Nightlife in Warsaw (past)

Ferment was a pub/club located at ul. Marszałkowska 99/101, in the basement of the building known as Cepelia Pavilion (vis-à-vis Rotunda), in the centre of Warsaw. 

As a venue, Ferment presented itself as a mix between a daytime pub and a nighttime club — offering drinks, basic food/snacks, and a social / party atmosphere. 

According to listings, during daytime it operated as a pub (serving beer, drinks, snacks), and by evening/night it shifted to a club format: karaoke nights (especially early in the week) and disco / dance-party nights on weekends. 

From the old descriptions, user reviews and forum threads, we can piece together how Ferment felt:

It was often described as a “student-type pub/club”: affordable drinks, casual vibe, not too fancy — good for group nights, spontaneous meetings, casual partying. 

Some reviews mention a “long bar”, “many seats”, and — when it got busy — “loud party / drunk crowd”. 

The club had a basement-style, urban-pub / club setting — typical for a central-Warsaw “student / budget-friendly” nightlife spot. 

According to an old event listing from 2010, Ferment advertised free entry (“imprezy zawsze z wejściem za darmo!”) and hosted karaoke from Monday to Wednesday, and “mega-discoteka” from Thursday to Sunday, with music ranging from pop/disco to more mainstream club tunes. 

Records of Ferment appear at least in the mid-2000s: a 2004 post on a forum mentions receiving a flyer about a “newly opened pub” at Marszałkowska 99/101 under Cepelia. 

Through the 2000s and into early 2010s, Ferment seems to have remained active: there are event listings (e.g. 2010), reviews from customers, and entries on club/pubs directories describing it as a functioning pub/club. 

However, sources and forum threads indicate that Ferment eventually closed down. For example, in a 2020s directory it is listed as closed, and in an old forum thread titled “Pub Ferment … [zamknięte]” (i.e. “closed”) users discuss the pub as a former spot. 

The closure is tied to the building: the Cepelia Pavilion has a complex history. The building was opened in 1966, later fell into decline, and after heritage-listing and renovation processes, the basement club space (Ferment) ceased to exist. 

Thus — Ferment likely operated between early/mid-2000s and  2015, but after structural/ownership/renovation changes at the building its activity ended.
 

Why Ferment Matters (for Warsaw nightlife history)

Ferment was not a luxury club — it represented a segment of Warsaw nightlife that catered to everyday people — students, young adults, working-class: affordable drinks, casual atmosphere, accessible location in the heart of the city.

Such clubs/pubs were important for “realistic nightlife” — affordable, unpretentious, easy to access. Ferment served as a social hub for those who didn’t aim for VIP clubs or expensive venues.

Its presence in the basement of a formerly commercial building (Cepelia Pavilion) demonstrates how Warsaw’s urban spaces were re-used during the post-1990s transformation: shops → pubs/clubs → back to retail/heritage restoration.

The closure of Ferment — along with other similar venues — marks a shift in Warsaw’s nightlife culture: rising costs, redevelopment of city-centre real estate, new types of establishments (gastrobars, high-end clubs, restaurants), and less room for “budget pubs/clubs.”

In a way, Ferment is part of a “lost generation” of Warsaw nightlife: simple, gritty, accessible — the kind of place that maybe doesn’t make it to glossy travel guides, but shaped social life and memories for many locals.