"Z Potrzeby Piękna, Warsaw by Praesens. “Z potrzeby piękna” is a shop selling furniture and homeware, clothes, toys, as well as jams and rare cooking oils. It was first founded as an online-only store six years ago. It offers an interesting selection of items, carefully selected from a range of smaller brands. The diverse assortment of products seems to combine Scandinavian and Polish inspirations."

"Irena, Warsaw by Praesens. ‘Cukiernia Irena’ (‘Patisserie Irena’) was founded in 1937 by Irena Grucowa. In 1990 it was relocated from its original location, on Francuska street, to the current building, just a short walk away. The patisserie specializes in traditional Polish pastries, following the original recipes. It also serves ice cream, made on site, as well as coffee and tea. It’s renowned especially for its traditional donuts - which are very different from the ones you may know from the US. Don’t be put off by the unassuming exterior - the pastries served there are amazing!"

"Galeria Asymetria, Warsaw by Praesens. Asymetria ('Asymmetry') was founded in 2008 and is housed in the Apt. 5 of the Functional House. It’s the first gallery in Poland to focus on Polish photography from 1950 to 1980. Asymetria closely collaborates with the Archeology of Photography Foundation, a Polish NGO striving to research and promote key photographic collections. The gallery exhibits the works of renowned Polish photographers, such as Zofia Rydet and Tomasz Sikora. Hours: Tue-Sat: 12:00 pm-6:00 pm. Shown here: "Tribute to Jerzy Lewczyński"

"Bicykleta, Warsaw by Praesens. A popular bicycle shop. Bicykleta offers a wide range of bicycles, from MTB to fashionable fixies. The shop also carries all sorts of bicycle accesories, performs repairs of all manners, and even builds custom bikes - these can range from a comfortable city bikes, to performance-focused tracks bike (along with a custom frame)."

"Francuska 30, Warsaw by Praesens. A neighbourhood cafe, popular among the residents, as well as people strolling the streets of Saska Kępa on the weekends. In the summer, the outdoor area, covered by colorful umbrellas, is especially popular. The cafe also serves alcohol and is open until late. Occasionally, the cafe organizes various events, ranging from dj-sets to dramatic readings."

"Cedzak, Warsaw by Praesens. A small, neighbourhood shop selling produce from local suppliers: meet, cheeses, vegetables, juices, jams, bread, eggs, speciality oils, nuts, but also cakes and chocolate. The products you’ll find there are nothing like the products you may see in a supermarket. ‘Cedzak’ also takes orders for speciality dishes for holidays. Surly one of the best shops from the emerging Warsaw organic/healthy food scene."

"Neon Museum, Warsaw by Praesens. Founded in 2005 by a Polish-British couple. Neons, popular during the times of the Polish People’s Republic (Cold War era Poland), and were perhaps the only colorful accent in the otherwise drab cities. A lot of them were created based on the designs of the leading architects and designers of the era. After the collapse of Communism, the popularity of the neons quickly diminished - and gave way to other forms of outdoor advertising/signage. The museum's mission is to restore and preserve the neon signs once they are dismantled from their original locations. The growing collection currently includes over 100 neon signs, with over 1000 individual letterforms. The museum is housed in a large warehouse, part of the SoHo Factory."

"Le Petit Trou, Warsaw by Praesens. Le Petit Trou is an emerging Polish lingerie brand. It was founded just 2 years ago by a popular stylists - Zuzanna Kuczynska. The brand rapidly gains popularity - it’s now being sold by stores in Zurich, NYC, Paris and Madrid. This is the company store and its headquarters so it’s necessary to arrange an appointment before visiting."

"Dom Funkcjonalny, Warsaw by Praesens. Dom Funkcjonalny (‘Functional House’) was built in 1928 in the modernist Saska Kępa area. It was designed by a renowned architect, Czesław Przybylski following the principles of functionalism. The villa housed the workshops of renowned sculptors, potters and writers. Currently, it’s houses to two galleries, a restaurant and a event space used for guest exhibitions, lectures and also as an artist-in-residence apartment. The exterior of the building is now largely neglected - but there are plans to restore it to its former glory."

"Hand Roll, Warsaw by Praesens. The little restaurant serves an unusual take on Japanese food. Rolls, which would be normally sliced into maki, are served as whole, wrapped in paper. Apart from the typical ingredients (fish, shrimps, tempura, vegetables) the rolls can also include raspberries, or chilli. It’s certainly a healthier alternative to fast food, and a breath of fresh air to the local street food scene."

"Pola Magnetyczne, Warsaw by Praesens. Pola Magnetyczne is a gallery which strives to promote Polish artists, who, despite long careers and a long lists of amazing works, have failed to win wider commercial success. Last year, the gallery showed the works of Krystian Jarnuszkiewicz (born 1930) in what was his first solo exhibition. The venue is both a gallery space and the owners’ home, so it’s recommended to call before you visit. The unusual gallery quickly gained international recognition, and was invited to take part in established art fairs in Paris and Denmark. Hours: Wed-Fri: 3:00 pm-7:00 pm, Sat: 1:00 pm-5:00 pm. Shown here: "Solfeż Muzyki barw", by Emil Cieślar"