Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Warsaw

Warsaw – Novotel Warszawa Airport

I’ve never stayed in this Accor hotel which is, as the name suggests, near to the city’s airport. It’s also about a one hour walk from the city centre, or it’s easy to get a train, bus or tram into Warsaw as well. The welcome was efficient and polite, although they seemed a little under-staffed on the reception desk.

I didn’t get an upgrade for the first time in a while for a Polish Accor hotel, but that was likely my fault for choosing a themed room and the hotel probably thought that was the one I wanted. This is the surfer room, which I thought might make for slightly different photos to my normal quite dull photos of the room interior. Incidentally, I got lost going to my room which wasn’t entirely ideal, and I’m blaming the poor signage.

Certainly quite different, with that board thing on the wall. The white cupboard arrangement on the left appears to have survived from a previous room layout, that did feel quite dated and I’m not sure was part of the renovation.

Oh, and deckchairs. Probably not really entirely functional, but it added some character to the room.

This looked quite odd though, I’m not sure I liked that nailed to the wall.

My welcome gift, similar to that I’ve had recently, some very delicious chocolate coated things.

The view from my window, made the hotel feel like it had extensive grounds, although it didn’t.

The free welcome drink, once again I went for Żywiec Porter. As an irrelevant aside, the table was very shaky, but fortunately there were no drinks spills.

I had forgotten that my room rate included breakfast, so that was a pleasant surprise at reception when I checked-in. It’s quite impressive that I managed to forget this since I only booked it three days ago, but there we go…… Plenty of choice and it wasn’t particularly busy. I mostly went for the cold cuts and bread, all of which was of a suitably decent quality.

The hot food section, which was effectively a create your own hot dog arrangement. There was an egg section where I think staff make omelettes, although I don’t much like them and I didn’t see anyone try and get anything cooked when I was there. There was also a waffle making machine for those who wanted it, although again, I didn’t see anyone use it.

Desserts, which are an important part of the breakfast arrangement as far as I’m concerned. There were also cereals as well and milk was available (I mention that as my friend Nathan has announced that cereals shouldn’t have milk on them, although he’s obviously wrong).

I did wonder at first if there might be noise problems as they had a drunken group charging around the hotel and there was also some crashing about from the floor above. However, they were both one-off noise issues, so there were no internal or external noise issues, so all was well.

The hotel is reasonably well reviewed, although there are an odd amount of clearly fake negative reviews all about a staff member not giving a customer a blanket. Anyway, the room rate including breakfast was just under £40, which was funded nearly entirely from the latest Accor offer, which all seemed reasonable for me even if I was paying. I suspect that the room prices are a little muted at the moment because of the lack of passenger traffic from the nearby airport, they are likely usually higher. But, I’d happily recommend this hotel to others, although I prefer the Novotel in the city centre.

For anyone wanting to book or find out more…..

November 29, 2021
Warsaw – Drugie Dno Ochota

This is the sister bar of the Drugie Dno in the city centre, to which I’ve been a few times and always thought was well-run. It’s located in Ochota which is a little out of the centre, but easily accessible via public transport.

The beer list, which wasn’t quite what they had on Ontap, but it was updated during my visit. That’s a nicely balanced selection of different beers, a decent range of styles.

For the moment, I want to focus on the staff member serving, who was knowledgeable, engaging, personable and downright helpful. He was pro-active in offering suggestions, samples and also explaining the options that were in the fridges. That engagement is exceptional at the best of times, but particularly so for a visitor to the country speaking the native language so badly. And a bit more focus on this staff member, he was a competent a server as I’ve seen, managing to be engaging and also prepare the food as well. His colleagues were also friendly, so there seemed a great team ethic going on. There is a large hotel around the corner (which I wasn’t staying in) and so the bar might be used to be getting guests from there, but nonetheless, the service was excellent.

The upstairs area of the bar, very nicely laid out and this is a handy set-up if they want to close some of the location off for a private location or the like. There are a choice of high and low seats in the bar, which I always appreciate, and there are also seats downstairs. I also liked that the staff member explained that seats were available upstairs and he came up with me to turn the lights on. I accept that’s a simple gesture, but it all contributed to me feeling very welcome.

Also upstairs, looking towards the window.

I went for two beers, both stouts, the Artezan Piwo z Jeżykiem which I’d had at their sister pub a few days ago, and also the Waszczukowe which I can’t find on Untappd (I’ll ask my friend Nathan later as he’s my Untappd expert and he’s getting better at reviewing beers as well, other than when he’s had a few too many and the descriptions get a bit erratic and focus on Monster Munch, but that’s not relevant here), but the bar is saying is an imperial coconut stout. It was a suitably decadent beer, although I was struggling to get much of the coconut bit, although there were other flavours that came to the fore. But, two nicely served beers, both of a very good quality.

I wasn’t going to order food, but I wanted to make sure for my peace of mind that the entire operation was efficient and well managed before I enthused too much about the place. I ordered the ‘Nduja pizza, which is always one of my favourite toppings when I see it. I’m a fan of cherry tomatoes on pizza, but I don’t get to see them very often, so this was a delight. The quality was high, the food service was impeccable and the taste was delicious. In terms of the food, the bar again didn’t disappoint, and indeed continued to surprise and delight.

This rather creepy looking photo was just me quite liking the attention to detail with the plumbing decoration in the toilets. All spotlessly clean again.

Anyway, this is a brilliant location which is on a par with the on-trend bars in London and the United States, with the customer service of my two ‘Pubs of the Year’, The Hop & Vine in Hull and Goose Island in London, which I’ve been pleased in stay in touch with this year. I paid just over £10 for the pizza and the two beers, which I thought was really good value for money when taking into account the quality.

I think I’ve visited around 25 bars in Warsaw and this one is stand-out and should absolutely be visited by anyone coming to the city who wants friendly service and decent craft beer. How very lovely indeed and I’d recommend anyone coming to Warsaw to come here first because it’s so delightful.

November 27, 2021
Warsaw – Museum of Warsaw (Kazimierz Palace Garden Fountain Remnants)

And another in my series of items on display in the Museum of Warsaw that I think are interesting, this post is about a remnant which is on the ground floor display of architectural features. Warsaw’s near destruction towards the end of the Second World War meant that there were no shortage of remnants like this and so it’s positive that at least some have survived. The destruction of this item wasn’t down to the Germans on this occasion, it was looted by the Swedes in the sixteenth century. They were extracted from the Vistula River in 1906 as the barge they were on sunk during the transportation to Sweden.

It’s Cupid with a baton which was part of a garden fountain from the Kazimierz Palace, a structure now part of Warsaw University and which has been knocked about many times over the centuries (more information on Wikipedia’s page about the building). It dates from the first building which was constructed on the site between 1637 until 1641, designed to be lived in for some of the year by King Władysław IV. Apparently made from Carrara marble, Cupid would once have been holding a club which would have been hitting a dolphin. Apparently this wasn’t meant to be an aggressive act (although it doesn’t sound ideal), just showing that Cupid was stopping excessive dolphin behaviour….

I like the history of this item though, lovingly created, stolen by the Swedes, lost in the river for over two centuries, lifted back up, cleaned and then put on display (all whilst surviving the Second World War).

November 27, 2021
Warsaw – Ibis Budget Warszawa Centrum

I’ve stayed at this Ibis Budget before, although it was a few years ago and before that Ibis Styles (which I’ve also stayed at) was constructed. I stayed here this week inbetween my Sofitel and Novotel visits, so it was a little less decadent. The check-in process was efficient and well managed, so I felt welcome which is always positive. It’s about a twenty minute walk away from the centre of Warsaw and around a forty minute walk away from the Old Town, so it’s not exactly in the heart of the action. There are though buses that depart from nearby to the hotel, although there are no nearby trams or underground trains.

There’s a bit more colour in the room than in most Ibis Budget hotels, with everything being clean. There’s also soap and shower gel provided, there’s normally just the former in this brand. I didn’t have breakfast on this occasion in the hotel, but it’s a cheap and cheerful arrangement which offers reasonable value for money. It’s best though to check that the Ibis Styles next door isn’t too much more expensive, as the breakfast is included there and so can sometimes be better value and also provide a better room.

The view from my room of the road and river, and I’d be quite happy if they tore this road up to make the riverside area feel a bit more appealing (and also so I had a nicer view if I’m being selfish).

Given that it is a budget hotel, the reviews are surprisingly positive in the main although there’s inevitably perhaps some grumbling about how the shower opens out into the room. For me there were no internal or external noise issues and with the room price being under £20 per night, I had nothing to complain about (not that I go around looking for things to complain about). All really rather lovely and although very different to the Sofitel, it has its own charms.

And here’s a link to find out more and book.

November 27, 2021
Warsaw – Museum of Warsaw (Warsaw Uprising Uniform Jacket)

Continuing my series of items that I thought were of interest that are in the displays at the Warsaw Museum.

This is a tarpaulin jacket that was originally owned by the German Waffen SS when they were occupying Warsaw, but during the Warsaw Uprising the store was broken into. The jacket was given to Zdzisław Galperyn, from the Polish Home Army, battalion ‘Chrobry I’. He was captured in 1944 and sent to a prisoner of war concentration camp, but he returned to the city in 1945 and his coat was still where he left it in the attic of a tenement house at ul. Chmielna. It’s remarkable both that the individual and the coat remained intact during the Second World War, with Zdzisław donating the jacket to the museum in 2004.

November 27, 2021
Warsaw – Museum of Warsaw (Linen Sack)

Continuing on my little series of posts of exhibits from the substantial Museum of Warsaw.

This is a simple exhibit, just a linen sack with a number sewn onto it, but it is the heritage which is important. It belonged to an individual, Zofia Bożena Stefańska, who was at the Ravensbrück concentration camp, having been sent there by the Germans after Warsaw was cleared following the Warsaw Uprising. It’s fair to say that the Nazis were considerably annoyed at the bravery of the Warsaw population in the Uprising, thereby forcing the near one million residents out of the city so that they could flatten it.

There’s an interesting account at the Norfolk Record Office blog about Elsie Marechal, who found herself in a similar set of circumstances, although she hadn’t come from Warsaw. The thought of that linen bag containing all the belongings that an individual was allowed is quite sobering.

November 27, 2021
Warsaw – Filtry Cafe

After a busy morning looking around the city’s railway museum, we thought that we’d find a local cafe and this one at Juliana Ursyna Niemcewicza 3 came well reviewed. It might not be much to look at from the outside though, I can imagine that we’d have walked by if we hadn’t been on a slight mission to get there. It takes its name from the district of Warsaw that it’s located in and the cafe serve coffees, cakes and some pastries.

The interior of the cafe is small and there was a homely and comfortable atmosphere. It was evident that there were no tables empty, but the staff member moved someone’s coat and gloves that were on a table for us, but fortunately they just belonged to his friend and he hadn’t expelled a random customer. I was pleased that he had done that, as I would have had to stand awkwardly until a table became free otherwise, which is far from ideal in such a small venue. Several of the tables were taken up by younger customers on laptops and although it’s very positive that the cafe was full, this does present a little bit of a problem for the owners. In warmer months though there are some outside tables which eases seating pressures somewhat.

I went for a coffee and a meringue cake, both of which were delicious and suitably decadent. All of the food was well presented, both before and after serving, with the cakes looking home-made or supplied from a local baker. I think the cafe is more of a craft coffee place, but my ability to describe that is limited, I just know that it was a rich and good tasting drink. There was some theatre in preparing the coffee as well, which was served after the food as it was a slightly convoluted process that I didn’t entirely understand. Very pleasing quality with the prices being reasonable, this was a nice warm place to visit given that it was quite cold outside.

November 27, 2021
Warsaw – Warsaw Ghetto Remnant at 62 Złota Street

I thought that I’d written about this section of the Warsaw ghetto wall before, but it seems that I just wrote about the footprint of the wall. There are very few remnants of the former ghetto wall still standing, even though it was once 18 kilometres in length.

There’s a map of the ghetto wall displayed. There’s also a really useful one at https://travegeo.com/Warsaw_Ghetto-22948?sharemap which shows the old ghetto on top of a modern map. The ghetto does look like it covers a large area, but at its peak there were 460,000 Jews living within the boundaries. The ghetto was liquidated in 1942, although by then many had died of starvation.

A number of bricks have been removed from the wall and sent to other institutions around the world, including Yad Vashem and the Holocaust Museum in Australia. I had a look at the virtual tour of the museum in Melbourne and it seems a little surreal seeing the missing brick in their collections, a reminder of how important these fragments are. So much was destroyed in Warsaw during the Second World War and these remnants are now overlooked by skyscrapers and shiny new buildings, but that they still exist is hugely important.

November 26, 2021
Warsaw – Zapiecek (Nowy Świat 64)

If I’m being honest, it’s much easier to find pizzas in Warsaw craft beer bars than it is traditional Polish cuisine. I’m not sure that this overly concerns me, but since Richard was coming over for a few days, he wanted an authentic experience that involved restaurants as well as bars. This restaurant is part of a small chain which does have quite a tourist fringe to it, but it also has excellent reviews and so seemed a sensible place to try.

The entrance area to the restaurant, which was relatively large, although not overly busy in the early evening. We were welcomed immediately on entry, with the server offered what seemed a personable greeting.

We were seated in an upstairs area and could see down onto the floor below, well, we could if it wasn’t for all of the Christmas decorations.

The upstairs area that we were seated in, but it did become busier during our meal.

The beer options were a little limited, but I went with the Książęce Złote Pszeniczne which was acceptable, but not exceptional.

The highlight of the evening was Richard ordering four shots of flavoured vodkas. When they arrived he had a Bullingdon Club moment and flung them across the restaurant and drenched the floor in alcohol and glass. In a statement issued by Richard he noted:

“This was not a deliberate act, the glasses were stuck into the wooden holder and were difficult to release”.

Individuals can make their own minds up. The restaurant did let him order replacement drinks, although I was surprised to see that they were served in glass and not in plastic beakers. I did privately think that Richard would be more suited to KFC than the fine dining than I’m used to, but I didn’t say anything.

I’m not a huge fanatic about a lot of Polish food and I’m not sure how authentic this actually is, but the sausages were delicious and I was very pleased with them. There was one white sausage and one traditional sausage, although it was possible to have two the same as well and it was served on Masurian region sauerkraut along with mustard and ketchup. Richard had pierogi, or dumplings, for both his main course and dessert, which seemed excessive to me, although I didn’t say anything.

The chocolate in cherry sauce was a bit less exciting as there was nearly no evidence of cherry, it was just lots of chocolate. Not as decadent as I had hoped, but overall I thought that the food was fine and represented decent value for money given the central location of the restaurant. The service was always polite and helpful, even when Richard had smashed up half of the restaurant’s glassware.

I accept that these restaurants are a little touristy, but that isn’t a bad thing here given the quality of the food and the friendliness of the staff. There’s plenty of choice on the menu and the reviews on-line show that they’re pleasing the vast majority of customers. The atmosphere is homely and although I wouldn’t claim it’s the most authentic Polish experience, I’d still merrily recommend these locations. The staff were also very tolerant of Richard’s behaviour and I was pleased that they, like I, didn’t go on about his little errors.

November 26, 2021
Warsaw – Same Krafty Vis-a-Vis

Located opposite Same Krafty, and hence this bar’s name, this is a compact location with a similar cosy feel to its neighbour.

Like most craft beer bars in the city, the beers are listed on Ontap, which makes things much easier to plan. The options are though also on chalkboards above the bar and there are three options on drink sizes as well. There are some bottles and cans in the fridges as well, although the bar is less pro-active in advertising those on-line.

The slightly quirky internal decoration.

I went for the Double Sour Ni from Browar Monsters, perfectly decent although lacking in the depth of taste for me. I also went for the Coffeelicious Special from Piwne Podziemie, rich and sweet, but lacking that depth of flavour that can come from the best stouts. A very acceptable drink though with the more subtle than I expected flavours of chocolate and coffee.

Service in the bar was friendly, although it wasn’t particularly busy, which seems true for much of the Warsaw Old Town at the moment. The beer selection was well curated so that there were a range of different styles, with the bar being clean and organised. They have the same pizza and burger options as are offered as their bar over the road, which are all reasonably priced given the central location. I suspect that there’s usually a larger customer base from tourists and this is certainly not a bad drinking option for someone coming to the city.

November 26, 2021