If you want to eat cheaply, you should visit bar mleczny (milk bar). Bar mleczny is a typically Polish kind of a fast food restaurant. Nowadays it has become more and more seldom to spot one. It was invented by the communist authorities of Poland in mid-1960s as a means to offer cheap meals to people working in companies that had no official canteen. Its name originates from the fact that until late 1980s the meals served there were mostly dairy-made and vegetarian (especially during the martial law period of the beginning of the 1980s, when meat was rationed). The milk-bars are usually subsidized by the state. Eating there is a unique experience - it is not uncommon that you will encounter people from various social classes - students, businessmen, university professors, elderly people, sometimes even homeless, all eating side-by-side in a 1970s-like environment. Presumably, it is the quality of food at absolutely unbeatable price (veggie main courses starting from €0.50!) that attracts people.

Restaurants and other types of food service are generally inexpensive for those accustomed to price in Western Europe or the United States. Finer restaurants are on par with the best in those regions but cost two or three times less.

It is no longer difficult to avoid meat, with many restaurants offering at least one vegetarian dish. Also many major cities such as Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, Łódź, Poznan, Szczecin and Wrocław have vegetarian restaurants, especially near the city center.

Poland is on the border of European "vodka" and "beer culture". Poles enjoy alcoholic drinks at least as much as other Europeans. You can buy beer, vodka and wine. Although Poland is known as the birth place of vodka, local beer seems to have much more appeal to many Poles. Another traditional alcoholic beverage is mead. Polish liqueurs and nalewka (alcoholic tincture) are a must mention.

Officially, in order to buy alcohol one should be over 18 years old and be able to prove it with a valid ID (which is loosely enforced).

Tipping

For the most part, Polish restaurants and bars do not include gratuity in the total of the check, so you're server will be pleased if you leave them a tip along with the payment. On average, you should tip 10% of the total bill. If you tip 15% or 20%, you probably should have received excellent service. Also, saying "Dzienkuję" after paying means you do not want any change back, so watch out if you're paying for a 10 zł coffee with a 100 zł bill.

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Based on work by Andrew Haggard, Nick Roux, David Willey and d_nassau@hotmail.com, Wikitravel user(s) Jamboo and Texugo, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others. Content is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0.