This is the English version of an article first published in Polish: read the Polish original. It refers to source material: cowwilanowie.pl. The text is our own commentary, not a translation or copy of that source.
On ul. Klimczaka, a few steps from aleja Rzeczypospolitej, the bakery Ferment opened a storefront window through which you can watch the whole bread making process. It is a place where coffee, wine and bread stay together, and production happens in front of customers, not behind closed doors. The name itself is no accident, since fermentation is behind the two things the place lives on the most, the sourdough starter for the bread and the wine on the shelf.
The family business is built around sourdough bread baked fresh on site every day, French pastries such as croissants and other cakes made with flour from small Polish mills. On top of that there is good coffee and a handful of wines to choose from, and the shelves hold cheese, cold cuts, hummus and pesto, so dinner shopping can be done in one place without walking to another street. It is not the only craft bakery in Warsaw built around visible production and local ingredients, but in Miasteczko Wilanów itself, where the food scene is growing month by month, it is still rare enough to be worth noting.
Opening hours and how to get there
The bakery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7:00 to 18:00, and on Sunday for shorter hours, from 8:00 to 14:00. Monday is the closed day, which is normal for a craft bakery, since sourdough and baking need time and not every batch can be rushed. The address is ul. Franciszka Klimczaka 20, right in the heart of Miasteczko Wilanów, close to the Royal Wilanów office buildings and near the bus stops on Klimczaka. No reservation is needed, though weekend mornings tend to get busy, since residents of the surrounding blocks treat Ferment as a stop after walking the dog or before dropping the kids off at school.
Contact is simple, call +48 578 268 873 or write to fermentwarszawa@gmail.com, in case someone wants to order a cake or a larger batch for a party. Ferment stands out by not pretending to be a chain cafe. Visible production, local ingredients and a family running the counter are things you will not find at the market on ul. Syta, no matter how big or how close it is.