While in Warsaw, take the chance to branch out to non-Polish cuisine. After you get to the smaller towns, it’s mainly Polish or Italian staples. The budget Vietnamese-Chinese eateries here are deft with the sizzling hotplates. As for Indian, the no-frills joints do just as good a job, if not better, than their up-market cousins. And you’ll no doubt notice the sushi rage. Locals tend to avoid eating in the Old Town Square due to the inflated price tag. But you don’t have to wander far from the square to find reasonably priced meals. And the New Town (Nowe Miasto) is also strewn with eating options. Most restaurants, even the formal ones, welcome kids.

For a glimpse of the dining scene during the Communist era, a visit to a milk bar is a must. Bar Mleczny Prasowy  is particularly quaint and the place to go if you have time to visit only one. The coffee is awful, but where else can you get scrambled eggs for 3.50 z at 7am on a weekday? Go soon; these old diner-like digs are dwindling fast in a gentrifying city. Also dying are the likes of Lotos, located to the south of the Lazienki Park. This type of “elegant” restaurant was originally limited to bigwigs and those who had scrimped and saved for a special occasion. At Lotos, the clock is stuck in the ’80s, from the cloakroom to the dinner clientele, who all sport a bottle of vodka to accompany the traditional Polish food. Service, happily, has moved on and is quite friendly.

Batida has a dessert selection that includes tangy lemon meringue tarts and Warsaw’s best French pastry.

Blikle  has been in business since 1869 and is famous for its paczki (donuts).