Kawiarnia Relaks

Relaks (not to be confused with the unrelated Relax) has been a fixture of Warsaw specialty since 2010, which in this young scene makes it an elder statesman. You'll find it in Mokotów, its walls a rotating poster show — Polish poster design being a genuine art form — over an expanse of wood panelling and cheerfully mismatched furniture.

There's nothing ramshackle about the coffee. The brew bar runs Relaks's own beans alongside a rotating cast of guest roasters, served across the full spread of methods — drip, pour-over and more — with light, bright Ethiopians and the like a regular feature. In recent years it's leaned into natural wine for the evening crowd, but make no mistake: the morning belongs to the coffee, and it's poured with the same care that made the place a pioneer.

Settle into a mismatched chair and stay a while. That's the whole point.