01 March 202603 March 2026 PLACESGuide to Istanbul ustamagazyn_admin There is a shock at first. Always. Because you seemingly know what to expect, but the real city is more impressive than the numbers in guidebooks or the outlines drawn on maps. Istanbul is overpowering. It hits all the senses, turns heads. The first reaction - intimidation. Or perhaps even a sense of being overwhelmed by the sounds, the constant movement around. But this passes with the first cup of strong, bitter tea, which wakes you up and grounds you in new territory. It also passes with the first breakfast of a million plates: with crunchy green peppers, black olives, kaymak topped with honey and eggs in sour yoghurt. It passes with the first ferry ride connecting two parts of the city and two continents.
25 January 202609 February 2026 PLACES, EVENTSWinter attractions in Vilnius ustamagazyn_admin Last week's Vilnius Light Festival gave everyone interested a taste of what makes the Lithuanian capital so special, even in the colder months. Given that Gallup's latest global well-being report indicates that anxiety and stress levels have reached their highest levels in a decade, travelers are increasingly opting for quietcations, i.e., trips focused on slowing down and reconnecting with the physical world. Vilnius, with its forests within easy reach, traditional saunas, and peaceful, unique atmosphere, offers exactly what many of us need. For Polish travelers, the flight to their destination takes less than two hours.
13 August 202515 August 2025 PLACES, EVENTSWIN – bistro, deli and champagne bar ustamagazyn_admin Warsaw has just gained an intriguing new spot on its map – WIN | wine deli bar, which has opened its doors at Al. Solidarności 153. This is a project created by the Enoterra team – a young but already well-recognized brand specializing in the import and distribution of fine artisanal wines from trusted producers. WIN is a natural extension of Enoterra’s philosophy, built on passion, quality, authenticity, and a desire to share the very best. Both projects share the same values and DNA – a deep belief in quality, human stories, and the experiences that bring people together at the table.
10 August 202513 September 2025 PEOPLE, PLACESHouse with a kimono and stars ustamagazyn_admin Exactly one year ago, fashion designer Joanna Hawrot opened the doors of her suburban home to guests, creating an entirely new format on the Polish market – a space for experiencing both nature and culture. This autumn and winter, visitors to Hawrot Home will be able to relax surrounded by new design and art pieces.
22 April 202422 April 2024 PEOPLE, PLACESOpen doors Monika Brzywczy Valli Unite - we were delighted by their wines: natural, avant-garde, orange. That's why we decided to visit this extraordinary cooperative, which has been operating in Piedmont for 40 years.
12 April 202422 April 2024 PEOPLE, PLACESA Quest for the Best Pizza ustamagazyn_admin The best pizza in the world! Where on earth!? We travelled in search for it to Naples. We've found it 40 km from the city centre in a tiny village Caiazzo. Each day, crowds are lining in front of Pepe in Grani, dreaming of a slice of margherita or pepperoni. We were lucky enough not only to taste it but also to talk to Pepe Franco, the founder of this place.
22 February 202415 January 2025 PLACESGUIDE TO WARSAW ustamagazyn_admin Since the first issue of USTA Magazine, we published 21 guides to various cities, in Poland and abroad. We started with a guide to Berlin in the first issue, followed by a guide To Poznan in number two. Still, we have never prepared a guide to Warsaw and we feel we owe the city we know best a proper vademecum. The problem was whom should we include in our selection from among the places we have known inside out and which we have been with from their openings and throughout their complex histories. Warsaw is certainly a pioneer of gastronomy in Poland. How to choose from hundreds or thousands of bistros, bars, restaurants, cafes and top art spots? It took our team several weeks of vivid discussions to come up with the final list of candidates.
15 November 202315 November 2023 PEOPLE, PLACESBeaujolais – wine for the impatient? ustamagazyn_admin Every third Thursday in November, bottles of a young wine called beaujolais nouveau are opened all over the world. Most notably in Japan, a rosé version of this wine has even been created especially for the market there. A young wine, only just bottled, but brilliantly promoted. What is behind the phenomenon of this wine festival? Aneta Zabiegała set off on a Beaujolais Nouveau trail to the south of France, and persistently wandered between Mâcon and Lyon to see if, in addition to young, easily drinkable and unmemorable wines, it was possible to find interesting, avant-garde and outstanding Beaujolais there. And that's how she ended up with some of the most interesting wine producers in the area. Follow in its footsteps to the sunny south of France, visit the vineyards and drink the outstanding bottles created from the gamay variety (and more).
14 November 2023 PEOPLE, PLACESOn stinky cheese, dinosaurs and what an orgasm has to do with fish sauce ustamagazyn_admin David Zilber, head of the fermentation laboratory at Copenhagen's Noma, tells USTOM about fermentation, its importance for our civilisation, its early beginnings and current developments.
05 October 202322 April 2024 PLACESSmall Italy in Warsaw ustamagazyn_admin Lasagne with fifty layers, Roman variant arancini, amatriciana and nonna-style dinners on Sundays are just some of the proposals from the menu of the new restaurant at 19 Wilcza street. For the love of Italy The décor of Allora's menu is an original interpretation of the Italian climate of its owners Karolina and Łukasz Kwaśniewski, who agree that Italy has been their favourite destination for many years, and that the cuisine there brings back some of their most beautiful memories.
