The Wedel chocolate lounge on Szpitalna Street is a Warsaw institution. E. Wedel has been making chocolate in Warsaw since 1851 and their original hot chocolate — czekolada na gorąco — is not like hot chocolate elsewhere. It is thick, intensely dark, and is served with a pastry. The main lounge preserves its art nouveau interior and is genuinely lovely: marble tables, ornate fittings, and a display of Wedel products from different eras.
The shop attached to the cafe sells the full Wedel range — their pralines, truffles, and the iconic Ptasie Mleczko (bird's milk) marshmallow chocolates make excellent gifts. The lounge on Szpitalna is the original; other Wedel cafes have opened across the city but this one is the most atmospheric.