Restaurants for every occasion: Elixir by Dom Wódki, Folk Gospoda and Oberża Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem

At about the same time last year I visited restaurants as part of the Warsaw Restaurant Week project. This year, I picked three restaurants that are perfect for any occasion myself. What these three restaurants have in common is their owner, my dear friend Piotr Popiński, and excellent food.

A place for any occasion

In my line of business, I often meet people around the city. Whether I am meeting someone for morning coffee, a quick lunch or elegant dinner, I always try to go to places that I like and appreciate both for the quality of the food and excellent service.

In the centre of Warsaw, I most often go to Elixir, Folk Gospoda or Oberża Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem. Although each of the restaurants is different in character and serves different food, they all have a unique ambiance that you will not find elsewhere. I like the folksy nature of Folk Gospoda, the nostalgic interior and atmosphere at Oberża Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem and the simple elegance of Elixir by Dom Wódki. Read on to find out more about each of the places.

Folk Gospoda

The perfect place to get a taste of traditional Polish cuisine. Lard, pickles, pork chops, potatoes, duck in different versions and pork knuckles – you will find these and many other Polish dishes on the very long menu.

Folk Gospoda is situated on Grzybów where the Wola and Śródmieście districts meet. The area used to be a haven for beer lovers, since there were 28 breweries operating there in the 17^th century. In fact, the roots of Folk Gospoda also date back to the 17^th century and legend has it that such renowned Poles as Tadeusz Kościuszko or Ksawery Branicki were frequent guests there.

Occasions: Sunday family lunch, dinner with guests from abroad.

Oberża Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem

If you sometimes get nostalgic about the past regime, you should definitely book a table at the Oberża Pod Czerwonym Wieprzem. The restaurant is actually housed in a building which was a gift from our Western brethren (East Germany, of course) and both its interior design and the ambience are a nod towards the heritage of the “red” communist Wola district.

The menu is long and the names of dishes are inspired by the communist and party speak of the past ear. As such, we have the proletarian pork chops, First Secretary’s sirloin and Carpathian Prince limousine sirloin. There is also a broad selection of the domestic potato-based beverage, namely vodka.

Occasions: business lunch, lunch or dinner with guests from abroad.

Elixir by Dom Wódki

This is a relatively new spot on the culinary map of Warsaw and the first ever restaurant in the world where all dishes on the menu were paired with vodka tasting shots. Contemporary Polish cuisine is served in a new take inspired by classic recipes. The elegant and classy interiors create a truly inimitable atmosphere of the place.

Elixir by Dom Wódki received many awards and distinctions including the Teraz Polska medal, BBC Recommendation or Gault & Millau.

Occasions: business dinner, romantic date.