WARSAW VEGETARIAN & VEGAN RESTAURANTS: a list (September, 2014)

Warsaw has seen quite a few vegetarian and vegan restaurants open up in the last couple of years. In fact, these days, there are as many options here for those on a plant-based diet (like myself) as there are in most any other European metropolis. Here's a fairly extensive, updated (September 2014) list of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the Polish capital.


Jamniczek
Ul. Marszalkowska 68/70
00-546 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/dolceandvegan
All vegan hot-dog place in the center of the city, a block south of Krowarzywa (see below). Good selection of tasty home-made hot-dogs, drinks (licensed as well), fries, and more.

Dolce & Vegan
ul. Finlandzka 12a
03-903 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/dolceandvegan
A decent all-vegan restaurant that used to be located near the Ratusz Arsenal metro station, but has recently moved across the river to trendy Saska Kepa. A good selection of dishes and drinks, great vegan desserts, and, as is the case with most hip places in the capital, somewhat lackadaisical service.

Fit and Green
Noakowskiego 10
00-666 Warsaw, Poland
Krakowskie Przedmieście 5
00-068 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/FITandGREEN
New chain with two locations in Warsaw, one near Metro Politechnica, and the other on Krakowskie Przedmieście. Vegetarian burgers, pierogies, soups, and more; Vegan options available.

Govinda
ul. Nowogrodzka 15
00-511 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/Govinda.veg
Little place centrally located on Nowogrodzka, near Krucza. Generous portions of good though bland-ish Indian food (as is par for the course for most Hare Krishna restaurants I find), and good service. Recently became all vegan.

Green Bar
Szpitalna 6
00-031 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Bar/503984459622629
Located in the very center of Warsaw, on Szpitalna, this place has a fairly varied menu of vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Krowarzywa
Hoza 42
00-516 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/Krowarzywa
Probably the most popular of Warsaw's vegan places (thanks to the popularity of burger joints in general), this hip, centrally located establishment attracts even carnivores with its very tasty, filling, and relatively affordable vegan burgers. They also have vegan ice cream (in the summer), smoothies, and edible plates (not tasty, i've tried one). Cross your fingers before you go there, as they sometimes have waiting times upwards of 30 minutes.

Kubek I Olówek
Kredytowa 8
00-062 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/KUBEKiOLOWEK
A fairly new place (2014) centrally located on Kredytowa street, halfway between Marszalkowska and Krakowskie Przedmieście. Small-ish, affordable, a bit haphazard, and with some decent lunch specials (one per day).

Lokal Margines
ul.Krucza 23/31
00-525 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/lokalmargines
New, centrally-located vegan bistro.

Loving Hut
MURANOW: al. Jana Pawla II 41A lok.8
01-001 Warsaw, Poland
METRO POLITECHNIKA: ul. Warynskiego 3
00-645 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/LovingHutWarsaw
Part of the international Loving Hut chain, these affordable restaurants specialize in Asian fusion dishes, many of which use faux-meat that comes incredibly close to tasting like the real deal. The two Warsaw locations have about four or five Vietnamese dishes (including a really good Pho) that, although vegan, are much more authentic than the fake and unhealthy Vietnamese food you'll find in the Asian fast food places. The original location is on Jana Pawla II street, in Warsaw's Muranow district, and the newer location is right next to the Politechnika metro station.

Marrakesh Cafe
al. Jerozolimskie 123A
02-017 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/MarrakeshC
A restaurant specializing in Moroccan food, run by the same folks as Tel Aviv (below). Located a couple of blocks west of the central train station.

Mówisz Masz
Mokotowska 48
00-543 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/mowiszmaszcafe
Hip new place on semi-posh Mokotowska street for breakfast, brunch, coffee, drinks, vegan pastries, and more.

Mezze hummus + falafel
ul. Różana 1
02-548 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/MEZZE.hummusifalafel
Located on the corner of a small park in Warsaw's Mokotow district, this small place specializes in Middle Eastern cuisine.

Ósma Kolonia
Słowackiego 15/19
01-592 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/osmakolonia
A new place in Warsaw's Zoliborz district, close to the Plac Wilsona metro station. Vegetarian and vegan food.

Tel Aviv
Poznanska 11
00-680 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/tel.aviv.cafe
Specializing in Israeli/Middle-Eastern cuisine, Tel Aviv is located on Poznanska street, which is becoming a bit of a hub for trendy eateries. The place used to be vegetarian, but is now completely vegan (as far as I know). Their Sunday Israeli brunch is quite popular. I've eaten here and it was pretty tasty, though a tad bland, and I've heard some doubts about the authenticity of the cuisine.

Vega (Bar Vega)
Al. Jana Pawła II 36c
00-141 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/BarVegaWarszawa
A veteran of Warsaw's vegetarian restaurant scene, Vega Bar is tucked away behind a typical 50s building on Jana Pawla II (in the Muranow district), and specializes in Indian food. Hit and miss judging from reviews, but some do like this place quite a bit.

Vege Miasto
Solidarności 60a
00-240 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/vegemiasto
Another hip, new place a couple of blocks east of the Ratusz Arsenal metro station.

Vegan Pizza
Corner of Poznanska and Wilcza
00-670 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/veganpizzapl
Good concept, mediocre execution. I've had much better vegan pizza in my day, but if you absolutely have to have it, and don't want to make it yourself, the option is there.

W Gruncie Rzeczy
Hoża 62
00-682 Warsaw, Poland
https://www.facebook.com/WGruncieRzeczy
Opened in November, 2013, this is another in the line of newish cafe/bistros in the center of the city.Located on Hoża, a block west of Marszalkowska, this basement restaurant has an all-vegan menu, with diverse breakfast, lunch, and dessert options, and good service.

VEGAN AND VEGAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS AROUND THE WORLD: Dolce & Vegan (Warsaw, Poland)

Address: ul. Finlandzka 12a (near Rondo Waszyngtona)
03-903 Warsaw, Poland
Phone: +48 605 324 174
Website (FB): https://www.facebook.com/dolceandvegan

A decent vegan place that has daily lunch specials and lots of baked goods. Slow service at times, but that's par for the course for hipsteresque places in Poland's capital. The restaurant is moving from its current location near metro Ratusz Arsenal, and will reopen in its new location in Warsaw's trendy Saska Kepa neighborhood (address above) on Sep. 14, 2014; a good move, since the last place was outdoors, so the comfort level really depended on the weather.

VEGAN AND VEGAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS AROUND THE WORLD: B 13 Bar + Restaurante (Madrid, Spain)

Address: Calle de la Ballesta 13, Madrid, Spain 28004
Website: www.b13bar.com

Up the hill on Calle de la Ballesta, in Madrid's trendy Malasaña neighborhood, B 13 is a good no-nonsense type vegan restaurant (and bar) that seems to draw a diverse crowd. The food that I ordered was fairly unsophisticated (which is true for most items on the menu), a fried seitan slab along with fries and a salad, but it was tasty, and, for the price (around 7 euros for the lunch special), a really good deal. Warning: This place, like many others in Madrid, shuts down for about a month in the late Summer. Check their website for details.

Asteroid # 4 - Let it go

VEGAN AND VEGAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS AROUND THE WORLD: Vegan Point (Alicante, Spain)

Address: Garzìa Morato 36, Alicante, Spain
Phone: (+34) 608 098244
Website (Facebook): https://es-es.facebook.com/pages/Vegan-Point/202162539983870

A nice and cozy (fairly new) little tapas bar located in central Alicante, possibly the only all-vegan place in the city. The lunch special sampler plate I got included a couple of very tasty tarts, a pasta salad, and marinaded tofu (or seitan, can't remember) for under 10 euros. Some of the tastiest food that I had in Spain.

The rise of meat consumption in China and India

I recently came across an article about how more people in India are starting to eat meat. The article attributed this trend to a general growing financial prosperity in that country. This came as a surprise to a lot of people since, as many of you already know, India is one of the world's bastions for vegetarianism, with an estimated 40% or more of its population being vegetarian. Still, while the phenomenon is an unfortunate one, it is understandable.

In many parts of Asia, meat consumption was relatively low because meat was expensive. It was reserved for special occasions. In places like China, where many are benefiting from economic prosperity, meat consumption is up, because many people can now afford it. This phenomenon has very little to do with ethics, and much more to do with economics. I, for example, have attained a higher level of empathy for other animals, so I'm not going to start eating meat no matter how much more money I'd make. On the other hand, a person who normally would eat meat anyway, but simply didn't have the means to do this on a regular basis, would benefit from his new-found wealth to consume more meat. It becomes important, then, in societies where meat consumption is on the rise, to actively teach (and remind) people that the lives of sentient beings like pigs, cows, chickens, fish, etc., should be respected. An increase in wealth does not have to mean an increase in violence towards other species. Theoretically, this should strike a chord in countries which already have a strong tradition of tasty and healthy vegetarian alternatives. It's great that some people can enjoy life more, but it's important that animals should be given an opportunity to enjoy their lives as well.

So what about the increase in meat consumption in a country like India, a country with such a strong tradition of vegetarianism? First, the fact that 40% of India is vegetarian obviously means that about 60% of its citizens are not vegetarian, which means that quite a lot of people do eat meat. Second, a lot of the vegetarianism in India is based on religion, primarily Hinduism, but also Jainism and (some schools of) Buddhism. Like anywhere else in the world, people are often born into a religion, and follow it because of family tradition, etc. In this case, they are born into vegetarianism. While I think this is very positive, it doesn't automatically guarantee a deep empathy (or even respect) for animals. Some will develop this, and some won't. As I've written before, anyone who hasn't attained a higher level of empathy for animals, can quite easily fall (back) into eating meat. Once you get to the state where you realize that all sentient life must be respected, it's pretty hard to go back to a less enlightened way of treating other animals, including eating them.

Stray dog attacks - who's to blame?

I just read a report about a stray dog that attacked a family in Mexico. As is often the case in these types of situations, the dog was later found and killed. In some countries with high populations of homeless dogs (Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania come to mind), attacks such as this one have led to calls to quickly solve the problem by any means necessary. Unfortunately, at least in the countries mentioned above, this "quick fix" often involves anger-motivated revenge killings of strays, sometimes en masse.

The way a society treats its animals says a lot about how advanced that society is. Before blaming stray animals, there are a couple of things to keep in mind: First and foremost, we are responsible for the problem of stray animals, and we, collectively, have to deal with this problem in a humane way. There are two main factors that contribute to the high number of strays. The first reason is the abandonment of dogs that are no longer wanted. Many societies where stray dogs (or cats) are a problem are the same ones where people often just dump their pets after they stop being cute, or they get sick of them, etc. As long as people are not taught from an early age to see pets as sentient beings, and to care for them like they would a family member, homeless animals will be a problem. The second reason involves the lack of spay and neutering programs involving strays. Most people who have dealt with homeless pets around the world would agree that a good spay and neuter (or treat and release) program is an effective way to lower the numbers of stray animals.

So, education and spaying and neutering are the way to go. We can do this in our own families, by educating our children to respect and to help homeless pets, and we can demand the creation of government programs that do this on a larger scale. Culling (killing) strays en masse is a poor solution for several reasons. First, it is just plain wrong to kill innocent sentient beings. Second, most strays are not dangerous, and it is only a minority that become overly aggressive. The majority live a sad, lonely life on the streets of cities whose citizens are desensitized to their suffering, and do nothing to help them. I don't think I have to tell you that punishing the majority for the actions of a small minority is a horrible idea. Third, without the long term solutions I've outlined above, any mass killing will only solve the problem temporarily. Until people are taught to respect the lives of their pets, and to be responsible for them (including spaying and neutering them), the problem will resurface over and over again. Government officials often state that there is no money for programs such as this, but this is only because they fail to see the importance of this and to make it a priority.

So, again, do not blame the strays. Blame the heartless individuals who have created the problem by failing to take responsibility they had for these animals. Blame the government for failing to create spay and neuter programs that have been shown to reduce the number of strays, for failing to set up humane animal shelters that try to find homes for the ones that can be rehabilitated, and for failing to create and enforce laws that punish animal abandoners and abusers. These are modern, ethical solutions for a modern state, and all responsible heads of government should implement these to help create a better world for both stray animals and the humans around them.