Move over, Paris. Get a taste for one of the most surprising food destinations on Earth: Poland. This European nation is located at a geographic intersection that connects the forested lands of northwestern Europe to the fertile plains of the Eurasian frontier and sea lanes of the Atlantic Ocean. It often flies under the radar, but its food scene is starting to cause a stir. We spend a lot of time, here at ALO, trying to figure out the best things to eat. And, we also spend a lot of time arguing about the places we’d want to live all over the world. So, we decided to take those two constants and showcase the best places to eat in Poland—from Krakow to Warsaw.

The Michelin Guide 2017 says this about the Pod Baranem Restauracja: “Traditional family-run restaurant set over five rooms, with rug-covered stone floors, homely furnishings and contemporary artwork by Edward Dwurnik. The large menu offers classic Polish cuisine; sharing dishes must be ordered in advance…” … and did the meal ever live up to the guide’s recommendation. The modest façade is seemingly like every Europe eatery on a quiet street. Yet, the minute you enter the restaurant, you’re greeted to a full house with enough energy to power a small town. Once you check your coat, you are certainly ready to try the vast menu. The salmon (pictured) and duck main dishes are exquisitely prepared and the friendly staff is on point during the entire meal. Add some delicious mulled wine and bespoke vodka martini and you’re in business.

A five-star hotel and spa on a quiet corner of the Wisła, the Niebieski is a fantastic boutique hotel with a harmonious holistic interior arrangement and philosophy of wellbeing that extends from the sumptuous Vanilla Spa and throughout the entire hotel. The spacious rooms feature wide, comfortable beds, unique modern furnishings and soothing colors, while the Vanilla Sky restaurant serves light fusion cuisine with certified organic ingredients, and features great views of Wawel Castle within walking distance of the main attractions.

Really good food gives us the shivers. We also kind of want to clap our hands, when we eat it, and sometimes we even do (like, a silent mental clap, but still, we’re applauding the chef). Eating at Warszawski Sen, located in the trendy Koszyki Hall, gives us that feeling. Their cauliflower cream soup with truffle oil is very, very high on our list of absolute Warsaw faves. It’s made with the best local truffles and so creamy and delicious that we (almost) lack the words to describe it. But we also love all the other veggie dishes like the super creamy risotto with mushrooms (as you can see we were on a cream kick in Warsaw!) and the baked yolk, sour cream and roasted spring onion salad.

After a longish walk past the shipping canal, a small respite was in order and we stumbled upon the Brovarnia and just like Gdańsk, it was secret gem that exceeded expectations. The five-course lunch was a mesh of local delights that excited the palate:

After lunch, we immediately proceeded to The European Solidarity Centre for one of the best museum experiences anywhere. In 1980, the American news media caught wind of Solidarity, a Polish labor union led by the charismatic Lech Walesa. Every night, the national news would show this David standing up to the Goliath of communism. Who would have guessed that this union would be instrumental in the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union, and the primary catalyst that would transform Poland from a repressive communist satellite to the EU member democracy it is today? Our visit to the Solidarity museum reminded us of the daily anti-commie rhetoric, which fueled our nuclear fears and dislike (hate) of the Soviet Union. The museum’s ‘Roads to Freedom’ exhibit is centered in the Gdansk shipyards where Walesa rose to lead the shipyard workers. Inside, elaborate dioramas and props recreate the bare cupboards and empty shop shelves with only lard and vinegar of Poland in the ‘80s. Slideshows and crackling film-reels tell the stories of the political uprisings and the nightmare of martial law. The famous 21 demands of the August 1980 shipyard strike, handwritten on plywood boards and honored by UNESCO’s World Heritage List, are also on display along with letters of support from all over the world.

Traveling further southeast to Lublin marked another day of remembrance to those we, as a people, let perish through racism, ignorance, and indifference. Majdanek was a concentration and forced labor camp that evolved into a death camp. It was located in a suburb just three miles from Lublin in Poland in the center of the General Government area. Majdanek opened in September 1941, initially for Soviet prisoners of war, and was liberated by the Soviet Army in July 1944. During this time approximately 360,000 victims died or were murdered, 120,000 of them Jews. The inmates of comprised people of 54 nationalities from 28 different countries. They included Soviet prisoners of war and Jews from Poland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, France, Hungary, Belgium and Greece. In addition, many non-Jews from Belorussia, the Ukraine and across Poland were taken to the camp as political prisoners or slave laborers.