Mielzynski on Burakowska in Warsaw sits inside the old Lace Factory at the corner of Srodmiescie, Zoliborz and Wola. A wine merchant first, a kitchen second, both done seriously.
Signature dishes: Polish charcuterie, Cheese board
Must order: The charcuterie and cheese board, chosen by whoever is pouring tonight.
Tip: The shelves are the wine list. Pick a bottle off them and pay corkage that is lower than a list mark-up.
Address: ul. Burakowska 5, 01-066 Warszawa, Warsaw
Robert Trzopek's Bez Gwiazdek in Warsaw rebuilds regional Polish cooking the way you wish your grandmother had cooked it. The name (no stars) is a joke; the room earns them.
Signature: Regional Polish tasting, Pierogi reinterpretation
Order: Whatever regional set the kitchen is running this month. The chef plates one menu, no choice.
Tip: Open Wed-Fri evenings and Saturday from 16:00. Book three to four weeks ahead, it is a small room.
Jacek Grochowina's Nolita has been in the Warsaw Michelin Guide since 2014. A small monochrome room with a glass-fronted kitchen and Polish-Mediterranean-Asian crossovers.
Signature: Five course tasting, Seven course tasting
Order: The seven-course tasting with wine pairing.
Tip: About 40 covers. Book two weeks ahead for weekend dinner.
Marcin Przybysz's Epoka in Warsaw cooks elevated Polish food from a different historical century each course. The room sits inside the Raffles Europejski hotel.
Signature: Historical Polish tasting, Pierogi 1850
Order: The full multi-course history-of-Poland tasting menu, no a la carte.
Tip: Bookings open four weeks ahead. The wine pairing leans heavily on Polish and Hungarian producers.
Alewino in Warsaw started as a wine shop on Mokotowska and grew into a tucked-away bistro behind a courtyard gate. The wine list runs deep on younger Polish and natural producers.
Signature: Polish charcuterie plate, Pierogi with wild garlic
Order: The kitchen's set plate of the day with a glass of whatever the sommelier is excited about.
Tip: Look for the signpost by the gates as you arrive; the entrance is off the main street, easy to miss.
Butchery & Wine in Warsaw was the first proper dry-ageing steakhouse in Poland when it opened in 2010. Glass-fronted ageing fridges, a 500C Bertha oven, and a Polish sommelier-champion wine list.
Signature: 28-day dry-aged ribeye, 90-day matured ribeye
Order: The 90-day matured ribeye with a Polish-aged-beef tartare to start.
Tip: Sundays closed. Lunch is the cheaper window for the dry-aged cuts.
Zoni sits inside the old Koneser vodka factory in Warsaw's Praga district. Five surviving giant copper stills frame the dining room and the kitchen cooks contemporary Polish.
Signature: Beef zrazy, Ruthenian pierogi
Order: Whatever pierogi are on the seasonal menu and a flight of Koneser-distilled vodka.
Tip: The Praga Koneser complex also holds the Polish Vodka Museum; pair a tour with dinner.
