This Zapiecek location seems newer and has a pleasant interior with two floors. It was lively and a bit chaotic--lots of kids and waitresses rushing around--though surprisingly not that busy. I usually go for steamed pierogies, but their fried version was actually very good--chewy and flavorful. The soup was a bit salty, but I liked the touch of a small candle under the bowl that kept it warm the whole time. Service was okay overall. read more

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We ran into this restaurant when walking along Nowy Swiat, looking for lunch. I consulted Yelp to find nearby restaurants serving Polish specialities and found this one just a block away. The welcoming was kind of jaded, but we were hungry and had patience with the zombie-like service. All of us tried some of the different pierogi (dumplings) they offered: traditional with cabbage and mushrooms, russian style and spinach with cheese. They were all OK and my favorite were the spinach ones. To that we had beer and that was where things started to go wrong. If the food was "traditionally" Polish, so was the service, which could best be described as the one I remember from the worst restaurants during the communist time. This means a minimum of service from an uninterested person that take time. Really strange, as the waitress who served us was probably not even born at the time when that kind of service was kind of common in the eastern countries. One of my friends discovered the opened plastic cover of a toothpick in his beer, and we let the waitress know as soon as we managed to get her attention. Without a flinch, she mumbled something about crediting the beer and just left, taking his beer with her. When we saw her again, we were still a little uncertain about her first comment so we asked, with the intention of ordering a new beer for my friend - but we never got that far. She just repeated that the beer would be credited and left before we had the chance to ask for another beer. As the food was OK, I hope the mishap with the beer and service was just a bad day for the wautress, but having talked to my non-Polish guests about the Polish cuisine and hospitality, Dawne Smaki just left me with a feeling of embarrassment in front of them. There are too many good restaurants to go back. read more

Dawne Smaki - Polish Near Me - Warsaw, MZ

This was my first restaurant in Warsaw (actually in Poland even). I will break my review into three parts. 1) Pierogies - they were incredible (5/5). I chose the combo which was al 4 different types (2 each). The outside was thinner and lighter than anything I've had in the US. All fillings were terrific. 2) My main entree was the pork chop (more of a fried thin pork cutlet) was quite good. The cabbage was very good and also came with potatoes. The plate was also decorated very nicely (although the cook or waiter got some food on his fingers on my plate). I'd give this 4/5. 3) Service- it was non-existent. He took my order, brought no bread (he did to everyone else); although I didn't need to eat it anyway. Never came back until he cleared my plate. I found out that even when dining alone, tips are automatically added. Service I give a 2/5. Not rude, but no help whatsoever. read more

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Food was excellent, chicken soup, pork loin, cheese plate. Violinist playing while we ate made for a perfect night. Our waitress was very helpful with recommendations and made it easy on us as she was able to speak perfect English. read more

This is an exceptional restaurant. There is seating inside, on the sidewalk, or in the lovely garden in the rear. We ate in the garden. I ordered the beef tartar, which was the best that I have tasted. I followed this with the summer borscht. This was also delicious. The appearance of both of these dishes was artful. read more

Dawne Smaki - The garden of Dawne Smaki is a marvelous place to eat. - Polish Near Me - Warsaw, MZ

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We went here on our first night in Warsaw. We asked the concierge at our hotel where we should eat for dinner and he recommended this place. It's about a 10 minute walk from the Sheraton and super easy to find. We went on a Monday night and did not have to wait for a table. We started with Polish beer but there was a little miscommunication. I ordered the large house beer and they thought we ordered 1 for each person. Not the end of the world since it was only 12 PLN each but not everyone drank it. Onto the food...I had the lamb shank (85 PLN) and my friends got the pork chop (29 PLN) and onion and mushroom pierogis (24 PLN for 8). All of the food was excellent. I've tried Polish food before in LA and this was a million times better, as expected! The lamb was falling off the bone and served with gnocchi and pickled cabbage. The pork chop was crisp and perfectly seasoned. The pierogis were stuffed with mushrooms and sweet caramelized onions. The service was good and the atmosphere was cozy and classy. I definitely recommend this place for some traditional Polish cuisine. They charged some taxes/tip, not sure exactly how it broke down but we spent about $60 USD for 3 people. read more

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Nice an old fashioned. Food was very good, I had the beet root salad, wild boar and beza as desert. Service was initially a bit hesitant, but improved over time. Next day I was there for the lunch menue which was nice and inexpensive as well - highly recommended and not a chain restaurant like many others. read more

Great food and quaint atmosphere. Having been my first time in Warsaw I asked hotel concierge for suggestions of traditional Polish cuisine. The food was quite tasty and well prepared; very unique flavor and my chicken was tender and cooked perfectly. Food is a little pricy compared to other options in the area. My only complaint is that, perhaps I am just not used to the different culture as this was my first out to dinner experience in Warsaw, but the service was nonexistent. Drop off menu after sitting waiting 10 mins, 15 mins later ask what you want, 25 mins give food, wait 10 mins for check. I came during a Saturday at 330 pm and there were only 2-3 other people in the restaurant so I'm not sure why the service was so slow. I am giving it 3 stars because of the service. I normally go out to sit down dinners for an interactive overall experience. read more

Most definitely another tourist trap. Overrated and definitely not a place to go again. Sorry guys, at least soup should be served hot. Service personell leaves the impression,that guests are just just bothering. Tables are so close to each other, that you can't hold private conversations. You are forced to listen to your neighbors conversations. read more

In previous years we liked the garden restaurant more than the inside but this year July had some chilly evenings so we chose the inside for the first time. Food was only of average quality. We had Zurek and pork loin (a little on the dry side) with roasted potatoes and vegetables. Before you add oil and vinegar to your salad: BEWARE OF MAGGI!!!! It seems to be everywhere.The condiments set had a bottle with Maggi instead of what we thought was balsamic vinegar. Hopefully this tip saves a lot of salads. I can recommend the Primitivo red wine as well as the Moko Black Sauvignon Blanc. The staff was kind of introvert bordering on grumpy. Room for improvement. read more

Solid Polish cuisine with decent service and an easy wine list. I have traveled to Poland many times, so the cuisine is familiar to me. They need to retrain their greeter. She was helpful, but made us feel like a good table was not available, so she took us to the cellar. It was actually fine downstairs, but it did feel isolated and drafty. The server was helpful, but young. He had no idea which wine was which and like the young lady who seated us, was not comfortable with the job - just kind of awkward all night. The food was good++. The sauce for the pickled herring seemed to come from a jar, but it was tasty. The mix of pierogies was good, but big enough to share. Frankly most of the starters in Polish restaurants are on the large size. We ordered one Duck with cranberry sauce and one Venison dish. Both were good quality and well prepared. There was not enough sauce for either main dish, but the food was good and well cooked. As always in Poland, order the Spanish wine. A Rioja went very well with the meal. They listed a 2011 bottle and we received a 2009 bottle for the same price - a major upgrade in years IMO. Overall, a nice meal, but was not to the level of 5 stars. Better wait staff would be an improvement. read more

The restaurant was just fair. The food was average. We expected much better. The service was good.

Start to finish, everything was amazing ... including the accordionist. I'm an American traveling and wanted to find true Polish food in an authentic Polish environment, and Dawne Smaki did not disappoint. It was so easy to make our reservation online. The waitress was prompt and provided great service. Would recommend the dumplings (perogies) and beef tartar. Our main courses (pork knuckle and beef medallions) were delicious as well. The waitress recommended the chocolate cake for dessert ... I'm glad I chose that. It's similar to a lava cake. Excellent dining experience! Worth noting that THEY DO TAKE CREDIT CARDS. read more

We love Dawne Smaki! Have been there a couple times on two separate trips. My favorite dish is their smoked fish, which they do in their outdoor smoker. They only seem to do this on certain nights. But the rest of the menu is delicious, too. After a busy day on Nowy Swiat or in Old Town, the outdoor garden seating is really quiet and refreshing. Have a glass of wine and relax while eating some excellent Polish food! read more

Robbed in Daylight We arrived at 2030 and were told to wait 30 minutes for a table. It looked like a decent restaurant so we decided to wait and I asked if it was possible to order our food already so it could be delivered as soon as possible after we sit. We were told that they are very quick with serving the food. But after we sat down, it took a while before our order was taken - the staff were talking to each other before attending our table and the one next to us who arrived right after us - and it was 22:00 when our food was served. We ordered the cold platter for two and they forgot half of the menu, which led to us eating dry meat without any sauce. The same happened to the table next to us who ordered the same. In the meantime, the other clientele were drunk and spoke with such volume that it was very much bothering. We can understand that the service might be slower if the restaurant is busy - thus why we asked if we could order in advance - but the staff was also very unbothered and unhelpful. We thought we would just cut their tip in half, and at some point decided not to tip at all - the first time during our trip, when we noticed that they charged us 10% for service already - also the first time during our trip. Perhaps why they were not bothered because they took their tips already. I felt very much robbed in daylight. Had better food for this price and excellent service at Polska Rozana earlier for lunch where we tipped generously and would recommend it to anyone visiting Warsaw. Too bad I had to give Dawne Smaki 1 star to place this review because they surely did not deserve any. read more

There are raves for pierogies at Zapiecek, but I feel they make them much better here. Also the Potato pancakes are amazing. The offerings are traditional but handled with a nouveau flair. The flavors are all on point. The atmosphere is relaxed and the waitstaff is helpful and very friendly. This is a must go to for anyone visiting Warsaw and looking for cuisine from the fatherland. read more