Set on Warsaw’s Solec Street, Pastelowe is a small but transportive pâtisserie that brings the spirit of Portugal’s Atlantic coast to the Polish capital. Known for its rich and delicately crisp pastéis de nata, the bakery draws on a love of surf culture and thoughtful design to offer the sweet treat in equally sweet surrounds.
The concept began with a holiday and a surfboard. Inspired by the rhythm of the ocean, the founders turned to local design and architecture studio Znamy się to translate their newfound passion into something tangible. The result is a space that nods to the raw energy of waves.
Pastelowe’s compact 63 square metre layout is designed around three distinct surf wave types: beach break, point break, and reef break. Rounded benches and curved mirrors echo the calm of a beach break, wall-mounted shelves mirror the orderly swell of a point break, and a tunnel-like counter channels the speed and intensity of a reef break. It’s subtle, and intentional.
Natural textures and sun-washed tones help conjure a sense of coastal warmth. Oak plywood brings the softness of sand, while glossy steel and foil finishes reflect the sparkle of open water. The ceiling, sprayed in a vivid yellow foam, is rough like surf foam caught in the sun. Metallic marine blues used throughout the space and in the bakery’s branding tie the space and its story together; all elements working in harmony to express a narrative of freedom, movement, and light.
Pastelowe is an enigmatic homage to the raw energy of the surf and the unmistakable taste of Portugal. With every pastéis de nata, a memory of sun-drenched days on the sand. With every detail, a reminder of every wave caught and every wave lost.
Pastelowe Bakery Warsaw Photography, Migdał Studio (interior), Pastelowe (product).
