Anthea Gerrie mixes up Japanese minimalism at Nobu Warsaw with the sumptuous art deco which saw the city dubbed Paris of the East
In a tale of two cities – a picturesque old town rebuilt brick by brick since being razed to the ground in World War II and the cosmopolitan modern city which has grown up in its wake – Nobu Warsaw is itself a tale of two cultures sitting side by side in the Polish capital’s most vibrant neighbourhood.
Naturally, it’s more Japanese in feel, being named for master chef Nobu Matshuhisa, who co-owns 19 eponymous hotels as well as more than 50 hot-ticket restaurants with Robert de Niro and their partner Meir Teper. But the veneer of Oriental minimalism conceals a secret, pre-war Polish heart in the former 1920’s Hotel Rialto, incorporated into a new building whose black glass envelope presents an utterly contemporary flatiron facade dominating the happening and multicultural Srodmiescle neighbourhood.
De Niro may have thought of that flatiron as a tribute to Manhattan’s most beloved historic building – “I am taking a part of New York to Poland with me,” the actor-innkeeper boasted at the launch of the hotel – but V-shaped buildings are actually typical of 19th century Warsaw architecture: “We tried to design a contemporary building that somehow refers to the past,” say the creators, who have achieved that challenge in spades.
The interior design concept offers a choice of classic or contemporary digs without attempting to create a fusion. Staying first in one of the new rooms – 74 out of a total of 116, plus six suites – it was pleasing to find a modern, minimalist Japanese aesthetic. Raw concrete walls were softened by a plethora of pale ribbed wood, Oriental carpets cunningly made to look comfortably careworn and eclipsed by the floor-to-ceiling windows which distinguish all rooms in the contemporary wing, offering city or skyline views.
However, the wooden bathtubs commonplace in certain other Nobu hotels are here reserved for the presidential suite, perhaps intentional in a stated mission to avoid iconic design pieces.
A second night on the art deco side of the hotel revealed unrestrained glamour, with a focus on the sumptuous materials and textures which characterised the inter-war period when Warsaw was known as the Paris of the East. Acres of polished dark wood and brass trim evoked the great art deco hotel rooms of London and New York, with beautiful heritage-style fittings, including free-standing tubs in an opulent bathroom awash in marble and mosaic, but there was still a reference to Japan in bedheads evocative of bamboo screens.
Naturally, dinner at Nobu, still one of the hottest tables in town since the hotel opened four years ago, is a highlight. In Warsaw the menu is pleasingly eclectic, aspiring to create a sense of place with takes on classic Polish dishes as well as the usual sushi and black cod with miso which are ever-present Nobu specialties. The bright, uncluttered dining room, speaking to the Californian input of LA-based architecture studio PCH, is also where breakfast is served, with a few eclectic items alongside good bread and local cheese and charcuterie, including some particularly inventive egg dishes.
The lobby, the one area where the designers have attempted to address both east and west in a contiguous space, stops diners in their tracks as they exit the restaurant to be greeted by the sculptural wooden staircase which leads to a unique, triangular event space on the first floor with a cute triangular terrace visible from the lift lobbies.
Turn right out of the lobby as you exit from the restaurant and you’re on Koszykowa, the busy main street leading within five minutes to Hala Koszyki, a delightful food hall packed with coffee, dining and cocktail options. Turn left, passing the elegant reception desk, and you’re on Wilcza, a quieter thoroughfare lined with hip eateries and boutiques culminating in Warsaw’s most desirable shopping street, Mokotowska.
Also walkable and considered part of Srodmiescle are the ancient Royal Castle, once home to Poland’s kings, the nearby Old Town, a master of reconstruction with an exquisite central square now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the National Museum, showcasing Polish artists.
Not to be missed heading towards the Old Town are the Chopin Museum celebrating the city’s most famous son and, indeed, the benches dotting the centre which play the maestro’s nocturnes and mazurkas to pedestrians who rest their legs upon them.
Chopin’s career was itself a tale of two cities, so much of it played out in Paris – and now, with its newfound elegance and cosmopolitan crowd, Warsaw really does again feel like the Paris of the East, with Nobu Warsaw representing today’s vibrant modern East in that description.
Tell Me More About Staying At Nobu Warsaw
Nobu Warsaw, Wilcza 73, Warsaw, Poland
Tel: +48 22 551 8800
Rooms from US$250
