Communism, far from the terror many once perceived it as, has become almost kitsch in parts of Eastern Europe with everything from communist-themed bars and restaurants in Bratislava to Hungary's Communist statue park. However parts of the communist legacy are still very much part of the workaday present of Eastern Europe and this is never truer than in Poland's Milk Bars—the proof that Communism, Eastern Europe's bane for nearly half a century, also had some very real benefits for its people.
The Polish network of Bary Mleczne are not merely time warps from a communist era but also cheap, authentic, inexorably Polish places for travellers to get their food fix whilst travelling through Eastern Europe.
Polish Milk Bars History—A Bi-Product of the Communism Legacy
A brief history lesson: Poland's stint under Communism was arguably tougher, and certainly more pronounced, than that of most other Eastern European countries. For one thing, it lasted longer. Stalin initially ensured the government that won the Polish post-war elections was Communist-friendly. Then, whilst other nearby countries in the old Eastern Bloc (e.g. Hungary) attempted to introduce liberal reforms, Poland, with its particular proximity to and economic dependence on " Mother Russia ", was brought more completely under Communist influence.
Even in 21st-century Poland, the effects of Communism are more evident than in most other parts of Eastern Europe. Industrialisation took place on a massive scale in the Communism era, transforming a previously largely rural society into one of multiple sprawling, Soviet-expanded cities, with the iconic tower blocks that went hand in hand with development.
Bary Mleczne date from this period of urban expansion, the Soviet boom years of the 1960s: Polish bars born out of a need to provide workers with cheap food during the day. Admittedly, Communism had closed down many of the previously existing restaurants but even so, the Bary Mleczne that the Soviets introduced did have a very real benefit to Polish workers. Not only was the food very reasonably priced; it was also nourishing. The English translation, "milk bar" originates from this fact: much of the food served was dairy or vegetarian.
The idea of Milk Bars was also to perpetuate the Communist work ethic: the philosophy was that if a worker could eat near work, with other workers, for a cheap price, that worker would be better and happier at their job. Many workers even got meal tickets at Bary Mleczne included as part of their salary.
Polish Milk Bars Today—Survivors of the Communist Fall
After the Fall of Communism there was no real need for Milk Bars and many closed down, pushed out of business by the advent of capitalist restaurants. However, the state continued to fund many Bary Mleczne (albeit often at an annual loss!). This was not done solely out of a desire to preserve a part of Polish history, either. Many people across Poland had come to depend upon the Bary Mleczne as a way of life: particularly in the case of the poor, who had little economic alternative; the elderly, for whom the eateries had become a way of life and university students.
Most of changed little since the heyday of Commuism: the point always was that these places were cheap eateries that dispensed with decor in favour of functionality. The atmosphere, rather, is made by the patrons, and now these places offer, along with the food, a slice of genuine Polish life not available in more touristy restaurants. Menus are almost exclusively in Polish, and plastered on the wall above the service counter.
Best Polish Milk Bars
Most cities in Poland have several milk bars. In Warsaw, they can be handily found even in the otherwise pricey Old Town dining area, such as Bar Mleczny Pod Barbakenem (ul Mostowa 27). In Krakow, plenty of Bary Mleczne also exist, such as the one at Ul Czysta 1.
Bear in mind too that Bary Mleczne are not bars in the traditional sense: they are cafeterias aimed at providing locals with sustenance, not Communist bars. Don't expect attractively presented food, but do expect the meals to taste excellent.
References:
Davies, Norman: God's Playground Volume II: 1795 to the Present, OUP Oxford, 2005
Luke Waterson - Author Luke Waterson writes, or has written, for various publications including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Moon Guidebooks and The ...
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