How does spring taste in the city?
Strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb, kohlrabi (German turnip), spinach, cherries, cabbage, botwina—young beetroot leaves and roots—fresh aromatic herbs such as dill or chives, and spring onions… Late spring in Poland is a real treat for lovers of seasonal food. Here are a few things to bear in mind when browsing the menus of Warsaw eateries.
Most early vegetables will be found among the appetizers, salads, soups and sundries. It is worth keeping an eye out for the classics of home cooking, namely young cabbage or kohlrabi, which are stewed or fried with dill, and white asparagus cooked in the Polish style—coated in golden butter-fried breadcrumbs.
Spring soups include sorrel (served with egg) and botwinka– light, aromatic, and full of young beetroots and dill (also with boiled egg). Nettle is also increasingly making an appearance on menus. In the past, it was considered a ‘wild superfood’ and was popular in folk cuisine—soups and dumpling stuffings were made from it, and even teas for purifying the body. Spring also brings seasonal desserts: cakes and muffins with strawberries, yeast pastries with rhubarb, and various kompots (stewed fruit drinks). It is also worth treating yourself to seasonal fruit topped with crumble or baked in kogel-mogel—a flavoured mix of egg yolk and sugar. Nothing also beats the taste of fresh fruit bought at local greengrocers or at large Warsaw markets—like the centrally located Hala Mirowska.
Spring vegetables are also taking up ever more space on barbecues. Lightly seasoned green asparagus, courgettes, kohlrabi, or baby carrots accompany the sausages, pork neck and beefsteak Varsovians cook outdoors. You can see this for yourself by visiting the urban beaches on the Vistula, where there are designated barbecuing spots—the appetizing scents of grilling waft from Białołęka in the north to Gocław in the south.
When planning a moment’s relaxation by the river, it is worth remembering that picnics are particularly popular at sunset, when from the beaches on the Vistula’s eastern bank, such as Poniatówka, Rusałka/Zoo or Saska, you can admire the exceptional panorama of the capital’s downtown district. Alternatively, an up-to-date list of places in Warsaw where you can do your own grilling (and the rules for doing it) is published among other sites at www.warszawa19115.pl.
Picnics on the Vistula River have become a permanent fixture of Warsaw’s summer landscape, but this is not the only place where you can spend time enjoying meals outdoors. From April until the autumn (September or October, depending on the weather), there is a Breakfast Market in Warsaw, a weekend culinary event where you can eat breakfast or lunch al fresco. It is a market and picnic combined—meals are served by food trucks, restaurants, chefs, and local producers. On Saturdays, the market takes place in the Żoliborz district, at the square on al. Wojska Polskiego and ul. Śmiała, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Sundays, however, it is worth travelling to Mokotów, to Skwer AK Granat (10 a.m.–5 p.m.) or to Wawer, to Park Aktywności Rodzinnej, ul. Węglarska 41 (10 a.m.–5 p.m.). Warning! Spring and early summer can be unpredictable in Warsaw, so when planning a picnic at the Breakfast Market, make sure to check the weather forecast. Thursday’s forecasts are usually the deciding factor for the organisers, so they announce changes to the dates of events (or cancellations) one or two days before the weekend on Facebook, Instagram and at www.targsniadaniowy.pl.
If you’re looking for culinary attractions on spring and summer evenings, it is worth visiting the platforms of the former Warsaw Central Station in the Wola district. It is here that the jubilee (already the tenth) season of the Night Market is being held from 9 May. This year, next to the street food stands, you will be able to find products of Warsaw artisans, have your fortune told by a tarot reader, or party at Platform Two (Drugi Peron), a pop-up cocktail club. The Night Market and Platform Two are open on Fridays (5 p.m.–1 a.m.), Saturdays (5 p.m. –1 a.m.) and Sundays (4 p.m.–11 p.m.). A detailed list of attractions (not only culinary) planned for this season can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
Spring and summer in Warsaw offer many places to enjoy food in the open air—from atmospheric restaurant gardens to green parks and urban beaches perfect for a picnic. Choose the place that best suits your tastes and enjoy the spring weather!
Author: Agnieszka Kuś, Warsaw guide
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