More Pipes Than a Grandad Academy
- January 12, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
dangaroo from Warsaw, Poland
Kafe Fajka was once a single pub hidden away in a set of buildings set back from one of the main streets in Warsaw (Nowy Swiat), accessed through one or two small then graffitied archways behind the bus stop called Foksal. The archways have since been cleaned up and Kafe Fajka proved incredibly popular over the last few years, they've slowly bought out numerous small bars or restaurants in the area so that the sight that greets you as you arrive in this little courtyard is quite bizarre.
Several little signs outside of bars saying Kafe Fajka, it's the same place but split into several different little buildings - each with a bar of its own.. take your pick. I always head for the original one, not sure why really as it's not the nearest and I'm sure that service doesn't differ! Kafe Fajka is ran by Turkish - fajka is the word for pipe in Polish and the game of the day here is water pipe smoking.
About the most authentic place to do it in Warsaw, many other places have it but few have smoked the waterpipes (sheesha, nargile, hubbly-bubbly) as much as the staff here. There's an array of flavoured tobacco to choose, I tend to enjoy the traditional apple though, I definitely wouldn't go for the mint which are undoubtedly like smoking a large menthalated cigarette! The price at 15zl (4 pounds) whilst by no means Middle Eastern, is not too bad. Beer is about 6-7zl (1.75 GBP).
In the past, this pub used to have cushions on the floor but they've altered it now so that there are plenty of comfortable seats, I never was very fond of the cushions on the floor things.. I'm crap at folding my legs! This place is highly recommended and you can find at least a few of them open at pretty much any time of the day or night. Though it may be closed between 4am and midday. The middle eastern music tends to blast out pretty loudly at times.
From journal Clubbing in Warsaw