Warsaw’s Historic Café Blikle Threatened by City Rent Hikes

A.Blikle, one of Warsaw’s most historic confectionery businesses, is facing a financial crisis driven by a rent dispute with the city of Warsaw.

According to a report dated November 12, 2025, the famous Café Blikle in Warsaw is history, citing high rents and a lack of support from the city as the primary causes for the situation.

The enterprise was established on September 11, 1869, by Antoni Kazimierz Blikle. On that date, Blikle executed a purchase agreement with a pastry chef named Michalski for a small confectionery located in the former Hołowczyca palace on Nowy Świat.

The establishment, located at Nowy Świat 33, has functioned as a culinary landmark in the city, serving pastries and coffee for over 150 years.

Corporate Ownership and Expansion

The ownership of the company shifted in 2012, when Vertigo Investments and private investor Piotr Piniński became the majority shareholders of the firm.

Following this change in ownership, the company expanded its operational reach. By the beginning of 2019, A.Blikle operated 15 confectionery outlets within Warsaw and eight additional locations in other Polish cities.

Despite its ability to survive the destruction of two world wars, the business is currently struggling with the financial burden of municipal rent imposed by the city.