Restaurants

How cool, I thought as I entered this new place well advertised by Lanberry who sang there on a Friday two weeks ago. Big, spacious interiors, original design (black chandeliers, huge mirrors in metal frames, high-polished bar). The owner/ manager has taken care of even the smallest details: interesting wallpaper, baskets, scented candles, blankets.

This joyous combination of details is accompanied by excellent food and even better wines (the wine list contains more than 30 wines from all over the world, I must say the Ochagavia ’09 was absolutely brilliant). Make sure you also try the apple pie – I think this was the best one I’ve ever had in my entire life!

There are concerts to come. Check here for more info.

Banja Luka is a small, cosy restaurant not far from the city centre (and from the swimming pool Warszawianka). It offers delicious meals mixing Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Jewish cuisine at affordable prices.

I thought this is not going to be something that I, as a vegetarian, might enjoy but I was so wrong! banja Luka offers many delicious vegetarian dishes (if you are a vegetarian, make sure you try the pancakes with cheese and spinach, I enjoyed them greatly). One thing you need to know: don’t overestimate the size of your stomach. The portions in Banja Luka are quite… huge, so it’s not always recommendable to have a starter and a main course!

The staff at Banja Luka are friendly and professional, and you will always get a shot of alcohol at the end to finish your meal, which just makes a good end to an enjoyable culinary experience.

My first and sweetest memory of a bar in Warsaw are connected to this place. My father used to come here for “obiad” (Polish for lunch, but in Poland obiad is usually bigger than supper, mind you) so I knew the name. Many years passed, my father became a great cook himself so lunches at “Przysmak” are no longer needed.

However, this is one of my favourite bars for a budget lunch now. The bar is situated in a flat, which means there is not much space and you sit with some people you don’t know. The kitchen is really in the kitchen and you are being served in a room. “Kompot”, the drink usually served for lunch in Poland is in a huge pot on a windowsill.

The thing that is most important to me, however, is that the ladies working in the kitchen and behind the till, can still remember my father and I am always called Andrzej’s daughter. I don’t know many places that can compete with that, at least not in Warsaw.

Last time I also saw a quite well-known Polish text/ song writer, Wojciech Młynarski, there (strange to hang over the same table though), which only proves its quality. Or an “off” status. Or both.

I am a newborn to Praga (moved here a year ago) and I really enjoy discovering places I have never been to before. So far, I have made 3 culinary trips in Praga – 2 of them very pleasant, 1 horrible. Czarny motyl (Black Butterfly) certainly joins the first group.

The restaurant consists of a big downstairs and a cosy upstairs. Downstairs there is a huge sunshade, quite an unexpected detail in Warsaw’s cafes. The upstairs invites with comfortable sofas and small, charming stools. Here you can choose the music by yourself (CD and radio in the corner), which just adds to the perfect atmosphere of this tiny little lounge.

When it comes to the food… It is just indecently yummy! My salmon pancake was huge and very tasty (definitely good value for money as it really was a pancake WITH lots of salmon). I also had a try on my friend’s pork loin and, although I am not a great enthusiast when it comes to meat, I must say it was extraordinary. Tea may be chosen from a large Richmont box, the coffee and hot chocolate list is also quite extensive for such a small cafe.

In other words… fight for a free table in Czarny Motyl because this is definitely as good as it gets!

It’s not just a new cafe. It’s got workshops and a spa (manicure, pedicure and all other pleasure/ well-being/ nice-looking suggestions on offer) and great gadgets to buy (for example t-shirts straight from the graphic studio Noviki who won the European Design Awards).

The food is ecological with Indian accents (apparently there is a great set lunch menu every day, unfortunately I am unable to check this). Soon there will be meetings with interesting people, the 8th March will host all women with special gifts and great food (every dish we had was a great choice so I am sure this will also be a bull’s eye!).

If you have kids, there is a zone for crawling “pompons”, a zone for acive “pompons” and a zone for playing “pompons”. You can also buy educational toys. Oops, have I forgotten to say that Pompon is mostly a cafe where parents and children spend their time together or enjoy activities aimed at their needs? Well… It’s also definitely for the older youth or the everyoung