Villa Plaza

In ancient Slavic mythology, Wyraj is a place where souls journey after death, a kind of paradise. That promised land lends its name to this hidden-away restaurant, which provides its own kind of haven. Snug and cosy, it’s a welcoming place where diners can discover the Slavic flavours of old. That means dishes such as potato with smoked herring and cottage cheese or deep-fried Masurian trout with a herby freshness. Everything is made in-house and offers brilliant value for money too. It’s a different, distinctive place that’s all the more memorable for it.

As its name suggests, this welcoming restaurant’s mission is to ‘vandalise’ traditional Polish dishes, adding a revolutionary spin to recognisable recipes. The result is a little more restrained than that sounds, with cleverly conceived dishes that pack in flavour and playfulness in equal measure. Expect to find the likes of offal-stuffed doughnuts with grated horseradish or black pudding dumplings with crayfish XO sauce. The friendly team enhance the experience, as do the knowledgeable wine recommendations and appealing prices.

Bringing South American flavours to Warsaw, you’ll quickly find that this bright, airy restaurant is much more than a bar and serves far more than just ceviche. The famous Peruvian dish does feature – with sea bass, tuna and oyster among the varieties – but so do empanadas, grilled steaks and tostones. Argentinian chef-owner Martin Gimenez Castro imbues them all with freshness and vitality. In the evening, the music grows louder and the pisco sours start emerging from the bar at increasing speed. The service team are particularly warm and friendly.

A huge, gravity-defying rack of wine glasses is the first thing you notice when you arrive at this friendly wine bar and bistro. Next, it’s the striking black-and-white wildlife mural filling one wall. The appealing menus represent good value, especially at lunchtime, and include hearty dishes that are bursting with bold and punchy flavours, such as rack of lamb with mashed potato and roasted shallots. An extensive wine list offers plenty of top-quality choices to fill all those glasses with, but ‘bring your own’ is welcome too.

Hidden away within the lounge area of the PURO Stare Miasto hotel, there’s a distinct Nordic feel to both the look and the cooking of this modern brasserie. The space is vast and airy, with a light, chic minimalism to the design, and you might spot ‘smørrebrød’ open sandwiches on the simpler lunch menu. The offering is a little more substantial at dinner, with dishes that spotlight well-sourced ingredients given an added kick by various condiments and pickles.

A little slice of Georgia has landed in the centre of Warsaw, thanks to this quirky and loveable restaurant. Georgia-born chef-owner Davit Turkestanishvili is a larger-than-life character who runs the place with great enthusiasm. His dishes draw on Georgian staples like khachapuri and khinkali, packing bags of flavour into each bite. The many rugs decorating the room are for sale, and some of the wines come from the team’s own vineyard in Georgia.

Tucked away down a cobbled street in the heart of the city, this well-run restaurant is easily spotted thanks to the Italian flag hanging outside. The kitchen delivers on that promise, with a menu firmly rooted in the Italian classics. Homemade pastas are at the heart of the appeal, as is a traditional tiramisu pepped up with intense cubes of coffee jelly. The genial service team are keen to please and the room has a rustic feel courtesy of its exposed brickwork.