Warsaw – Hopito Chmielna
I might have made a mistake here…. Not a substantial one, not indeed one of any consequence, but I’ve just realised that I’m not entirely sure that I’ve visited one of the city’s main craft beer bars before. This isn’t so much of an oversight but just something in my mind that I thought it was a different place and this only became apparent to me when I visited the sister bar again last week.
So, aware of the confusion that I’ve created for myself, I needed to resolve it by going to the bar to see what I’ve evidently missed out on.
The beer board and the latest version is available at https://hopito-chmielna.ontap.pl/. The service was exceptional, the team member was engaging, personable and knowledgeable. He pro-actively made recommendations and suggested trying a different beer which he thought he’d like more than the one I’d ordered. He transpired to be correct. Back to the beer list, it felt well curated with a range of beer styles and ABVs to choose from, as well as a cider or two.
The first beer was Puder from Browar Cztery, a rich fruit flavoured sour which a lingering taste of banana with some mango. Smooth….
The second beer was the Royal Cookie – Mexican Hot Chocolate from the ever wonderful Funky Fluid. And this 12% ABV beer was excellent, smooth, rich and decadent. There was some sweetness, some residual heat, creaminess and punchy flavours. A proper liquid dessert.
The burger was better than I anticipated and I just went for the basic one. The burger was cooked medium and it had a depth of taste and flavour, with the texture being juicy. The bun was lightly toasted and there was gherkin to add texture, with the chips being firm on the exterior and fluffy inside. The coleslaw was creamy and I thought that it all went marvellously with the beer.
What with two outlets, one doing marvellous pizzas and the other doing marvellous burgers, there’s definitely something in the one thing done well approach. The venue is well reviewed on-line and it’s clear that they have been surprising and delighting their customers. I really liked this bar, the welcome felt authentic, the surroundings were comfortable and the food and drink were verging towards an exceptional quality. I’ll definitely be back and it’s evident to me that I’ve missed out on a bar that I should have noticed before that I hadn’t been to.
