Warsaw Food Halls & Markets

Hala Koszyki opened in 1908 (construction began in 1906) as one of Warsaw's grand Art Nouveau market halls, designed by architect Juliusz Dzierżanowski on Koszykowa Street in what's now central Śródmieście. The neighborhood — and the hall — took its name from the basket-weaving trade once based here ("koszyki" means "baskets" in Polish). For decades it functioned as an ordinary covered market before falling into disrepair in the later 20th century.

A major renovation by architecture firm JEMS Architekci brought the hall back in October 2016, rebuilt around its original iron structure and skylight roof but reprogrammed entirely: instead of butchers' stalls, it now holds several dozen restaurants, bars, cafés, and a handful of shops under one glass-roofed room. The vendor mix leans international and trend-driven — expect sushi counters, burger stands, Thai and Indian curry, seafood, artisanal sandwiches, and a wine bar or two alongside Polish options — which makes it less a single "Polish food" experience and more a fast way to sample a wide range of cuisines in one stop without committing to a single restaurant.

It's a genuinely popular, high-traffic spot with both visitors and locals, at ul. Koszykowa 63, an easy walk or short transit ride from central Śródmieście sights. Exact opening hours differ by vendor and change with the seasons, so treat any hours you see online as a guide, not a guarantee — check current listings before you plan a meal around a specific counter.

Architecturally, it's worth slowing down for even if you're not hungry: the renovation kept the hall's original riveted iron trusses and the tall skylight roof exposed above the vendor counters, so the room still reads as a working-class Edwardian-era market hall even with a cocktail bar tucked into one corner. Underground parking beneath the building makes it a realistic option if you're driving rather than relying on transit.

Hala Gwardii is the eastern twin of the same 1899–1902 complex as Hala Mirowska, but it has lived a far less settled life. After World War II it served first as a bus depot, then as a sports hall — home to the Gwardia Warszawa boxing club, whose fighters trained here ahead of the 1953 European Amateur Boxing Championships. Later in the 20th century it was leased to the MarcPol supermarket chain, which went bankrupt in 2016. The hall reopened as a market in September 2017, then closed again in 2023 after building inspectors found its technical condition no longer safe for continued use.

As of 2026, it remains closed and largely empty. In December 2025, the City of Warsaw signed a long-term public-private partnership with developer CBR Events to renovate and operate the hall for the next 30 years, with the investor committing more than 97 million złoty to the project. Reporting on the reopening timeline is inconsistent: some coverage points to the hall reopening as a market-and-dining venue — explicitly modeled in part on Hala Koszyki — sometime around 2027, while other reporting has cited a 2028 date for the gastronomic reopening, with associated work on the surrounding Plac Wielopole and an underground car park continuing to around 2029.

Given how many years this project has already slipped, treat any reopening date as provisional. If Hala Gwardii matters to your trip planning, check the City of Warsaw's own project page or recent local press — not this page — for the current status before you go.