foto from nogalalki.blox.pl
@. Marszałkowska 10/16
architect.?
finished. 50's
If you come visit me in Warsaw then Milk Bars will be a stop on our tour. They are one of the keys to understanding the city. The name is a bit of a misnomer - these are super cheap cafeterias serving plain food, mostly dairy based (eggs and cheeses). The first milk bar opened in 1896 in Warsaw. It was run by the owner of a dairy. Soon milk bars were opening all over the country but their hay day was druing communism when the government took over their private ownership and made them part of its strategy to provide workers with cheap, hearty food. Since meat was expensive they contintued to serve mostly vegetarian dishes.
Today these cafeterias still exist even though their numbers are dwindling as rents rise and competition in the form of hamburgers and kebabs saturates the marketplace. However they are still government subsidized though privately owned and still serve dirt cheap classic Polish food to retirees, students and, well, really, anyone who wanders through the door.
This particular bar mleczny is one of the oldest you can find in Warsaw. It opened in the 50's when the, then new, MDM neighborhood was finished. It's name, the Press Bar, derived from the offices of Zycie Warszawy across the street.
And as you can see in the photo many of these bars are in a time warp, their only new amenities being an electronic cash register.
Mis - the Milk Bar scene from the classic satire of communism by Bareja
reviews - website reviewing bars around Warsaw
No comments:
Post a Comment