Warsaw-style Christmas Eve - Your Guide to Holiday Flavours
Discover the flavours of a traditional Polish Christmas Eve — from barszcz and pierogi to poppy seed desserts. This guide highlights the classic dishes and where to try them in Warsaw, whether you’re dining out or ordering for home.
One of the defining elements that makes Christmas so unique is the food. While festive menus vary depending on region and family tradition, each of us has dishes we return to in memory year after year.
In Poland, the Christmas Eve table traditionally features twelve dishes - both savoury and sweet, each connected to history...
In Poland, the Christmas Eve table traditionally features twelve dishes - both savoury and sweet, each connected to history, ritual, and a sense of heritage. Warsaw, as the capital, is a great place to explore new flavours. Every December, restaurants across the city create their own interpretations of traditional Christmas dishes — from classic recipes to modern twists. Many also offer these dishes for takeaway, ready to appear on your Christmas Eve table.
Let’s take a look at some spots in Warsaw where you can enjoy the flavours of a traditional Polish Christmas Eve.
But first, soup...
The first warm dish served on Christmas Eve is, without exception, soup. Traditionally, families choose between two options, often based on customs passed down through generations - though some households delight in serving both.
The first is barszcz czerwony, a clear beetroot borscht with a vivid red hue, served with uszka - small dumplings filled with cabbage and mushrooms. Classic versions can be enjoyed at Akademia, Kawiarnia Waszyngton, Kompot Żoliborz, Perełka Bistro & Towarzystwo, and U Wieniawy. Modern takes are offered at Dock19 by Mateusz Gessler and Opasły Tom.
The second option is mushroom soup, served either as a thick cream enriched with łazanki (small square noodles) or as a clear mushroom-based broth. You will find it at Bibenda and Bar Bambino, while a truffle-infused variation awaits at KUK.
Interestingly, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the traditional Warsaw Christmas Eve soup was almond soup - a rarity today.
Fish on the festive table
Fish plays a central role on the Polish Christmas Eve menu, largely because many families choose not to serve meat on this day. The two undisputed stars are carp and herring, each appearing in several classic forms.
Carp is served warm, but also as carp in aspic or as ryba po grecku (Greek-style fish), topped with sautéed grated vegetables, mostly carrot - a version you can try at U Wieniawy. Herring is enjoyed cold and prepared in countless variations: with cream, in oil, with apples, and many others, available at Bibenda and Oma.
Pierogi - a Christmas classic
Polish cuisine is renowned for pierogi, enjoyed year-round with many different fillings. But at Christmas, the essential variety is pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms, considered a true staple of the Christmas Eve table. Syrena Irena and U Kresowiaka are especially well known for theirs. Some restaurants also serve duck-filled pierogi, such as Przegryź Bistro and Oma.
Cabbage in the leading role
Although several dishes already mentioned include cabbage, its presence on the Christmas Eve table is even broader.
Cabbage itself is served warm as a side - plain, with mushrooms, or with split peas. When cooked with meat, it becomes bigos. Another cabbage-based dish is łazanki, combining sautéed cabbage with noodles. Paszteciki with cabbage and mushrooms, often accompanying barszcz, are another seasonal favourite widely available in Warsaw bakeries. Cabbage dishes can be enjoyed at Green Table Bistro, U Wieniawy, and Kawiarnia Waszyngton.
The art of the sałatka jarzynowa
Polish vegetable salad (sałatka jarzynowa) appears in countless family variations, but its core remains constant: diced cooked vegetables and eggs mixed with mayonnaise. It is at its best when served with a slice of good-quality bread. Holiday versions are prepared by Green Table Bistro and Perełka Bistro & Towarzystwo.
Poppy seeds and holiday sweets
From left: traditional makowiec at Słodki Słony / poppy seed tart at BAKEN. Photo: Warsawslook / press material, BAKEN
Poppy seeds, dried fruit, flour, and sugar were once considered festive ingredients, reserved exclusively for Christmas - which explains the enduring affection our mothers and grandmothers have for poppy-based desserts. Many younger people only grow to appreciate them over time.
The most traditional is makowiec, a rolled cake filled with rich poppy seed filling. You can order them at Słodki Słony or Żona Krawca. Another dish featuring poppy seeds is kutia, noodles mixed with poppy seeds and honey. For creative variations - including poppy seed tarts - contact BAKEN and Panna.
The tradition of gingerbread
Another dessert reserved especially for Christmas is gingerbread. Made with a blend of warming spices, it is often prepared weeks in advance to allow the flavours to deepen. It may be layered with plum preserves, glazed with chocolate, or shaped in festive forms. Seasonal gingerbread appears in the winter menus of Belvedere Café, Panna, and Słodki Słony.
There are many more festive dishes that could be mentioned - enough to speak about for hours. Instead, we invite you to discover them in the unique atmosphere of Warsaw’s December restaurants. Their decor, seasonal menus, and warm hospitality offer a small but meaningful taste of holiday magic. December is the perfect month to explore the city anew.
Aurelia O.
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