Milk Bars in Warsaw's Old Town

I've read a bit about the Polish milk bars and I must admit I find them intriguing based on the notion of the nondescript storefronts, hearty meals, and communist-era atmosphere. However, are the milk bars safe to frequent in terms of cleanliness and other customers? I'd prefer not to get a stomach bug, food poisoning, or be attacked or harassed for money by a group of drunken bums.

Is there such a thing as a safe, clean, and family-friendly milk bar in or near Warsaw's old town?

aww po baby, stay at home then.

None of those things has ever happened to me at a milk bar in Poland.

One of the best in Warsaw is Bambino (entrance on Krucza street close to Hoża). There is often a long line out the door (and ordering in English might be difficult). Use a dictionary ahead of time so you can try in Polish or give them a piece of paper with your order written on it (nb prices might have changed)

barbambino.pl/news.htm

I used to go into a milk bar in Gorzow which has sadly now gone. I loved the zinc countertops and the servers who looked like school dinner ladies. It was remarkably cheap as well.

I've mostly used them when traveling. There were a couple very good ones that I like that are longer around....

@mafketis
Appreciate the tip. We'll try that out.

Alltimegreat. Bring some Levis. You can make quite a bit because Pewex charges top dollar.

Yes. There are a few around the centre. In the Old Town, there's a decent one (in the bit called the New Town) just north of the Barbican - you can't miss it. There are also some others spread around town.


That's good, however yes, there are often queues. Familijny on Nowy Swiat is ok, very authentic, as is Zlote Kurki on ul Marszalkowska.


That doesn't happen in Bary Mleczny. About the drunken bums, you will see plenty of these begging in Warsaw anyway. Occasionally standing outside a Bar Mleczny but rarely hassling people inside.

They do come into cafes though, even nice ones.

Do the cafe/restaurant owners tolerate this?

In some parts of Nowy Swiat, there are so many beggars in the evening that it's like painting the Forth Bridge. They throw one out, another comes. Most proprietors don't care anyway about customer comfort as long as they make money.

The Old Town in Torun is like that now. You can't sit in peace because one bum after another comes asking for a cig or change. Many of them look well fed and clothed, too.

Just because milk bars serve cheap food doesn't mean that food and hygiene standards are somehow worse than in other more expensive cafes/restaurants. I'm wondering why you would think that. I've only been to one in Wrocław a few years ago, but it was very busy. These bars are very popular with students and I can't say I noticed any drunken bums when I was there.

No. They attract a wide range of clientele, and you will almost certainly encounter people from all walks of life. If you want a sanitised, family friendly place, then Sphinx will be far more to your liking.

It's because I don't know anything about them. I wasn't sure whether they were comparable to a soup kitchen in the US in terms of the people who can be found there.

Twenty years ago they were subsidized, and the poorest people (but not only them) went there to eat cheaply. I've been using the same one near my workplace for seventeen years, and much has changed. You don't see as many very poor people now that the subsidy has gone, although they are still pretty cheap. Last week I had scrambled eggs with bacon, tomato and onion salad, a bread roll and a pot of kefir for under 12 PLN.

No, some are popular with office workers for lunch, with students, with retired people. Sometimes they also sell the food in plastic tubs to take out and reheat - elderly people often buy it. Some take food stamps, however the people with those tend to go to the suburban ones rather than the city centre.

Some are modern ones (the Mleczarnia chain in Warsaw, bright, shiny and clean) some are older ones that have been modernised, some are still very old fashioned looking (don't let that put you off) plus there are a few office canteens that are open to the public - very similar to Bary Mleczny and often better.

The soups are usually excellent in them.

Another option for eating is the catering college on ul. Poznanska. (the southern end) They have a daily menu, and always a set menu (a lot of the customers have a subscription and pay in advance to use a fixed menu - you can have the daily set price meal or order from a menu). It's Bar Mleczny prices more or less and very good quality.

You probably remember when cop shops' canteens were open to all. I never could decide whether I was in the safest place in town or the opposite.


No! Don't publicise this! This is the reason for the queues. That and being able to pay for a bowl of soup with a card.


There's one place in my nearest town that accepts these vouchers (is it MOPS?) Our layabout neighbours used to cycle fourteen km every day to get their free lunch. I've seen recipients get their free soup, bread, main course and compote, then buy 100gr of vodka to wash it down.

I used to go to one up ul. Jagiellonska in Praga, near the FSO factory. The public bit was mostly retired police, often living in the police flats behind. It was cheap, good quality and always a pleasant atmosphere. Foreigners were a rarity then, especially somewhere like trhat and the people there were always really nice. Last time I went past it had become a kebab shop.


In Poznan at the milk bar just off the Rynek (really nice pancakes with fruit, sweet white cheese and cream) old guys used to stand outside selling their coupons so they could buy something they wanted instead. We used to buy the coupons sometimes and use them.