Visit Warsaw’s milk bars, a Communist-era institution, before they go sour, says Anna J. Kutor

At first glance bar mleczny - milk bars - are humble self-service
canteens serving cheap Polish food. But look a little closer and you’ll find
home-grown ingredients and the unglamorous ambience of a less complicated ear.  

These state-subsidized fast-food outlets were launched in the 1960s for
low-income Polish workers - the laborers, factory hands and cleaning ladies
who kept the system moving. During their heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, milk
bars made good use of the overabundance of Polish milk (hence the official
name), serving dairy-based dishes such as milk soup, pierogi dumplings with
sauerkraut and pancakes with cottage cheese and apple stuffing.

After the collapse of Communism in 1989, milk featured less prominently
on the menu as different foods became available, but people still referred to
them by their old name. Capitalism also meant a slash in subsidies and new,
more exciting places to eat. Most milk bars went out of business.

Long-life Milk Bars

Today, the dozen or so privately owned milk bars still subsidized by the
government and still surviving in Warsaw have acquired something of a cult
status. Most are mobbed with pensioners, students and frugal businessmen who
all share a craving: for familiar food at budget prices in endearingly ramshackle
surrounds, for throw-away cutlery, worn-out plates and kitschy plastic flowers,
and for kitchen ladies in battered aprons and handwritten menus on the walls.

But milk bars might be going the way of the centrally planned economy.
So next time you’re in Poland, show your support for these unique national
institutions by popping in to try slightly sour zurek - white borscht - soup or
kluski slaski - Silesian noodles - with mushroom topping.

Bar Mleczny Prasowy

Once the hangout of the publishing crowd (hence the name Prasowy,
meaning press), the venue now draws a diverse mix of folks who enjoy the cheap
comfort food.

Bar Mleczny Familijny

An affordable dining alternative on Warsaw’s main promenade, this
living-room-sized joint sees never-ending line of hungry locals waiting to
place their orders.

Bar Uniwersytecki

An old-school fixture stationed next to the Warsaw University
complex packing a predominantly student crowd. Cheap tucker with a heavy dose
of grease.

Bar Bambino

The economical frill-free
décor – despite the recent renovation – pairs well with wholesome homey meals
like their flagship fluffy potato dumplings and beetroot-and-yoghurt
cold soup.

Bar Ząbkowski

This nondescript little place, with its blue-and-white colour scheme, attracts
the elderly and artsy-type locals from its neighbouring Praga precinct.