Baken Bar: an original concept for Warsaw – and a copy-paste at the same time

You don’t just stumble into Baken Bar. It’s tucked away in a former car repair shop in a part of Old Żoliborz you’re unlikely to wander into by accident. The location isn’t just cool – it works as a kind of filter: strangers won’t make it here, regulars will come back again and again.

First impressions? Beautiful. Inside – stripped plaster and concrete, loads of greenery and natural light, bright paintings. Outside – plastic chairs, tables, and a food truck.

Yes, it’s all as simple as it gets, but also impossibly charming. The vibe? Pretty much the Baken motto come to life: «simple as f*ck.» Add to that a perfect summer soundtrack – from Boney M to Bob Marley – and dancing on the weekends.

And what do you serve in a place like this? Exactly – gluten, carbs, and nothing but the hard stuff.

The menu brings back Baken’s unapologetically loaded toasts, waffles with blueberries and whipped cream, addictive fries, and cinnamon buns. Plus, three flatbread pizzas, including a very summery one with crème fraîche, buffalo mozzarella, salsiccia, and young corn. On weekends, there’s also the famous Baken Copenhagen plate.

Still, first and foremost this is a bar – meaning a solid natural wine list, six cocktails from Aperol to Negroni, and craft beer from Funky Fluid.

All of this looks and sounds great – especially if you don’t notice the elephant in the room. Meet the elephant: Copenhagen’s @autopoul, which Baken Bar suspiciously resembles in almost every major detail.

Same converted car workshop, same plastic chairs and flowers in bottles, same cheeky, irreverent vibe. Even the wine display inside the food truck and the awning look almost identical. They even copied the exact texture of Autopoul’s plastic tables. That’s not the kind of detail you recreate by accident – someone had to deliberately investigate it to reproduce it almost as a copy-paste.

A few years ago, when the first Baken opened, I heard people mention which Copenhagen spots it reminded them of. Now – it’s exactly the same story with the new Baken Bar and Autopoul.

And honestly, I really like Baken Bar – it’s an incredible addition to Warsaw. But for me, the restaurant business (or any other business, really) isn’t about copying trends or entire concepts – it’s about creating something new. About pushing boundaries, bringing your own ideas to life, making something truly yours instead of replicating someone else’s work.

I believe even borrowing ideas (and let’s be honest, it’s unavoidable these days) can be done in a way that’s clever and respectful – because there’s nothing wrong with being inspired.