Leisure & Travel

7 top Warsaw craft beer bars for 2016

As the nation’s capital you would expect Warsaw to have a wide selection of craft beer bars, and it doesn’t disappoint. The craft beer and microbrewery fashion is a welcome one, transforming the bar scene to allow one to quaff a few brews in the name of taste research.

Beer is a national pastime in Poland

Summer 2016 is going to be a busy one, with World Youth Day alone expected to bring in at least 2 million extra visitors to Poland. We’ve done a roundup of Warsovian watering holes as recommended by local ex-pat and Polish beer enthusiasts to help the uninitiated to scratch the surface of the craft beer scene. Without further ado, here are our top 7 craft beer bars, presented in alphabetical order.

Browarmia

image BrowArmia bar from the outside Website: Facebook page
Address: Królewska 1, Warszawa. View map.
Number of beers: 12, 4 in rotation
Sample prices: 7.50 zł-14 zł for a beer
Sample beers: Pszeniczne, Pils, Wiśniowe, Blond, Karmazynowe, Klasztorne, Oktoberfest, Stout, Malinowe
Their pitch: Brick-walled basement brewpub serving 12 craft beers & a menu of Polish & international dishes.

Cuda na kiju

image Cuda na Kiju Warsaw Website: Facebook page
Address: Nowy Świat 6/12, Warszawa. View map.
Number of beers: 16
Sample prices: 8 to 15 zł
Sample beers: Smoky Joe, Old Ale, Grodziskie, Czarna Dziura, Atak Chmielu
Their pitch: Polish and foreign beers, large choice, small regional breweries, bottled, tap, and craft beer. This is a modern, three-floored multitap bar, located in the very heart of the lively city. They have over a dozen taps with interesting beer brands and prosecco. All this makes them an ideal spot for an evening lunch or a late meeting with friends.

Jabeerwocky

image Jabeerwocky Warsaw Website: taproom.pl
Address: Nowogrodzka 12, Warszawa. View map. A few steps down the road from Kufle i Kapsle.
Number of beers: 17 on tap, 2-300 varieties in the fridge.
Sample prices: 50 zł meal for two people with drinks, 12zł-16zł for polish beer, 20 zł for imported beer
Sample varieties: Mikkeller, Stone, 3 Fonteinen, La Pirata, Brekeriet, Winter Harvest.
Their pitch: Jabeerwocky is the best multitap pub in Warsaw. We serve only CRAFT beers, tasty food and we play rock music.

Kufle i Kapsle

image Kufle i Kapsle multitap bar Website: kufleikapsle.pl and Facebook page
Address: Nowogordzka 25, Warszawa. View map. Almost next door to Jabeerwocky.
Number of beers: 150 in the fridges, 12 taps
Sample prices: 60 zł meal for two people with drinks, 8zł -12 zł for tap beer and 12zł-50zł for bottle beer
Sample beers: King of Hop, Brown Foot, Atak chmielu, Premium Lager, Chill Out, Ice Tea Ale
Examples of bottle beer: Back in Black, Berserker, Bitter, 19 IPA, Big Worse, Eldon
Their pitch: “Kufle i Kapsle” offers some of the best beers from all around the world. You can find many very interesting beers from small polish breweries as well.
There are twelve taps (two of which are English hand pumps) with a rotation of beers. Besides the twelve taps there are over 150 types of beer in bottles behind the bar.

PiwPaw

Piwpaw, or “beer peacock” is one of Warsaw’s biggest, taking beer worship to another level with three separate locations to entertain yourself in, and an online shop.
Website: piwpaw.pl
Online shop: sklep.piwpaw.pl
Sample prices: 5 to 20zł. Online shop, 1l from 12 to 34zł.

First Piwpaw

Address: Żurawia 32/34, Warszawa. View map.
Number of beers: 57

Second Piwpaw

Address: Foksal 16, Warszawa. View map.
Number of beers: 95

Third Piwpaw

Address: Mazowiecka 9, Warszawa. View map.
Number of beers: 65

Their pitch: In PiwPaw (Beer Peacock) the best Polish beers are served in the company of interesting craft beers from the Czech Rep., Lithuania, Germany, Britain, Belgium, Ukraine and others. Total 57 different draft beers. Each beer is available on the premises to try out in a small glass for 1 zł and for consumption on the spot in 0.5-litre glasses, as well as take-away: in plastic bottles and, ultimately, 1l glass (with ceramic cap) bottles. PET bottles cost PLN 1 and can be reused. Prices of beer to takeaway are comparable with prices in grocery shops (from 4 zł). Also, all the beer from the fridge (approx. 200 different beers) are available for purchase both on the premises and to take away. You are welcome at any time of the day or night, we operate 24 hours a day.

Równonoc

Website: Facebook.com/Rownonocklub
Address: Chmielna 5 lok 1, Warszawa. View map.
Number of beers: 30-50 bottle only, no taps
Sample prices: 60 zł for a meal for two people with drinks, 8zł-16zł for beer
Sample beers: Inne Beczki, Czarny Kot, Wilk, Amber, Raduga, Ale browar, Doctor Brew.
Their pitch: Very cozy place, good food, kind staff and great music. It is a nice place to chill with friends and have a drink.

Spiskowcy rozkoszy

image Spiskowcy Rozoszy bar Website: spiskowcy.pl and Facebook page
Address: Żurawia 47, 00-680 Warszawa. View map.
Number of beers: 50
Sample prices: 10 to 30 zł
Sample beers: Steam Time, Friend With Benefits, Berry White, Pils Tomyski, Pale Ale, Beer Bros
Their pitch: A wide rang of Polish and foreign beers. Here you can enjoy a truly good beer, the taste of which may take you to the fields of American wheat, or the magnificent streets of Antwerp – and beyond.