Bar Mleczny Rusalka
Address: 14 Florianska (St. Florian Street) Phone: 011-48-22-619-52-00
The look: I took it as a good sign that the line at lunchtime at Rusalka was long. A cashier set the mood, literally keeping patrons in line as she took orders.
A wall of windows and gauzy curtains let in plenty of natural light on the wood-paneled walls and tables covered with seafoam green tablecloths under glass. The close quarters encouraged high turnover, ruling out a leisurely lunch. The meal: From a thoughtfully translated English menu, I ordered pea soup laden with chunks of carrot, potato and tiny flecks of ham, and a fried pork cutlet with boiled potatoes and sautéed cabbage. After a few spoonfuls of the soup, I realized that either of these hearty, satisfying dishes would have sufficed. Fun thing to do nearby: Rusalka is in the up-and-coming Praga district, across the Vistula River from central Warsaw and next to the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian the Martyr (3 Florianska), where Pope John Paul II once celebrated Mass.
Soho Factory at 25 Minska, a few tram stops southeast of here, is a blocks-wide redevelopment of old warehouses and factories. I was taken with the Neon Museum, where dozens of historic pieces that graced the city beginning in the 1950s are preserved and displayed by a passionate band of collectors. All around it are hip design studios, cafes, restaurants and neon and mural art.