Warsaw emerging as a vegan-friendly city with 34 vegan restaurants

A Guardian travel writer visited Warsaw and found the city highly vegan-friendly, taking a pierogi cooking class and sampling dozens of plant-based dishes across the Polish capital. Happy Cow, the veteran vegan restaurant guide, ranked Warsaw 11th globally last year. The city has an impressive 34 vegan restaurants, rising to about 80 if vegetarian restaurants with vegan options are included, and another 200-odd “vegan-friendly” places.

The writer notes that fungi and vegetables such as potatoes, cabbage, beetroot and cucumbers have long been central to Polish food culture; Agnieszka Skrodzka, a Warsaw tour guide specialising in plant-based food, said it is far easier to avoid meat than mushrooms. Karol Adamiak, a Warsaw chef, wrote that “Veganism represents a return to Poland’s peasant roots, and a more conscious and healthy way of eating.” The visit included traditional and international vegan dishes at venues such as Vege Miasto (pierogi with spinach and tofu, £7; potato pancakes with crispy oyster mushrooms, £8), Veganda (soy schnitzel with mash and beetroot, £8; crispy tofu burger, £9), Lokal Vegan Bistro (Silesian potato dumplings with soy meat, gravy and fried onions, £8) and Falla (meze platter for two, £17.50).

The writer also ate at Vegan Ramen Shop (noodle soup, £10), Lokal (spaghetti “carbonara”, £8) and Bistro Jaskółka (brunch dishes about £7).

Key Topics

Culture, Warsaw, Veganism, Happy Cow, Vege Miasto, Veganda