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🧜♀️ Warsaw Ultimate Guide + Hidden Gems
After having lived in Warsaw for 7 years, I've found many hidden gems and incredible spots. Whether you're visiting Warsaw for a quick getaway, business trip or you've been here for a while, 150+ amazing places are waiting for you!
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Hey, guess what? It's me again, and I am thrilled to finally unveil the ultimate travel guide to Warsaw just for you! After having lived in this vibrant city for over 7 years, I've uncovered so many hidden gems and incredible spots that I can't wait to share.
Whether you're visiting Warsaw for a quick getaway, business trip or you've been here for a while, there is something amazing waiting for you. Get ready to dive into the best of Warsaw and discover your next favourite place, be it a coffee shop, fine restaurant, art museum or anything else!
IN THE ISSUE
Quick Facts
![]() Warsaw streets towards Old Town. | ![]() Warsaw centre in the evening. |
🧜♀️ - The Mermaid of Warsaw (Polish: Syrenka Warszawska) is a symbol of Warsaw, represented on the city's coat of arms as well as in a number of statues and other imagery.
Best time to visit — definitely summer.
Interesting fact: Varso Tower is the tallest building in the European Union and in Central Europe as of 2024.
The city is very comfortable to live. Don’t believe those who say otherwise. They probably never lived here.
Polish Basics
Here we go, some useful expressions in Polish.
People say that learning Polish is hard. And honestly, they might be onto something. The language is full of twists, turns and tongue twisters because of free word order, declensions, pronunciation, etc.
But fear not! Polish slang makes speaking like a local simple and fun. Dive into these cool slang expressions and navigate Polish without getting lost in a sea of consonants.
Polish | IPA* | English |
---|---|---|
Siema, siemka, siemanko, siemaneczko | /ˈɕɛ.ma/, /ˈɕɛm.ka/, /ɕɛ̃ˈmãnkɔ/, /ɕɛmaˈnɛʈ͡ʂkɔ/ | Hey, hi, what’s up, yo |
Spoko | /ˈspɔkɔ/ | OK, no problem, cool |
Fajka, szlug | /ˈfaj.ka/, /ʂluk/ | ciggy, cigarette, fag, smoke |
Fura | /ˈfu.ra/ | a nice ride, car |
Sztos | /ʂtɔs/ | Something cool, amazing |
Bez kitu | /bɛs kʲitu/ | Used to agree, confirm, lit. - no lie |
Byku, mordo, ziom | /ˈbɨ.ku/, /ˈmordo/, /ʑɔm/ | Dude, bro |
Luz | /lus/ | Chill |
Bifor, biforek | /ˈbi.fɔr/, /bi.ˈfɔrɛk/ | Pseudo-anglicism, derived from “before party”, pre-party drinks |
Nara | /ˈna.ra/ | See ya |
*IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a universal system to represent speech sounds in written form. Have a look at this English IPA Cheat Sheet for some examples.
Best Coffee Shops
![At CoffeeDesk. CoffeeDesk. (2020). kawiarnia.coffeedesk.pl](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2dd3894d-eaca-48e5-8718-1628e698b472/CoffeeDesk.jpg?t=1719913876)
At CoffeeDesk. CoffeeDesk. (2020). kawiarnia.coffeedesk.pl.
CoffeeDesk (Google Maps) - Amazing coffee and people-passionately-diving-into-their-projects vibes.
STOR (Google Maps) - Super friendly place.
Po Drodze (Google Maps) - Easily one of the best coffee shops in Warsaw!
Very Nice Restaurants
Half Bar and Kitchen (Google Maps) - A bit tucked away but super comfy spot. Perfect for breakfast or brunch. Not many places in Old Town do breakfast, but this one nails it. The location, the view, the service, and the food – everything was just spot on.
Różana (Google Maps) - Traditional Polish cuisine in a romantic, upmarket setting with fresh flowers, piano music & a garden.
A Trendy Brunch Spot
![At TYPIKA. TYPIKA. (2021). typika.coffee](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/390bd2c5-85b4-4c15-8986-f756f016960d/TYPIKA_by_TYPIKA.jpg?t=1719914385)
At TYPIKA. TYPIKA. (2021). typika.coffee.
TYPIKA (Google Maps) - I absolutely love the interiors, drinks and brunch meals at this place.
Some of the Best Bars
El Koktel (Google Maps) - American-inspired little bar offering creative cocktails & bites and providing excellent service in an intimate atmosphere.
Loreta Bar (Google Maps) - A really nice lounge bar situated in the PURO hotel, they’ve got a cosy terrace with the view over Palac Kultury which is perfect place for a summer evening.
![]() At Wyraj. Wyraj. (2024). wyraj.net. | ![]() Inside Wyraj. |
Wyraj (Google Maps) - High-quality and concept Slavic cuisine restaurant.
Get Your Full Guide
Are you hungry for more? Are you wondering where to get the best pierogi or other Polish food in town? Where to get the best Asian food or pizza or ice-cream or delicious pastry? What museum should you focus on first? Where to look for an activity or social events?
Get all these (and many more!) answers by grabbing your copy of the full guide! This extensive bundle is hand-picked and packed with a wide variety of categories, featuring over 150 tried places to explore as well as other useful resources. Plus, it includes convenient Google Maps lists, ensuring you have everything you need right on the go.
So What’s Inside?
![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/b70110dd-ccce-4f18-8d5f-563b416038b2/GoogleMapsWarsawcategories.gif?t=1719907608)
All categories on the Google Maps list.
A Notion doc and convenient Google Maps lists with the following - save them to your Maps.
✅ More than 150 amazing spots in total;
✅ More than 50 amazing restaurants;
✅ Top-10+ coffee shops;
✅ Best breakfast/brunch spots;
✅ Delicious bakeries and pâtisseries;
✅ Best ice-cream in town;
✅ Fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurants;
✅ Museums actually worth visiting;
✅ Beautiful places and parks to relax;
✅ Coolest bars, both classical and speakeasies;
✅ Best pierogi and other Polish food in town;
✅ Nice vegan spots;
✅ Pizza to die for;
✅ Best Asian, Italian and other cuisines;
✅ Unique design and perfume shops and top shopping malls;
✅ Top-5 most stylish hotels;
✅ Places to laptop-work from;
✅ True hidden gems I wish my friend told me;
✅ Some of the coolest experiences and activities you could find;
✅ It also includes a list of websites to look for various events and parties, so you’ll never get bored!
This guide is probably not for you if:
❌ You want the most touristy places;
❌ You don’t like to discover new things;
❌ You prefer to spend lots of time exploring on your own;
❌ You prefer to chill at the hotel.
For readers of Globally Based only, I’m sharing an exclusive promo code - SYRENKA15 - that grants you 15% OFF on your purchase. This special offer is available for a limited time only.
End Note
![Warsaw panorama at night](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/8dbd4bc6-eba8-4f49-94e9-3faf6dcbe8ef/Warsaw_by_Globally_Based_3.jpeg?t=1719917312)
Warsaw panorama at night.
Thank you for reading it through! In this edition, we’ve discovered lots of cool places in Warsaw. Most of them are my favourites, hope now yours too! If I missed one that should absolutely be in this guide, please do let me know in the comments below.
Until next time!
📍Warsaw, Poland
— Ilya
The included pictures are taken and text is written by Ilya Gruzhevski, if not stated otherwise, and subject to copyright. Copying and/or using without attribution to this website and author is not permitted.
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