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Warsaw is one of the largest cities in the country of Poland.

Shopping in Warsaw

Poland, after its membership in the EU, has noticed that prices have increased, but you still get very good value for money in Warsaw, the capital of Poland described on Countryaah. Imported goods are of course not particularly cheaper than at home, but all of the locally produced goods have generally very reasonable prices.

Like almost everywhere else in Eastern Europe, amber jewelry and crystal products are the most common souvenirs that tourists come home with. You will find these in hundreds of street stalls virtually everywhere in Warsaw defined by AbbreviationFinder.

The main shopping streets are Nowy Swiat and the Chmielna cross street, where you will find everything from shoes, music, clothes and books.

Shopping malls and outdoor markets in Warsaw

There are plenty of great shopping centers and department stores in Warsaw. The largest and most central is the Galeria Center in Marszalkowska in the center. Further north, in Muranow, is the equally large Arcadia in Jana Pawla II 82, and not far away in Okopowa 58/72 is the Klif shopping center.

Those who thrive in markets have something to look forward to when they come to Warsaw. And this despite the huge “Russian market” that has long been located at the Dziesieciolecia Stadium in Praga is now gone.

This once was an endless maze of stalls selling obscure items such as pirated CDs, DVDs, clothing, shoes, vodka, software, fishing rods, cosmetics, cigarettes and books, and also Russian uniforms, statues of Hitler, Iron Cross and infrared binoculars, has been removed by the authority. If you asked the right seller, you could probably have bought plutonium, panda bears, Munch paintings, crocodiles or a bazooka here as well. Where all these sellers have now taken the road is the question everyone asks.

Kolo Bazar in Warsaw

Kolo Bazar is a great option for those who love to go in search of “fleas” and rarities. With opening hours from 0600 to 1800 every weekday and to 1600 Saturdays and Sundays this is an accessible market where you can buy all sorts of weird products. Here, of course, you do not pay the retail price, but negotiate as best you can. The address is ul. Obozowa 99.

Tax Free Shopping in Warsaw

Do not forget that you pay VAT and that on all purchases over 200 zloty you can get refunded VAT on departure. Not all stores have a VAT refund scheme, so look for the Tax Free Shopping badge at the entrance to buy expensive products. Remember to bring a completed and stamped form and receipt.

Eating in Warsaw

Few of us have any exact associations with the term “Polish food”, but if you have been to the Czech Republic, you have some idea of ​​what awaits you. Like the rest of Eastern Europe, traditional Polish food is based on ingredients such as pork, bacon, sausages, sauerkraut potatoes, and thick, brown sauces. In addition to all the soups. The food is usually served in large, saturating portions.

An archetypal Polish dinner will usually consist of the appetizer smalec (fried kebab with bread) or the soup Zurek (a sour rye soup with potatoes and sausage) followed by the unofficial national dish bigos. This is a hunter’s garden consisting of meat, onions and sauerkraut that has stood and “compensated” for a few days, and it is probably only the country’s own residents who supply themselves twice. For dessert, the cheesecake is often served sernik. Everything is washed down with bare vodka or beer. Na zdrowie!

Warsaw is far from the coastline, so fish and other seafood are not as common here as it is further north in the country, even though the Vistula River flows through the center.

Some select restaurants in Warsaw

You will find many restaurants in the center of Warsaw serving traditional Polish cuisine, such as the Honoratka Cafe in Miodowa 14. This is one of the city’s oldest eateries, and Frederic Chopin, who lived in Warsaw for 20 years, was a regular guest here. The venue is in a medieval cellar, and the menu matches, with dishes such as wild boar in juniper sauce with mead to drink. Afterwards you have a short distance to the many nightlife in the Old Town.

Taxis in Warsaw have a starting price of 6 zloty, and then about 10 kroner per kilometer in the evening / night time, so you are not ruined by spending a taxi home to the hotel afterwards.

Also Restaurant Przy Zamku serves Polish cuisine and is very popular with tourists, not least because of its location vis a vis the castle. The address is plac Zamkowy 15/19.

For a coffee or lunch, try the semi-legendary Blikle Cafe on Nowy Swiat 33.

If you want to try something more fun, we can suggest Kompania Piwna in Podwale 25, just west of the Barbican. This is actually a large beer hall, but they serve large dining areas with thick beer additives, and there is a generally cheerful atmosphere here and in the garden outside. The place is suitable for both families and couples. Afterwards you have a short way down to the Old Town nightlife.

If you prefer to eat Japanese, Indian, French, Italian, Mexican, Brazilian or Chinese, there are plenty of options for that as well.

Nightlife in Warsaw

Vodka can be considered the national drink in Poland, and the Poles claim that it was they who invented it. Here, the vodka should be drunk bar in small glasses, and preferably swallowed in one sip. However, there is no tradition of wine in Poland, and no wines are produced here either. Wine is of course available at restaurants and shops, and the Hungarian wines are considerably less expensive than Western European ones.

Beer, on the other hand, drinks a lot of poles, but beer is not necessarily served cold as with us. The most popular are the bright pillar brands Zywiec, Okocim and Duitsie. Try the microbrewery at Bierhalle in Nowy Swiat 2. A pint usually costs about 25 kroner at a pub or cafe.