaw in 1836, and this fabulous museum records its intriguing and often disturbing history. Tricky to find, the museum is also somewhat confusingly locked during its opening hours. Getting in means a game of Russian Roulette as visitors take their chances pressing a variety of bells and buzzers. On negotiating this initial obstacle guests will find themselves handed an English language brochure detailing the history of Warsaw’s firemen, and a carte blanche to explore the various rooms and chambers. Housed in a former fire station the opening room features flags, insignia, trumpets and sirens, as well as medals and pictures commemorating firemen who Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 104 WHAT TO SEE Saski One piece of lost Warsaw that is set to rise again is the Saski Palace, formerly located in the grounds of Saski Park (B-2). Originally the residence of the Morsztyn family the building was purchased by King Augustus II and substantially enlarged and used by both him and his successor, Augustus III. Off-topic, but nevertheless worth airing, amateur historians will delight in learning that Augustus II sired 12 children by different women, while his successor managed to match the number, only this time staying loyal to his wife in the process. Back on track, when Augustus III passed away (shagged out most likely) the building fell into disuse before being rented out for accommodation. Between 1806-1816 the Prussians established Warsaw Lyceum on the premises, and conflicting evidence suggests that Chopin either lived there for a time, or that his father taught French in one of the outbuildings. Extensively remodelled in 1842 the Palace finally assumed its best known shape in 1925 when the Tomb of the Unknown soldier was added to the series of colonnades used to link the two wings together. Serving as the seat of the Polish General Staff after WWI it was here that the German Enigma Code was first cracked by local science boffins. WWII signalled the end of the Palace and it was flattened by retreating Nazi troops, with only the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier surviving the blasts. But the story continues. In a rare act of foresight the city of Warsaw has decided to cover the 201 million złoty cost of rebuilding Saski Palace. Budimex Dromex have been awarded the tender to undertake the work and the façade, thanks to blueprints made available by the Central Military Archive, will look just like it did in 1939. It’s not known what will occupy the space, with ideas ranging from a Museum of Polish History to an institute dedicated to the thoughts of Pope John Paul II. Completion is set for 2010, though so far building work has not entirely gone to plan. Although sappers failed to find any undetonated devices, builders have since come across over 10,000 rare archaeological finds including baroque sculptures, secret tunnels, ancient wells, German helmets and wine glasses bearing August III’s monogram. The one problem being that no provision was made for discoveries of this scale, meaning that many of the treasures recovered have since corroded after being incorrectly stored. Right now it’s hard to imagine what it will look like when completed, but don’t let that stop you from approaching the fence and waving at the workmen. Having successfully distracted Poland’s finest then head into the park, one of the oldest public parks in the world, and home to a sundial from 1863 and a fountain from 1855. perished during WWII. From there follow a startled looking curator into a room stuffed with uniforms, breathing apparatus and brutal looking cutting equipment. Finally, find yourself deposited inside a large hall packed with fire engines dating from as early as the 18th century. Chillingly, a small side room has been reserved for a display of objects destroyed by fire, including a charred home computer, and a frazzled wing piece recovered from Poland’s biggest air disaster. QOpen 09:00 - 14:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Admission free. WHAT TO SEE 105 28/42, tel. 022 635 16 25, www.mhw.pl. With over 60 rooms packed with scores of fascinating exhibits, Warsaw’s amazing history museum proves not just a must visit, but a bloody long visit. Charting the many ups and downs of the city your trip begins with a sobering film that depicts Warsaw’s destruction in 1944. From there the chambers that unravel before you contain everything and anything connected with the evolution of the city; medieval city maps, royal seals, even a register of plague casualties from 1624. A maze-like monstrosity, the museum has all the requisite broken pots and old clothing, as well as a great collection of paintings showing Warsaw’s development through the centuries. Interest gathers the more stairs you climb, with exhibits numbering curiosities such as pre-war cigarette boxes and 90 year old menus from the Hotel Bristol. Your education through the life and times of Warsaw culminates on the top floor, where a number of chambers are dedicated to WWII (whose displays include the plaque placed on the Copernicus monument by the Nazis), the post-war rebuilding program and the Solidarity movement. QOpen 11:00 - 18:00, Wed, Fri 10:00 - 15:30, Sat, Sun 10:30 - 16:30. Closed Mon. Last ticket sold 45 minutes before closing. Admission 6/3zł, Sun free. Historical Museum of Warsaw (Muzeum Historyczne Miasta Warszawy) B-1, Rynek Starego Miasta Katyń Museum (Muzeum Katyńskie) ul. Powsińska Museum of Asia and Pacific (Muzeum Azji i Pacyfiku w Warszawie) B-1, ul. Freta 5, tel. 022 635 28 National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe) C-4, Al. 13 (Fort Sadyba), tel. 022 842 66 11, www.muzeumwp.pl. This museum documents the shocking events of 1940 when around 20,000 Polish officers were executed by their Soviet captors. The museum has a host of objects, documents and personal effects that have been recovered from the site near Smolensk, Russia. There is also a display of a variety of army equipment such as tanks and heavy artillery. QOpen 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission free. 11, www.muzeumazji.pl. Not the sort of museum you’d expect to find in the middle of Poland. Nevertheless it’s a fascinating place full of art, swords and religious artefacts. QOpen 12:00 - 18:00, Sun 12:00 - 16:00. Admission 5/3zł, Thu free. B-2, ul. Kozia 11, tel. 022 827 88 95, www.muzeumkarykatury.pl. One of the only ones in the world. Has thousands of cartoons, caricatures, satirical drawings and other side-splitting stuff. QOpen 11:00 - 17:00, Thu 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Admission 5/3zł, Sat free. Museum of Caricature (Muzeum Karykatury) Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie) B-1, ul. Freta 16, tel. 022 831 80 92, muzeum.if.pw.edu.pl. Born Maria Skłodowska on November 7, 1867, and better known to the world as Marie Curie, this small museum inside the building she was born in contains a charming homage to the life and work of the Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Located in just two small rooms, artefacts include many personal effects such as original letters and one of Curie’s black dresses as well as a small collection of scientific instruments and a particularly peculiar model of a nuclear power plant. The lady who gave the world so much, including the chemical element polonium, named after the country of her birth, died in Savoy, France, on July 4, 1934, the victim of leukaemia, which she is believed to have contracted during her many years of dangerous research. Q Open 09:30 - 17:00, Tue 08:30 - 16:30, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00, Mon Closed. From August 16 Open 09:30 - 17:00, Tue 08:30 - 16:30, Sat 10:00 - 16:00, Sun 10:00 - 15:00, Mon Closed. From September Open 09:30 - 16:00, Tue 08:30 - 16:30, Sat 10:00 - 16:00, Sun 10:00 - 15:00, Mon Closed. Admission 3-10zł. Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum (Muzeum Museum of Independence (Muzeum Niepodległości) B-2, Al. Solidarności 62, tel. 022 826 90 91, www.muzeumniepodleglosci.art.pl. Rather ironically, the museum that charts Poland’s struggle for freedom was home to the Lenin Museum during communist rule. Celebrating Polish patriotism, the museum covers all the key dates of Polish history, including the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising, the 19th century insurrections, Piłsudski’s return to Poland, WWII and the rise of Solidarity. Among the 48,000 exhibits are objects recovered from WWII concentration camps, and some wonderful displays of Socialist Realist artwork. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon. Last ticket sold 30 minutes before closing. Admission 5/3zł. Groups over 10 people 2zł per person. Sun free. Jerozolimskie 3, tel. 022 621 10 31, www.mnw.art. pl. Located inside a huge and decidedly bizarre inter-war building, Warsaw’s National Museum is a must for anyone visiting the city. Dating from 1862 and operating under its current name since 1916, among the huge array of permanent exhibitions, highlights include some wonderful pieces from world antiquity, a wealth of delightful 15thcentury Dutch and Flemish paintings and several galleries of Polish art from the 16th century onwards, including some of the best work by the country’s leading early 20th-century artists such as Witkiewicz, Makowski and Szczepkowski. Also on display are some fine examples of furniture and decorative arts inside the Gallery of Polish Decorative Art. Highly recommended. QOpen 10:00 16:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Last ticket sold 45 minutes before closing. Admission 17/10zł for entire museum; 12/7zł for permanent exhibition only. Sat free for permanent exhibition. Polish Army Museum (Muzeum Wojska Polskiego) www.inyourpocket.com C-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 3, tel. 022 629 52 71, www. muzeumwp.pl. The chronological history of the Polish army is presented in a series of gloomy rooms. Suits of armour, crossbows, muskets, medals and paintings pack this museum, though the absence of English-language explanations mean you’ll learn next to nothing. The room at the end is dedicated to Poland’s role in WWII, with specific emphasis on the Warsaw Uprising. Curiously, the best part of the museum is actually free of charge: the outdoor collection of 20th century weaponry includes an array of tanks, missiles, aircraft and rocket launchers. QOpen 10:00 - 16:00, Wed 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Last ticket sold 30 minutes before closing. Admission 8/4zł, groups over 10 people 3zł per person, Wed free. Guide 50zł. Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 106 WHAT TO SEE Wojtek the Bear Fond of a bevvy and a fag Wojtek’s habits weren’t too different from your typical soldier, but typical he most certainly wasn’t. Private Wojtek of the 22nd Polish Artillery Supply Company was actually a six-foot Syrian brown bear who served alongside Polish soldiers during the 1944 Battle of Monte Cassino. Now, 45 years after his death, he finds himself once more in Courtesy of Vic Baczor the headlines as a campaign to have a monument honoring his life gathers pace. So what’s his story then. He joined the unit in 1943 as Polish troops advanced into Palestine. Accounts differ how the soldiers came upon him, though it’s understood he was adopted as a homeless cub and weaned on condensed milk poured from a vodka bottle. Affectionately christened Wojtek he slept and worked alongside the men, helping in the transport of live shells and boxes of ammunition to artillery positions. Fed on a diet of marmalade and honey it wasn’t long before Wojtek started assuming human traits, including the love of a smoke and a beer – his rewards for a good day’s work. More than just a mascot Wojtek became a reliable member of his unit, mastering the controls of the shower hut, and once allegedly capturing an Arab spy hiding in the camp. With his unit reassigned to serve in the Italian campaign the soldiers faced the prospect of losing a loyal and valued comrade. The only loophole was to enlist him, and so it was Wojtek was entered into the Polish army, complete with name, number, identity and ration papers. His unit was deployed to Monte Cassino, and handed the unenviable task of resupplying Allied troops pinned down by German gunfire. It was in these hellish conditions Wojtek earned his spurs, never once dropping a shell. His bravery was recognized by high command who changed the insignia of the 22nd Company to depict a bear carrying crates of ammo. By all accounts Wojtek was a bit of a social animal; during breaks in combat he would wrestle with his Polish mates, often clamping their heads in his jaws. He was a voracious tea drinker, sometimes taking his brew with a nip of vodka, and nor was he averse to clandestine raids on the field canteen. Come the end of the war the company was redeployed to Berwickshire in Scotland, and it didn’t take long for the legend of Wojtek to spread. Local farmhand Jock Pringle recalls his run-ins with the soldier bear: ‘He had two bottles of beer a day and loved a fag, though it had to be lit for him. If it wasn’t lit he’d spit it back out on his paws. He’d have one puff and then swallow it.’ Finally, in 1947, his unit was demobilized, and Wojtek was placed in the care of Edinburgh Zoo where he became a cult attraction. His former comrades would occasionally visit him, flinging cigarettes his way, conversing in Polish to him, and even jumping into his enclosure to grapple with their old friend. Although the subject of a book and memorial following his death in 1963 Wojtek’s memory had been in danger of fading. That was until this year when he hit the headlines once more. Edinburgh locals are campaigning for a memorial to go up in his honour, while a new book and documentary about his life are due to be released shortly. This time round it looks like his legacy is here to stay. WHAT TO SEE Railway Museum (Muzeum Kolejnictwa) E-3, ul. Towarowa 1, tel. 022 620 04 80, www.muzeumkolejnictwa.waw.pl. Two large rooms full of working and static models of classic and modern trains, large train sets, a display case full of guards’ hats from all over the world, a nice display of cable car-related paraphernalia and a huge collection of old engines in all possible conditions through the door in the room on the right. Heaven if you like this kind of thing, appallingly pointless and depressing if you don’t, especially as nothing is in English. QOpen 09:30 - 15:30. Closed Mon. Admission 6/4zł. Children under 7 free. Fri free. 107 Parks G-4, ul. Agrykoli 1, tel. 022 506 01 01, www.lazienkikrolewskie.pl. The park and palace complex where half of Warsaw descends on a Sunday to take the traditional family stroll. Notable features amid the landscaped gardens include the art-deco Chopin monument (1926), the palace on the water (remodelled in 1792), an old orangery and a classicist amphitheatre loosely inspired by Herculaneum. The 74 hectare site originally served as the residence of Stansiław August Poniatowski - Poland’s last monarch. In spite of sporadic damage, much of the dynamite laid by Nazi troops failed to destroy the buildings. QOpen 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon. Last entrance 30 minutes before closing. Park open from dawn till dusk. Guided tours please book 3 days in advance. Admission 12/9zł. Guides 80zł. Łazienki Park & Palace (Ła zienki Królewskie) Fotoplastikon Fotoplastikon F-3, Al. Jerozolimskie 51, tel. 022 625 35 52, www.fotoplastikon. stereos.com.pl. Now, you may hear some people claiming this to be the only fotoplastikon in Europe. This is clearly a lie there’s one across the road in the Palace of Culture, for a start. Nonetheless, don’t let that stop your visit. Hidden away in a darkened pre-war tenement a visit here really is a trip back in time. So what the devil is a fotoplastikon? Invented in Germany in the second half of the 19th century they’re basically a 3D peep show (no, not the saucy kind) set inside a great big drum-like contraption. Presenting vivid images from across the world these groovy machines became an absolute sensation and at any onetime there were an estimated 250 in Europe. Warsaw apparently got its first in 1901, and the one on show here is thought to be from 1905. Although fotoplastikons were made obsolete by improved camera and film technology this one continued to open for the public, and during the war apparently served as a contact point for the Polish underground. Its role as a meeting point for academics and intellectuals continued well into communism, and today this family run operation allows visitors to glimpse Warsaw and other global landmarks in their pre-war glory. The show lasts 20 minutes and comes highly recommended. QOpen 15:00 - 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun. Admission 20/10zł. The Armoury - Archeological Muzeum (ArsenałPaństwowe Muzeum Archeologiczne w Warszawie) A-2, ul. Długa 52, tel. 022 831 32 21, www. pma.pl. Housed inside the city’s former Royal Arsenal, this somewhat infuriating museum was opened in 1923 and looks like it hasn’t been touched since. Tracing the history of the region through the use of some nice recreations of early d wellings and the usual skeletons and pots, the two floors that make up the museum do, it must be said, possess one of two rather good things to see. The problem is that everything is in Polish only, meaning that for example the gorgeous collection of architectural and religious pieces on the upper floor is rendered meaningless beyond its aesthetic value, which for a museum such as this in a capital city such as this is unforgivable. The entrance incidentally is tucked away conveniently on the far (northern) side of the building. QOpen 09:00 - 16:00, Fri 11:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sat. Admission 8/4zł, Sun free. Arkadia G-7. In the deep south of the city and often overlooked. Founded in 1784 by Helena Radziwił the romantically landscaped park is open from ten in the morning until dusk and features a replica of Diana’s Temple standing in the centre of a manmade lake. The Królikarnia Palace is the undisputed highlight and was completed in 1786 following plans laid out by Domenico Merlini - the chap responsible for Łazienki Palace. Based on the renaissance age Villa Rotunda in Vicenza the palace was also used as base by Polish and American revolutionary Tadeusz Kościuszko during the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794, and it’s grounds were a popular spot for the super-rich to enjoy their favourite vice: rabbit hunting. Q Open from 10:00 till dusk. Teatralny 1 (entrance from ul. Wierzbowa), tel. 022 692 07 56, www.teatrwielki.pl. Opened in 1957, this rather sad collection of posters, paintings, costumes, props and other theatrical paraphernalia claims to draw extensively from its collection of over 200,000 pieces. Essentially a room of theatrical bits and bobs that appear to have been thrown through the door, the idea is that the museum and the theatre building its located in merge into one harmonious, thespianesque experience. This is great if you’re visiting for a performance and can wander in and out of both during the interval, but try getting into the theatre from the museum at any other time and you run the risk of being herded back through the door by a rather fanatical security guard. Q Open from September 10:00-14:00. Admission 7/5zł. Theatre Museum (Muzeum Teatralne) B-2, Pl. Kabacki Forest (Las Kabacki). Found towards the Ujazdowski Castle (Museum Of Modern Art/ CSW) (Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski) G-4, ul. Jazdów 2, tel. 022 628 12 71 south west of the city limits, the forest was the scene of Poland’s worst air crash on the May 7, 1987. A memorial stone pays tribute to the 182 people who died. The forest is also believed to be the hiding place of a warthog that escaped from Warsaw Zoo while being transported to start a new life in San Diego. Locals have named the fugitive Non Diego. Officially marked as a nature reserve since 1980 the 900 hectare park lies within easy reach of Kabaty metro stop the area is home to owls, kestrels, deer, boar, foxes and the European Tree Frog. A popular hideout for Home Army soldiers during WWII the reserve is also home to many mass graves dating from this time, and is also allegedly the spot where Polish scientists first cracked the Enigma code. The Palm More observant visitors are at some stage going to come across a great big palm tree planted in the middle of a traffic island. So, what’s it all about eh? Standing on the intersection between Nowy Świat and Al. Jerozolimskie (C-4, Rondo de Gaulle’a) it’ll come as little surprise that it’s par t of a modern ar t project, awarded the title of Greetings from Jersualem. First off, the tree is not actually a tree, rather a steel column (specially designed so it can bend in the wind), covered with natural bark and leaves made from polyethylene. It’s the work of artist Joanna Rajkowska who during a trip to Israel was struck by the brainwave of sticking a palm tree up in Warsaw to add some sunny cheer. Manufactured in California the project sent city hall into a spin, its baffled bureaucrats not knowing what the devil to do with it; seeing that it wasn’t a tree, building nor a monument there was nothing in their big book of rules directing what to do with it. Eventually it was unveiled to a curious Warsaw public on December 12, 2002. The populace liked this surprise Christmas present so much it became a permanent fixture, as well as the occasional sleeping habitat of returning clubbers too trollied to figure they haven’t stumbled on a desert oasis. Kampinos Forest (Puszcza Kampinoska). Immedi- ext.135, www.csw.art.pl. Completed in a baroque style in 1730, Ujazdowski was gutted by fire during WWII. Though the original walls and foundations remained structurally sound the communist authorities decided to tear down the shell of the building with the intention of building a military theatre on the site. Common sense prevailed and the 1970s saw Ujazdowski rebuilt following its original style. Used as a military hospital in the years leading up to the war, it now has three large exhibition halls dedicated to showcasing the very best of contemporary art inside the wonderful Ujazdowski Castle; find a wild mix of the good, the bad and the ugly, featuring the work of Poland’s leading contemporary artists. Worthy and undoubtedly necessary, the gallery also houses a very good bookshop and a café. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Fri 11:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. Last entrance 30 minutes before closing. Admission 12/6zł, Thu free. ately North West of Warsaw, Kampinos is the most accessible of Poland’s national parks. Interspersed with dunes and marshland, the forest is home to 81 endangered species, and criss-crossed with hiking and horse-riding trails. The past decades have witnessed successful attempts to reintroduce beaver, elk and lynxes back to the wild. Equally famous for its association with the battle for Polish independence, Kampinos’ proximity to the capital has made it a favourite camp for partisans throughout the course of history; today mass graves dating from national uprisings in 1863 and 1944 can be visited. Hungry but got no time? Check our quick eats box on page 72 Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 108 WHAT TO SEE Presidential Palace Mokotowskie Field (Pole Mokotowskie) E-5. Penned in by the districts of Mokotów, Ochota and Śródmieście this park represents prime real estate, and right now much of the land is subject to sky-high bods from nasty real estate developers. Hands off we say, and not just because drinking in Pole Mokotowskie’s countless bars is one of the highlights of summer. Prior to WWII it was used as a military parade ground, and then from 1910, one of Europe’s first airports. It was here that the Polish aviators Żwirko and Wigura began many of their aerial adventures, and by 1921 passenger flights linking Warsaw with Paris (via Prague and Strasbourg) were commonplace. The opening of Okęcie Airport in 1933 sounded the death knell for the airport, and today it serves as a popular summer spot for suburbanites, as well the venue for public events such as the annual Earth Festival. Skaryszewski Park H-2, Al. Zieleniecka. Across the river, and one of Warsaw’s most notorious parks thanks to its popularity with people who do strange things in bushes at night. By day it’s altogether more pleasant with plenty of artificial hills, waterfalls, lakes and flowerbeds filling the 55 hectare site. Originally founded in 1905 it first went under the name of Paderewski Park up until 1945. Several points of interest including a monument commemorating allied pilots killed when their B24 bomber was shot down in 1944 while trying to supply insurgents fighting in the Warsaw Uprising. Only seven crew members survived and one of them, Henry Lloyd Lyne unveiled the memorial in 1988. Refreshments can be found in the Miśianka café, a former public lavatory. Find it right next to Rondo Waszyngtona. PKIN Palace of Culture and Science (PKiN) (Pałac Kultury i Nauki) B-4, Pl. Defilad 1, tel. 022 656 76 00, www.pkin.pl. Following Poland’s betrayal at Yalta by its so-called Allies the aftermath of WWII saw the country fall under the Soviet sphere of influence for a period that would last until 1989. For all the aggressive westernisation that has since followed, the marks of four decades of communism have yet to be completely erased from the face of Warsaw. Of these the most apparent is the Palace of Culture and Science, standing in the heart of the city. You couldn’t miss this one if you tried. Soaring 231 metres into the sky the building remains the tallest in Poland, in spite of recent competition from its highrise neighbours. Originally commissioned by Stalin as a ‘gift from the Soviet people’ the structure actually takes its inspiration from the capitalist world, namely the Empire State Building. Stalin had sent a secret delegation to New York to learn both about the building and American construction methods, though the outbreak of WWII meant that it wasn’t until 1952 that his architects were to commence putting their knowledge into practice. Lev Rudynev, the brains behind the equally monstrous Lomonosov University in Moscow, was put in the charge of the design, and set about making the building into one of the most notorious examples of Socialist Realist architecture in the world. Over 5,000 workers were ferried in from the Soviet states and housed in a purpose-built village in Jelonki, west Warsaw, where they were effectively cut off from the outside world. Working around the clock, it took them just three years to complete the Palace. In all 16 died during the construction, though despite the Olympian efforts of the labourers Stalin never lived to see his pet project completed. Built using an estimated 40 million bricks and housing 3,288 rooms the Palace’s purpose was to serve as not just party headquarters but also ‘the peoples castle’, with invitations to the annual New Year’s Eve Ball issued to the best workers in socialist Poland. Regardless of this the building became an object of hatred and a stain on the skyline; like the imperialist Nevsky Cathedral that once stood on pl. Piłsudskiego, the palace was seen as no more than a symbol of Russian hegemony. Viewed from a distance - apparently it can be spotted from 30km away - the palace appears a faceless monolith. Viewed closely several intricate details appear in focus. Under Stalin’s orders architects travelled around Poland’s key cultural sights, from Wawel to Zamość, observing Polish architectural traditions, hence the numerous crenellations, courtyards and motifs. 109 Pr esidential Palace C-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 46/48. If pre-war Warsaw was considered the Paris of the East then Krakowskie Przedmieśćie would have been its Champs Elysees, its importance recognized by the number of palaces, institutions, monuments and churches that line it. Of those none are more important than the Presidential Palace at number 46/48, that mysterious fenced-off building guarded by stone lions and stern looking soldiers. Construction on it started in 1643 at the behest of Stanislaw Koniecpolski, though was only completed after his death. It passed into the hands of various aristocratic families and in the 18th century became famed for its banquets - the most extravagant being held to commemorate the coronation of Stanisław II August Poniatowski in 1789; over two million złoty was spent entertaining the 4,000 guests. Poniatowski was to prove one of the nations finest monarchs and the Constitution of May 3, 1791, signed on these very grounds, is recognized as Europe’s first - and only the second in the world. A statue of Poniatowski’s brother, himself a military hero, was added to in 1965. Of its residents none were more eccentric than General Zajaczek, a one legged Duke who was carried around in his armchair by a team of simpering servants. His wife, an ageless looking maiden, attributed her eternal youth to a strict diet that banned any hot meals, and a rigorous set of guidelines that included having pots of ice placed under her bed and freezing cold baths. After 1818 it became the seat of the Viceroy of the Polish Kingdom, and its halls entertained many a visiting Tsar. In 1852 calamity struck and the palace was burned to the ground. Reconstructed by Alfons Kropiwnicki the rebuilt structure served as a home to the Agricultural Society, and in 1879 Jan Matejko’s epic painting The Battle of Grunwald was put on display to an appreciative Warsaw public. Extensively remodeled throughout the course of history one of its biggest revamps came at the turn of the century when one wing was demolished to make way for the Hotel Bristol. When Poland regained its independence in 1918 it was commandeered to serve as home of the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers. When Herman Goering visited in 1937 he spent so much time pottering around admiring the architectural details he was late for his appointment with the Polish Foreign Minister. Amazingly it survived both the 1939 Siege of Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising five years later, though that did little to stop the authorities employing Antoni Brusche and Antoni Jawornicki to give it a further facelift. It saw more momentous events in 1955, this time when the Warsaw Pact - the Soviet Union’s answer to NATO - was ratified within its walls. Since 1994 it has served as the official home of the Polish president, which is exactly why you’ll find streams of limos heading in and out, and square jawed soldiers pointing their weapons at anyone who strays too close. Warsaw In Your Pocket Once inside the ground floor becomes a maze of halls and corridors, with chambers named af ter Eastern icons - Yuri Gagarin, Marie Skłodowska-Curie (a fam ous communis t sympathiser) etc. Bra s s ch an d eli ers hang over clacking parquet flooring, secret lifts lie hidden around and allegorical socialist reliefs take inspiration from ancient mythology - it’s easy to imagine Bond snooping around planting listening devices. Several conference rooms still hold original translators booths, complete with huge dials and buttons. The crowning glory of the ground floor is the Sala Kongresowa, a decadent red theatre space apparently inspired by La Scala. Holding 2,880 its original use was to host party conferences, though through the years it became better known as a concert venue - hosting acts as diverse as the Rolling Stones in 1967, to the Chippendales in 2006. Although Stalin never made it to the Palace, Comrade Brezhnev did, and nowadays it’s possible to view the room he used before famously staggering to address the crowd gathered in the Sala Kongresowa. Fitted with pine and oak taking a step inside Brezhnev’s personal space is the closest you’ll come to going back in time. With the fall of communism the idea of dynamiting the palace was floated, though today it stands acknowledged as a protected building with the President of Warsaw listed in documentation as the official owner. The viewing platform on the 30th floor is visited by approximately 1,500 people daily, and offers panoramic views of the city spinning below you. Q Open 09:00-20:00, Fri, Sat 09:00-23:00, From September Open 09:00-20:00, From September 15 Open 09:00-18:00. Admission for the viewing level is 20/15zł. The Saxon Garden (Ogród Saski) B-2/3, between ul. Marszałkowska and ul. Królewska. Opened to the public in 1727 Saski Park ranks as one of the oldest public parks in the world, and was originally designed in a ‘French style’, before being changed to follow English aesthetics in the 19th century. Originally part of the Saski Palace complex highlights include a sundial dating from 1863, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; the only surviving part of the Palace. Although wrecked by Nazi miscreants in 1944 many of trees in the park survived, and it’s possible to find ones dating from a quarter of a century ago. An empire style fountain designed by Marconi in 1855 stands close to the bottom corner of the park, and other points of interest include a memorial honouring Warsaw residents killed during WWII, and a statue of Stefan Starzyński, the towns mayor at the outbreak of WWII who was later to become another statistic of Dachau concentration camp. Ujazdowski Park G-4. Not as grand as the nearby Łazienki, it’s still a pleasant place to walk the dog and get up to other typical Sunday pastimes. It stands under the imposing shadow of Ujazdowski Castle which was rebuilt in the 1970s. Q Open from dusk till dawn Museum of Technology (Muzeum Techniki) B-4, Pl. Defilad 1 (PKiN), tel. 022 656 67 47, www.muzeumtechniki.waw.pl. A vast collection dedicated to the history of everything technological inside the equally enormous Palace of Culture & Science, the only thing missing here is a map. Truly huge, and clearly laid out by somebody with a sadistic sense of humour, the scores of rooms scattered willy nilly and organised with what appears to be a contemptuous disregard for reason and logic, highlights include a superbly stylish electric car for children made in France in 1955, a cavalcade of impossible-looking motorbikes and aeroplanes, a room packed with 19th-century musical boxes, a highly amusing 1951 MIG jet flight simulator and a small exhibition celebrating space exploration that could do with some serious updating. Decorated with lace curtains and staffed by an army of sinister-looking old ladies, you won’t learn a thing no matter how hard you try, but it’s a strangely rewarding experience that really has to be seen to be believed. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission 10/5zł. www.inyourpocket.com August - September 2008 110 OLD TOWN Warsaw Uprising in full swing the column took a direct hit from a tank shell and came crashing down. Amazingly Zygmunt survived, losing only his sword, and he was returned to a new perch in 1949. The column he fell off is still knocking around as well, and you can find it lying on its side spitting distance from the Royal Castle. Moving forward head down Świętojańska to run a gauntlet of buskers, ice cream queues and shoe shine boys. Somewhere amid the melee you’ll spot the Cathedral (see Churches), well worth popping into, not least to check out the Baruczkowski Crucifix - a 16th century cross renowned for its mysterious powers. Famed in particular for its crypt this neo-Gothic masterpiece also contains artworks courtesy of Wit Stwosz, as well as tank tracks on the exterior wall recovered from a remote-controlled German tank used to attack the cathedral in 1944. The overall effect is quite something, so it’s no surprise many people bypass the Jesuit Church right next door, a super renaissance building described in detail in our Churches section. It’s hard to believe that by the end of 1944 all before you was just a skeletal set of ruins, but that’s exactly what it was. Evidence of this can be viewed on ul. Zapiecka where some black and white photographs show aerial views of the war time devastation. The Old Town’s subsequent inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980 is remembered in the form of some cobbled stones set into the ground. As tempting as it is to make a beeline for the main square, the Rynek, save yourself for now. Head instead down ul. Piwna, or Beer Street as it translates. Although there’s no evidence of the 15th century breweries that once thrived here you will find a couple of half decent hostelries, though the real reason many visit this street is for a glimpse of St. Martin’s Church on ul. Piwna 9/11. This place was utterly annihilated during the war, and the only fragment to survive was a half-burned figure of Jesus. Since its inception the church has always been linked with theological and political dissent, and this was never more true than in the period of Martial Law, when Solidarity supporters would convene here for both worship and secret meetings. As with the rest of Old Town, the real beauty of Piwna lies in the details - check out the elaborate paintings and gargoyles that peer from the facades, and don’t miss the portal at number 6. Known locally as Pod Gołębiami (and housing a ‘restaurant’ of the same name), this place acquired its name after the war, when a batty old woman settled in the ruins and made it her calling to look after the flocks of pigeons that stalked around the post-war debris. Stay on the left flank of the Old Town to check out the area around ul. Piekarska and ul. Rycerska. This area was formerly home to a small square used primarily for executions. Nicknamed Piekarka this is where witches and other ne’er do wells would be burned at the stake, hung or have their heads lopped off. Marking the end of Piekarska, just outside the old city walls, check out the sword waving figure of Jan Kiliński (see Monuments), a legendary Polish patriot and a hero of the 1994 Kościuszko Uprising. The man who gave his name to that Uprising, Tadeusz Kościuszko (the same lad who would fight with distinction in the American War of Independence, and would later have Australia’s highest peak named after him), lived at Szeroki Dunaj 5. This wide street was formerly home to Warsaw’s fish market, while the street running at a 90o angle, Wąski Dunaj, was the towns original Jewish Quarter back in medieval times. Set in a white arched building at the end of this street is Pub 14 (see Nightlife), a dark, multi-floored bar which has proved the undoing of more than a couple of student types. Directly behind the wall, and onto Podwale, you’ll find one of Warsaw’s most photographed landmarks; The Monument to the Little Insurgent. Depicting a boy weighed down by a machine gun and outsized helmet the monument honours the memory of the child soldiers who fought and died in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, and it’s not rare to find the bronze statue surrounded by school groups on their day out to the capital. Follow Podwale as it curves northwards, and if you’re feeling peckish at this stage search the radar for signs of Podwale Kompania Piwna at number 25 (see Where to Eat). Resembling a typical European beer hall this place is an absolute legend, with servings of meat and cabbage practically forklifted onto tables. At this stage it’s fair to say you’ll probably be feeling like a python who swallowed a pig, so waddle with great care and attention to the Barbakan building, making sure to avoid those annoying street dudes who’ll try and lead you to their executioners block to have your pic snapped. Crowning the set of defensive walls which once protected the city is the Barbakan, a fearsome rotund structure that dates from 1548 and was apparently the work of a Venetian architect. Today it serves as a bridge between Old and New Town, and is also the hangout of choice for teenagers drinking super-strength lager. In summer tours of the interior are available, and well worth the look if you don’t have an aversion to confined spaces. Interestingly, the moat that pins the Old Town in is another relatively recent addition to Warsaw. The original ditch was filled in back in the 18th century when the defences became obsolete, and the walls were incorporated into the dense tangle of townhouses that mushroomed up around. Fragments of these forgotten defences were unearthed in 1937, and a decade later, with Warsaw in ruins, architects took the decision to restore and expose these ancient walls. It’s at this point you’ll find your nose pointing straight down ul. Nowomiejska, a street revered for Warsaw’s best ice cream you’ll spot the shop in question when you note the queue that often stretches out the door. Continue forward to reach the Old Town Square (Rynek). No matter how often you see it, it can’t fail to leave you breathless. The burgher houses that line the square are particularly striking, with many boasting intricate details on the facades. Measuring 90 metres by 73 this square is Warsaw’s defining highlight, and presents unlimited ways to squander your money - tourist junk stores, crappy restaurants populated with stuffed animals, and even OLD TOWN 111 Bill Hails a strip club right on the corner. One place that is worth popping into, even if it’s just to steal the cutlery, is U Fukiera at number 27. The culinary tradition here dates from 1810 when the Fukier family turned this place into Warsaw’s top winery. Today the restaurant is in the hands of the Gessler’s, and their guest list reads as something of a Who’s Who of stage and screen. Culture vulture or not, don’t miss the chance to visit the Historical Museum of Warsaw (see Museums). Not only will you come away with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the city, but you might even end up trading blows and insults with one of the curators who snoops in your wake. Back outside take time to slalom past the parasols and beer umbrellas to check out the centre of the square. In the 15th century this was occupied by a town hall, though this was pulled down in 1817 and never replaced. Instead, today you’ll find a couple of water pumps dating from the 19th century, as well as Warsaw’s best loved monument - Syrenka. Cast in 1855 this mermaid’s form graces every bus, tram and coat of arms you’ll find in the capital. You’re also liable to run into a platoon of street artists. Most famous of the lot is Piotr Bol, a weird, cloaked little man who plays one of Europe’s last music boxes with a parrot alongside him. But for real comedy gold check out the mime artists who stand in frozen posture - a few years back one such chap, dressed as a monk, collapsed after a marathon booze binge leaving his giant genitals exposed to the world. Leaving the square head down ul. Kamienne Schodki. Not only is this the longest stairwell in Old Town, it’s also where Napoleon stood in 1806, pensively staring eastward on the eve of his campaign on the plains of Russia. From here walk south down ul. Brzozowa until you reach the grassy bank that offers sweeping views of the River Wisła. Known as Gnojna Góra (Compost Hill), this small knoll once served as the town rubbish dump, and at one stage was also renowned for its healing properties - this is where the stupid rich would come to be buried up to their necks in rubbish in a supposed cure for syphilis. Doesn’t work, we’ve tried. Head back towards the Old Town by walking towards ul. Dawna, whose trademark blue archway is one of the most picturesque sights in the city. Finally, conclude your epic walking tour by swerving onto ul. Kanonia. Once a graveyard, this small little square features a cracked cathedral bell recovered from the war time debris, as well as what is touted as the worlds narrowest house at number 20/22. Close by note the covered walkway linking the cathedral to the castle. This was built after a failed assassination attempt on Zygmunt III. The King escaped unmolested, but the hapless hitman, Michal Piekarski, found himself skinned alive, stretched by four horses and then chopped into pieces with an axe. And on that happy note, consider your tour at an end. L. Wachacka-Suraj Old Town (Stare Miasto) B-2. When US General Dwight Eisenhower visited Warsaw immediately after the war he was moved to comment, ‘I have seen many towns destroyed, but nowhere have I been faced with such destruction’. Buried under twenty million cubic metres of rubble the city resembled a shattered shell; over half the population had been killed, and 85% of the city razed to the ground. The Old Town had been hit with particular Nazi efficiency, and by the time the Red Army rolled across the river it was little more than a smouldering heap of bricks. To their credit the Capital Reconstruction Bureau chose to rebuild the historic centre, a painstaking process that would last until 1962. Using prewar sketches, paintings and photographs the Old Town was carefully rebuilt, though only at the considerable expense of Poland’s ‘recovered territories’. Szczecin, for instance, was coerced into demolishing many of its historic buildings in order to ‘donate’ an estimated 27 million bricks to the Warsaw rebuilding program. So too Wrocław, which at one stage was sending a staggering one million bricks to Warsaw per day; ‘He who loves Wrocław, loves Warsaw as well’ pined a propaganda tune of the era. But forget the other cities, look at the results in front of you. Although it’s barely half a century old Warsaw’s historic quarter is an architectural miracle, and a breathing tribute to a city that refused to die. Most visits to the Old Town begin on plac Zamkowy, and if you’re Polish then right under the statue of Zygmunt. There isn’t a more popular meeting spot in the city, and there’s not a minute of the day when the steps to the statue aren’t besieged by dating couples or banjo playing irritants. Erected in 1644 by Zygmunt III’s son, Władysław IV, the twenty two metre column was originally designed by Italian architects Augustyn Locci and Constantino Tencalla, and the figure of Zygmunt ranks as Poland’s second oldest monument - beaten into runners up spot by the Neptun Fountain in Gdańsk. Local legend asserts that Zygmunt rattles his sabre whenever Warsaw is in trouble, an occurrence that was first reported during the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising and again during WWII. One fact that can’t be disputed is his good fortune. With the Warsaw In Your Pocket L. Wachacka-Suraj August - September 2008 112 JEWISH WARSAW Wansee Conference of January 1942 rubber stamped plans for the final solution to the Jewish question’ and on July 22 the first deportations to death camps had began. Over the next few weeks around 265,000 Jews were harried to a waiting area known as Umschlagplatz, from which they were loaded into cattle wagons destined for the Treblinka gas chambers. A year later a new action to thin the ghetto was launched, and by April 1943 a final push to completely liquidate the biggest ghetto was put into swing. For too long the Jews had been limited to passive resistance, now with rumours circulating about death camps a band of ill-equipped insurgents faced up to the full weight of the Nazi military machine. Led by Mordechaj Anielewicz the Jewish Fighting Organization (ŻOB) launched what would be recorded as the Ghetto Uprising on April 19, 1943. Numbering a few hundred the Jewish fighters continued their dogged resistance against elite German and Ukrainian forces, but faced with heavy artillery and even Stuka Dive Bombers it was to be a doomed struggle. Vicious street-to-street, house-to-house battle ensued, insurgents often burnt out of their boltholes with flamethrowers and gas. On May 8 German forces surrounded the principal command post of the rebels on ul. Miła 18. Rather than face capture Anielewicz and his cabal opted for mass suicide, a fate also chosen by Szmul Zygielblum, a Jewish member of the Polish Government-in-exile based in London. Addressing allied leaders in his final note Zygielblum rounded on their perceived indifference towards the fate of Poland’s Jews before taking his own life. By May 16 the Uprising was over, with German commander Jurgen Stroop moved to announce in his report to his superiors ‘The former Jewish quarter of Warsaw is no longer in existence’. With the fighting over the rest of the ghetto was levelled, and its inmates either sent to Treblinka or assigned to Gęsiówka (ul. Gęsia), a small concentration camp where their duties would involve clearing the rubble and ruins that formerly constituted the ghetto. It is estimated that some 15,000 Jews survived the war hiding out on the Aryan side, but with the war over and the vitriolic anti-Zionist policies of the post-war government the majority sought a new life in Israel. Today Warsaw’s Jewish population is estimated to stand at 2,000 and efforts are underway to gradually reintroduce the cities hollowed out Jewish culture. JEWISH WARSAW What to see Jewish Cemetery (Cmentarz Żydowski) D-1, ul. Okopowa 49/51, www.beisolam.jewish.org.pl. In spite of sporadic disrepair and neglect, this remains a beautiful and poignant place to visit. The cemetery was originally founded in 1806 and currently houses around 250,000 tombs. Amongst those buried here are Ludwik Zamenhof, inventor of the illfated language Esperanto. Donations for the upkeep of the cemetery can be made to the Citizens Committee for the Protection of Jewish Cemeteries and Monuments of Culture in Poland, tel. 022 827 92 21. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Fri 09:00 - 13:00, Sun 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Sat. Admission 8zł. 113 By the time Hitler chose to expand Germany’s territories under the odious excuse of providing ‘living space’ for the German people Warsaw’s Jewish population numbered 350,000, and was expanding at such a rate that, in the words of historian Norman Davies, it ‘seemed to be heading for an absolute majority’. Neither pogroms nor the occasional boycott on Jewish businesses deterred Jews from settling in the Polish capital and only New York could boast a larger Jewish community. Yet within six years of occupation Warsaw’s thriving Jewish scene was all but wiped from the map, over 90% perishing both in the Ghetto that would imprison them and the gas chambers of Treblinka. To trace Warsaw’s Jewish history one must track back to the 14th century. Although anti-semitism was by no means rare Poland was seen as a relative safe haven by many Jews, and it continued to draw in settlers forced into flight by more discriminatory regimes elsewhere. By the inter-war years the Jewish population had made significant contributions to the social, political and cultural fabric of Poland, a contribution that would eventually be extinguished by the monstrous racial policies of the Nazis, and that today exists only in memory. When Warsaw fell following a brief yet brutal siege the cities ancient Jewish population were damned to destruction. Originally the Nazis had earmarked the eastern suburb of Grochów to serve as a ghetto, but bureaucratic and logistical difficulties meant that by 1940 the easy option was used, and Jews were forcibly penned into an area that already housed the majority of the cities Jews. On March 27, 1940, the Judenrat, a Jewish council answerable to the Nazis whims was ordered to build a wall around the area, and a resettlement deadline of October 15 was handed to the cities Jews. Failure to move into the assigned area was to be punished by death. Spanning 18 kilometres and enclosing 73 of Warsaw’s 1,800 streets the area was carved into a ‘small’ and ‘big’ ghetto, the two linked by a wooden bridge standing over ul. Chłodna. Today a small memorial wall opposite café Chłodna 25 marks this spot. From the beginning conditions were harsh; recovered Nazi files show that while ethnic Germans were granted a food allowance totalling 2,613 calories per day, Jews and other groups deemed ‘sub-human’ were expected to survive on 184 calories. Unsurprisingly a black market supported by a smuggling network ran rife, some 80% of the food in the ghetto supplied through illegal means. Still it was not enough and as the noose tightened starvation became the principal enemy. In 1941 over 100,000 died in this way, their bodies often left to rot in the streets and gutters. Of the 800 ghettos scattered around the Third Reich the Warsaw one was the largest, and also the deadliest. At its zenith the approximately 380,000 people found themselves squashed into the ghetto, with an average of eight people to a room. Yet amid this sea of suffering a remarkable social scene flourished, as proved by the meticulous ghetto diaries kept by Emanuel Ringelblum. Although murdered by the Nazis in 1944 after his hiding place was discovered Ringelblum, an intellectual and social activist, kept volumes of notes documenting the day-to-day life of ghetto inhabitants. Ten metal boxes of his archives were discovered in the ruins of the city in 1946, and are today regarded as the definitive resource of this period in Jewish history. It is from his painstaking notes we learn of the soup kitchens and charities that existed, of the musical concerts and cabarets and the fifty or so underground newspapers that circulated amongst the masses. The illusion of a self-contained cruel but surviving parallel world was shattered in 1942 when the Germans re-ignited their interest in the total annihilation of the Jews. The Jewish Historical Institute (Żydowski Instytut Historyczny) B-2, ul. Tłomackie 3/5, tel. 022 827 92 21, www.jhi.pl. A chilling recollection of Polish Jewry and the only institution in Poland focusing entirely on the study of the history and culture of the Polish Jews, this amazing building houses permanent and temporary exhibits relating to secular and religious Jewish life in the country from its beginnings to the annihilation of the Jews in Poland during WWII and beyond. As well as an excellent bookshop, the institute’s museum, opened in 1948, features a large interactive display in the entrance hall that allows its users to find out about Jewish life in any part of the country, the extraordinary Warsaw Ghetto 1940-1943 exhibition, religious treasures, an archive and a small cinema. Particularly poignant is the collection of photographs taken in the Warsaw Ghetto by Heinz Jost, a German innkeeper who served in the German army and whose almost snapshot-style photographs speak volumes about the place and the time. Essential visiting. QOpen 09:00 - 16:00, Thu 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Last entrance 30 minutes before closing. Admission 10/5zł. Guided tours 130zł. L. Wachacka-Suraj Hitler for a victory arch. menhofa. Designed by Natan Rappapor t, the monument pays tribute to th e h ero es of th e Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Found between (E-1) ul. Anielewicza, Zamenhofa, Le war to wski e go an d Karmelicka it here that the heaviest fighting took place. In an ironic quirk, the stone cladding on the monument was originally ordered from Sweden by Monument to the Ghetto Heroes (Pomnik Bohaterów Getta) A-1, ul. Za- Traces of the Ghetto Following the Ghetto Uprising the whole area was levelled so few traces remain. If you duck into the courtyard at (E-3) ul. Sienna 55 you will see a remaining part of the ghetto wall complete with a commemorative plaque. Possibly the only street that survived the maelstrom of 1943 is the depressing ul. Próżna (F-2). The tenement houses were built between 1880 and 1900 and were once home to Warsaw’s thriving Jewish community. Once a bustling street full of traders and hardware stores it now lies forlorn and neglected; a haunting epitaph to the past. Umschlagplatz E-1. Found on ul. Stawki (E-1), close to the intersection with ul. Dzika, Umschlagplatz is a bleak, slightly disappointing monument marking the spot where around 300,000 Jews were loaded on cattle wagons bound for Treblinka. The Nazi commandant in charge of the deportations lived directly opposite on ul. Stawki 5/7. Lying between Umschlagplatz and the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes lies the legendary monument labelled Miła 18 (note: this is not the address where you can find the monument). Essentially no more than a symbolic grassy knoll, it marks the spot from where the Ghetto Uprising was directed. A. Paginska Twar da 6, tel. 022 620 43 24 ext. 121, w w w.warszawa.jewish.or g.pl. Buil t b etween 1898 and 1902 in a neo-Romanesque style, this was the only Warsaw synagogue to survive the ravages of war. It was fully restored between 1977 and 1983. Now open for worship. QOpen 09:00 - 19:00, Fri 09:00 - 16:00, Sun 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat. No visiting during mass. Groups of more than ten should reserve in advance. Admission 6zł. Nożyk Synagogue (Synagoga Nożyków) E-3, ul. Coming soon? Decades of apathy and lack of funds have meant that until now Warsaw has had little with which to commemorate its Jewish heritage. That looks set to change with the opening of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, a state-of-the-art multimedia exhibit that will chronicle the 1,000 year presence of Jews in Poland. Opening was initially planned for 2008, though this being Poland it helps to add a couple of years onto any construction project. Take a look at what you can expect when the museum finally takes root at the English language website found at www.jewishmuseum.org.pl. Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 114 TREBLINKA Warsaw’s eastern suburb, Praga, has long been regarded as off-limits to Western visitors. Often painted as the bastion of tower blocks and the criminal underclass, the area is actually enjoying a snail-like renaissance, and as such offers visitors a combination of strange sights and sounds. While it is an enjoyable and recommended daytrip, do remember that this is not Old Town; huge zoom lenses and video cameras will attract unwanted attention, quite possibly worse. PRAGA RIP Russian Market Europe’s largest outdoor market, Warsaw’s most absurd attraction, and our favourite source of Valentine’s gifts looks set to be closed down by the authorities to make way for a hyper modern stadium complex that is to be the crowning jewel in Poland’s bid to host a successful Euro 2012 football championship. Originally due to close in June it’s continued to survive, and the chances are the latest deadline for closure will also be missed. Catch it while you can. From the city centre make your way to Rondo Waszyngtona. It’s here that the religious experience begins. While the rest of Saska Kępa enjoys a reputation for its serenity this is anything but, and little more than a battlefield of tramlines and concrete subways, always buzzing with people laden with plastic bags making their way to Poland’s most famous market. Crumbling and decrepit Stadion Dziesięciolecia was originally built in the 1950s on top of WWII rubble to mark the anniversary of the end of WWII. The oval shaped open air arena became the national football stadium and frequently drew capacity crowds of 70,000, and occasionally much more for official state parades and festivals. It was in front of a crowd of 100,000 that Ryszard Siwiec set himself ablaze in 1968 in protest at the Soviet led invasion of Czechoslovakia. By the late 1980s the stadium was left to fall into disrepair, the memories of Michael Jackson performing to tens of thousands of people a fading memory. It was the fall of the Iron Curtain that was to signal its rebirth. Rented out by the city to a group called Jamark Europa the stadium emerged to become the focus of thousands of traders from Poland’s eastern borders, hence its popular tag ‘The Russian Market’. Now the Russians – and the guns they sold – have all but gone, replaced instead by hawkers from Vietnam, Nigeria and other far flung destinations. Although its clothes, including some hilarious counterfeit designer attempts (Kevin Clein, Hugo Bass, Tommy Hilfinger), that take up the bulk of the market, it’s still possible to pick up some treasures including Soviet military medals, pirated CDs featuring Bulgarian bonus tracks and electrical devices that go boom the moment they’re plugged in – great Christmas gifts. Although you’ll find numerous police milling around do be on guard for pickpockets, and seeing that not all these hatchet faced traders are completely legal its best not to start pointing cameras into strange faces. Indeed, this remains the main point for black market activity in Poland, with over 30,000 traders prosecuted since the market began. Figures taken from Wprost magazine a few years back reveal some shocking statistics. It’s estimated some 30,000 pirate CDs change hands each day, 500 stolen mobiles, 10,000 litres of illegally imported booze and ten guns. What will become of these traders is anyone’s guess. As is, more pressingly, what will happen to the rubble the stadium is built on. Poland has no facility to cope with such a huge amount of debris, and this remains one of the lingering question marks found so commonly in the country. Largely illegal it may have been, but this was a cultural experience that was second to none. But Poland moves forward. The site has now been earmarked as part of 1,225,000,000zł complex that will feature a 70,000 allseater national stadium, a new subway link, an Olympic swimming pool, hotel and conference facility. 115 Prior to WWII Treblinka was little more than a backwater community, completely bypassed by world events. That changed in 1941 when it was earmarked by the Nazis to serve as a site of extermination, and it is estimated that between 700,000 to 900,000 people, mainly Jews, were to die in its gas chambers in the years that followed. Indelibly associated with the Nazi death machine Treblinka makes for a haunting pilgrimage, and while there is absurdly little to see it is today a stark and thought provoking experience, as well as the final resting place for many of the habitants of the former ghetto in Warsaw. Getting there Treblinka lies 62 miles north-east of Warsaw, though it’s remote positioning means it’s well worth renting a car for the day to reach it. Head towards Siedlce, turning off at Małkinia, before following signs to Treblinka. From the town it’s a six mile journey, with several rusting signposts to guide your way. Trains travel frequently to Małkinia, with journey time taking approximately 90 minutes. From here its recommended you catch a cab standing outside the station. You won’t need more than an hour to wonder around the site, so do consider bunging the cab driver a little extra to hang around. Emmanuel Dyan Following the uprising, and a similar one at Sobibor, Himmler took the decision to close down the three Aktion Reinhard camps – Bełżec, Sobibor and Treblinka. By October 4, 1943 Treblinka was levelled, reforested and a family of Ukrainian peasants re-settled on the adjacent farmland. Although it is impossible to place an accurate figure on the number of people slaughtered, conservative estimates suggest that anything from 700,000 to 900,000 people were murdered during the camp’s existence. Of the number of Jews who passed through its gates it is thought that fewer than 100 lived to see the end of the war. Near Port Praski. A formidable monument erected in 1985 to act as a memorial for those who fought in the First Polish Infantry Division. Formed in Russia, the division attempted to cross the Wisła river several times without success, in a bid to support the 1944 Uprising. Kościus zkowców Monument (Pomnik Kościuszkowców) G-1, ul. Wybrzeże Szczecińskie, Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Cerkiew Św. Marii Magdaleny) G-1, Al. Solidarności Treblinka Opening ahead of schedule on July 22, 1942, the camp was designed with the sole purpose of liquidating those incarcerated inside the Jewish ghettoes. Measuring 400 by 600 metres, and surrounded with barbed wire fences and watchtowers, the camp was carefully blended into the heavily wooded landscape in an effort to mask its existence. Split into two separate sections, Treblinka I and Treblinka II, Treblinka I consisted of barracks, an armoury and storage areas, as well as a fenced living area housing the 800 or so Jews used to clear bodies, shave hair and sort loot. It was also home to the reception area. It was here that cattle trucks containing Jews were unloaded. Built to resemble a legitimate train station, it was decorated with clocks, timetables, posters and even an infirmary replete with a Red Cross banner. In actual fact the infirmary was no more than a sinister façade to an execution pit, used to murder prisoners too weak to march to the gas chambers. Having been stripped naked, arrivals at Treblinka I were then herded up ‘the tube’, a fenced off path leading to Treblinka II. It was here that prisoners were ushered into gas chambers disguised as bathhouses. Carbon monoxide would then be piped through showerheads, taking as long as half an hour to asphyxiate those trapped inside. At the height of the killing process up to 20 railway carriages could be processed within a period of one to two hours. At first bodies were simply buried in mass graves but by 1943, in an attempt to conceal all traces of genocide, corpses were cremated on massive pyres. Several escape attempts were launched by the permanent staff of Jewish prisoners, with the biggest on August 2, 1943. Having obtained a key to the armoury, a core of around 70 prisoners aimed to storm the Nazi barricades, liberate the other prisoners and flee to the forests. The plan was disrupted when an SS officer, Kurt Kuttner, noticed the rebels raiding the munitions store. He was killed on the spot, but the shots alerted the other guards who launched a swift counter-action. In the brief but fierce gun battle that followed many buildings were torched, but only a handful of prisoners succeeded in escaping. What to see Unlike camps at Majdanek and Auschwitz, little remains at Treblinka; all evidence of its function as a death factory was painstakingly erased by the SS. Today it serves as a haunting site of remembrance, littered with eerie memorial stones dedicated to the communities that were wiped out. A prefabricated concrete building is home to numerous photographs related to the site, and there’s also a selection of Holocaust related literature on sale – though little in English. Huge stones mark the route to the main memorial, and symbolic train tracks and cremation pit have also been laid out. The focal point is a fearsome and gloomy looking monument which commemorates the estimated 310,000 Jews from Warsaw who were gassed on this spot. Their number includes Janusz Korczak, a famed pedagogue who chose to accompany his orphans to Treblinka, rather than the opportunity to escape, and his memory has also been honored with a stone. 52, tel. 022 619 84 67. Constructed between 1867 and 1869 to a design by Mikołaj Syczew, St. Mary Magdalene’s was originally built for the large congregation of Russian souls living around Jagiellońska as well as people arriving from the East at the nearby Wileńska train station. Now belonging to the independent Polish Autokephalic Orthodox Church, this stunning, five-domed building features a breathtaking golden interior and some unusually cheerful abstract designs. One of only two Orthodox churches to survive a demolition campaign in the 1920s, this rather unorthodox Orthodox church comes with its own charming, football-mad priest. QOpen 11:00 - 16:00, Sun 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sat. Sts. Michael & Florian Cathedral (Katedra Św. Michała Archanioła i Św. Floriana) G-1, ul. Floriańska The aftermath Following the war several German and Ukrainian guards were charged with crimes relating to their time at Treblinka. Most escaped with light sentences ranging from three to twelve years. The camp commander, Franz Stangl, fled to Syria and from there to Brazil via Nazi ‘ratlines’ aided by the Vatican. He sought employment in a Sao Paulo Volkswagen plant, and although he never changed his name it took Nazi hunters till 1967 to track him down. He was extradited to answer to his crime in 1970, and died the following year in Dusseldorf Prison. The most controversial case is that of John Demjanjuk. In an episode that has dragged on for the last 20 years, culminating in a frenzied show-trial in the late 1980s, Demjanjuk has stood accused of being ‘Ivan the Terrible’ - a guard known for his brutality. Having originally been sentenced to death by an Israeli court in 1988 he was freed on appeal, after a court cited that evidence procured from KGB files was unreliable. To this day, the ‘was he/wasn’t he’ debate rages, and he finds himself facing fresh accusations of murder and savagery. 3, tel. 022 619 09 60, www.katedra-floriana.wpraga. opoka.org.pl. In reaction to the building of an Orthodox Church and a number of other structures on the Tsar’s orders in the latter half of the 19th century, a certain Pole by the name of Father Ignacy Dutkiewicz decided to hit back with the construction of a huge new Catholic church. Consecrated in 1901, a year before its final completion, this vast Gothic beast was blown to pieces by the Germans in September 1944 and is now almost exclusively the work of ongoing reconstruction between 1947 and 1970. Featuring a pair of steel-tipped, 75-metre steeples, the church, which includes a photograph of what remained of it after the Nazis dynamited it on the left wall as you enter, the interior is rather plain, although the vaulted ceilings are well worth a look at if you’re in the area. QOpen 06:00 - 12:30. 1/3, tel. 022 619 40 41, www.zoo.waw.pl. Opened in 1928, Warsaw Zoo covers an area of 40 hectares and attracts some 500,000 visitors each year. Three elephants, a family of seals and a lion cub were added to the current collection of reptiles, birds and tigers. Conditions have improved dramatically in recent years, though a visit here will do little to change any opinions you have on locking animals in cages. As with every major Warsaw landmark, the zoo has plenty of war stories. It was bombed at the beginning of the conflict and by 1945 all the animals had either been killed, deported to the Third Reich, eaten by locals or escaped into the wild. Zoo director, Jan Żabiński, became something of a hero; wounded during the 1944 Uprising, Żabiński helped save countless lives by sheltering Jewish orphans inside the grounds of the zoo. The zoo officially re-opened in 1949. QOpen 09:00 - 19:00. Last ticket sold 60 minutes before closing. Admission 14/8zł. Children under 3 years free. Warsaw Zoo (Ogród Zoologiczny) G-1, ul. Ratuszowa Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 116 WARSAW UPRISING Mid-September saw numerous attempts by other Polish battalions to smash through German lines that had by now encircled the Home Army into small pockets of resistance. Token victories failed to compensate for the catastrophic casualty list that was now mounting. With the advent of October the Poles found themselves in an increasingly impossible situation. On October 2, 1944, with no hope in sight, General Komorowski signed a capitulation document. The battle had cost the lives of over 20,000 troops and some 150,000 civilians. With the uprising defeated, Hitler ordered all remaining civilians to be expelled and surviving buildings to be numbered in their order of importance to Polish culture then systematically dynamited. FURTHER READING Uprising Museum Warsaw Uprising Museum (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego) D-3, ul. Grzybowska 79, tel. 022 539 79 33, www.1944.pl. A stunning museum, opened in 2004, and revamped in early 2005, and one which we rate as the best in Poland. Packed with interactive displays, photographs, video footage and miscellaneous displays this is guaranteed to leave a deep mark on all visitors. Occupying a former tramway power station the 2,000m2 space is split in three levels and takes leads visitors through the complete story of the uprising. Life under Nazi rule is covered through a series of slides, and a section of the ground floor is dedicated to the children who served as both messengers and soldiers. The rattle of machine guns, Stukka dive bombers and heart beats are played over the speakers, adding to the ominous atmosphere. Different halls focus on the many aspects of the Uprising; a replica of an insurgents radio station has been built, while other sections document the massacre in Wola, allied airdrops and the role of medical units. On the mezzanine level a cinema screen plays a ten minute film detailing the first month of the battle, after which the museums route takes visitors through a mock sewer. The final section features a section devoted to the Soviet creation of ‘Lublin Poland’, a hall of remembrance for the fallen and a display entitled ‘Death of the City’; a haunting epitath to the destruction of Warsaw in which silent films project before and after shots of city landmarks. The wall of the small park outside is marked with the names of 4,000 casualties, and is also home to occasional photographic exhibitions. New additions to this fantastic space include a replica of B24 Liberator plane, a 110-seat cinema and a 32 metre tall viewing tower. Although multi-lingual tour guides are available, the translations on most of the museums displays are clear enough to render a guide unnecessary and there’s even a creche for the kids. QOpen 08:00 - 18:00, Thu 08:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Tue. Admission 4/2zł, Sun free. Audio guides available in English for 5zł per person. 117 Rising ’44 by Norman Davies It may have been a battle that determined Poland’s destiny, but to date the Warsaw Uprising has received little in the way of recognition from the Western world – so much so that it repeatedly finds itself confused with the 1943 Ghetto Uprising; most famously by German Chancellor Herzog in 1994, and most recently by French newspaper Le Figaro. Norman Davies, arguably the world’s number one authority on Polish history, attempts to redress the balance with this brick of a book. To do so he breaks with the linear format favoured by the majority of historical authors. Instead he chooses to split his work into several clear sections, thereby allowing the reader to dive in and out of chapters of particular interest. Text is further interspersed with what Davies describes as capsules: sub-chapters comprising of personal recollections; from the blurry memories of a five-year-old child, to the diary entries of a German soldier caught. Surprisingly though, the main focus of the book is not the actual Uprising, rather the prelude and the aftermath. While the first 240 pages of the paperback version are dedicated to events prior to the outbreak of combat, the first day of hostilities are deemed worthy of only a page. Madness. Davies has also faced criticism for his decision to Anglicize all Polish names. For foreigners familiar with Poland this can be deeply frustrating. Rising ’44 lacks the pace and the fizz of Antony Beevor’s excellent works on Stalingrad and Berlin, and it has a tendency to become bogged down in the impossibly complicated politics of the day, making it a demanding read. Fluidity is disrupted by the constant need to cross-reference the core text with the stack of notes translations at the back; have plenty of bookmarks to hand. Furthermore, readers will be left with plenty of unanswered questions. The fate of German combatants is largely ignored, while the wholesale destruction of Warsaw is covered in just fleeting detail. To his credit Davies is a superb historian, and his habit of unearthing fantastic detail saves interest from flagging. For instance, we learn that the Polish Home Army contained a battalion of deaf and dumb troops, of the existence of a concentration camp inside the city walls, and there is a superb section on life in occupied Warsaw. The fate of the insurgents makes particularly interesting reading, and Davies manages to track veterans from as far afield as Mexico and Australia. We learn of one who went on to become a famous anthropologist in the wilds of the Andes, and of an amputee who became a world legless ski champion. The days of statesponsored terror are described in vivid detail, along with the Soviet show trials and subsequent imprisonment of many of the Uprising’s leaders. In one anecdote the author reveals how one veteran was spied on by the security services for twenty five years following the Uprising. State files opened in 1990 show that the last report on him was written during his funeral; the informant was his wife. Davies does not shirk from the facts, and much of the book will make uncomfortable reading for Britons. The author is scathing, and deservedly so, towards the allied powers, responsible for double-crossing Poland and pandering to Stalin’s whims. Rising ‘44 is at times a laborious read, but ultimately a rewarding one. This is not a book specifically about the war, rather a keen exploration of the political intrigues between Whitehall and the Kremlin. Davies warns in his introduction that this is not a definitive account of the Uprising, and with so many questions left unanswered we are inclined to agree with him. In Your Pocket verdict: 7/10 Execution Sites Warsaw has over 300 plaques dotted around the city that commemorate Nazi execution sites. They display the date and usually the number of people who were killed by German hit squads. Monument to the Warsaw Uprising (Pomnik Powstania Warszawskiego) B-2, Pl. Krasińskich. In the I. Szulc By 1944, with the tide of war turning and their resources and morale seemingly in disarray, German forces had begun a strategic retreat from Warsaw. Following close contact with the Polish government in exile in London and assurances of Allied aid, the Home Army (Poland’s wartime underground movement) launched a military strike with the aim of liberating Warsaw and installing an independent government. At 17:00, August 1, 1944, General Tadeusz Komorowski (a.k.a. Bór), signalled the order for Polish troops to launch attacks on German held positions. In spite of being disastrously ill equipped, the sheer ferocity of the attack combined with the element of surprise, caught the German forces off guard. Within days vast swathes of Warsaw had been captured by insurgents and for the first time in five years the Polish flag flew defiantly over the city. The initial success of the uprising was short lived. News of the rebellion infuriated the German high command. Himmler immediately issued orders to recapture Warsaw, and with key strategic targets such as landing strips and bridges firmly under Nazi control, it wasn’t long before reinforcements of crack German and Ukrainian military units started pouring in to crush the revolt. The beleaguered Home Army, already stretched to the limit, had no option but to hold fast and wait for help from the outside world. The Red Army, whose forces had reached the environs of the Praga side of Warsaw, promptly halted their steady advance and essentially did nothing while the battle for Warsaw raged on the other side of the Wisła river. If the Poles thought things couldn’t get any worse then they hadn’t gambled on Stalin sticking his oar in. In a move that effectively sealed the fate of the uprising, Uncle Joe refused to grant permission for the Western Allies to use Soviet air fields in a bid to relieve the Home Army. Nazi forces continued to pound the Polish forces and the battle descended into a street for street, hand to hand bloodbath. Sewers and other escape routes were gassed, civilians butchered, children used as human shields, prisoners of war murdered. decades following the war the communist authorities refused to acknowledge the significance of the Warsaw Uprising. It was only with the regime close to collapse, as well as much lobbying from veterans and Solidarity, that a monument was finally unveiled. Built in 1989 on the site of the former national theatre, Wincent Kućma’s masterpiece depicts a group of insurgents in battle and another group fleeing into the sewers. It was here that German president, Roman Herzog, apologized on the 50th anniversary of the uprising for German atrocities committed against the Polish nation. B-2, ul. Podwale. Warsaw’s most poignant memorial commemorates the hundreds of children who were killed during the Uprising. Many were used as messengers, others fought in the ranks. The monument itself depicts Antek Rozpylacz - a boy-soldier killed nearby. The Little Insurgent (Pomnik Małego Powstańca) Warsaw remains Between 1939 and 1944 over 84 percent of Warsaw was completely destroyed, with the city centre bearing the brunt of the damage. In spite of the Herculean rebuilding work that has since taken place, the odd bullet scarred wall or pre-war tenements can still be found. (E-2) ul. Waliców - Located within the bounds of the Jewish ghetto, the shell pocked walls were actually damaged during the intense fighting of 1944. The dark, brooding courtyards of several of the tenement buildings still carry an ominous air. ul. Wilcza - The facades of a few buildings between ul. Poznańska and ul. Koszykowa remain sprayed with bullets. In particular keep an eye open for no. 9a, 72 and 73. (F-2) Prudential Insurance building - Now the derelict Hotel Warszawa, when the tower was erected in the 1930s it was the tallest building in Warsaw. During the uprising it was a primary target for the Home Army and captured on the first day of battle. Although it was gutted by German shelling its steel skeleton refused to topple. Praga - The neglected Praga district holds whole streets seemingly left as they were. Visitors should look out for ul. Okrzei (G-1), and ul. Zamojskiego (H-1). Walking around at night is not advisable. Pill box - Lying between al. Niepodleglosci and ul. Nowowiejska those with eagle eyes will spot a tiny bunker built at the tail end of the war. Craftily hidden by advertising hoardings, it’s quite literally the only German bunker you’ll find in the city. Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 118 CHOPIN Closed! The granddaddy of all Chopin museums was the Fryderyk Chopin Museum on ul. Okolnik. Filled with everything from childhood letters to his death mask this place really was your one-stop shop for all things to do with the man. It’s now closed, and the news we’ve heard is that it won’t be re-opening for another two years. Of course, this being Poland you’ll need to double that figure and add a zero to the end to get a more accurate number. What will happen to the exhibits is anyone’s guess, in the meantime visit the other venues we list to get the lowdown on Poland’s finest composer. Getting there: Żelazowa Wola is 50km west of Warsaw and easily accessed by bus. The Chopin institute located in theChopin Museum organizes minibuses each weekend priced at 26zł return. QOpen 09:00 - 17:30. Closed Mon. Admission 12/6zł, park 4/2zł. The ‘Polish Versailles’ is one of the many fitting monikers applied to the splendid, late 17th-century Palace of Wilanów, 10 kilometres south of Warsaw’s centre. Essential visiting for all who come to soak up the capital’s lavish culture, Wilanów is more than just a Palace. The sprawling 45-hectare setting is full of things to do, from visiting the superb Poster Museum next door to renting a rowing boat on the Palace’s lake. If the weather’s good and you’ve got time to spare, it’s easy to spend an entire and thoroughly rewarding day here. WILANÓW The Palace Wilanów Palace (Pałac w Wilanowie) ul. Potockiego 10/16 (Wilanów), tel. 022 842 81 01, www. wilanow-palac.art.pl. Wilanów gets its name from the Warsaw borough in which Wilanów Palace is located. First mentioned in the 13th century as Milanów, the then tiny village changed hands several times before being bought in the 17th century by the family of Stanisław Leszczyński. Leszczyński began building a Palace here, but the project was halted by the Deluge and the subsequent capture and plundering of the region by the Swedes. In 1676 the abandoned Milanów was bought by King Jan III Sobieski, who ordered a new Palace to be built. Originally called Villa Nova (New Village), the name was soon polonised to the one it’s known by today. With numerous additions over the centuries by its subsequent aristocratic owners, the Palace, park and surrounding ensemble of buildings represent the height of Polish Baroque and is one of Poland’s greatest national treasures. Confiscated by Poland’s post-war Communist government, Wilanów, seriously looted and partially damaged by the Germans during WWII, was painstakingly renovated during the 1950s and early 1960s and opened its doors to the public in 1962. The first museum at Wilanów was opened in 1805 by the Palace’s owner at the time, Stanisław Kostka Potocki. The current museum, which takes up a substantial portion of the Palace’s astonishing interior, is a jaw dropping safari of extravagance and opulence, providing a remarkable insight into the life and culture of the former Polish ruling classes. Wander through room upon room of delights including some superb examples of traditional Polish coffin portraits, suits of armour, Etruscan vases, a room featuring magnificent frescoes uncovered during restoration work after the war, residential rooms, an exceedingly rare 18th-century glass grandfather clock and even a private chapel. With the aid of one of the museum’s English language audio guides it’s possible to spend a good couple of hours here. The Palace fills with schoolchildren during the week and tourists at the weekends, and there’s no best time to visit. You may also have to bite your lip and be patient if a tour group is occupying one of the rooms you particularly want to have a look at. Despite these minor annoyances, anyone with a few grammes of culture in their blood who doesn’t find the time to visit Wilanów Palace when they’re in Warsaw will unwittingly find themselves hanging in the same hall of fame as the stag parties who visited Kraków during the recent papal visit only to discover a blanket ban on the sale of alcohol throughout the city.QOpen 09:30 18:30, Tue, Thu, Fri 09:30 - 16:30, Sun 10:30 - 17:30. Last ticket sold 90 minutes before closing. Admission 16/12zł. Sun free. Park and Orangery 5/3zł. Thu free. Guided tours 90zł. Please book in advance. 119 Born to French/Polish parents in the village of Żelazowa Wola Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849) stands out as Poland’s finest composer, and remains the source of global reverence who has given his name to hotels, an airport and even an asteroid. His father was a French expatriate who had once fought against the Russians, before choosing to settle in Poland. A year after Fryderyk was born the family moved to Warsaw, where the father pursued a career as a French tutor. The young Chopin started learning piano at the age of four, and by the age of eight had already performed at what is now the Presidential Palace. A diligent student he was educated at home for the first 13 years, before then attending Warsaw’s Lyceum, and then the Warsaw Music Conservatory. He continued to blossom under its director, the Polish composer Joseph Elsner, who was wowed by Chopin’s musical genius. Within three weeks of graduation he made a sparkling foreign debut in Vienna, before returning to Poland to perform the premier of his Piano Concerto in F minor. Already recognised as an amazing talent, Chopin started showing the signs of illness that would continue to blight the rest of his life. Chopin set off to play in Vienna in November 1830, following a farewell party in a Wola tavern. Unbeknownst to him, that was to be his last taste of Warsaw. By the end of the month Poland had rose in rebellion against Russian rule. Dissuaded from joining the uprising himself Chopin drew inspiration from events to write his tortured masterpiece, Revolution. Choosing to stay in exile Chopin settled in Paris where he was welcomed by Polish émigrés, as well as upcoming composers and high society. His friends numbered Berlioz, Bellini (who he is buried next to) and Mendelssohn, as well as high profile Poles like the uncrowned King, Prince Adam Czartoryski and Adam Mickiewicz, while his dapper dress and natural charms attracted a string of adoring females. Drawing on his Polish upbringing the 1830s saw Chopin enjoy a magically productive spell, composing a series of acclaimed polonaises and mazurkas. The defining point of his life though can be pinned to his meeting with controversial author George Sand in 1837. Despite being engaged to a 17 year old girl and some curious first impressions of Sand (“what an unpleasant woman”), the two embarked on a torrid nine year affair. Racked with chronic lung problems and a near permanent cough, the faltering relationship hit stormy waters when Sand, an alleged nymphomaniac, serialised the novel Lucretia Floriani in a Paris newspaper in 1846. The selfish antihero is commonly recognized as being a parody of Chopin. Broke, ill and broken-hearted Chopin led an increasingly miserable life. Struck with tuberculosis he finally passed away in his Paris apartment aged just 39. Buried in Pere-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, on his insistence his body was cut open (he was terrified of being buried alive) and his heart later buried in Warsaw’s Kościół Świętego Krzyża (see Churches). Regarded as the pinnacle of the Romantic style his music and legend survive to this day. Getting There By bus A 30-minute bus ride from the centre of Warsaw, bus N°116 leaves from the southbound stop at (C-4) Al. Ujazdowskie, going all the way to the Palace entrance. Taxi At around 40zł with a recommended company such as MPT (tel. 022 91 91), a taxi ride to Wilanów is something of a false economy, taking more or less the same time as the bus to get there. If you prefer the comfort and privacy of your own car then find ELE taxis parked around the city, including outside the (A/B-4) main train station. Bicycle The main route to Wilanów passes several interesting parks on the way, and cycling is an option. Be warned though, drivers in Warsaw have little regard for cyclists. Cycling in Warsaw is only recommended if you’re used to riding a bicycle in a large city. Chopin’s Childhood (Dzieciństwo Chopina) C-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 5, tel. 022 320 02 75, www.chopin.pl. Reconstructed in 1969 none of the original furnishings survived the war, though the period furniture on display has been faithfully assembled to recreate his drawing room as seen in a painting made in 1832. Chopin lived and entertained here from 1827 until his last day in Poland, and today some of the antiques on display include a writing desk owned by his elder sister and a pianoforte dating from 1830. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Admission 3/2zł, Wed free. Chopin Monument (Pomnik Chopina) G-4, Łazienki Park. Don’t dare miss a visit to the art nouveau Chopin Monument (G-4) next to the Botanical Garden. Set in the midst of a rose garden it was erected in 1926, the work of acclaimed sculptor Wacław Szymankowski. As part of the Nazi brutalization of Warsaw it was dynamited by German busybodies on May 31, 1940. The following day an unknown patriot had placed a placard on the smoldering ruin declaring: ‘I don’t know who destroyed me, but I know why; so I don’t play the funeral march for your leader’. A plaster-cast of the original model allowed the statue to be rebuilt and a reconstruction was unveiled in 1958. Other sights A stroll around the grounds at Wilanów is rewarded with more than just the pleasure of its individual parks and gardens. Among the many treats in store are the fabulous Poster Museum (see box), the domed, 18th-century St. Anne’s Church, and the large and imposing Neo-Gothic Potocki Mausoleum. A trip to the lake is rewarded with a glimpse of Enrico Marconi’s strange, Gothic-inspired pump room, and an adventure to the Park’s island reveals a monument to the Polish soldier, Captain Ksawery Burski, who served in the army of the Duchy of Warsaw and who gave his life at Wilanów fighting the Austrians at the Battle of Raszyn in 1809. Park & Gardens The 45 hectares that make up Wilanów Park grew over the centuries according to the particular fancies of its owners. The Park’s present form dates from the extensive and mostly faithful renovations made during the 1950s, overseen by the architect and historian Professor Gerard Ciołek (1909-1966). Made up of a series of individual gardens, the Park includes a two-level Baroque garden, a wonderful Neo-Renaissance rose garden, a classical English landscaped park and the socalled English-Chinese landscape park. There’s also a natural lake found behind the Palace, where boats can be hired for leisurely trips on the water. The upper level of the Baroque garden is currently the site of a series of archaeological digs, where several artefacts including ceramics dating from the 12th century have been discovered. The Baroque garden also serves as a splendid venue for outdoor classical music concerts during the summer. Żelazowa Wola Żelazowa Wola 15, tel. 046 863 33 00, www.nifc.pl. True Chopin enthusiasts are going to want to make the pilgrimage to his place of birth. Although Chopin only lived here for the first year of his life it has become a shrine to him ever since the property was purchased by a Chopin society in 1928. Although it was used to house German soldiers during WWII, and fell prey to their looting, the building was once more restored and reopened on the centenary of his death in 1949. Today no original fixtures and fittings remain though the house has been filled with period keepsakes, instruments and paintings, and visitors all attest to the spirit of Chopin that hangs in the rooms. The natural point most will find themselves gravitating to is the ‘mother’s room’, the actual scene of his birth, and now a calm white room adorned with a decorative bouquet. The surrounding seven hectare park features several monuments squirreled away in its picturesque gardens. www.inyourpocket.com Poster Museum (Muzeum Plakatu) ul. Potockiego 10/16 (Wilanów), tel. 022 842 48 48, www.postermuseum.pl. Housed inside Wilanów Palace’s former stables, Warsaw’s exemplary Poster Museum receives vast amounts of plaudits, which, if you judge the two large halls full of wonderful posters from all over the world on that merit alone, it truly deserves. But why the curators have chosen to put all the exhibits behind glass and light everything so carelessly remains a mystery. Thankfully, many of the best examples have been reproduced into postcards that can be bought from the museum shop. QOpen 10:00 - 16:00, Mon 12:00 - 16:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. Last ticket sold 30 minutes before closing. Admission 9/6zł, Mon free. August - September 2008 Warsaw In Your Pocket 120 ŁÓDŹ Łódź In Your Pocket Łódź may look like it’s pronounced Lodz, but it most cerŁÓDŹ tainly isn’t. Think of it as Woodge, and three hundred years ago a visit here would have produced the sight of little more than one man and his dog. In terms of age Łódź is one of the youngest cities in the country, and a direct product of the Industrial Revolution. And while Łódź cannot boast the twee charisma of Prague and Kraków a scratch of the surface rewards the intrepid traveller with a city stuffed with wacky stories, dark history and some of the countries finest after-dark venues – you’ll find them all inside our fourth issue of Łódź In Your Pocket; Poland’s first comprehensive English-language guide to the city. Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps May - August 2008 Summer in the city Beat the heat native-style Euro 2008 Kicks off inside N°7 - 5zł (w tym 7% VAT) www.inyourpocket.com ISSN 1896-1169 saw many of Poland’s eminent artists and cultural institutes decamp to the nearest big city; that city was Łódż, and today the town can boast a rich cultural heritage, with Poland’s leading film school, one of the most important modern art galleries in Europe, and an exciting underground culture. Today Łódź is a city slowly rediscovering itself, growing in confidence and coming to terms with its patchy history. Overlooked by many visitors to Poland, this is a city full of hidden charms: from the awesome palaces that belonged to the hyper-rich industrialists who made the city, to Europe’s longest pedestrian street (Piotrkowksa) to the largest municipal park in Europe. You’ll find everything you need to know about the city in our print guide to Łódź, as well as our full content online at www.inyourpocket.com. Manufaktura How many times have you heard a shopping centre call itself ‘More than a shopping centre?’ In the case of Manufaktura, for once the hyperbole is entirely justified. For this is indeed more than a shopping centre. In fact, we really shouldn’t be calling it a shopping centre at all. Covering a space of 150,000m2 Manufaktura does of course feature a mall with endless shopping opportunities, but that would not tell the full story. Manufaktura today is the result of Poland’s largest renovation project since the reconstruction of Warsaw’s Old Town in the 1950s. Originally a series of factories that were constructed in the latter part of the 19th century the restoration of the old factories quite simply has to be seen to be believed. Enter through the Poznański gate, where workers used to file through everyday on their way to the mills, and you’ll arrive at the projects ground zero: the 30,000m2 Rynek (main square). Featuring Europe’s longest fountain the square is the cultural hub, with restaurants, fitness club and IMAX cinema crowded around it. A full program of events is planned to keep things lively, including pop concerts, beer festival and big screen showings of sports events. With a catchment area of 1.8 million people in a 50km radius Manufaktura expect 15 million visitors in the first year alone. For the more languorous character two electric tramlines have also been added to ferry visitors from one end of the complex to the other. And in spite all of this Manufaktura remains very much a work in progress; further additions include the transformation of the showpiece Spinning Mill into a conference centre, office block and a four star hotel, as well as the addition of a huge modern art centre, children’s museum and technological museum. Getting there Łódź lies 140km South West of Warsaw and was easily accessed by train - that was until repairs to improve the tracks began. When work finishes Łódź will be within an hours reach of Warsaw, for the time being though journey time depends on luck, and can sometimes take over three hours. If you’re travelling from the capital you’ll need to book a ticket running to Łódź Fabryczna train station. The city centre is directly across the road from the main entrance: take the underpass and carry on walking west and you’ll find yourself on the main street, ulica Piotrkowska, within ten minutes. For longer journeys taxis stand directly outside the main entrance, though travellers should only use cabs that are clearly marked. Some basics Łódź first appeared in written records in 1332 under the name of Łodzia and remained little more than a rural backwater for the following centuries, with a population numbering just 800 as late as the 16th century. The birth of modern Łódź as we know it can be traced to 1820, when statesman, philosopher and writer Stanisław Staszic began a campaign to turn the Russian-controlled city into a centre of manufacturing. The first cotton mill was opened in 1825 and by 1839 the first steam-powered factory in Poland and Russia was officially christened. A massive influx of workers from as far afield as Portugal, England and France flooded the city, though the mainstay of the town’s population remained Poles, Germans and Jews. Within a matter of decades Łódź had grown into the biggest textile production centre in the Russian Empire, during which time vast fortunes were made and lost by the major industrialist families. By the outbreak of WWI the town stood out as one of the most densely populated cities on the planet with a population of approximately 13,000 people per square kilometre. But hard times were around the corner; the inter-war years signaled an end to the town’s Golden Age, and the loss of Russian and German economic markets led to strikes and civil unrest that were to become a feature of inter-war Łódź. Things were about to get worse: the outbreak of WWII saw the city annexed into The Third Reich. The following six years of occupation left the population decimated with 120,000 Poles killed, and an estimated 300,000 Jews perishing in what was to become known as the Litzmannstadt ghetto. Following the war, and with much of Warsaw in ruins, Łódź was used as Poland’s temporary capital until 1948. The wholesale war-time destruction of Warsaw also Zbigniew Kotecki, courtesy of Łódź City Council Warsaw In Your Pocket 122 GETTING AROUND Hertz, Warsaw Airport, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1, tel. 022 650 28 96 or 0 691 411 130, www.hertz.com.pl; also on Nowogrodzka 27. QOpen 07:00 - 22:00. GETTING AROUND By car Poland is one of Europe’s leading nations in road fatalities, a statistic that will surprise few who have had the pleasure of using the roads here. A lethal combination of poor road surfaces, networks unsuited to the volume of different traffic and, most of all, drivers who have no consideration for anybody else result in the common sight of mangled wreckages of cars around the country. Yes, the crosses you see beside roadsides are there to mark fatal crashes. Police seem unwilling to control irresponsible driving, and don’t be surprised to see cars shooting through red lights, cutting each other up and staking a claim for the Formula 1 championship. While we do not advise against driving in Poland, we do wish to make a number of points clear to the foreign driver. The road quality issue is being addressed with EU directives and funding but the size of the country’s road network as well as its condition means that it’ll be years till improvements will take effect. In fact the issue of the condition of the road and rail networks are being cited by many experts as being a serious handicap to the development of the Polish economy. For someone taking to the road today the following warnings should be taken into account. Firstly when driving outside of built-up areas you will typically find yourself sharing a single lane road with anything from a sports car convertible to a worn out Polski Fiat 126p. Throw in the huge fleet of lorries that traverse Poland and you will commonly find yourself in a situation where traffic is blocked behind said lorries/slow moving vehicle. This results in frustrated/impatient drivers overtaking each other at high speed and then braking sharply to avoid oncoming traffic. Be warned and keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front. 123 While Warsaw is generally well linked with both the outside world and the rest of Poland, both road and rail networks are undergoing major regeneration work and internal connections by air are monopolised by the national carrier LOT meaning it is often cheaper to fly internationally now than it is internally. Also there is an incredibly annoying system of flying all passengers via Warsaw meaning that it is often quicker to get from city centre to city centre via train than by plane. And if you have to travel between Wroclaw and Warsaw consider travelling by something other by train. The route is circuitous to say the least. Secondly beware of the hard shoulders of these roads, the vast majority of which are unlit at night. These are often used as pavements by local people who add to the Russian roulette by venturing out at night wearing their darkest clothing. Add in the odd drunk on a bike and these hard shoulders become a very real problem when facing a set of headlights bearing down on your vehicle. The speed limit is 50km/hr in cities (60km/hr between 23:00 and 05:00), 90km/hr outside urban areas, 110km/hr on dual carriageways and 130km/hr on motorways. Seat belts must be worn at all times and it is illegal for drivers to use hand-held mobile phones. Following the letter of the law all cars should be equipped with a first aid kit, warning triangle, fire extinguisher, rear mud flaps and right and left hand outside mirrors. Flouting the rules will cost you 100zł (for using a mobile), 100zł (not wearing a seat belt) and up to 500zł for speeding. The legal limit for drink driving is 0.2‰ blood/ alcohol level. Put simply, if you’re driving, don’t drink. Foreigners can drive on their national licenses for six months from the entry date on their passports. Carry your passport as well as driving license whenever you fancy going for a spin. After six months drivers must change to a Polish license. Drivers from Australia, New Zealand, UK Ireland, US and Canada must take a written test before being issued with a Polish license. Be warned, the test is in Polish. For roadside assistance call tel. 981. A new law was introduced in April 2007 making it compulsory to have headlights switched on at all times. Car rental (Airport), tel. 022 650 48 72, www.avis.pl. Also on Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel) and ul. Łopuszańska 12a. QOpen 07:00 - 23:00. Avis ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1 Joka ul. Okopowa 47, tel. 022 636 63 93, www.joka.com. pl. A wide range of cars from the baby Citroen C1 to the spacious Mercedes E220 CDi station wagon. All cars are equipped with power assisted steering. Satellite navgation systems are also available. Special rates offered to those who order through the Joka website. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00, Sat 09:00 - 12:00. Closed Sun. Sixt ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1 (Airport), Wigury 1 (Airport), tel. 022 650 25 64, www. europcar.pl. Europcar is one of the biggest car rental companies offering many rental options (both short and long term) that will suit all needs (8 different categories of cars are available; Europcar is present at all Polish airports and many other convenient locations). Europcar creates flexible driving solutions to meet your individual mobility needs. In doing so we deliver excellence in services and benefits that are tailored to fulfil your specific requirements QOpen 07:00 - 23:00. Europcar ul. Żwirki i tel. 022 650 20 31, www.sixt.pl. One of the world’s largest and oldest car rental companies offers a choice of solutions from short and long rental periods to holiday cars. Vehicles range from Seats and middle-sized Peugeots to luxury Mercedes. Bonuses include GPS and Sixt cards. Also at ul. Grzybowska 63 (Hilton Hotel). QOpen 07:00 - 22:00. 62, www.budget.pl.QOpen 07:00 - 22:00. Steed ul. Wołowska 44/39, tel. 0 609 02 99 28, www. steedcar.com.QOpen 09:00 - 18:00, Sat 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun. Sun Open on request. Budget ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1 (Airport), tel. 022 650 40 Guarded Parking B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (MarHotel). Guarded Parking B-3, ul Królewska 11 (Sofitel-Victoria riott Hotel). Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 124 GETTING AROUND zones. Three day tickets cost 16/8zł, or 24 and 12zł for both zones. Finally a weekly ticket will set you back 32 or 16zł, or 48 and 24zł if you’re needing it for the two zones. You can buy single tickets from the driver, though these will be rounded up to the nearest figure. Once you’ve got a ticket you will need to validate it into one of the box-style kasowniks, thus validating the magnetic strip on the back. On the metro this must be done before you get on board. It is no longer neccessary to buy an extra ticket for animals or large pieces of luggage. Plain clothes ticket inspectors regularly stalk the lines, dishing out 150zł fines for those without valid tickets. They often don’t look very official and you are within your rights to request identification. GETTING AROUND 125 Public Transport Wa r s a w h a s a n ex tensi ve bus and tram system crisscrossing the city as well as a good, but ver y limi ted, metro system running from north to south. Over 1,200 buses opera te in an d aroun d the city, and most run from between 05:00 and 23:00. After that night buses run on most routes twice every hour. All night buses display the letter N, followed by a two digit number. ‘Fast buses’ (marked with red digits) skip the smaller stops. Tickets (all valid for use on metro, bus and tram) can be bought from all kiosks bearing the green and yellow RUCH logo, or any where with a sign reading Bilety. There have recently been changes in the prices and types of ticket on sale. Needless to say, the changes complicate what was formerly a relatively simple system - nice one Warsaw. Bear with us here; from June 2 a single ticket costs 2.80zł, or 1.40zł for those eligible for concessions. This includes children between the ages of 4 and 16. However, you can now also buy cheaper tickets if you are travelling off-peak - they cost 2.40zł and 1.20zł respectively. If you’re travelling to the further reaches of Warsaw you’ll be needing a ticket that covers both zones 1 and 2 - these are priced at 4.20zł and 2.10zł. Still with us? Good. One new introduction will be time specific tickets. Now available are tickets valid for 20, 40, 60 and 90 minutes. These come marked at 2zł, 2.80zł, 4zł and 6zł. Concessions are half price. Tickets valid for 24 hrs are priced at 9 and 4.50zł, or 14/7zł if travelling through both AP Taxis The days when cash bells would ring whenever a cab driver would hear a foreign accent might have passed, but it’s still always better to ring ahead rather than just hailing a taxi in the street. In particular avoid drivers who hawk their services in the arrivals hall at the airport; we’ve heard plenty of horror stories. All the companies we list will usually have someone on their switchboard who can speak English. MPT, the state-run firm, can boast the most reliable reputation. But you won’t find many cheaper than Super Taxi. Find ELE taxis on the Marriott tower side of the central station; it’s the second row of cars. Tipping is not expected, but if your driver gets you from A to B without a detour through the countryside then by all means, feel free. Halo Taxi tel. 022 96 23 Merc Taxi tel. 022 677 77 77 MPT tel. 022 91 91 Sawa Taxi tel. 022 644 44 44 Super Taxi tel. 022 96 22 Metro Tentative construction of a metro system first began in 1938, pushed forward by the forward thinking mayor Stefan Starzynski. But listen to this, the line finally opened for business nearly sixty years later, in 1995. To be fair, designers had a lot to deal with, namely a world war and communism. Plans for an underground system had originally been mooted as early as 1918, but the depression saw all preparations shelved. Starzynski raised them from the dead, and work on an East-West and a North-South line began. Originally projected to open in the mid-1940s the outbreak of WWII put paid to those ambitions. Peace time, and communism, brought a change in priorities. City planners were called to create a super-deep underground system, primarily to allow for swift troop movements below the city. By 1953 over 700 metres of tunnels had been carved underground but the death of Comrade Stalin saw all works abandoned. The financial woes that beset Poland over the following decades meant the citizens of Warsaw had to wait until 1984 before the government finally rubber stamped the plan to resume. The project was plagued by mismanagement and a lack of funds, so much so that at one stage drilling was progressing at a rate of two metres per day. Finally, in 1995, a north-south line consisting of 11 stations and rolling stock donated by Russia was opened. Today the metro, the only in Poland, runs like a gazelle, and hopes are high that the end of 2008 will see Warsaw spanned by 21 stops. Minibuses 358 (Warsaw), tel. +48 505 311 699, www.biznestransport.pl. Save considerable sums, and even time, on train travel by hiring a minibus to travel inter-city. Full size luxury buses and limousines are also available and these guys can also stretch to courier services and even warehousing. Q Open 24hrs. Biznestransport ul. Trakt Lubelski Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 126 GETTING AROUND Central Train Station For many their stay in Warsaw will begin in its most brutal building: Central Train Station. Financed by massive Western loans the monster was completed on December 5, 1975, of ficially opened just ten days before the 7th rally of the Polish Communist Party. Guest of honour was Soviet leader comrade Brezhnev, and a special entrance and reception room were built for him. Built in a rush, primarily by soldiers of the Polish army, the structure was erected at lightning speed so as to be completed to coincide with Brezhnev’s visit; although the site of the station was officially picked in 1946, work on the design would only begin in 1971. It was built at breakneck pace in under 1,100 days, and as such vital technical tests were never conducted - the station would be under constant renovation for the next ten years. Nonetheless, it was seen as an architectural showpiece of the time, so much so that it was awarded the groovy sounding ‘Mr Warsaw’ prize for architecture in 1975. Over the next few years coachloads of peasants were bussed in to marvel at it, and fashion shows frequently held in the main concourse. Designed by Arseniusz Romanowicz, Centralna was constructed using 12,500 tons of steel, 8,000m 2 of glass and 53,000m 2 of concrete. Floor beams, automatic doors and metal elements used in the façade were imported from Switzerland, escalators from Paris and Brussles and the electronic clocks from Italy. Featuring four 300 metre long underground platforms Centralna touted the first moving ramp in Poland, as well as the first escalator not produced in the USSR (it was in fact built in France to an American design). Its halcyon days also saw the construction of a now non-existent Italian marble fountain. Today it stands somewhat at odds with the gleaming 21 st century super structures that surround it. The only elevator is for employees only, while a recently installed electric platform for disabled travellers can only be put into action by summoning rail workers with a siren. Plans are afoot to renovate the building, but repair work has only been tentatively sketched in to begin in 2012. In the meantime visitors to Warsaw have the chance to admire an astonishing legacy to Poland’s communist past. GETTING AROUND By train Warsaw’s main train station is Warsaw Central (Dworzec Warszawa Centralna) located slap bang in the middle of the city in the shadow of the Palace of Culture and can be reached easily by tram and bus. The nearest metro is Centrum and signs lead you to the train station via street level and underground passageway in about 5 minutes. Warszawa Centralna is where to travel to and from other Polish cities. Tickets can be purchased in the main hall on ground level and at the ticket booths with orange livery dotted around the tunnels below. Foreigners should head for the Travel Information Centre in the corner opposite the long line of ticket counters where Englishspeaking staff can help you with tickets as well as maps and advice. International tickets can also be purchased from here. A huge choice of outlets selling food and drink are available though quality is questionable. Head to Coffee Heaven for a range of good coffee, hot and cold snacks which are available to take-away. MacDonalds can also be found by following one of the many signs. If you have time to kill, Champions in the Marriott can be reached via the underground passageway and offers a far better place to sit and wait than the station itself. Be warned that the majority of Warsaw’s down and outs use Warszawa Centralna as a drop-in centre and while most are harmless and make for a pitiful sight it is best to avoid them on the grounds that some tend to be drunk and abusive. Bizarrely though, while the Polish rail staff manning the ticket booths are to a man/woman mono-linqual, the tramps in Centralna seem adept at begging in a multitude of world languages. 127 Train schedule From Warsaw To Warsaw Dep. Arr. Destination Dep. Arr. (3)(4) BERLIN Ostbf 04:46 10:40 00:50 08:22 07:25 13:40 BERLIN Ostbf 06:40 12:47 11:25 17:15 BERLIN Ostbf 12:40 18:35 16:25 22:09 BERLIN Ostbf 16:40 22:55 21:05 05:41 BRATISLAVA 22:51 07:25 09:05 21:27 BUDAPEST 08:35 20:49 BUDAPEST 20:00 07:25 21:05 08:32 (1) 05:05 10:06 00:34 05:54 GDYNIA (5) 04:50 10:05 GDYNIA(1) 06:04 11:05 (5) 05:55 10:52 GDYNIA 06:53 11:55 06:55 11:57 GDYNIA 08:52 14:00 08:55 14:00 GDYNIA 12:52 18:12 (5) GDYNIA 14:52 19:56 10:55 16:04 12:50 17:51 GDYNIA 15:51 20:50 14:55 20:04 GDYNIA(5) 16:59 21:52 (2)(3) 16:55 21:44 GDYNIA(5) 18:04 23:13 18:56 00:15 18:55 23:52 GDYNIA(5) (5) 23:55 05:24 GDYNIA 19:07 00:56 06:00 22:52 KYIV Pass 08:00 23:19 21:15 14:40 KYIV Pass 13:10 06:50 (2) 06:05 09:00 KRAKÓW 05:55 08:50 (1) KRAKÓW 06:10 11:06 07:05 10:00 08:05 10:59 KRAKÓW 06:55 09:50 09:05 11:58 KRAKÓW 07:55 10:50 (1) 10:11 13:07 KRAKÓW(4) 08:55 11:50 (2) KRAKÓW 11:55 14:50 11:05 14:00 (2)(3) 12:05 15:00 KRAKÓW 13:55 16:50 14:05 17:00 KRAKÓW(2) 14:55 17:50 14:50 20:41 KRAKÓW 15:55 18:50 (2)(3) 16:05 19:00 KRAKÓW 16:55 19:50 16:50 22:11 KRAKÓW 18:00 20:49 17:05 20:01 KRAKÓW 18:55 21:50 18:05 21:00 KRAKÓW 19:55 22:50 22:15 01:41 20:05 23:00 KRAKÓW(5) (5) 21:40 03:12 KRAKÓW 22:53 04:50 16:25 02:51 MINSK 06:25 16:41 20:25 08:01 MINSK 15:03 00:46 (2) POZNAŃ 05:27 09:27 06:25 09:54 (1)(5) 07:25 10:37 POZNAŃ 07:05 10:27 08:25 11:17 POZNAŃ 07:35 10:54 09:55 13:35 POZNAŃ(2) 08:35 11:35 13:25 16:54 POZNAŃ 09:35 12:56 (2) POZNAŃ 11:53 15:57 14:25 17:38 (2)(3) 16:15 19:20 POZNAŃ 13:35 17:37 17:25 21:02 POZNAŃ 15:39 19:17 (2) 18:25 21:20 POZNAŃ 16:35 20:13 22:55 02:38 POZNAŃ 17:54 21:53 08:25 14:03 WROCŁAW(1) 05:00 10:27 (1) 12:53 18:35 WROCŁAW(2) 06:30 12:05 (1) 14:25 20:05 WROCŁAW 09:10 15:00 (2)(3)(5) 16:15 21:26 WROCŁAW 14:30 20:13 17:31 23:03 WROCŁAW 16:21 22:00 (2) 18:25 23:33 WROCŁAW(2)(3) 17:35 22:59 The Vilnius train has been cancelled. Instead there is a bus from Warszawa Centralna run by PKO Intercity. (6) VILNIUS (7) 22:00 05:00 23:00 09:00 (1) Mon-Sat (2) Mon-Fri (3) Sun (4) Tue-Fri (5) (6) Runs to the 31th August Mon, Wed, Fri (7) Tue, Thu, Sat Most trains running to and from Gdynia (Berlin apart) stop at Gdańsk and Sopot. Journey time is 30 minutes to Gdańsk and 10 to Sopot. Trains are subject to change on public holidays. Train schedule is subject to change due to ongoing works (track improvements). For a full schedule check www.pkp.pl Train smarts The Polish rail network is generally in decent shape even if the rolling stock is by and large something you may have travelled on in Italy some years ago. Certainly better than Britain’s railways; you’ll find most trains run on time, are cheap, and don’t crash. Travelling times are generally pretty slow even on express and Intercity trains with limited highspeed sections of track throughout the country. That is being remedied but in turn this is causing increased travelling times on many lines. Tickets are by western standards very cheap with a first -class ticket to Krakow from Warsaw for instance setting you back about 130zl (about €35). The state-owned Polish rail network PKP run several types of train. Intercity (also known as Eurocity or just IC) trains are the fastest, newest and most expensive of the lot, with first and second class compartments holding up to six people. New rolling stock is appearing with open carriages and 220v AV sockets. Ekepress are supposed to be older and slower and pack more people into less space than the former, but this distinction is slowly disappearing as both tracks and rolling stock get older. Use either of the above for long-distance journeys. Both come with dining carriages, though be warned, anyone falling asleep will incur the full wrath of the steward. Smokers should not make the mistake of booking a seat in a smoking compartment - you will die within minutes. Cheapskates looking to cut costs should opt for the markedly cheaper Tanie Linie Kolejowe (TLK), Pospieszny (posp) or Osobowy (os.) trains; you will pay buttons for the privilege, but your journey is guaranteed to try your good humour. With the exception of pocaig osobowy trains, ticket prices include a seperate seat reservation charge. More information on train times and prices check the very useful www.pkp.pl which has an English option. There is the functionality to book tickets online once you have registered (https://bilet.intercity.pl/irez/index.jsp) but you will need the help of a Polish speaker t present. This option allows you to book a ticket and seat in one without the hassle of queuing at the station. If you find yourself faced with long queues in the train station then you’ll be pleased to hear you can hop on the desired train and buy a ticket direct from the conductor. You’ll pay a small surcharge for this (approx 8zł), and credit cards are now accepted. Travellers are expected to greet others in their compartment with a curt ‘dzien dobry’, and it is taken as given that a male passengers will help females or the elderly with any heavy baggage. Travelling by train should hold no fear, though you may have the misfortune of sharing a compartment with a woman who has no qualms with silencing errant children with a thump to the head. Or even worse, sharing a compartment with perky army discharges. Upgrading to first class for a cursory fee is usually enough to avoid these pitfalls. Finally most stations throughout the country are appalling lacking in signs denoting the station name and it’s surprisingly easy to miss your stop. Communicating with your fellow passengers can save a lot of time and frustration. Arrivals Przyjazdy Departures Odjazdy Platform Peron Warsaw Central Train Station (Dworzec Warszawa Centralna) A/B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 54, tel. 022 94 36. Q Open 24 hrs. By bus Coaches arrive and depart - unless otherwise stated - from the Warsaw West Bus Station (Dworzec Autobusowy Warszawa Zachodnia). Find a currency exchange in the main hall (08:30 - 17:00, Sat 08:00 - 15:00, Sun 10:00 - 14:00). An ATM (bankomat) operated by PEKAO bank can be found in the main hall to the left of Kasa 1. There is no Tourist Info point, for the closest you’ll have to make the journey into Warsaw Central Train Station. You can leave any bags you have at left luggage by following the signs to ‘skrytki bagażowe’ where you’ll find lockers (8zł for a large bag for 24hrs, 4zł for a small one), as well as multi-lingual explanations on how to use the contraptions. There are five payphones located in one of the side corridors though you’ll need to buy phone cards to use them. You can do that by visiting one of the Relay kiosks in the main hall. You’ll also be able to buy SIM cards, prepaid cards and transport cards from here. ELE taxis stand outside the entrance and will charge you about 20zł to the centre. Refuse a lift from any of the smiling unlicensed operators who offer you a lift. The bus running to the centre is found right across a busy highway and getting there is an adventure in itself seeing there are no signposts in the subway leading there. Basically from the main hall duck down under the sign saying Dworzec PKP head down the stairs, turn right, follow the corridor to its , conclusion, turn right again - you’ll see two stairwells leading to the surface. Take the left one and presto, there’s your bus stop. Confused? Not half as much as we were. Good work Warsaw. Bus Z7 runs to the Central Train Station, and from September this will be replaced by lines 127, 130 and two nightbuses: N35 and N85. The journey takes approximately 15 minutes so buy and 2zł ticket valid for 20 minutes. Remember to validate your ticket on boarding. 300 30 01 30, www.pks.warszawa.pl.Q Ticket Office Open 05:30-22:00. Main Bus Station (Dworzec Autobusowy Warszawa Zachodnia) D-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 144, tel. 0 Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 128 MAIL & PHONES Wi-fi access If you’re travelling with the laptop then you’ll find a growing number of internet hotspots in and around central Warsaw. All three of Poland’s mobile networks offer Wi-Fi connection, and you will be able to go online in most of their major retail outlets. W Throughout our guide we have highlighted those establishments (hotels, cafés, restaurants and bars) which offer wireless free internet connection. This covers both free access, where you are likely to need a network key and password from the bar/reception, and paid access where you will have to buy a card. Most places will have cards available for sale. A typical choice is the cards necessary for Orange hotspots. You can pay 9zł for a straight 2 hours connection, 19zł which allows you 2 hours connection over a period of 2 months or 29zł for a 24-hour card. In all cases you will be given a scratch card which carries a number. Open an explorer window and follow the instructions. MAIL & PHONES the effect of making all land-line numbers in Poland 10-digits. This also applies to four digit call centre numbers i.e. you should put the three-digit area code in front of tthem if calling from a mobile phone. Therefore when calling in or to Warsaw you should use the area code 022 in addition to the seven digit number. When calling from a mobile phone to land line the same is true except if you are using the ERA or Orange networks when the first ‘0’ should be dropped. We use the 10-digit numbers in all our listings. 129 Express mail 878 35 00, www.boxshop.pl.QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. DHL ul. Osmańska 2 (Ursynów), tel. 042 634 53 45, www.dhl.com.pl.QOpen 10:00 - 20:30, Sat 09:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. EMS Pocztex D-3, ul. Towarowa 5, tel. 022 557 95 08, www.pocztex.pl.QOpen 08:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun. FedEx A-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Hotel Marriott), tel. 022 630 55 80, www.fedex.com/pl.QOpen 08:00 - 19:30, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 17:30. TNT ul. Annopol 19 (Praga Północ), tel. 022 771 71 71, www.tnt.com.pl.QOpen 06:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 20:00. UPS ul. Prądzyńskiego 1/3 (Wola), tel. 022 534 08 00, www.ups.com.QOpen 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sun. Box Shop ul. Szyszkowa 35/37 (Okęcie), tel. 022 Hot and thirsty? Find a beer garden near you on page 81 Telephone Netia S.A ul. Poleczki 13 (Mokotów), tel. 022 711 87 87, www.netia.pl.QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Tele2 ul. Cybernetyki 7 (Mokotów), tel. 022 607 06 50, www.tele2.pl.QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. TP S.A. A-3, ul. Twarda 18, tel. 022 93 93, www.tp.pl. The state phone company and a name that will bring a scowl to most ex-pats should you mention it to them. A new logo, a revamp of all their outlets and sponsorship of the national football side gives the impression that TPSA is a state of the art, modern firm. Just try doing business with them such as getting a new line installed, getting connected to the internet or the like and see what we mean. Improving but very slowly. Leave yourself time if you need to do anything with them and be prepared for the frustrations of facing the kind of bureacracy that you thought Poland had left behind. Mobile phones Mobile phones have ten digits and all start with either 05, 06, 07, 08 or 09. When calling from abroad, dial Poland’s international access code (48) followed by the mobile number dropping the initial 0. The easiest way for foreigners to lay their hands on a mobile is to buy a ‘pay as you go’, non-subscription phone (slightly more expensive). Plus GSM (Simplus, Play), Centertel (Orange) and Era GSM (Tak Tak, Heyah) will all be able to sell you one. International call cards Intrafon ul. Grochowska 278/13 (Praga), tel. 022 870 15 72, www.intrafon.pl. Be warned don’t use TPSA cards to phone home, every kiosk in the city will try and offload them on you, expect your 25zł card to last a similar amount of seconds, Intrafon presents a very good value alternative pick them up from the post offices and kiosks around the city. Call the US and Europe from as little as 0,25zł per min. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Country codes Australia Austria Belgium Bulgaria Canada Czech Rep. Denmark France 61 43 32 359 1 420 45 33 Germany 49 Greece 30 Hungary 36 Ireland 353 Israel 972 Italy 39 Japan 81 Netherlands 31 Poland Romania Russia Spain Sweden UK Ukraine USA 48 40 7 34 46 44 380 1 Era GSM G-5, ul. Puławska 15, tel. 022 573 44 44, www.era.pl.QOpen 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Orange F-4, Pl. Konstytucji 6, tel. 022 628 84 52, www. orange.pl.QOpen 09:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. Play A-4, ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), tel. 022 319 43 82, www.playmobile.pl.QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Internet If you have PC and modem you can log on via the Polish telephone company TP SA. Just dial tel. (+48-22) 020 21 22 and type the login and password: ppp. It will set you back the price of a local call. Unfortunately this service is incredibly popular so be prepared for dinosaur connection speeds. More and more places offer free wireless access (see our wif-fi access box) and most hotels will not have internet access at some point in the hotel if not in the room. Post Polish city codes Gdańsk Katowice Koszalin Kraków Lublin 0-58 0-32 0-94 0-12 0-81 Łódź Poznań Szczecin Warsaw Wrocław 0-42 0-61 0-91 0-22 0-71 EMS courier service can be used from any post office in town. The central Post Office is open 24 hours, 7 days a week and is listed below. Postal rates The going price for a non-priority letter under 50g: Poland 1.30zł Europe & The rest of the world 2.40zł World’s tallest structure At least it was until it fell down. Designed by Jan Polak work began on the Warsaw Radio Mast in 1970 with the grand unveiling finally coming four years later. Standing at 646.38 metres the Konstantynów based mast became the tallest structure in the world, and to this day is recorded as the highest structure ever built – an honour that it stands to cede when work is completed on the 818 metre Burj Dubai skyscraper in 2008. So huge that it could receive signals from North America and North Africa the giant finally gave way on August 8, 1991 following mistakes made in exchanging the guy ropes at the top of the mast. Blame was apportioned to Motstostal Zabrze, the lads who built and maintained the structure, and both the construction coordinator and chief received jail terms for negligence. Plans were originally mooted to rebuild it but were soon shelved and what remains of the structure has now been left to rot and disintegrate. The 15th anniversary of the collapse was celebrated with a Goa-style rave attended by over 18,000 people, and goes down in local legend as one of the most debauched couple of days Warsaw party people have ever known. Internet cafes Casablanca C-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 4/6, tel. 022 828 14 47, www.casablanca.com.pl. A popular student bar Casablanca is one of the few places where you can drink lager while checking your mail. Chess competitions, karaoke nights and other events also organized. QOpen 09:00 - 01:00, Sat 10:00 - 02:00, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. (7zł/h). Local or national calls It is now necessary to phone both Cyber Cafe ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1 (in Courtyard by Mar- local and national numbers by using the area code regardless of whether you are inside or outside of the city concerned. This has riott), tel. 022 650 01 72, www.courtyard.com/wawcy. Poland’s best internet cafe. Seating sixty people the Courtyard Cyber Cafe offers high-speed wireless Avoid steep roaming costs when visiting Poland by buying a prepaid SIM card and sticking access, as well as a menu it in your mobile. Several companies now offer a prepaid service. Below is a comparative that puts most Warsaw calist of what it costs to set up and use each of them. Top-ups are available in most press fes to shame. 35zł per hour. kiosks unless otherwise noted. All prices quoted are for peak time calls and were correct QOpen 08:00 - 23:00. at the time of going to press. tional access code, followed by 48 (Poland’s country code), and the relevant city code minus the initial 0. To call a Polish mobile phone from abroad, dial the international access code, followed by 48, and the mobile phone number minus the initial 0. Central Post Office (Urząd Pocztowy Warszawa 1) A-3, ul. Świętokrzyska 31/33, tel. 022 505 33 16, www.poczta-polska.pl. Q Open 24hrs. Post Office (Urząd Pocztowy Warszawa 120) A-4, Central Train Station, tel. 022 825 77 18, www. poczta-polska.pl.QOpen 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 08:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Public phones Warsaw city centre is flooded with public phones, unfortunately many of which have been damaged by pesky vandals. If by a minor miracle you find one that is working it will be one of 3 types - round and silver, rectangular and silver or yellow. The yellow phones also have the capability to send SMS and email. All are operated with the use of a phone card. Phone cards can be bought from kiosks, some shops and the tourist information counters (IT centres). The cards are worth 15, 30 and 60 units and will cost you 9zl, 15zl and 24zl respectively. It is also possible to buy a card exclusively for sending SMS which will cost you 5zl for 20 SMS. The longer the distance, the faster the card expires and calls are also cheaper the more units the card is worth. A one minute call to London for instance will cost you from 2,14 to 3,21zł depending on the card. Mobile phones and international calls are the real credit munchers. You can get information in English, German, French or Russian by pressing the flag marked button. Prepaid cards Making the call International Calls To call abroad dial 00 (the international access code) followed by the relevant country code and telephone number. To call Poland from abroad, dial the internaWarsaw In Your Pocket Price Local London Top-up (zł) (zł/min) (zł/min) (zł) Orange 5/6/15/20 0.65 2.11 5/25/50/100 Heya 5/20 0.68 1.70 5/20/30/50 Era Tak Tak 9/20 0.77 2.83 5/25/50/100/150 Simplus 9/18/39 0.72 2.00 5/10/30/50/100/150 Sami Swoi 9,99 0.66 2.00 10/20/40/80/160 Play 9/30 0.59 1.99 10/30/50/100/150 Card SMS Coverage (zł) (%) 0.20 97 0.20 95 0.22 95 0.18 99.5 0.24 99.5 0.18 99.5 August - September 2008 130 SHOPPING Tax refund Non-EU residents can claim VAT refunds on purchases made in shops bearing the Global Refund logo. The only condition is a minimum outlay of 200zł on your part on the item purchased. Claim your Global Refund cheque, have it stamped at customs before claiming your money back at your nearest cash refund office. For full details check www.globalrefund.com. toys for babies and toddlers. Upmarket. QOpen 11:00 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Panda C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 27, tel. 022 826 44 61. Toys, QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. Smyk C-4, ul. Krucza 50, tel. 022 551 43 00, www. smyk.com. Also on ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów), ul. Targowa 72 (Centrum Wileńska), ul. Górczewska 124 (Wola Park) and ul. Jana Pawła II 82 (Arkadia). Childrens department store packed with clothes and toys. QOpen 09:30 - 20:30, Sat 09:00 - 20:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. SHOPPING Tax Free Shopping As a traveler residing in a non-EU country you are entitled to claim back the VAT on your purchases when you bring them home. You will find the VAT refund service of Global Refund in the major shops of Poland. Minimum spending amount in one shop in one day: 200 PLN 131 Shop where you see the Tax Free Shopping logo & simply ask for your Global Refund Cheque. 1 Clothes 73, www.diesel.com. Also on ul. Grochowska 241 (Praga Południe) QOpen 12:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 16:00. Emporio Armani C-4, ul. Nowy Świat 7, tel. 022 626 06 50, www.paradisegroup.pl. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. H&M B-4, ul. Marszałkowska 104/122, tel. 022 551 73 40, www.hm.com. Also on ul. Ostrobramska 75c (Promenada), Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów), Górczewska 124 (Wola Park) QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 19:00. Hugo Boss C-4, Pl. Trzech Krzyży 10/14, tel. 022 627 24 00, www.paradisegroup.pl. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. LFC C-3, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 16/18 (Likus Concept Store), tel. 022 492 74 02, www.dieselshop. pl. QOpen 11:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. van Graaf A-4, ul. Złota 59 (Złote Tarasy), tel. 022 222 07 30, www.vangraaf.pl. Sophisticated fashion for men and women with professional staff in the brand new Zlote Tarasy centre. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Diesel H-6, Al. Witosa 31 (Panorama), tel. 022 640 14 2 STAMP EMBER PLEASE REM HOUT WIT NO REFUND STAMP! CUSTOMS 24h shops Rarytas Nocny Pl. Hallera 8 (Praga Północ), tel. 022 818 25 66. Show your purchases, receipts and passport at the customs then have your Global Refund Cheque stamped. 3 REFUND Alcohol La Passion du Vin A-3, ul. Grzybowska 2 lok.4, tel. 022 436 06 26, www.winnica.pl. QOpen 11:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Antiques & Art Galleries Art Studio Jewellery Schubert B-2, ul. Piwna 12/14, tel. 022 635 29 38. QOpen 10:00 - 20:00. Desa B-1, ul. Rynek Starego Miasta 4/6, tel. 022 827 47 60, www.desa.pl. A wide selection of antique porcelain, glass statues as well as some furniture and paintings. QOpen 11:00 - 18:30, Sat 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. Galeria Ar t NEW media B-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 41, tel. 022 828 82 22, www.artnewmedia.pl. Paintings and sculptures. QOpen 11:00 - 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Galeria Bali & Buddha Club B-3, ul. Jasna 22, tel. 022 828 67 71, www.galeriabali.pl. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. For more details contact: Global Refund Polska S.p. z o o Phone: +48 22 500 18 51 e-mail: taxfree.pl@globalrefund.com www.globalrefund.com Collect your refund in cash at a nearby Cash Refund Office: in the airport, on the road borders or in your home city. Flowers Centre), tel. 022 531 45 13, www.agaflowers.pl. Also on ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów) QOpen 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Flora E-1, ul. Dzika 19/23, tel. 022 635 61 62, www. kwiaciarniaflora.com.pl. QOpen 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun. Kwiaciarnia C-4, ul. Nowy Świat 19, tel. 022 826 44 58, www.kwiaciarnia-nowyswiat.pl. QOpen 08:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun. Kwiatowe Klimaty B-4, ul. Wilcza 42, tel. 022 625 40 00, www.kwiatowe.com.pl. QOpen 08:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. Aga Flowers D-1, ul. Okopowa 58/72 (Klif Shopping Salon Optyczny Robak F-4, ul. Polna 54, tel. 022 825 45 92. QOpen 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Vision Express ul. Głębocka 15 (Centrum Targówek), tel. 022 675 94 55, www.visionexpress.pl. Also on Al. Jerozolimskie 148 (Reduta). QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Kodak ul. Okopowa 58/72 (Klif Shopping Centre), tel. 022 531 45 51, www.kodak.pl. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Speciality food shops Demmers Teahouse B-2, Ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 61/63, tel. 022 828 21 06, www.tea.pl. Gourmet teas for the discerning tea fiend. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. Fine Wine & Spirits G-4, ul. Piękna 18, tel. 022 375 69 71, www.fws.pl. Whether buying as a present or, as an investment in your own night out, Fine Wine and Spirits can cater for all your alchol needs. It various locations around the city make it paticularly useful. Also at: ul. Wiertnicza 93 (Mokotów), tel. 022 651 70 58, ul. Sienna 39 (A-4), tel. 022 654 53 88, Konstancin Jeziorna, ul. Warszawska 25, tel. 022 717 54 91, Pl. Dąbrowskiego 2/4 (B-3) 022 826 50 39. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun. Books & Paper 234 56 37, www.americanbookstore.pl. Every thing from architecture and history to stacks of Harry Potter and Lonely Planet. An excellent selection of translated Polish classics and a heavy choice of Jewish-related literature. English classics are available for as little as 10zł. The best bookshop in town. Also at ul. Nowy Świat 61 (C-3) and ul. Powsińska 31 (Mokotów, Sadyba Best Mall), ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów). QOpen 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. EMPiK C-4, ul. Nowy Świat 15/17, tel. 022 627 06 50, www.empik.com. Hefty selection of international magazines and newspapers. Also loads of music, perfumes, video games, photo services etc. QOpen 07:00 - 22:00, Sat 09:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 19:00. Traffic Club C-4, ul. Bracka 25, tel. 022 692 14 38, www.traffic-club.pl. Vast multi-level store selling Englishlanguage books, DVDs, CDs and foreign language press. The full range of In Your Pocket titles also available. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 19:00. Perfume & Beauty L’Occitane ul. Ostrobramska 75c (Promenada), tel. 022 611 77 08, www.loccitane.pl. Also on ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów) and Al. Jana Pawla II 82 (Arkadia).QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Quality B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79, tel. 022 630 64 97, www.perfumeriaquality.pl. QOpen 09:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Sephora B-4, ul. Marszałkowska 116/122 (Junior), tel. 022 826 12 32, www.sephora.pl. Also on ul. Jubilerska 1/3 (Real), ul. Targowa 72 (H-1, Centrum Wileńska), ul. Ostrobramska 75c (Praga Południe, Promenada), ul. Mszczonowska 3 (Ochota, Centrum Janki), Nowy Świat 15/17 (C-4), Al. Jana Pawła II 82 (D-1, Arkadia), ul. Wołoska 12 (Mokotów, Galeria Mokotów), ul. Powsińska 31 (Mokotów, Sadyba Best Mall). QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. Super Pharm F-7, ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów), tel. 022 541 33 72, www.superpharm.pl.QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. American Bookstore E-4, ul. Koszykowa 55, tel. 022 Gifts & Souvenirs Artis Galeria Sztuki Użytkowej F-3, ul. Emilii Plater 47, tel. 022 620 59 30, www.artisgaleria.pl. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Bazarnik C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 66, tel. 022 826 43 34, www.bazarnik.pl. QOpen 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 14:00. Closed Sun. Cepelia B-4, ul. Marszałkowska 99/101, tel. 022 628 77 57, www.cepelia.pl. Your first stop for tacky souveniers. Amongst the tat also find tradtional Polish handicrafts: table cloths, ceramics, glass etc. Also at Pl. Konstytucji 5 (F-4), ul. Krucza 23 (C-4), ul. Chmielna 8 (A-8). QOpen 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Shopping smarts Open Closed Push Pull Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Otwarte Zamknięte Ciągniąć Pchać Poniedziałek (pn.) Wtorek (wt.) Środa (śr.) Czwartek (czw.) Piątek (pt.) Sobota (so.) Niedziela (ni.) Photo Canon F-7, Ul. Wołoska 12 (Galeria Mokotów), tel. 022 541 36 14, www.abfoto.pl. Also on Ul. Złota 59 (A-4, Złote Tarasy). QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. Euro-Color ul. Puławska 1 (Mokotów), tel. 022 848 18 19. QOpen 08:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Children Niebieskie Migdały C-4, ul. Mokotowska 61, tel. 022 629 11 92, www.niebieskiemigdaly.com. Furniture and Warsaw In Your Pocket Opticians Optus G-4, ul. Koszykowa 34/50, tel. 022 621 45 95, www.optus.com.pl. QOpen 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 14:00. Closed Sun. August - September 2008 132 SHOPPING Hypermarkets Auchan ul. Puławska 46, tel. 022 715 86 00, www. auchan.pl. Also in ul. Modlińska 8 (Białołęka), ul. Górczewska 124 (Bemowo, Wola Park). QOpen 07:30 - 22:00, Sun 09:00 - 20:00. Bomi E-3, ul. Towarowa 22 (Jupiter Centrum), tel. 022 652 19 37, www.bomi.pl. Also on ul. Okopowa 58/72 (Klif) QOpen 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. Carrefour H-1, ul. Powstańców Śląskich 126, tel. 022 569 76 00, www.carrefour.pl. Also on Al. Jerozolimskie 148 (Ochota), Al. Jana Pawła II 82 (D-1, Arkadia), ul. Głębocka 15 (Targówek), ul. Targowa 72 (Praga Północ) QOpen 08:30 - 22:00, Sun 09:00 - 21:00. Carrefour Express B-4, ul. Marszałkowska 104/122, tel. 022 556 40 91. QOpen 08:00 - 22:00, Sun 09:30 - 21:00. Mini-Europa B-1, ul. Bonifraterska 6, tel. 022 831 67 81, www.minieuropa.com. Also at: ul. Górnośląska 13/15 (H-3, Śródmieście), ul. Daniłowskiego 2/4, Bielany), ul. Mickiewicza 27 (Żoliborz), ul. Andersa 24 (Śródmieście). QOpen 07:00 - 22:00, Sun 09:00 - 22:00. Piotr i Paweł D-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 179 (Blue City), tel. 022 311 79 36, www.piotripawel.pl. Also in Janki, Pl. Szwedzki 3 and in Targówek, ul. Malborska 51. QOpen 09:00 - 22:00, Sun 09:00 - 20:00. Real ul. Mszczonowska 3, Janki (Centrum Janki), tel. 022 735 86 00, www.real.pl. Also on ul. Połczyńska 4 (Wola), ul. Jubilerska 1/3 (Praga Południe), ul. Puławska 427 (Ursynów). QOpen 09:00 - 22:00. SHOPPING Shopping malls Pawła II 82, tel. 022 331 34 00, w w w. arkadia.com.pl. If you can’t find it in Arkadia, you probably never will. Coverin g a total area of 287 000 m2 Arkadia stands out as the biggest sh oppin g mall in Central Europe. The five floor leviathan contains everything you need to survive Warsaw, so it’s little wonder we know of people who spend their lives stalking around its corridors; approximately 45,000 - 70,000 people visit each day. It took three years of work to complete, and now houses fashion stores include Lacoste, Gant, Peek & Cloppenburg and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as ubiquitous high street chains like Zara, Espirit and Kappahl. A giant Saturn store takes care of all your electronic needs: from DVDs to sound systems. Carrefour takes a large chunk of the ground floor, though most expats are making a beeline for the first Mark & Spencers food department in the country. If you can’t find what you’re after in there then head to Kuchnia I Świat. The shop is tiny but is home to everything from Marmite and Pirri Pirri sauce to Weetabix, Cadburys Chocolate and Dr Pepper. English language books are available from American Bookstore, and foreign press from EMPiK. Entertainment comes in the form of a 15 screen multiplex. Alongside some very decent dining options is the microbrewery Bierhalle. Serving homemade beer and plates of sausages, this is exactly the place to leave the other half where he will be delightfully happy for a few hours. Connected by 10 tram lines, 15 bus routes and with space for 4,000 vehicles.QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. 133 Arkadia D-1, Al. Jana A splash of summer freshness. stored architectural styles combined with modern design have created one of the most pleasing places to shop in the heart of Warsaw. Situated on the recently renovated Krakowskie Przedmiescie between the old town and the shopping district of Nowy Swiat, LCS has 2 boutiques, a vinery, delicatessen and restaurant. The Diesel boutique is reported to be the most modern in the world while the LFC boutique, which carries labels such as Dsquared2, Martin Margiela, Polo, J.Lindeberg, John Galliano, and Gianfranco Ferre looks out over the restaurant. In the restaurant you find a fusion menu influenced by the collections on sale and sitting at its heart is a 100-year old which they now use to chill champagne. Nice. QOpen 11:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. Promenada ul. Ostrobramska 75c (Praga Południe), tel. 022 611 39 52, www.promenada.com. On Warsaw’s east side, but well worth the visit if you’re a clothes horse: Max Mara, CK, Lagerfeld, Iceberg, Burberry, Escada etc. Totalling an area of 121,000m2 Promenada was originally opened in 1996, making it somewhat of a granddaddy in Warsaw’s mall wars. Also on site and Alma Hypermarket, Senator delicatessen, Greenway health store and Spiżarnia store selling traditional Polish foods. In the way of entertainment there’s a multiplex cinema to enjoy, having first impressed your date with your ice skating skills on their glass domed ice rink. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Markets Bazar na Kole D-2, ul. Obozowa 99. Quality flea market held each weekend from dawn till 14:00. Attracting buyers and sellers from across the country this is exactly the place if you’ve ever wanted to own a Prussian helmet or set of palace doors from India (yours for 16,000zł). The Russian market, with it’s plastic shoes and Bulgarian DVDs pales in comparison. What else can you find? We’ve spotted pre-war posters advertising Polish toothpaste, early 19th century postcards, prewar bathroom fixtures and grandfather clocks. Vinyl records go for as little as 1zł. You’ll even find the occasional celeb looking for something wacky to fill their top-floor penthouse with. The traders themselves are a set of curious characters, and watching these veterans at work is one reason alone to visit. While early morning is the best time to snap up the rare finds, the closing Sunday at 13:00 is the time to hit to try and get the last minute bargains. The golden rule is to haggle at all times. Paying the asking price means overpaying. Bazar Różyckiego H-1, ul. Ząbkowska. Once regarded as Warsaw’s premier bazaar, the compact Bazar Różyckiego has seen its popularity wane since 1989. Black market trade once thrived under Nazi and communist governments, nowadays the historic 102-year-old market is a ghostly image of its former self. Once considered the place for cardigans, firearms and spurious goods, it’s now a mildly depressing look into working class Warsaw life. Photo market ul. Batorego 10. Discount camera equipment inside the Stodoła nightclub. Lenses, lamps, filters, negatives, etc. Highly recommended for those who take their photography seriously and know what they are looking for. Q Open Sun 10:00 - 14:00. Admission 4zł. Galeria Mokotów ul. Wołoska 12, tel. 022 541 41 41, www.galeriamokotow.pl. At 150,000m2 Galeria Mokotów has been eclipsed in size by Arkadia and Blue City, but remains the mall of choice for a large number of expats. Clothes wise stores include Clavin Klein, Lacoste, Versace, Trussardi, Peek & Cloppenburg, as well as several high street chains like Mango, Napa- Diesel and River Island. The entertainment center on the top floor includes bowling, food court and Cinema City multiplex. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. L i k u s C o n c e p t S t o r e C - 3 , u l . K r a ko w s k i e Przedmieście 16/18, tel. 022 492 74 02. The Likus Concept Stores, already a fixture on the Krakow shopping market, now reach Warsaw with the opening of LCS. Housed in a XIX century bath house which was the only one of its kind to survive WWII, the trademark mix of re- L'OCCITANE stores Kraków: Pasaż 13, Rynek Główny 13 Galeria Krakowska, Ul. Pawia 5 Katowice: Silesia City Center, Ul. Chorzowska 107 Warszawa: Arkadia, Al. Jana Pawła II 85 Galeria Mokotów, Al. Wołoska 12 Promenada, Ul. Ostrobramska 75c Poznan: Stary Browar, Ul. Półwiejska 42 www.loccitane.com.pl A True Story. www.zlotetarasy.pl. Warsaw ‘s monstrous train station now has a new neighbour - the sparkling Złote Tarasy complex. Officially opened on February 7, 2007 by Warsaw mayor, Hanna Gronkiewicz Waltz, the first afternoon alone saw 64,000 people file through the doors. The 250 million Euro project includes 225,000m2 of office, retail and entertainment space, with underground parking for 1,600 cars. Projected to draw more than million visitors each month the complex signals a bold shift away from the out-of-town malls found in Warsaw, and familiar stores will include NEXT, Marks & Spencers, Aldo, Poland’s first Body Shop, Hugo Boss, Van Graf clothes store and EMPiK. For leisure, visitors can visit Poland’s first Hard Rock Cafe as well a jazz club Jazzarium Akwarium and a cinema while they will also find more than 20 restaurants and bars spread over 5 levels, including an express version of the Warsaw Tortilla Factory , a branch of Wayne’s Coffee and a Burger King. Designed by Jerde Partnership International (whose founder, Jon Adams Jerde, designed the Olympic Village for LA 1984), the central showpiece is a 10,000m glass dome, fitted with a special mechanism to both filter sunrays and to stop snow from building up. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Złote Tarasy A-4, ul. Złota 59, tel. 022 222 22 00, Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 134 DIRECTORY ul. Nowa 23, Stara Iwiczna-Piaseczno, tel. 022 737 72 00, www.corstjens. com. Worldwide removal services, excellent storage facilities and relocations to and within Europe. Office and local moves also handled. DIRECTORY Corstjens Worldwide Movers Group 135 Whether a traveller or an ex-pat our directory has many useful contacts for you. Click on the left for listings. Remember to email us if you find any of our contacts paticularly helpful or, for that matter, unhelpful. We also welcome new additions. Fitness clubs & gyms Calypso Fitness Club G-5, ul. Puławska 17 (Europlex building), tel. 022 852 80 35, www.calypso.com.pl. Leisure Club C-2, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44 (Le Royal Méridien Bristol Hotel), tel. 022 551 18 05, www.warsaw.lemeridien.com. Oasis Club G-5, ul. Belwederska 23 (Hyatt Regency), tel. 022 851 05 63, www.cluboasis.pl. Health club and spad the offers top-class beauty treatments and products. Sheraton Fitness G-3, ul. Prusa 2 (Sheraton Hotel), tel. 022 450 67 01, www.fitness.com.pl. World Class Health Academy A-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 022 630 51 16, www. worldclass.pl. British School ul. Limanowskiego 15 (Mokotów), tel. 022 842 32 81, www.thebritishschool.pl. Deutsche Schule Warsaw ul. Wandy Rutkiewicz 2 (Wilanów), tel. 022 885 83 22, www.d-s-w.pl. Also at ul. Kolegiacka 1a (Wilanów) Ecole Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ul. Nobla 16 (Saska Kępa), tel. 022 616 14 99, w w w.saintexupery.pl. International American School ul. Dembego 18 (Ursynów), tel. 022 649 14 40, www.ias.edu.pl. International European School ul. Wiertnicza 75 (Wilanów), tel. 022 842 44 48, www.ies-warsaw.pl. Lycée Français de Varsovie (French School) ul.Walecznych 4/6, tel: 022 616 54 00, www. lfv.pl. Admissions 3 to 18 years of age. 24-hour pharmacies Apteka H-1, ul. Lubelska 1 (Warszawa Wschodnia train station), tel. 022 818 65 13, www.juventa.pl. Q Open 24hrs. Apteka Beata E-2, Al. Solidarności 149, tel. 022 620 08 18, www.aptekabeata.pl. Q Open 24hrs. Apteka Grabowskiego A-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 54 (Central Station), tel. 022 825 69 86, www.doz.pl. Q Open 24hrs. Business associations Financial Centre, ul. Emili Plater 53, tel. 022 520 59 99, www.amcham.com.pl. British Polish Chamber of Commerce A-2, ul. Fabryczna 16/22, tel. 022 320 01 00, www.bpcc.org.pl. Polish-German Chamber of Commerce B-1, ul. Miodowa 14, tel. 022 531 05 00, www.ihk.pl. Genealogy National Archive B-1, ul. Krzywe Koło 7, tel. 022 831 18 03, www.warszawa.ap.gov.pl. Registry Office E-1, ul. Andersa 5, tel. 022 227 40 02, www.um.warszawa.pl. Kindergardens Oliver ul. Bukietowa 9a (Mokotów), tel. 022 646 11 58, Idzikowskiego 39, tel. 022 853 72 91, w w w.bajkowakraina.pl. The Rainbow Garden (Tęczowy ogród) E-6, ul. Miłobędzka 2, tel. 022 848 04 35, www.teczowyogrod. com.pl. American Chamber of Commerce F-3, Warsaw The Fabulous Land (Bajkowa kraina) G-7, ul. www.oliver.com.pl. Also at ul. Kwiatowa 5b (F-5). Hairdressers and barbers Cutting House G-3, ul. Wiejska 20, tel. 022 622 63 62, www.cuttinghouse.pl. Exclusive hairdressers with English speaking staff. ul. Nowy Świat 58a, tel. 022 826 81 01, w w w. franckprovost.pl. G-5, ul. Puławska 25a, tel. 022 646 46 47. French-trained stylists offering unisex hair treatment and styling from 55zł to 380zł. Manicure and pedicure also available as well as cosmetic products by L’Oreal and Kerastase. PA R I S Dentists Anglo-American Corporation E-1, ul. Dzika 19/23, tel. 022 635 31 49, www.anam.pl. Austria Dent Center E-3, ul. Żelazna 54, tel. 022 654 21 16, www.austriadent.pl. Citident D-2, ul. Młynarska 26/28, tel. 022 862 47 70, www.citident.pl. Eurodental F-4, ul. Nowowiejska 37, tel. 022 875 00 88, www.eurodental.pl. Also at ul. Andersa 15 (E-1), ul. Śniadeckich 12/16 (F-4). Language schools The Centre for Polish Studies B-3, ul. Świętokrzyska 20, tel. 0 605 20 58 82, www.learnpolish.edu.pl. Franck Provost C-3, PROVOST FRANCK Local government 656 78 30, www.um.warszawa.pl. City Council (Rada Miasta Stołecznego Warszawy) B-4, Pl. Defilad 1, XX floor, room 2012, tel. 022 Off ice of the President of War saw A-2, Pl. Ex-pat organisations Alcoholics Anonymous B-4, ul. Poznańska 38a, www. aa-europe.net. Meetings for English speakers are on Mon, Wed, Fri at 18:00, Sat 11:00. Contact Bill at tel. 022 620 04 73 or Zack at tel. 022 635 44 87. Jean Louis David C-2, ul. Moliera 8, tel. 022 826 46 Maciej Wróblewski B-4, ul. Widok 8, tel. 022 690 67 12, www.jld.com.pl. 89, www.maciejwroblewski.pl. One of the top hair studios in Poland. Clients include the models featured in the Miss Polonia beauty pageant. Tiffany G-3, ul. Rozbrat 34/36, tel. 022 621 66 75. Also at ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 42/44 (Le Royal Meridien Bristol Hotel), tel. 022 551 18 56. Hash House Harriers, www.warsawhash.pl. A drinking club with a running problem is how this lot like to describe themselves and they’ve been hashing in Warsaw for 25 years. If you would like to join like-minded people for a run/walk in Warsaw or the surrounding forests followed by a beer or two, meet at the entrance of the Marriott hotel on alternate Saturdays at 14:00. Contact Martin Earl at 0502 052 958, warsawh3@gmail.com for further details. Bankowy 3/5, tel. 022 595 31 44, www.warszawa. um.gov.pl. Polish Parliament (Sejm) G-3, ul. Wiejska 4/6/8, tel. 022 694 22 31, www.sejm.gov.pl. President of Poland’s Chancellery G-3, ul. Wiejska 10, tel. 022 695 29 00. Prime Minister’s Chancellery G-3, Al. Ujazdowskie 1/3, tel. 022 694 60 00, www.premier.gov.pl. Regional Government (Urząd Wojewódzki) A-2, Pl. Bankowy 3/5, tel. 022 695 69 99, www.mazowieckie.pl. International schools Konstancin-Jeziorna, tel. 022 702 85 00, www.asw. waw.pl. Photocopying Copy General A-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 56c, tel. 022 652 26 30, www.copygeneral.pl. Also at Al. Solidarności 117 (A-2), Nowy Świat 2 (C-4). Q Open 24hrs. August - September 2008 American School of Warsaw ul. Warszawska 202, Warsaw In Your Pocket 136 DIRECTORY Recruitment 529 76 40, www.adecco.pl. Grafton A-3, ul. Sienna 39, tel. 022 654 46 46, www. grafton.pl. Most Wanted F-4, ul. Nowowiejska 5/13, tel. 022 825 52 33, www.mostwanted.pl. DIRECTORY Adecco Poland B-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 123a, tel. 022 137 Consulates & Embassies Australia B-4, ul. Nowogrodzka 11, tel. 022 521 34 44, www.australia.pl. Austria H-5, ul. Gagarina 34, tel. 022 841 00 81, www.ambasadaaustrii.pl. Belarus ul. Wiertnicza 58, tel. 022 742 07 10, www. belembassy.org. Belgium B-2, ul. Senatorska 34, tel. 022 551 28 00, www.diplomatie.be/warsaw. Canada C-4, ul. Matejki 1/5, tel. 022 584 31 00, www.canada.pl. Czech Republic G-4, ul. Koszykowa 18, tel. 022 525 18 50, www.mzv.cz/warsaw. Denmark F-5, ul. Rakowiecka 19, tel. 022 565 29 00, www.ambwarszawa.um.dk. Estonia E-6, ul. Karwińska 1, tel. 022 881 18 10, www.estemb.pl. Finland G-4, ul. Chopina 4/8, tel. 022 598 95 00, www.finland.pl. France G-4, ul. Piękna 1, tel. 022 529 30 00, www. ambafrance-pl.org. Germany G-4, ul. Jazdów 12, tel. 022 584 17 00, www.warszawa.diplo.de. Greece G-3, ul. Górnośląska 35, tel. 022 622 94 60, www.greece.pl. Hungary G-4, ul. Chopina 2, tel. 022 628 44 51, www.mfa.gov.hu/emb/warsaw. China B-1, ul. Bonifraterska 1, tel. 022 831 38 36, www.chinaembassy.org.pl. Ireland C-4, ul. Mysia 5, tel. 022 849 66 33, www. embassyofireland.pl. Israel F-4, ul. Krzywickiego 24, tel. 022 597 05 01, www.israel.pl. Italy F-2, Pl. Dąbrowskiego 6, tel. 022 826 34 71, www.ambvarsavia.esteri.it. Japan E-2, ul. Szwoleżerów 8, tel. 022 696 50 00, www.pl.emb-japan.go.jp. Latvia ul. Królowej Aldony 19 (Saska Kempa), tel. 022 617 43 89, www.latvia.pl. Lithuania G-3, Al. Ujazdowskie 12, tel. 022 635 97 94, www.lietuva.pl. Netherlands H-4, ul. Kawalerii 10, tel. 022 559 12 00, www.nlembassy.pl. New Zealand C-4, Al. Ujazdowskie 51, tel. 022 521 05 00, www.nzembassy.com/poland. Norway G-4, ul. Chopina 2a, tel. 022 696 40 30, www.amb-norwegia.pl. People’s Republic of Korea ul. Bobrowiecka 1a, tel. 022 840 58 13. Portugal H-2, ul. Francuska 37, tel. 022 511 10 10, www.ambasadaportugalii.pl. Republic of Korea H-4, ul. Szwoleżerów 6, tel. 022 559 29 00, http://pol.mofat.go.kr. Russia G-5, ul. Belwederska 49, tel. 022 621 34 53, www.poland.mid.ru. Slovakia G-4, ul. Litewska 6, tel. 022 525 81 10, www.ambasada-slowacji.pl. South Africa F-4, ul. Koszykowa 54, tel. 022 625 62 28. Spain G-4, ul. Myśliwiecka 4, tel. 022 583 40 00. Sweden G-5, ul. Bagatela 3, tel. 022 640 89 00, www.swedenabroad.com/warsaw. Ukraine G-4, Al. Szucha 7, tel. 022 622 47 97, www. ukraine-emb.pl. United Kingdom G-4, Al. Róż 1, tel. 022 311 00 00, www.britishembassy.pl. USA G-4, Al. Ujazdowskie 29/31, tel. 022 625 14 01, poland.usembassy.gov. August - September 2008 nannies / housekeepers. Email: family@prowork.com. pl, Tel 022 323 63 35 , www.prowork.com.pl. Office: ul. Smolna 38/8 (centre, near Nowy Swiat street and Ronde de Gaulle), 00-375 Warsaw. Prowork Childcare Services English speaking Relocation companies Corstjens Worldwide Movers Group ul. Nowa 23, Stara Iwiczna-Piaseczno, tel. 022 737 72 00, www. corstjens.com. Worldwide removal services, excellent storage facilities and relocations to and within Europe. Office and local moves also handled. Spa & beauty Alternatywa Cafe Salt Cave C-4, ul. Smolna 36/7, tel. 022 826 61 96, www.alternatywacafe.waw.pl. Celebrity Beauty & Spa A-3, Rondo ONZ 1, tel. 022 335 77 44, www.celebrity.com.pl. 400m2 right in the city centre offering a vast number of treatments from head to toe. High standards and moderate prices guaranteed. Pre-schools Happy Montessori House ul. Rumiana 14 (Wilanów), tel. 0697 06 05 04, www.hmh.com.pl. An international pre-school for children aged 2 to 6 years. Private clinics Alfa - Lek C-3, ul. Nowy Świat 58a (entrance from ul. Ordynacka 15), tel. 022 826 45 02, www.alfalek.pl. LIM Medical Center A-4, Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 (Marriott Hotel), tel. 022 458 70 00, www.cmlim. pl. Medicover D-4, ul. Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 r. 18, tel. 0 804 22 95 96, www.medicover.pl. Q Open 24hrs. 58a, tel. 022 826 64 17, www. cityspa.waw.pl. Pamper yourself with a huge range of treatments that range from facials to body scrubs to nutritional advice. Sunbeds also available as well as exotic massages that include Thai methods, hot stones, lomilomi and mauri. City SPA C-3, ul. Nowy Świat Real estate Ascheberg Immobilien G-3, ul. Rozbrat 34/36 no. 65, tel. 022 628 79 36, www.ascheberg.com.pl. Emmerson B-4, ul. Wspólna 35, tel. 022 828 92 96, www.emmerson.pl. Knight Frank Nieruchomości B-4, ul. Mysia 5, tel. 022 596 50 50, www.knightfrank.com.pl. Mamdom , www.mamdom.com. Mamdom.com is Polands largest Anglo-Polish Property Portal listing thousands of real estate offers from estate agents, private individuals, government organisations and companies. Every single offer has at least one image and the descriptions are all translated into English by a native speaker, not a computer. You can choose to deal directly with the sellers (who often speak English) or make use of interpretors, drivers, and other services. Mamdom charges no commission on any property purchases. Warsaw In Your Pocket Day Spa ZEN ul. Duchnicka 3 (Żolibor z), tel. 022 322 50 55, www.dayspazen.com.pl. Regain your strength, relieve your stress and rejuvenate your body; on offer are traditional massages, herbal saunas and much more including wellness techniques from Polynesia, Arabia, Thailand and Japan. Le Spa C-4, ul. Mokotowska 55, tel. 022 622 94 28, www.lespa.pl. This is an authorized Lancome beauty parlour. In addition to spa and beauty treatments they have emergency services: the ‘last minute’ treatment is a facial and make up job fixed within an hour, or you can top up your tan in less than an hour with the ‘before party’ package. RiverView Wellness Centre A-4, ul. Emilii Plater 49 (InterContinental), tel. 022 328 86 40, www.riverview. com.pl. www.inyourpocket.com 144 STREET REGISTER 1 Sierpnia D-6/7 29 Listopada H-4 Aleje Ujazdowskie C-4, (G-3/5) Andersa, gen. A-1/2 (E-1/2) Anielewicza A-2 (D/E-1/2) Archiwalna D-5 Armii Ludowej, al. F/H-4 Bagatela G-4/5 Bagno B-3 Banachago D/E-5 Bankowy, pl. A-2 (F-2) Barbary, św. B-4, (F-3) Barokowa B-2 Barona D-2 Batorego E/F-5 Bednarska B/C-2 Bellottiego D-2 Belwederska G-5/6 Biała A-3 (E-2) Białobrzeska D-4/5 Bielańska B-2 (F-2) Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 r. D-4/5 Bobrowskiego D-5 Boduena B-3 Bohaterów Getta A-2 (E/F-1) Bohdanowicza D-6 Boleść B-1 Bonifraterska A/B-1 Bracka C-4 Browarna C-2/3 (G-2) Brylowska D-3 Brzeska H-1 Brzozowa B-1 Bugaj B-1/2 Bytnara F-6/7 Canaletta B-2 Celna B-1/2 Chałubińskiego A/B-4 (F-3/4) Chełmska H-6 Chłodna A-3 (D/E-2) Chmielna A-4, B/C-3/4, (E-3, F-3) Chocimska G-5 Chodkiewicza E-5/6 Chopina G-4 Ciasna B-1 Ciepła A-3 (E-2) Cicha C-3 Corazziego B-2 Czackiego B-3 (F-2) Czerniakowska G/H-3 Czerska H-5/6 Czeska H-2 B-3 (F/G-6) Dąbrowskiego, pl. Dawna B-1/2 Defilad, pl. B-4 (F-3) Dickensa D-5 A/B-1/2 (F-1) Długa Długosza D-2 Dobra C-2/3 (G-1/2) A-3 Dobrzańskiego Dolna G-6 Drewniana C-3 Dubois A-1 (E-1) Dzielna A-2 (D/E-1/2) Dzika D/E-1 Elektoralna A-2/3 (E-2) Emilii Plater A/B-3/4 (F-3) Esperanto E-1/2 Etiudy Rewolucyjnej E-7 Filtrowa E-4 G-1 Floriańska Foksal C-3 (G-3) A/B-1 Franciszkańska Francuska H-2 Frascati C-4 Fredry B-2 (F-2) Freta B-1 (F-1) Furmańska C-2 (F/G-2) Gagarina G-5 C-3 Gałczyńskiego Gamerskiego B-2 Geodetów D-5 Gęsta C-2 Gibalskiego D-2 Górnośląska H-3 Górska H-5/6 Górskiego B/C-3 Goszczyńskiego F/G-6 Goworka G-5 Graniczna B-3 Grodzka C-2 Grójecka D/E-4/6 Grzybowska A-3 (E/F-2/3) Grzybowski, pl. A/B-3 Grzymały D-4 Hoża B/C-4 (F/G-3) Hynka D-7 Idzikowskiego G/H-6/7 Inflancka A-1 Iwicka H-5 Jaktorowska D-3 Jana Pawła II, al. A-2/4, (D/E-1/3) Jana Sobieskiego G/H-5/6 Jasielska D-6 Jasna B-3, (F-2/3) Jazdów G-4 Jerozolimskie, Al. A/C-3/4, (D/G-2/4) Joliot-Curie F-7 Kacza D-2 Kaliska D-4 Kanonia B-2 Kapitulna B-2 Karasia C-3 Karmelicka A-2 (E-1/2) Karolkowa D-2/3 Karowa C-2 (F/G-2) Kasprzaka D-3 Kazimierzowska F-5 Kępna H-1 Kilińskiego B-1/2 Klonowa G-5 Kłopotowskiego G-1 Kolberga F-7 Kolejowa D/E-3/4 Konduktorska G-6 Konopnickiej C-4 Konstytucji, pl. F-4 Konwiktorska A/B-1 Kopernika C-3 Kopińska D-4 Korotyńskiego D-6 B-1 (E/F-1) Kościelna Koszykowa E/G-4 Kotlarska D/E-2/3 Kozia B-2 Koźla B-1 (F-1) Krakowskie Przedmieście B/C-2/3, (F-2) Krasickiego F/G-7 Krasińskich, pl. B-2 (F-1) H-5 Krasnołęcka Kredytowa B-3 (F-2) Krochmalna A-3 (E-2) Królewska B-3 (F-2) Krucza C-4 (F/G-3) Kruczkowskiego C-3 (G-2) Krywulta C-3 B-1 Krzywe Koło Krzywickiego E-4 C-4 (G-3) Książęca Kubusia Puchatka C-3 Kusocińskiego G/H-4 Kwiatowa F-5 Lądowa G-5 H-4 Łazienkowska Lenartowicza F/G-6/7 Lennona G-4 C-3 Leszczyńska Leszno D-2 Leszowa E/F-4/5 Lewartowskiego A-1/2 (E-1) Lindleya A-4 (E-3/4) Lipowa C-2 Litewska G-4 Lubelska H-1 Łucka A-3 (E-3) Ludna G/H-3 Ludowa G-6 Lwowska F-4 Madalińskiego F/G-5/6 Majewskiego D-5 Małachowskiego, pl. B-3 Malczewskiego F/G-6 Mariańska A-3 Mariensztat C-2 Markowska H-1 Marszałkowska B-2/4 (F-2/4) Matejki C-4 Mazowiecka B-3 (F-2) Miączyńska E-6/7 Miedziana A-4 (E-3) Miła A-1 (D/E-1) Miłobędzka E-6 Miodowa B-2 (F-1) Mireckiego D-2 Mirowski, pl. A-3 (E-2) Młynarska D-2 Mokotowska C-4 (G-3/4) Mołdawska D-6 Moliera B-2 (F-2) Moniuszki B-3 Mostowa B-1 (F-1) Muranowska A-1 (E-1) Mysia C-4 Myśliwiecka G/H-4 Na Rozdrożu, pl. G-4 Na Skarpie, al. G-3 Nabielaka G-5 Nalewki A-1/2 Narbutta F/G-5 Narutowicza, pl. D-4 Nehru H-5 Niecała B-2, (F-2) Niemcewicza D/E-4 Niepodległości, al. F/G-4 Niska A-1, (D/E-1) Niska D/E-1 Niżyńskiego Pasaż B-3 Nowiniarska B-1 Nowogrodzka A/C-4 (E/F-3) Nowolipie A-2 (E-2) Nowolipki A-2 (D/E-1/2) Nowowiejska E/G-4 Nowy Świat C-3/4 (G-2/3) Oboźna C-3 Obozowa D-2 Oczki E/F-3/4 F/G-6 Odolańska F/G-6 Odyńca Ogrodowa A-3 (E-2) Okólnik C-3 Okopowa 1/2-D G/H-3 Okrąg Okrzei G-1 Oleandrów F/G-4 Olimpijska E-6 Olkuska G-6 Olszewska G-5 Olszowa G-1 Ondraszka E-4/5 Opolski, pl. D-2 Ordynacka C-3 (G-2) Orla A-2/3 (E-2) G-3 Orłowicza B-2 Ossolińskich Padewska G-6 G-1 Panieńska Pańska A-3/4 (E-3) Parkowa G-5 Pasteura D-4/5 Paszyna D-1 Pawia A-2 (D/E-2, E-1) Pawińskiego D-5/6 Pereca A-3 (E-3) Piaseczyńska G-6 Piekarska B-2 Piękna F/G-4 Piłsudskiego, marsz. pl. B-3 (F-2) Piwarskiego G/H-6 Piwna B-2 Płatowcowa E-6 Platynowa E-3 Podchorążych G/H-5 Podwale B-1/2 (F-1) Pokorna A-1 Polna F/G-4 Poniatowskiego, ks. Al. H-2 Powązkowska D-1 Powstańców Warszawy, pl. B-3 Poznańska B-4 (F-3) Promenada G-5/6 Prosta A-4 (D/E-3) Próżna B-3 Prusa C-4 Pruszkowska D-6 Przechodnia A-2/3 Przemyska D-5 Przyokopowa D-3 Przyrynek B-1 Ptasia A/B-3 (F-2) Puławska G-5/7 Pułku Baszta F-7 Pytlasińskiego G-6 Racławicka D/E-6 Radna C-3 Rajców B-1 Rakowiecka E/G-5 Raszyńska E-4 Rejtana G-5 Rokitnicka E-5 Rostafińskich E-5 Róż, al. G-4 Różana F/G-5/6 Rozbrat G-3 Rycerska B-2 Rynek Nowego Miasta B-1 (F-1) Rynek Starego Miasta B-1/2 Rysia B-3 Sandomierska G-5 Sanguszki B-1 Sanocka D-5/6 Sapieżyńska A/B-1 Sasanki D-7 Senatorska B-2 (F-1/2) Schillera B-2 (F-1) Siedmiogrodzka D-3 Sielecka H-5/6 Siemieńskiego D-5 Sienkiewicza B-3 Sienna A-4 (E-3) Skaryszewska H-1 Skarżyńskiego D-5 Skierniewicka D-3 Skorochód D-5/6 D-3/4 Sławińska Śliska A-4 G-5 Słoneczna D-4 Słupecka Smocza D/E-1/2 Smolna C-3/4 Sokola G/H-1/2 Solec G/H-2/3 Solidarności, al. A/C-1/3, (D/G-1/2) Sosnowa A-4 Spacerowa G-5 E-7 Spartańska Spiska D/E-4 Srebrna F-3 Stara B-1 F/G-5 Starościńska Starynkiewicza, pl. E-3 Staszica D-2 Stawki A-1 (D/E-1) Stefana Batorego E/F-5 H-5/6 Stępińska Sulkiewicza G-5 B-2 Świętojańska Świętojerska A/B-1/2 (E/F-1) Świętokrzyska B/C-3 (E/G-2/3) Szara G-3 Szarych Szeregów D-3 Szczęśliwicka D-4 Szczygla C-3 Szkolna B-3 Szpitalna B-3/4 Szucha, al. G-4 Szwoleżerów H-4 Tagore’a F-6 Tamka C-3 (G-2) Targowa G/H-1 Teatralny, pl. B-2 (F-2) Tłomackie A/B-2 Tokarzewskiego-Karaszewicza B-2/3 Topiel C-3 Towarowa D/E-2/3 Traugutta B/C-3 Trębacka B-2 Trojdena, ks. D/E-5 Trzech Krzyży, pl. C-4 (G-3) Tuwima C-3 Twarda A-3/4 (E-3) Tyniecka G-6/7 Unii Lubelskiej, pl. G-4/5 Ursynowska F/G-6 Wał Miedzeszyński H-2/3 Walecznych H-2 Waliców A-3 (E-2/3) Wałowa A-1/2 (E-1) Warecka B/C-3 (F-2) Waryńskiego F/G-4/5 Wąski Dunaj B-2 Wawelska D/F-4 Widok B-4 Wiecha Pasaż B-3/4 Wiejska C-4 (G-3) Wierzbowa B-2 (F-2) Wiktorska F/G-6 Wilanowska H-3 Wilcza B/C-4 (F/G-3/4) Wileński pl. G-1 Willowa G-5 Winnicka D-5 Wioślarska H-3 Wiślana C-2 Wiślicka D-5/6 Wiśniowa F/G-5, F/G-6 Witosa, al. H-6/7 Wodna B-1 Wójtowska B-1 D-2 Wolność E/F-6/7 Wołoska Wolska D-3 Woronicza E/G-7 Wronia E-2/3 Wspólna A/C-4 (F-3) Wybrzeże Gdańskie B/C-1/2, (F-1) C-1 (G-1) Wybrzeże Helskie Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie C-2, (G-1/2) Wybrzeże Szczecińskie C-1/2, (G-1/2) H-1 Ząbkowska Zajęcza C-3 (G-2) Zakroczymska B-1 Zamenhofa A-1/2 (E-1) Zamkowy, pl. B-2 (F-1) Zamoyskiego H-1 Zapiecek B-2 Zawiszy, pl. E-3 Zbawiciela, pl. F-4 Zbierska G/H-5/6 Żelazna A-3/4 (E-2/3) Żelaznej Bramy, pl. A/B-3 (F-2) Zgoda B-3/4 Zieleniecka, al. H-1/2 Zielna B-3 Zimna A-3 B-3, A/B-4 (E/F-3) Złota Zoli G-4 Żurawia B/C-4 (F/G-3) Żwirki i Wigury D/E-4/7 Zwycięzców H-3 Żytnia D-2 LISTINGS INDEX 99 52 Absynt 46 Adam Mickiewicz Monument 99 Adam Mickiewicz Museum of Literature 103 Adler 50 Agnieszka Osiecka Monument 99 Airport Hotel Okęcie 37 Akashia 61 Akwarium Jazzarium 90 Ale Gloria 66 Amicus 36 Amigos 40 Amnesia 78 Amnesia Too 78 Anytime 52 Aramis 36 Arkadia 107 Arsenał 58 Arti 50 Art Sushi 62 Atos 36 Atrio 52 Aviator Monument 99 Axis Bar 78 Babooshka 72 Bacio 58 Bacio Di Angelo 58 Balgera 58 Balsam 86 Banja Luka 42 Barbecue 52 Bar Below 78 Bar Bistro Bez Kantów 52 Bazaar 52 Belvedere 66 Belwederski 32 Best Western Hotel Mazurkas 32 Besuto 62 Biblioteka 53 Bierhalle 53, 78, 91 Biosfeera 50 Bistro de Paris 44 Bistro Żużu 46 Blue Cactus 73 Boathouse 64 Bojangles Bar & Lounge 90 Bollywood Lounge 86 Borpince 50 Boston Port 53 Boutique Bed & Breakfast 32 Bradley's 89 Brasserie 44 Brasserie Stanislas 46 BrowArmia 53, 91 Budapest 50 Café Balgera 72 Cafe Bar Lemon 78 Café Foksal 78 Cafe Gallery Belle Epoque 76 Café Kredens Vogue 44 Cafe Próżna 76 Cafe Przejście 78 Campanile 32 Car Museum 103 Casablanca 78 Casa To Tu 72 Casino Club 78 Casinos Poland 89 Castle Inn 32 Centorrino 59 Ceprownia 66 Cesarski Pałac 43 Champions Sports Bar & Restaurant 40, 78 Charles de Gaulle Monument 100 Chianti 59 Chłodna 25 76 Chłopskie Jadło 66 Chopin Monument 118 Chopin's Childhood 118 Churrasco do Landa 43 Ciepłe Kluchy 67 City Cafe Bar 53 C.K. Oberża 49 Club 70 86 Club Hotl 87 Coffeeheaven 76 Coffee Karma 76 Column Bar 78 Concept 53 Conquistador 66 Costa Coffee 76 Courtepaille 54 Courtyard by Marriott 37 Cztery Pory 67 Czuły Barbarzyńca 76 Dekada 87 Dekanta 44 Delicja Polska 67 Der Elefant 44 De Silva Piaseczno 32 Dom Literatury 32 Dom Polski 67 Doppiozero 59 Dream Apartments 38 Drink Bar 80 Duval 38 Dyspensa 54 Dziki Ryż 74 74 Dżonka Efes 64 El Popo 73 Enklawa 87 Essencia 48 Etap 36 Ethnographic Museum 103 Excellence Travel 95 Execution Sites 116 Extravaganza 80 Fabryka Trzciny 54, 87 Fantom 94 Firemen's Museum 103 Flik 67 Folk Gospoda 67 Fotoplastikon 107 Frida 73 Fusion 48 Galeon 67 Galeria 94 Galeria Bali Buddha Club 51 Galla 94 Gar 68 Garden Villa 39 Gestapo HQ 101 Ginger 48 Ginza 62 Gniazdo Piratów 80 Gościniec Kołomyja 68 Gospoda Kwiaty Polskie 68 Grand Kredens 54 Greenway 50 Gromada 32 Gromada Airport 37 Ground Zero 87 Hana Sushi 62 Hard Rock Cafe 80 Hard Rock Café 40 Harenda 34 Helvetia 39 Hemisphere 80 Hetman 34 Hilton's Meza 56 Hilton Warsaw Hotel & Convention Centre 29 Historical Museum of Warsaw 104 Hit 36 Holiday Inn Warsaw 29 Holiday Inn Warszawa Józefów 32 Holy Cross Church 96 Hong Kong House 43 Honoratka 68 Hossa 80 Hotel Marriott's Lila Weneda Restaurant 56 Hotel Rialto's Restaurant 54 Hyatt Hotel's Venti Tre Restaurant 56 Hyatt Regency Warsaw 29 Ibis Hotel Ostrobramska 34 Ibis Stare Miasto 34 Ibis Warszawa Centrum 34 Ignacy Paderewski 100 Iguana 81 Il Sole 59 Inaba 62 Indeks 81 India Curry 51 InterContinental 30, 38 InterContinental's Downtown Restaurant 56 Irish Pub 89 Izumi Sushi 62 Jan III Sobieski 32 Jan Kiliński Monument 101 Jazz Bistro 90 Jazz Bistro Gwiazdeczka 90 Jazz Café Helicon 90 Jazz Hotl 45 Jeff's 40 Jesuit Church 96 Jewish Cemetery 113 Jewish Historical Institute 113 JJ Wine Lounge 81 Józef Piłsudski Monument 100 JP's Bar 81 Kabacki Forest 107 Kafka 76 Kaiser 81 Kampinos Forest 107 Kanonia 39 Karat 34 Kareta 54 Karpielówka 68 Katyń Museum 104 Kawangarda 76 Kiku Japanese Dining Gallery 62 King Sigismund's Column 101 Kobe 63 Kokomo 92 KOM 48 Kościuszkowców Monument 115 Krokiecik 54 Kwai 74 Kyriad Prestige 34 La Boheme 68 La Cantina 64 La Fiesta Tortilla Bar 73 La Passion du Vin 54 La Playa 81 La Rotisserie 48 Latino Brasserie@ ferdy's 54 Łazienki Park & Palace 107 Le Cedre 64 Le Méridien Bristol 30 Lemongrass 74 Le Regina 30 Le Royal Meridien Bristol's Marconi 56 Lilla Weneda 54 Literatka 68 Living Room 81 Lobby Bar 82 Lokanta 75 Lokanta Express 72 Lolek 82 London Steak House 43 Lord 34 Luztro 87 Łysy Pingwin 76 Madame Walewska 76 Maestria 63 Maharaja 51 Maharaja Thai 75 Mala Serbia 42 Malinowa 45 Mandala 50 Maracana 82 Marak 72 Marconi 45 Maria 34 Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum 104 Marriott 30 Maska 69 Mazowiecki 36 Mazurkas Travel 95 McDonald's 72 MDM 34 Mela Verde 82 Melodia 82 Mercure Grand 32 Mercure Warszawa Fryderyk Chopin 32 Metro Jazz Club 90 Metropol 34 Meza 45 Między Nami 72 Military Cathedral 97 Mille Gusti 59 Mokotowskie Field 108 Moliera 6 42 Molo 72 Mono Bar 88 Monte Cassino Monument 101 Monument to the Ghetto Heroes 113 Monument to the Warsaw Uprising 116 Moonsfera 49 Museum of Asia and Pacific 105 Museum of Caricature 105 Museum of Independence 105 Museum of Technology 109 Namaste India 51 Namaste India Clay Oven 51 Nathan's Villa 39 National Museum 105 New Orleans 92 Nicholas Copernicus Monument 102 Night Club Chili 92 Night Guides 90 Nike 102 No5 Lounge Restaurant 49 NoBo 54, 82 Nomia 54 Novotel Warszawa Airport 37 Novotel Warszawa Centrum 30 Nożyk Synagogue 113 Nu Jazz Bistro 91 Oberża Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem 69 Oki Doki 39 Old Town 110 Old Town Apartments38 Opera 88 Opium 82 Orchidea 49 145 Warsaw In Your Pocket August - September 2008 146 LISTINGS INDEX Organza 88 Organza Shot Bar 82 Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene 115 Osteria 72 Palace of Culture and Science (PKiN) 109 Palladium Club 88 Panorama Bar & Lunch 83 Paparazzi 83 Papaya 49 Papu 45 Parmizzano's 60 Partner 34 Passe Partout 54 Patrick's 89 Pawiak Prison 98 Pawiarnia 88 Pędzący Królik 82 Piccola Italia 60 Piccolo Bacio 60 Pink Flamingo 40 Pistaccio Lobby Bar & Lounge 83 Pixel Club 83 Pizzeria Na Nowolipkach 60 Plan B 83 Platinium Club 88 Platinium Club and Restaurant 55 Pod Gigantami 55 Pod Gwiazdami 83 Pod Samsonem 64 Podwale 5 69 Podwale - Kompania Piwna 45 Poezja 45 Polish Army Museum 105 Polka, Magda Gessler po prostu 69 Polonia Palace 31 Porta 13 50 Porto Praga 55, 84 Portucale 71 Poster Museum 119 Praski 34 Premiere Classe 36 Presidential Palace 108 Presto 60 Profesorski 37 Prowansja 48 Przekąski Zakąski 72 Pub 14 84 Qchnia Artystyczna 55 Qfajka 84 Questo e Quello 60 Rabarbar 84 Radio Café 69 Radisson SAS Centrum 31 Railway Museum 106 Rasko 94 Red Orange 43 Residence Diana 38 Residence St. Andrew's Palace 38 Restauracja Polska Przy Trakcie 70 Reytan 34 Rialto 31 Rodeo Drive 40 Roma 60 Rondo Royal 46 Rooster 40 RoRo Lounge Cafe 76, 84 Royal Castle 98 Royal Route Residence 38 Różana Restauracja Polska 69 Rubikon 55 Rusticoni 61 Rycerska 70 Sadhu Cafe 50 Sakana 63 Same Fusy 76 Samira 64 San Lorenzo 61 Santorini 50 Sarmacja 70 Senator 70 Sense 49, 84 Sheesha Lounge 64, 84 Sheraton Hotel 56 Sheraton Warsaw 31 Skaryszewski Park 108 Smart Bistro 55 So-An 63 Société 56 Sofia 92 Sofitel Victoria Warsaw 31 Sogo Club 92 Soho 77 63 SomePlace Else 42, 85 Sphinx 64 Stacja Rynek 85 St. Alexander's Church 97 St. Anne's Church 97 St. Antonio 61 Stara Szafa 70 Start Hotel Felix 37 Start Hotel Portos 34 Stary Młyn 70 St. Augustines Church97 St. Benno's Church 97 St. Casimir's Church 98 St. Franics Seraph Church 98 St. Hyacinth Church 98 St. John's Cathedral 98 St. Mary's Church 98 Strefa Gourmet 72 Sts. Michael & Florian Cathedral 115 St. Traffo 46 Studio Buffo 56 Sunanta 75 Suparom Thai Food 75 Surf Spot 85 Sushi 77 63 Sushi Cafe Skorupka 63 Sushi Teatr 64 Syrena 102 Szparka Café 85 Szpilka 76 Tandoor Palace 51 Tapa y Toro 72 Taqueria Mexicana 73 Tarabuk Księgarnia Kawiarnia 77 Tawerna Tabaka 42 TGI Friday's 42 The Armoury Archeological Muzeum 106 Theatre Museum 106 The Cinnamon 85 The Citadel 101 The Little Insurgent 116 The Mexican 73 The Olive 56 The Oriental 43 The Saxon Garden 108 The Westin 31 The Westin Hotel's Fusion Restaurant 56 Tokio 64 Tomba Tomba 94 Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 103 Tomo 64 To those deported and murdered in the East 103 Tourist Information 96 Traces of the Ghetto 113 Tradycja Restauracja Polska 70 Trakt 95 Trattoria Ti Amo 61 Tshingis Chan 64 Tygmont 91 U Dekerta 71 U Fiszera 71 U Fukiera 71 Ujazdowski Castle (Museum Of Modern Art/CSW) 106 Ujazdowski Park 108 U Kucharzy 71 Umschlagplatz 113 Underground Music Cafe 89 Upstairs Bar & Bistro 56 U Szwejka 58 Utopia 94 Valencia 73 Vegas Gentlemen's Club 92 Venezia 61 Venti Tre 61 Vienna Café and Restaurant 77 Villa Foksal 58 Villa Rossini 56 Vinoteka la Bodega 85 Vinyl 89 Wagabunda Bike Tours 95 Warsaw City Tours 95 Warsaw remains 116 Warsaw Tortilla Factory 72, 74, 86 Warsaw Uprising Museum 117 Warsaw Zoo 115 Warszawa-Jerozolima 64 W Biegu Cafe 77 Wilanów Palace 119 Wineria 86 Wook 44 W Oparach Absurdu 86 You & Me Zadra Zajazd Napoleoński Zakątek Zapiecek Żelazowa Wola Zen Jazz Bistro Zgoda Zielona Gęś Zorba 46 58 34 86 71 118 91 71 86 50 Features index Beer Gardens 81 Bielanska 30 Brunch 56 Central Train Station 126 Citadel 101 Climate 17 Enigma Warsaw 36 Escalator 96 Essential Warsaw 95 Facts & Figures 17 Fast Food & Delivery 74 Fotoplastikon 107 Further reading (The Polish revolution) 70 Gestapo HQ 101 Healthy Eating 50 History 20 In the news (new) 62 Krakowskie Przedmiescie 102 Krakowskie Przedmiescie 103 Language Smarts 19 Lazienki 8 Local football (new) 80 Lost Warsaw 100 Lunch 77 Market Values 18 Metro 125 Milk Bars 75 No Smoking 40 No Thank You 52 Pawiak Prison 98 Poles you should know (Blofeld) 71 Poles you should know (Edward Gierek) 46 Poles you should know (Magdalena Abakanowicz) 38 Poles you should know (The Female Schindler) 60 Polish food 68 Presidential Palace 108 Press & Mail 28 Property 12 Quick Currency Convertor 19 Quick Eats 72 Quick Picks 14 Royal Castle 98 Royal Route 44 Russian Market 115 Saski 104 Secret Garden 86 Sopot Development Box 63 The Palm 107 Tourist Information 96 Tours 95 Train Smarts 127 Vice advice 93 Warsaw University 99 What's hot and what's not 73 Wojtek the Bear 106 World's Tallest Structure 129 Warsaw In Your Pocket