Pod Temidą is one of the city’s remaining and probably best Milk – Mleczny – bars, dishing up big, old-fashioned, warming portions of Polish favourites, such as kotlets, bigos and the ubiquitous pierogi. The servings are generous and come with a dollop of mash and a pretty plate of salads. You can top up your mains with yogurt drinks, apple cake, barsz and hot tea, uncomfortably served in glasses. Queue up to order your food which appears through a hatch from the kitchens, and make sure you take your used plates back to the counter.

Milk bars, as the name suggests, use to serve food which was only dairy-based. They were set up by the Communist state as cheap, quick eateries offering hearty stodge to feed the proletariat, and they still pretty much fulfill their original masters mission. The bar itself is a bit like a works canteen and probably little changed over the decades. The menu is plastered on the wall and while the food is great, it’s a pit-stop kind of place to fortify yourself and not to linger. Fun can be had in the queue checking out where the trays have come from. Ikea! Planet Hollywood! What would Lenin have said? Other milk bars are dotted around town, including ones in Podgórze and Nova Huta, but be warned the quality can vary a bit in some.

4 / 5

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