Delicious

When it comes to eating out in Poland's big cities there's a wide variety to choose from, but as a local I'm often attracted to the best value for money, steering clear of classier, costlier establishments. At times I end up having a BigMac in McDonald's, a twister combo at KFC or pierogi at some other eatery every once in a while, but most of my working days, by far, I dine at the university canteen where food is consistently better, healthier and cheaper.

Still, there's one more place I drop by for lunch and it deserves credit for food quality, low prices and, most importantly, ambience. Called bar mleczny, which translates into a dairy bar or a milk bar, it's peculiar to Poland's cityscape and offers state-subsidied meals for poorer customers. Originally, the idea was to create a national network of affordable diners for the working class with no canteen at the workplace and the name referred to the menu, then dominated by milk-based dishes. Dairy bars gained immense popularity in the communist period, when the concept behind them seemed well in line with the broader political principles. Unlike communism, the bars have survived until today, with slightly improved quality and service, and remain relatively popular eating establishments for workers, students or the elderly, attracting the less affluent with the pricelist.

I have fond memories of dairy bars from my university years, when for financial reasons I was a regular there, navigating my way around the crowds queuing to order with a bowl of hot soup or going for an odd seat at a table full of unknown faces, all others being taken. Now that I moved into a new neighbourhood by the river, where there is one well-run dairy bar, I visit from time to time when I don't go to town. It's refreshing to have lunch among all walks of life, being served a little old style, settling into the rhythms of the simple folk. And it's cheap and traditional, too.

It's hard to compare bar mleczny to anything, but in terms of the layout it's essentially a diner or a cafeteria (canteen in the UK). In terms of the nostalgic value the dairy bar carries for the Poles it may be compared to a luncheonette or an Automat in the US or a greasy spoon in Britan.