How did Milk Bars (Bar Mleczny) appear in Warsaw?
As per our good old friend, Wikipedia, the first typical milk bar “Mleczarnia Nadświdrzańska” was established in 1896 in Warsaw by Stanisław Dłużewski, a member of Polish landed gentry. Although the typical Bar Mleczny had a menu based on dairy items, these establishments generally also served other, non-dairy traditional Polish dishes as well.
The Popularity of the Milk Bars
The commercial success of the first milk bars encouraged other businessmen to copy this type of restaurant. As Poland regained her independence after World War I, milk bars appeared in most of the country. They offered relatively cheap but nourishing food, and as such achieved even more prominence during the economic depression in the 1930s.
Milk Bars and World War 2
The role of milk bars restaurants carried through World War II. After the fall of the German Nazi regime, Poland became a communist state and a satellite of the Soviet Union. The majority of the population was poor, contrary to official propaganda, and expensive and even moderately-priced restaurants were derided as “capitalist“. During the post-war years, most restaurants were nationalized and then closed down by the communist authorities. In the mid-1960s Milk Bars (Bar Mleczny) were common as a means of offering cheap meals to people working in companies that had no official canteen. They still served mostly dairy-based and vegetarian meals, especially during the period of martial law in the early 1980s, when meat was rationed.
The prevalent idea at that time was to provide all people with cheap meals at the place of their work. At times the price of the meals served in the workplace canteens was included in a worker’s salary. However, there was also a large number of people working in smaller firms that had no canteen at their disposal. Because of this, during the tenure of Władysław Gomułka, the authorities created a network of small self-service eateries. The meals, subsidized by the state, were cheap and easily available to anyone.
Menu Examples: - Scrambled eggs with ham/bacon = 5,9 zloty - Chicken soup with noodles = 3 zloty - Kotlet schabowy = 8,2 zloty - Kotlet de Volaille = 8,9 zloty
Mokotowski Bar Mleczny in Warsaw
Today I wanted to show you a piece of history that will soon be grazed down – as the owner will rent the place to someone else (don’t know the dates yet, as there was a “To Rent” sign last time I went there, in April 2020). The Mokotowski Bar Mleczny, located on Pulawska 63 in Warsaw, is a sentimental stop – a trip in a time machine to the communist times in Poland.
The prices of the menu are low for Warsaw and the food is not done with the help of many types of spices, as the law prohibits such places to use them. There is a tram stop just across the street and it is located on a very frequented road, so each time I passed by it was always full!
Many elderly and students eat there, as the food is at a good price and very filling for one’s tummy. The interior is modest: wooden tables with wooden chairs. There are seatings by the window, so you can look at the people passing by, or you can choose to sit at a regular table as well.
Mokotowski Bar Mleczny Menu
The menu is printed on the wall, as you enter, and the cashier is there too. Bar Mleczny are always self-service so grab quickly a chair, leave your jacket there and get to the counter before the queue starts up! The offer is wide and traditional, with soups, first course, second course and sweets. Of course there is also compote! Meals are fresh and there is always new things popping up on the menu.
I recommend you to try their dishes and follow their Facebook Page as they update it daily with the menu of the day 😉 Let me know if you went there before, by commenting on the section below. I would also love to hear your stories about the other Milk Bars you ave visited anywhere in Poland.
Yours sincerly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug That Loves MilkBars (A Blast From The Past)
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