A menu featuring dishes from around the world, affordable prices, and a comfortable place to socialise or study. The University of Warsaw Library has created a zone where students, doctoral candidates, employees, and guests of the UW can not only eat a meal, but also take a break, view an exhibition, or participate in a debate.
“Kiosks at BUW” is the name of the new venue at the University of Warsaw Library, which will serve all members of the academic community.
“We want to create the most comfortable and friendly conditions for work and study for all members of our community. The new zone at BUW is not just a canteen. It is a space for integration, networking and conversation. We also want to showcase our students’ achievements, the results of their work in science and the arts, and invite them to exchange experiences and ideas,” says Robert Grey, the UW Chancellor.
The area located on the ground floor of the building (in the main passage) will ultimately feature stands offering dishes from cuisines from around the world, with a rotating menu. Visitors will be able to enjoy meals from, among others, olish, Italian, Mexican and Chinese cuisines. The prices of meals are primarily tailored to the needs of students. A full lunch will be available for PLN 16–20. Users can also take advantage of a stand offering hot and cold drinks at affordable, competitive prices, as well as heat up their own food.
The dishes in the zone are offered in a Grab & Go format – ready to eat. These are nutritious meals, prepared from the highest quality ingredients by professional and experienced chefs. The zone is run by Yajia Lin-Iwanejko, a restaurateur renowned for her work, who in 2025 was ranked 15th in the list of the 50 best restaurateurs in Poland, compiled by Forbes & Made For Restaurant.
One of the main provisions of the agreement between the University of Warsaw and the contractor was the one concerning meal prices for students (the operator cannot raise them arbitrarily).
The zone has joined the “Too Good to Go” programme, thanks to which surplus meals will be sold at preferential prices (with a 40–50% discount) in order to prevent food waste.
The “Kiosks at BUW” also offer jobs for UW students, who have priority in hiring.
Exhibitions, shows, concerts
The zone is also a space that turns into a student club from 7 p.m. Various cultural events will take place here: shows, exhibitions, concerts, film screenings and discussion panels. It is a place for presenting the achievements of the academic community of the University of Warsaw.
The interior of the entire zone has been designed in a modern style, taking into account ecological solutions and care for the environment. The concept was created by interior architect and award-winning restaurant designer Marta Agnieszka Lew.
The “Kiosks at BUW” are a temporary version of the main canteen, which will be opened after the completion of renovation works related to fire protection systems, ventilation and other issues affecting user safety.