The Best Polish Restaurants Abroad – From Chicago to Sydney

Polish Cuisine Abroad – The History of Emigration on a Plate

Polish cuisine traveled with its people. Each wave of emigration – from the Great Emigration of the 1830s, through the mass exodus "for bread" at the turn of the century, to post-war soldiers, Solidarity activists, and post-accession youth – left behind restaurants, delis, and bakeries. Today, Polish restaurants can be found on five continents, and pierogi have become one of the most recognizable dishes in Central Europe.

The first Polish establishments were born out of longing for home. In Chicago in the 1880s, a Polish housewife cooked for workers from the steel mill in her apartment on Milwaukee Avenue. In London after 1945, demobilized soldiers of Anders opened canteens that eventually became restaurants. In New York, Greenpoint – "Little Poland" – lived for decades to the rhythm of Polish delis and butcher shops.

The history of Polish gastronomy abroad is the story of five major waves of emigration, each of which brought something different to the culinary landscape of the diaspora.

Five Waves, Five Cuisines

The Great Emigration (1831–1870) – after the November Uprising, about 10,000 Polish intellectuals, artists, and politicians settled mainly in France. These included Mickiewicz, Słowacki, and Chopin. They did not establish restaurants – but their salons on Île Saint-Louis in Paris shaped the image of Polish culture, including its culinary aspects.

Emigration "for bread" (1870–1914) – the largest in terms of numbers. About 3.5 million people left Polish lands under partitions and headed mainly to America. Chicago became the second Polish city in the world after Warsaw. This wave created Polish neighborhoods with their own butcher shops, bakeries, delis, and restaurants. Pierogi, bigos, and sausage made their way to American tables.

Post-war Emigration (1945–1956) – about 250,000 Poles refused to return to communist Poland. Soldiers of Anders settled in the United Kingdom (under the Polish Resettlement Act of 1947), and thousands went to Australia and Canada. South Kensington in London became "Little Poland" – with Ognisko Polskie, Daquise, and Polish clubs.

The Solidarity Wave (1980s) – the martial law declared in December 1981 pushed an estimated 700,000–1,000,000 people out of the country. Many ended up in Chicago, strengthening Jackowo, New York's Greenpoint, and Polish neighborhoods in London.

Post-accession Emigration (after 2004) – Poland's entry into the EU opened borders. Over 2 million young Poles left mainly for the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands. This wave brought a revolution: instead of traditional eateries with pierogi, modern bistros, zapiekanka shops, and food trucks with Polish food in a new guise emerged.

Chicago – The Capital of Polish Cuisine Abroad

Chicago is undoubtedly the most important city for Polish gastronomy outside of Poland. Polish settlement in Chicago dates back to 1837, but the real boom occurred between 1880 and 1920, when hundreds of thousands of Poles settled around steel mills and slaughterhouses.

Polish Triangle – the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue, Division Street, and Ashland Avenue – was the first heart of Polish Chicago. Here stood the first Polish parish (St. Stanislaus Kostka, 1867), and the first Polish shops and restaurants were established.

Over time, the center of Polish life shifted northwest along Milwaukee Avenue to the Logan Square and Avondale neighborhoods – known as Jackowo. From the 1970s to the early 2000s, Jackowo was the largest Polish neighborhood in America. Milwaukee Avenue was officially named the Polish-American Heritage Corridor – from Sangamon Street in Chicago to Greenwood Road in Niles.

Today, gentrification is changing the face of these neighborhoods. Polish shops are giving way to cafes and brunch spots. But a few bastions remain. Staropolska on Milwaukee Avenue tempts with the smell of bigos that can be sensed from the street. Podhalanka on Division Street – the last Polish restaurant in the Polish Triangle – has been serving pierogi and pancakes since 1986, when Helena Madej took over the establishment and named it after the Podhale region. National Geographic described it as one of the last traces of Polish Chicago.

London – From War Canteens to Michelin Plate

The Polish culinary scene in London has its roots in wartime. After 1945, about 200,000 Polish soldiers and civilians settled in the United Kingdom. South Kensington became the center of Polish emigration, with Ognisko Polskie (Polish Hearth Club) founded in 1940 as a social club for Polish officers and refugees.

Ognisko has transformed from a wartime canteen to one of the most elegant Polish restaurants in the world. In 2013, the establishment underwent a thorough renovation and now serves modern Polish cuisine in beautiful Victorian interiors on Exhibition Road, overlooking the gardens. It holds a Michelin Plate distinction.

Daquise on Thurloe Street is the oldest Polish restaurant in London – opened in 1947 from a wartime canteen for Polish officers. The name combines the founder's surname (Mr. Dakowski) and his French wife Louise. Over the decades, Roman Polański, Edward Raczyński (President of the Republic of Poland in exile), and countless Polish emigrants have frequented it. Today, the establishment is at risk – plans by Transport for London to redevelop the area around South Kensington station could mean the end of this historic place.

After 2004, when over 800,000 Poles settled in the United Kingdom, there was an explosion of Polish establishments. Mamuśka! – founded by Ian Colla (a Brit with a Polish wife) – became the flagship of modern Polish cuisine in London, attracting not only Poles but also British foodies. Meanwhile, Łowiczanka in the POSK (Polish Social and Cultural Center) building in Hammersmith offers traditional cuisine in the heart of the largest Polish cultural center outside of Poland.

New York – Greenpoint, "Little Poland"

Brooklyn's Greenpoint has informally held the title of "Little Poland" for over a hundred years. Manhattan Avenue and Nassau Avenue were the arteries of Polish life – with delis, butchers, bakeries, and restaurants.

Today, gentrification is changing the character of the neighborhood, but Polish restaurants still hold strong. Pierozek on Manhattan Avenue – opened in 2019 by Aleksandra Siwiec and Radek Kucharski – has earned the prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand, as the first (and only) Polish restaurant in New York with a Michelin distinction. The establishment is modeled after PierozeQ in Częstochowa, where the owner ate as a child.

Karczma on Greenpoint Avenue is a journey back in time – wooden tables, folk art on the walls, and the atmosphere of a rural inn. And Pyza on Nassau Avenue – six tables, cash only, no pretensions – has been recognized by Time Out as the best Polish restaurant in New York. Here, the food tastes like it came from a Polish grandmother's kitchen.

Berlin – The New Wave of Polish Cuisine

Berlin, with its proximity to the border and a large Polish diaspora, naturally has a strong Polish culinary scene. However, it is not traditional eateries that dominate – rather, modern bistros and delis. Tak Tak Polish Deli on Brunnenstraße in Mitte serves creative Polish dishes with vegan options – something unprecedented for Polish cuisine. Mały Książę (Little Prince) in Kreuzberg combines a bistro with a deli and is famous for having the best pierogi in Berlin.

Toronto – Roncesvalles, the Last "Little Poland"

Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto has been the Canadian equivalent of Chicago's Jackowo for decades. Café Polonez has been operating here for over 45 years and is the last major Polish restaurant on a street that once thrived with Polish life. The owners – Patrick Front and his mother Zofia Jedynak – continue the family tradition with admirable perseverance.

Paris – Polish Cuisine in the Heart of Marais

Poles have a history in Paris dating back to the Great Emigration. Today, the culinary ambassador is Matka on rue Quincampoix in the Marais district – the only Polish restaurant in France with a Michelin Plate distinction and a Gault & Millau rating (13/20). Chef Piotr Korzen serves a five-course tasting menu for 69 euros – this is Polish cuisine in haute version. At the foot of Montmartre, Mazurka has been offering a family atmosphere and traditional Polish-East European dishes since 2010.

Australia – From Sto Lat to Chapel Street

Australia welcomed a large wave of Polish displaced persons after World War II. Melbourne and Sydney have active Polish communities with clubs, churches, and restaurants. Borsch, Vodka and Tears on Chapel Street in Melbourne is an institution – a café, bar, and restaurant in one, with over 50 types of vodka and regular live music. Sto Lat in Sydney operates in the Polish Club building in Ashfield – dining here is like a Polish wedding: abundant, hearty, and soulful.

Dishes Conquering the World

Polish cuisine abroad is defined by several flagship dishes:

• Pierogi – the undisputed ambassador. Ruskie (with potatoes and cheese), with meat, with cabbage and mushrooms, sweet with berries. In America, simply known as "pierogies" – in plural, with the English "-s" added to an already Polish plural.
• Bigos – a hunter's stew with sauerkraut, meat, and sausage. Called the "national dish" – every family has its own recipe, and the best bigos matures for several days.
• Żurek – a sour soup made with rye sourdough, often served in a bread loaf. A taste that is unique to no other cuisine in the world.
• Schabowy – a breaded pork cutlet, the Polish equivalent of schnitzel. Served with potatoes and cucumber salad – this is a classic Polish dinner.
• Placki ziemniaczane – crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Served with goulash or sour cream.
• Gołąbki – cabbage pockets stuffed with meat and rice, baked in tomato sauce.
• Kiełbasa – smoked, grilled, served hot or cold. Each region has its own variety.

How to Find an Authentic Polish Restaurant?

Here are a few tips for seekers of true taste:

• Look near Polish churches and cultural centers. Polish restaurants have historically emerged near parishes and clubs – POSK in London, Polish Club in Sydney, Polish churches in Chicago.
• Check if the pierogi are homemade. The most important test. Machine-made pierogi from frozen are not the same as those hand-formed in the restaurant's kitchen.
• Bigos should smell in the hallway. If you enter an establishment and smell bigos – that's a good sign. Real bigos cooks for hours, and its aroma permeates everything.
• A menu in two languages is a good sign – it means the establishment serves both Poles and local guests.
• Polish delis nearby – if there is a Polish shop with sausage and pickles next to the restaurant, you are likely in the right place.

New Trends – Polish Cuisine 2.0

Polish cuisine abroad is experiencing a renaissance. A new generation of Polish chefs – educated in international kitchens, inspired by the farm-to-table movement – is reinterpreting the classics. Pierogi with truffle filling, żurek with foie gras, bigos as tapas – this is not science fiction, it’s the menu at Matka in Paris or Ognisko in London.

At the same time, the authenticity movement is growing: young Poles abroad are seeking "grandma's cooking" – simple, real, without embellishments. Podhalanka in Chicago, Pyza in Greenpoint – these places have survived precisely because they never tried to be trendy. They are simply genuine.

Polish cuisine abroad is a story of longing, identity, and adaptation. From a canteen for soldiers of Anders to a Michelin Bib Gourmand – it has come a long way. And the best part is yet to be written.