Bar Mleczny Prasowy ★ 4.5
Bar Prasowy in Warsaw is the milk bar that fed central Marszalkowska since 1954. Pierogi for under 15 zl, zurek for 8, kotlet schabowy with sides.
Try: Pierogi ruskie, kotlet schabowy, zurek
History
Rosół is the canonical Polish Sunday lunch first course and the broth that anchors every Polish wedding menu. The Warsaw version uses a free-range hen and roast onion for colour, finished with makaron nitki (thin egg noodles) and grated carrot from the broth. The dish appears on every milk-bar zupa board and is the universal Polish hangover cure. Bar Mleczny Prasowy and Familijny serve it daily, and Restauracja Polka plates the Sunday-lunch version with extra carrot and parsley.
Common allergens: Gluten, Egg
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 large free-range hen (around 1.8kg) plus 500g chicken wings for body
- 3 carrots, halved
- 1 large parsnip, halved
- 100g celeriac in chunks
- 1 small leek, cleaned and halved
- 1 large white onion, unpeeled, halved and charred over a flame until almost black
- 2 bay leaves, 8 black peppercorns, 4 allspice grains, 2 cloves
- 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley with stems
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 200g makaron nitki (thin egg noodles) or angel hair pasta
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley to garnish
Method
- Hold the onion halves over a gas flame or in a dry pan until deeply charred and blackened in spots; this gives the broth its golden colour.
- Place the hen, chicken wings, charred onion, carrots, parsnip, celeriac, leek, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice and cloves in a large stockpot. Cover with 4L cold water and the parsley stems.
- Bring slowly to a low simmer. Skim the foam from the surface for the first 15 minutes until the broth runs clear.
- Simmer uncovered at the gentlest blip for 2.5 hours. Never let it boil hard.
- Lift the hen out, strip the meat, reserve for use in salad or sandwiches.
- Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Slice the cooked carrots into rounds and reserve.
- Return the broth to a clean pot, season with salt, bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook the makaron separately in salted water for 4 minutes, drain.
- Ladle the broth over a portion of noodles, scatter sliced carrot, chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
Tip from the editors. The clearest rosół comes from never boiling the broth hard. A low blip for the full 3 hours is the only way to keep it crystal.
Where to eat rosół
Rosół in Warsaw
Bar Mleczny Familijny ★ 4.3
Bar Familijny on Warsaw's Nowy Swiat is the cheapest hot meal on the Royal Route. Nalesniki, kotlet mielony, plate of pierogi, all under 25 zl.
Try: Nalesniki, mielony, zurek
Restauracja Polka ★ 4.2
Magda Gessler's Polka in Warsaw is the Old Town home-cooking room: seven flower-painted dining rooms in a Renaissance tenement, heavy curtains.
Signature: Bigos, Hand-rolled pierogi, Placki ziemniaczane
Order: The bigos plate, hand-rolled pierogi, and a Polmos vodka shot.
Tip: Touristy but earns it; ask for the back room, not the streetside seats.
Stary Dom ★ 4.3
Stary Dom in Warsaw is the white-tablecloth Polish steak room of leafy Mokotow. Led by chef House team. Tasting menu 200-350 zl. Book 1 week ahead.
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