Considered to be the dish which Poland is famous for, Pierogi is good for all occasions. Whether eaten in a high-class restaurant, in a Warsaw market place cafe with a cold beer, or home-cooked for a few friends – its hard not to tuck in and enjoy them. And as in last night, they can always be washed down with a few vodka shots!
Looking up from the 1st floor, the symbolic logos of Burger King and KFC can clearly be seen. Every lunchtime there are queues of people lining up to fill themselves with the kentucky goodness that’s sold here. When you work nearby, it’s not so attractive!
This is one of the many kiosks selling Polish delicacies under the central railway station. “Grillowany Sandwich” – can you guess what it is? Unhealthy is the answer. Or you can go for the full kebab or long pizza (probably the helathiest option here). My advice – stay clear unless you’re really hungry!
The first sign of Autumn in Warsaw is when all the cafés disassemble their large Tyskie and Zywiec umbrellas and put them into storage for the winter months. Streets that were crowded in the evenings suddenly become quiet as people venture indoors for a warmer beverage. When it’s cold outside, the idea of a hot chocolate with rum seems quite appealing!
This is a scene which could be anywhere in Italy – the newspaper, the pipe, the glass of red wine and the colourful cafe on the side of a busy street. Blocking out the bustle of the city for 10 minutes and enjoying a glass of wine in the evening sounds (and looks) bliss.
A new sandwich shop has opened on Krakowskie Przedmiescie run by the Gessler chain of restaurants / 24-hour snack-bars. To prove they add the fillings to the sandwiches themselves, they have the chief sandwich-stuffer preparing the kanapka where everyone can admire her skills. At least this way, once you’ve paid over the counter, you can head outside onto the street and watch it being created. If she starts to add the onion you didn’t ask for, you can always wave at her hysterically through the window until she gets it right!
On Monday I was in Munich on a ‘business’ trip. As with all successful business trips, it ended up in the bar, except this one was a rather large one. The world-famous Oktoberfest lasts for two weeks, in which time 6 million people will have visited the festival consuming around 7 million litres of beer, 80,000 litres of wine, 60,000 pork knuckles and 500,000 roast chickens. The scale is breathtaking and the atmosphere addictive. Our hosts were local and they have another three nights at the festival planned this week! How do they do it?!
In the heart of the Old Town is possibly Warsaw’s best pierogi restaurant. They advertise them as oven-baked, and not only that, they are extremely large and stuffed with all kinds of delicious fillings such as ‘cheddar, mozarella and salami’ and ‘pea, bacon and cheese’. And they deliver to your door. Is it lunchtime yet?
This small side street leading to Plac Zamkowy is named ul. Piwna or ‘Beer Street’. And apparently it’s been called this since 1439! One thing I love about the street names here – they keep them simple. I wonder if there’s a Vodka River somewhere in Poland?
I attended a wedding a couple of days ago in the Old Town and afterwards we stopped for a coffee in the Market Square whilst the bride and groom had their official photos taken. I spotted this board from our table inviting guests for breakfast. Firstly it was 1pm in the afternoon and secondly, they assume their only guests are going to be English. I’m not adverse to a late breakfast now and then, but 1pm is pushing it! (oh and scrambled eggs cost 47 PLN here which is extremely expensive – even by Warsaw standards).
