Absyntapart 公寓 Jaworska 4

Operated by the well-known Chef Beata Śniechowska, this modern bistro is one of those spots where you just know you’re going to have a good time. Closely set tables add to the intimacy and buzz of the atmosphere, while bright and friendly service quickly puts you at ease. The cooking offers reinterpreted versions of classic Polish dishes with brilliant results: the signature 'Our Pierogi' and the well-balanced 'Duck Breast with 5 Polish Flavours' are prime examples. Make sure you enhance the experience by asking the engaging, thoughtful sommelier to match a range of Polish wines to your dishes

Situated on the edge of the Old Town, inside the Hotel Jazz, there’s a stylish, faux-industrial quality to this friendly restaurant. Exposed brickwork and concrete flooring combine with pared-back décor and varnished wooden tables for a classic bistro feel. The cooking has a similar ethos of unfussiness, with a welcome lack of over-elaboration in dishes that combine quality ingredients with precise technique – such as the array of dumplings or scorched herring with baked potato. The wine list’s hidden highlights include local Polish riesling.

A former car wash and workshop has been transformed into this welcoming bistro that lives up to the ‘Garden’ part of its name. Promoting a local and seasonal ethos, the chefs utilise home-grown produce, while the sprawling terrace includes an outdoor kitchen and BBQ area. The concise menu is supplemented by blackboard specials, each dish coming with an appealing price tag and extracting bags of flavour from the ingredients. The same team run the Piekarnia bakery next door, which provides bread, cakes and pastries to bookend your meal.

The lucky locals have got the perfect neighbourhood spot in this wine bar and bistro, located a little out from the city centre. Its rustic-chic design feels perfectly of the moment, with exposed brickwork and lo-fi furnishings, while the wholesome cooking and interesting wine list are similarly on-trend. Dishes of low-fuss, big-flavour food could include the likes of minced pork cutlet with tarragon or the playful date madeleines with toffee sauce for dessert. The thoughtfully curated, lesser-known wines are the perfect accompaniment.

As you arrive at this deservedly busy spot by the Oder river, you quickly get the sense that you’re going to have a great time. The smiling, attentive team give you a warm welcome, before you head through the thick velvet curtains and discover the sleek, lively brasserie waiting within. From the bustling open kitchen, expect to see some French-based dishes such as a modern take on ‘escargots’ with garlic butter – all showcasing quality produce and executed with aplomb.

Celebrity chef Beata Śniechowska's restaurant has a full name that translates as ‘Young Polish Bistro & Piano’, which feels like a pretty apt description. It’s run by a young and enthusiastic team, there's an invigorating bistro buzz to the atmosphere and there is indeed background music from the house pianist. The cooking dispenses with fuss and instead focuses on the natural flavours of quality ingredients, such as pure-white cod. A large vodka selection will please connoisseurs.

Taking full advantage of its location on the banks of the River Oder, Martim’s terrace and floor-to-ceiling windows help make it a lovely setting in which to enjoy the kitchen’s Portuguese-inspired dishes. Seafood plays a big role on the menu, in dishes like the rich, rustic and punchily flavoured cataplana stew. The wine list is exclusively Portuguese, with some fine Vinho Verde and, of course, a selection of top-notch and well-priced ports.