Where to Find Sweet Treats in Warsaw

Owned by Polish celebrity restaurateur Magda Gessler, Słodki…Słony is Warsaw’s favourite pastry shop, located on the fashionable Mokototowska Street. This cosy, traditionally styled space is the best place to try some of the typical Polish cakes and desserts – such as rose jam-filled glazed doughnuts (pączki), the fruit-filled yeast buns (drożdżówki), crisp powder sugar angel wings (faworki) and the classic Polish cheesecake.

Located in the very heart of Warsaw on Chmielna Street, Lukullus is a feast for all the senses. Inspired by historical transatlantic cruise ship interiors, Milanese 1970s cafés and Alvar Aalto’s designs, this elegant space offers a selection of mouthwatering treats – from Madagascan bourbon vanilla millefeille and limoncello tarts, to traditional Polish doughnuts filled with passion fruit, rose and plum.

A. Blikle is another great spot to try traditional Polish cakes and pastries such as poppy seed rolls, apple pies (szarlotka) and yeast cakes. Its heritage-inspired Nowy Swiat café with outdoor seating is perfect for people watching.

Open since 1901, the Viennese-style Café Bristol is situated on Warsaw’s prestigious Krakowskie Przedmiescie Street (close to the historical Old Town) and is part of Warsaw’s most luxurious Hotel Bristol. Choose from a range of cakes, pastries and handcrafted pralines, as well as ice cream deserts and creamy hot chocolates. Custom orders are also welcome for special occasions.

Odette is your go-to for visually stunning pastries such as macaroons, éclairs and petit gateaux’s that taste even better than they look. Its sleek, centrally located stores are a must-see for design lovers. The Twarda Street outpost called Odette Tea Room additionally offers a great selection of teas beautifully presented in metal jars against a backdrop of a tropical-patterned wall.

Chocolate lovers will surely enjoy the delicious handmade pralines and truffles at Wedel’s Lounges, set up by one of the oldest Polish chocolate brands – Wedel. The Szpitalna Street location is a definite must-see thanks to its opulent 19th-century interior with Art Nouveau elements and mahogany furniture, which will make you feel like you’ve travelled back in time.

And finally, head off the beaten track to the hugely popular Pracownia Cukiernicza Zagoździński in the Wola district (western Warsaw), where customers often queue for doughnuts made based on an old family recipe of the venue’s owner Władysław Zagoździński.