Generally an inexpensive city, Poland’s capital is full of restaurants offering delicious, filling and healthy food at budget-friendly prices. More than just the standard fast foods and takeaways such as burgers and pizzas, Warsaw is a place where you can broaden your culinary horizons while enjoying new tastes. Here are a few places that are sure to leave both your stomach and wallet equally happy:
Milk Bars
Of course, no guide to Warsaw would be complete without mentioning milk bars. And for good reason—these historic restaurants consistently serve up traditional, wholesome Polish dishes at economical prices, and dining at a milk bar is the one of the best ways to soak in Polish culture!
Bar Mleczny Prasowy
Perhaps Warsaw’s most famous milk bar, Bar Mleczny Prasowy has been feeding the masses since 1954. This superb venue with a historic feel is located on the main Marszałkowska Street in a grey building and serves up a delightful range of pierogi in a very typical ‘Milk Bar‘ atmosphere. Enjoy one of the cheapest places in central Warsaw to eat with pierogi from 6 złotych, soup from 3 złotych and kompot for 2 złotych.
Mleczarnia Jerozolimska
Opened in 1896 the Mleczarnia Jerozolimska was Poland’s first ever milk bar, and is also one of the oldest restaurants in Warsaw. Despite being shut down and reopened multiple times, as well as witnessing its fair share of rebrandings throughout its long history, it continues to serve tasty, fresh and cheap food in a no-frills environment. Find value-for-money cutlets, pierogi and kompot here, and enjoy your lunch in this historic environment.
Bar Mleczny Rusałka
Situated next to a church in the avant-garde district of Praga, this milk bar has enjoyed smooth business. This cult eatery’s interior is a throwback to the past, with wood panelling on the walls, flickering fluorescent lights and apron-clad ladies tending the register. An excellent option for dining close to the Vistula River, visitors can expect an excellent selection of soups, as well as superb nalesniki (Polish-style crêpes) and simple, but delicious pasta.
Bar Mleczny Pod Barbakanem
Mere metres from the walls of Warsaw’s Old Town, the Pod Barbakanem is where you can eat a full lunch, complete with drink, for under 10 złotych. With its distinctive orange-walled exterior, this milk bar is a great example of Polish milk bar culture. With its unbeatable prices and great location, the Pod Barbakenem is an excellent place to have comforting Polish food.
Bar Bambino
A slightly more classy and trendy take on the classic milk bar, Bar Bambino remains one of Warsaw’s most iconic and popular milk bars despite slightly higher prices. Located in what was once the heart of the ministerial landscape, this milk bar continues to serve fresh food made on-site at very reasonable prices. Despite its modern interior, this milk bar remains true to its roots, serving delicious foods in an unpretentious environment.
Polish Food
If you’ve spent any time in Warsaw and not tried the local cuisine, you’ve definitely missed out. While it’s not so easy to find mouth-watering pyzy or flavoursome flaczki, it’s worth the effort to find them. Good food does not always have to be expensive, and in Warsaw, this definitely holds true with many eateries selling authentic Polish cuisine at affordable prices.
Pyzy Flaki Gorące
Head to decrepit Brzeska to unearth one of Praga’s favourite little secrets. Serving the best pyzy in town, this local favourite serves your dumplings in the traditional manner, squashed into glass vessels and lathered with various toppings. The adventurous can also order the Warsaw specialty, flaki (tripe), with Pyzy Flaki Gorące serving one of the best in the city. Arguably the best budget meal in Warsaw, this is the essence of Poland served in a jar.
Lotos Restaurant
Serving quintessential Warsaw cuisine, the legendary Lotos Restaurant is another great option for a budget lunch. While conveniently located along the Royal Route, this restaurant is off the beaten tourist track. Step inside and be transported to 1970s Poland, with its interior decorations having remained unchanged since. Highly-recommended is the herring and steak tartare, washed down with Polish vodka.
Zapiexy Luxusowe
For a quick but filling lunch, head to Zapiexy Luxusowe which serves the best zapiekanka in Warsaw. Poland’s answer to pizza, this unique open-faced sandwich consists of a plain baguette cut lengthwise, topped with a variety of tasty ingredients and a generous helping of grated cheese, grilled under a broiler. At Zapiexy Luxusowe, customers get to choose from a wide range of toppings, and portions are large and reasonably priced. Open till late, Zapiexy Luxusowe is a local favourite, and the English-speaking staff are more than happy to help.
Manekin
Expect to wait at this popular crepe restaurant which often sees a snaking queue at meal times. Uniquely decorated to achieve a steampunk vibe, Warsaw’s Manekin is a great example of ingenuity in food and décor. Serving both sweet and savoury crepe, sit and watch and your crepe, ranging from corn, groat, potato and multigrain flour, is made in the open plan kitchen. Dine here for decently-priced, well-made food right in the city centre.
International Fare
The capital also has a food scene as diverse as the city itself, and it is easy to find and enjoy a wide variety of cuisines here. Lighter than your typical Polish meal, Warsaw’s Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants are another great option for a budget meal.
Viet Street Food Bistro
The times when the only opportunity for an Asian lunch was a Chinese takeaway are long gone, with the number and variety of Asian choices steadily growing in Warsaw. For authentic, cheap and delicious Vietnamese food, head to Viet Street Food Bistro in Saska Kępa. Previously serving Vietnamese báhn mi from a food truck, they have now set up shop in a tiny bistro with just a few tables. Apart from the báhn mi, customers can also try the bánh gio and pho at low prices in a homely atmosphere.
Kebab King
The capital has surprisingly good, and great value kebabs. Popular amongst locals and tourists alike, Kebab King serves tasty and meaty kebabs at affordable prices. The most popular kebab chain in the city, the menu is consistent, and offers an enticing choice of kebabs from cheese kebabs to fitness kebabs, and vegetarian kebabs to the Turkish iskender. Open 24 hours, they also offer free Wi-Fi and serve beer on tap with plenty of seating available.
With such a great variety of places and cuisines to choose from, it is easy to dine out without breaking the bank!
