For traditional Polish cuisine, buy yourself a meal at the roadside inns called zajazdy or the milk bar called mleczny. Pierogi or stuffed dumplings, bigos (saukerkraut and meat), as well herring, trout or carp are some of the Polish specialties. Soups are a staple, and you can help youself to some sumptuous cabbage or beetroot soup. Cream is an essential ingredient, and delicious pastries will follow after the main course. To go with this hearty meal, the Poles like to chug down a glass or two of beer or vodka. For the teetotalling crowd – which is by no means a minority – currant juice provides a healthy and tangy alternative.

Cafes are a common feature of Polish life, and serve some aromatic coffee as well as confectionary and ice cream. Dining is available at great prices, and you can eat a three course meal in Warsaw’s better restaurants for as little as 150 Zloty.

The arts are alive as ever in Warsaw, and once you get there, pick up a copy of the monthly Warsaw Insider, to get a whiff of what’s happening in the evenings.

Poland’s best concert hall, the National Philharmonic, is in Warsaw and has some great performances, as does the Royal Hall. If you feel like some opera, the obvious choice in Warsaw would be the legendary Opera Kameralna theatre cum opera experience.

And if you really want to let your hair down, head out to the dance clubs and bars of the city. The bustling Tango cabaret and disco is a particularly upscale joint, and in Scena you can boogey the night away with the bold and beautiful of Poland : this is a hot favorite among starlets and models in the making. If it’s it pub crawling you want to go and you couldn’t bother with the leg-shaking, try out the John Bull pub or Morgan’s.