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Provided by: Warsaw Tourist Office

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Europe Poland Warsaw Food Żurek

Overview

Żurek

The guide was updated: 2024-11-18

This soup is quintessential Polish cuisine. It is made of meat broth leavened with rye sourdough and served with a boiled egg and white sausage. The dish is very filling and can serve as an entire meal. It is also a traditional part of the Easter breakfast menu.

Useful Information

Our travel guides are free to read and explore online. If you want to get your own copy, the full travel guide for this destination is available to you offline* to bring along anywhere or print for your trip.

*this will be downloaded as a PDF.

Price

€4,95

Purchase

Hala Koszyki

Hala Koszyki

The Art Nouveau architecture of this indoor food market dating, back to the beginning of the 20th century, has been restored and the edifice modernised, and it has become one of the most important locations in the city’s culinary and social scene. Hop over for dinner or an exhibition — try out the latest trends in urban cuisine and find out what’s hot in town.

Night Market

Night Market

If you are a night owl and are not afraid to eat late, then this is the place for you. The old Warsaw Central Train Station has gained a new life thanks to the gathering of food lovers organised here every Saturday and Sunday. This is where you will get the best street food in town, with a wealth of tastes — from traditional to oriental.

Stary Dom

Stary Dom

Modern takes on classics of Polish cuisine are served at Stary Dom, a superb restaurant whose primary attraction is the cooking done by skilled chefs right by diners' tables; a performance not to be missed is the making of steak tartare before your very eyes. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and reservations highly recommended.

InAzia

InAzia

One of the Polish capital's finest dining establishments happens to specialise in Southeast Asian cuisine. Combining flavour inspiration from China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and even Singapore, head chef Marcin Sasin delights with finest dining creations made with first-rate ingredients like wagyu beef and often served to share.

Restauracja Różana

Restauracja Różana

In a beautiful setting of a 20th-century villa is Restauracja Różana, an exquisite restaurant serving Polish classics to sounds of live piano music. Abundant fresh flowers in the classic interior forge an irresistible old word appeal. Wednesdays see a delivery of fresh fish, and great set menus are served all days of the week.

Tel Aviv Food & Wine

Tel Aviv Food & Wine

This vegan restaurant enjoys a significant (and well-founded) following among non-vegans, for its offerings will no doubt please diners of even the most carnivorous persuasion. It's Israeli cuisine at its best: hummus, falafel, and abundant mezze, all in a low-key, unpretentious environment. Coffee specialities prepared with almond milk.

Warszawa Wschodnia by Mateusz Gessler

Warszawa Wschodnia by Mateusz Gessler

Warszawa Wschodnia is there regardless of the when appetite strikes: the restaurant operates on a 24/7 basis, serving contemporary Polish cuisine with some French influence day and night without fail. Sit at the bar encircling the kitchen and witness chefs at work, crafting dishes before your very eyes.

Breakfast Fairs

Breakfast Fairs

If some Saturday or Sunday morning you feel like having a bite to eat of something delicious and out of the ordinary (or perhaps even surprising), then visit one of Warsaw’s breakfast fairs, where you can find just about any sort of food you might desire, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and organic options. The best-known breakfast fair takes place in the Żoliborz district, but open-air food fairs can be found in every district in the city.

Pierogi

Pierogi

When you think of Polish cuisine, you think of… pierogi! Fair enough, as there are so many varieties of this traditional dish: with meat, cabbage, mushrooms, fruit, potatoes, cottage cheese or grits. New types have also appeared: with feta cheese, spinach or mozzarella. You simply have to have pierogi on your menu!

Herring Warsaw-Style

Herring Warsaw-Style

Though Warsaw is not located by the sea, herring has always been a local delicacy. It is served in many different ways, consumed in times of fast or as an ordinary daily meal. The best herring is served in oil. It is also the best thing to chase a shot of vodka with.

Pork Knuckle in Jelly

Pork Knuckle in Jelly

This delicate pork is cooked with vegetables and then left to set in an aromatic jelly. It is served with a touch of vinegar and a slice of bread. Order the dish as a small entree or as a starter to begin your Warsaw feast. Not a bad vodka chaser either.

Pyzy

Pyzy

Every Varsovian knows the taste of these balls of potato dough sprinkled with pork scratchings and fried onion. This is a true people’s dish, once famous in the Praga district of Warsaw. Supposedly, the best pyzy were sold in the famous Różycki Market. Have a taste – with either meat filling or just plain.

Pork Chops with Potatoes & Cabbage

Pork Chops with Potatoes & Cabbage

This dish is a staple of every Polish home, and its popularity does not seem to be waning. If you want to eat what Poles eat, have a pork chop. Any restaurant serving Polish food will have this on its menu in one of its many variations.

Chłodnik (Cold Soup)

Chłodnik (Cold Soup)

This is a typical summer soup, as it is served cold. Chłodnik is made from whey or kefir with fresh chopped vegetables: radish, cucumber, chard, and dill. When the weather is hot, every Polish restaurant has chłodnik on its menu. It is perfect for enhancing your appetite for a more filling main course. There are also new types of this soup, with avocado, for example.

Tripe

Tripe

Now don’t peck at your food – have a go at this true Warsaw dish! The aromatic, slightly spicy broth hides the surprisingly delicate beef giblets. Tripe is best in the wintertime when you need to warm yourself up and recharge your batteries.

Żurek

Żurek

This soup is quintessential Polish cuisine. It is made of meat broth leavened with rye sourdough and served with a boiled egg and white sausage. The dish is very filling and can serve as an entire meal. It is also a traditional part of the Easter breakfast menu.

Borsch

Borsch

There are many varieties of borsch: horseradish, sorrel, and Ukrainian (with vegetables), though the most popular type is made with beetroot. You can order it in any restaurant, and it is frequently served with croquettes. A perfect dish to warm you up in the winter.

Doughnuts

Doughnuts

Warsaw's doughnuts are round, puffy, and have no hole in the middle. They come in different varieties with a pudding or jam filling. The best are believed to be those filled with wild rose jam. Doughnuts can be bought on virtually every street corner, but the true doughnut craze comes on Fat Thursday.

W-Z Cake

W-Z Cake

This cult cake is as Warsaw as it gets. Its name comes from the W-Z Drive built right after World War II that runs under the Old Town. The cocoa pastry with layers of milky cream simply melts in your mouth and is an absolute must on the menus of all traditional cafés.

Zygmuntówka

Zygmuntówka

This is another genuine Warsaw cake whose origins, however, are a bit more modern. The ingredients include almond pastry, chocolate mousse, cranberry jam, whipped cream, and meringue. The name is derived from King Sigismund III Vasa, a statue of whom is mounted on the column in Castle Square.

Chocolate by Wedel

Chocolate by Wedel

One of the most famous Polish chocolate factories has been functioning continuously for many years in the Praga district. When passing by, you are bound to be tempted by the beautiful aroma. Wedel, however, is particularly well known for its hot chocolate cafés and atmospheric chocolate stores. Have a cup of hot chocolate, either classic or in one of many interesting flavours. Try “bird’s milk” pralines or the classic Wedel chocolate cake to go.

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