Insider’s Guide to Warsaw
Top Warsaw hotels, museums,
restaurants, shopping and more from local experts
By
Ginanne Brownell in the Wall Street Journal
WARSAW HAS LONG BEEN seen as the ugly
stepsister of Krakow. While Krakow gets all the invites and accolades—pretty,
special, sweet—the Polish capital is forgotten, seen as nondescript and cold.
But scratch beneath the surface and Warsaw is a dynamic and lovely old gal.
The city’s attractions aren’t initially obvious, so you
have to tease them out—some of the best bars, for example, are hidden behind
unassuming courtyards. Warsaw was largely destroyed during World War II and
while the Old Town (Stare Miasto) was lovingly reconstructed brick-by-brick by
Varsovians, the rest of the city was largely built up quickly in a gray
Modernist style.
1 of 12
Flower stalls outside Hala Mirowska market in
Warsaw. Originally constructed in 1899-1901, they were destroyed during the
Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s…
Papu is a Polish fusion restaurant serving
everything from Baltic halibut to steaks cooked over a lava stone.
Traditionally heavy and creamy, Polish cuisine has had something of a rebirth
in the past few years, with dishes getting lighter and infused with new ingredients.
Daniel Miśko
Teatr Nowy is one of the best places to go to
see a play, according to filmmaker Katarzyna Adamik. Here, a performance of
“Kabaret Warszawski,” directed by Teatr Nowy artistic head Krzysztof
Warlikowski. Magda Hueckel
According to Tomek Rygalik, one of Poland’s
top designers, the Comforty furniture showroom has some of the country’s best
contemporary designs. These Pelagie coffee tables were created by Dorota
Koziara for Comforty. Ernest Winczyk
Butchery and Wine is one of Warsaw’s
award-winning eateries. Owner Daniel Pawelek, who used to run London’s The
Grill at The Dorchester, handpicked his staff, who are incredibly knowledgable
about the restaurant’s wine and meat selections. Grzegorz Jakubowski
A replica ceiling of an 18th-century wooden
synagogue in the then-eastern Polish town of Gwozdziec (now near Lwów, Ukraine)
at the Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews. The museum, decades in the
making, will open its permanent exhibition to the public on Oct. 28. Magdalena Starowieyska / Museum of History of
Polish Jews
Ms. Adamik says the Polish National Opera,
with its two auditoriums and museum, features great productions and performers.
Krzysztof Bielinski
Maria Bartuszová’s “Two-part Sculpture V”
(1973) is part of an exhibition at Warsaw’s Museum of Modern Art. Established
in 2005, the museum remains in its temporary home across from the Palace of
Culture and Science. After much debate over the design, construction on a new
building on the grounds of the palace, designed by New York-based Thomas Phifer
and Partners, is expected to begin soon and be completed by 2019. G. Bodnár, courtesy of Bartusz Family
Restaurant Salto, located in the Art
Deco-inspired Hotel Rialto, is one of the city’s swankiest boutique hotels. Hotel Rialto
An ideal hideaway in the center of Warsaw,
the Between Us bed-and-breakfast is owned by the same people who run the
perennially popular Miedzy Namy cafe, located just around the corner. Between Us
Kino Muranow, on Generała Władysława Andersa,
shows a selection of art house films. Sławek
Skrzeczyński / highlightsphoto
The entrance to Warsaw’s Stare Miasto (Old
Town) from Krakowskie Przedmieście, one of the city’s most historic and
important streets. Destroyed during World War II, Stare Miasto was rebuilt by
Varsovians brick by brick.
Those buildings—long loathed for their Communist
design—are now being heralded. What’s more, the city is full of cranes, as
expensive new residential spaces like Złota 44, designed by architect Daniel
Libeskind, are being built, and historic properties such as the Hotel
Europejski (built in the 1850s and expected to reopen in 2015) are redeveloped.
Praga, long seen as the “wrong side” of the river, is
becoming gentrified by attractions like the Soho Factory complex, located at
Minska 25, one of the coolest addresses in the entire capital thanks to its art
galleries, design firms, theater, shops and a swanky 24-hour restaurant.
The city also boasts some fantastic eateries—including
Poland’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, Atelier Amaro—as well as high-end
boutique shopping at Vitkac. Art venues and museums are plentiful, and will be
added to next week with the opening of the Polin Museum of the History of
Polish Jews’ permanent collection.
Like a pearl, the grit of Warsaw’s past and the power of
its modern innovation have created something truly worth seeking out.
THE CHEF: WOJCIECH AMARO
Owner and head chef of Michelin-starred
restaurant Atelier Amaro
TO MARKET // My favorite market is Hala Mirowska.
I buy all my fruits, vegetables, seeds, wheat and nuts from there. I can also
order unusual ingredients like herbs, wildflowers and berries. Plac Mirowski
1
WINE OF THE GODS // Winosfera is a
very nice place to go for a great glass of wine. You can also buy some wine to
take home with you. Chłodna 31, Winosfera; winosfera.pl
GREEN SPACES // I love to go to Powsin
Park, a little bit outside the center. It is a great place for all the
family—you can walk your dog and even have your own barbecue. Maslaków 1, parkpowsin.pl
SOUTH OF THE BORDER // At Salto, in
Hotel Rialto, you can find the winner of the first Polish edition of “Top Chef”
cooking. Martin Gimenez Castro creates fantastic seafood and has some great
culinary skills. Wilcza 73; saltorestauracja.pl
Guilty Treat // We make our smalec
[spreadable lard] infused with juniper, prunes, apple and marjoram, then
pacotize [Pacojet] it to achieve the white snow and airy consistency that will
blow you away. We serve it with burnt hay bread. Atelier Amaro, Agrykola 1; atelieramaro.pl
THE DESIGNER: TOMEK RYGALIK
Designer and architect who runs Studio
Rygalik
SIT DOWN // Comforty is one of the best
furniture showrooms in Warsaw. It’s a loft space filled with some of the best
contemporary design made in Poland. B4 Design Corner, Burakowska 4; comforty.pl
LONG HISTORY // The Polin Museum of
the History of Polish Jews is one of the most important cultural centers in
the city. It is a stunning piece of architecture by Finnish architect Rainer
Mahlamäki. Anielewicza 6; jewishmuseum.org.pl
SLEEPAWAY // Between Us is an ideal hideaway in
the center of Warsaw, catering to admirers of fine design and discreet luxury.
I find it a captivating blend of classic 19th-century architecture with
contemporary interiors. Bracka 20; between-us.eu
FOOD AND WINE // A great place to watch
the world go by is Charlotte Chleb i Wino. The concept of the place
includes an everyday ritual: The tabletop is lifted and the chairs are replaced
with tall stools to change the atmosphere of the space in the evening. Great
tartines on the delicious bread—we like the chèvre chaud. Plac Zbawiciela; bistrocharlotte.com
THE FILMMAKER: KATARZYNA (KASIA) ADAMIK
Film director and storyboard artist; daughter
of filmmaker Agnieszka Holland
LOST IN FILM // My favorite cinema is Kino
Muranów, where there are two theaters and they have a great film selection.
Generała Władysława Andersa 5; muranow.gutekfilm.pl
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD // Butchery and Wine is
a great meat place, with a great wine selection (Zurawia 22; butcheryandwine.pl ). And Papu is a
Polish fusion restaurant. With a warm interior, it makes you feel a little bit
like Christmas every time. Aleje Niepodległości 132/136; restauracjapapu.pl
ART AND SOUL // I like the Museum of
Modern Art. It is in an old furniture store from the 1960s and I love the
building. Panska 3; artmuseum.pl
DRINK UP // There are hundreds of cool places to drink
in Warsaw but one of my favorites is Regeneracja, which is a laid back bar on
the grungy side. Puławska 61; regeneracja.waw.pl
ACTING OUT // Teatr Nowy is one of the best
places to go to see a play (Madalińskiego 10/16; nowyteatr.org ). The National Opera
is worth going to—great productions, great performers (Plac Teatralny 1; teatrwielki.pl ).
THE CURATOR: BARBARA KIRSHENBLATT-GIMBLETT
Program director at the Polin Museum of the
History of Polish Jews
OlD-SCHOOL 3-D // Warsaw was mostly
destroyed in the war.... One of the things that did survive is Fotoplastikon.
It is a precinematic show, featuring stereoscopic slides. And during the German
occupation this is where the underground [movement] would exchange messages,
because it was dark. Aleje Jerozolimskie 51; fotoplastikonwarszawski.pl
VARSOVIAN VIETNAM // It is amazing to me
that in this expensive part of the city, a hole in the wall like Toan Pho could
survive. It is North Vietnamese.... I like that it is so no-frills. Chmielna
5/7; +48 888 147 307
BLAST OF THE PAST // The Okopowa Street
Jewish Cemetery is the closest you can get to the historic Jewish community
of Warsaw. I am responsible for this exhibition of 1,000 years of the history
of Polish Jews and I walk into that cemetery and there is my 19th-century
gallery, there is my interwar year gallery. For me, it is a living place. Okopowa
49/51; +48 22 838 26 22
SECRET PARK // Jazdów, behind embassy row on
Ujazdowska, is a hidden oasis, a dense idyllic village of Finnish houses....
Wandering the paths of this silent little forest is just bliss.
No comments:
Post a Comment