Editor's Choice!

What with the election palaver spiralling on and on, we thought we'd zoom away from all the bickering and bartering and talk about a much more agreeable subject..... food.

Attention all noble travellers out there! Don't listen to the mugs that tell you that Polish cooking is little more than beetroot soup, dumplings and red cabbage (although we quite like those actually!). Polish cuisine is a rich and refined galaxy, perfected over the ages by kings, counts and country folk. Certainly, dishes like Flaki (entrails soup), golonki (pigs trotters) are unlikely to be top of everyone's list. But, dear readers, there's so much more out there than these, and if you're coming to Warsaw, sampling the local food is a must.

Where to start? Well, as snowy days loom into sight, a warming soup will be first up. So many soups to recommend and so little time.... Zurek - a tantalizingly tasty meaty number. Ogorkowa (gherkin/ pickles) - it sounded so disgusting that this scribbler avoided it like the pest for a couple of years. A cretinous mistake - a good orgorkowa is sensational. Krupnik, Grochowa, Grzybowa - the list goes on.

Main courses. Rich and saucy numbers are the order of the day. Especially pork and game. But where do you go to sample these delights? Well, it used to be said that you had to go to someone's house to get good Polish cooking. However, with the communist legacy now fading away and the free market economy opening up, fine restaurants are popping up across the capital. Sometimes even the most modest milk bars can deliver - if a place is full of people that's always a good sign. Heading upmarket, we'd recommend Fukier or Dom Polski. And one of the biggest hits of late has been Kurt Schellers restaurant in the fantastic Hotel Rialto. He's giving old classics a modern twist. A must for foodies. And if you want to try some more rustic options, drop into Chlopskie Jadlo.

Moving on, few in the West know that the Poles have the sweetest tooth in Europe. Cakes and chocolate are a major part of the culture, and you'll find a cukiernia (confectionery) on every corner. Blikle has been in business since as far back as 1869, despite being bombed to smithereens during the war. Wayfarers shouldn't leave Poland without trying a traditional szarotka (apple cake).

Sounds all a bit gluttonous? Nonsense! Poles would be offended if you didn't eat heartily, as anyone who has heard the friendly command 'jedz' (eat!) will concur. The natives like nothing more than to see their guests eat well, and it would be a crime to do otherwise.

After all that, a comfy bed won't go amiss. If you're able to live it up like a lord, you might try the swish Le Regina. But there are plenty of trusty value options too. For a good mid-range choice Harenda and Hetman are safe bets, whilst for a hostel with character Oki Doki's the one. Wrap up warm and enjoy Warsaw!