In the heart of Dźwirzyno, between the wide beach and Lake Resko, there’s a spot that any coffee and ice cream lover will fall for. The Miętowa café is a family project full of passion, good flavours and a story worth telling.
Dźwirzyno: a town between the Baltic and a lake
Before I get to the café itself, it’s worth knowing a bit about Dźwirzyno itself, a small, atmospheric fishing village in West Pomerania on Poland’s Baltic coast, just 10 km from Kołobrzeg. It’s a great holiday spot, since Dźwirzyno sits between the open Baltic Sea and the calm Lake Resko Przymorskie. That means you can sunbathe, swim and sail here.
A belt of pine forest runs along the wide, sandy beach in Dźwirzyno, giving the area a distinctive character. There’s a designated bathing area on Sawicka and Leśna streets, perfect for families with children. On the outskirts you’ll find ancient, monumental oak trees, wide dunes and hidden walking trails.
In 1975, a storm broke through the sandbar and created a channel linking the lake to the sea. That’s exactly how Dźwirzyno got its fishing harbour, one of the town’s attractions today. A fitness trail with fifteen exercise stations also runs alongside the main road from Mrzeżyno to Kołobrzeg, a great option for anyone who likes an active holiday.
Although it’s a popular holiday destination, Dźwirzyno has an atmosphere you won’t find in crowded resorts. It’s a town for people who like calm, nature and local flavours, and that’s exactly where you’ll find the Miętowa café, known for its excellent ice cream, waffles and coffee roasted at Colbergcoffee.
A family café and ice cream parlour in Dźwirzyno: an adventure in ice cream and coffee
When I met Artur and Milena Kaliniuk, the owners of the Miętowa café in Dźwirzyno, it was obvious straight away that this place is their pride and joy. It’s not another chain café, it’s a family business run with real passion. Artur works behind the counter day to day, Milena handles the organisation, and their daughters Martyna and Weronika help out in summer. Students join the team for seasonal work each year too, but family is the backbone of it.
How the Miętowa café began
The story started modestly. “At first it was meant to be just an ordinary ice cream parlour in Dźwirzyno, just ice cream and waffles,” Artur says. It began simply: hand-churned ice cream made to a traditional recipe, freshly made waffles and a single serving window. But after just one season, it was clear guests wanted more.
Homemade lemonades started appearing, along with freshly blended smoothies and fruit cocktails. Eventually they even added soft-serve ice cream, since a lot of tourists associate it with childhood. Importantly, they’ve stuck with the same tried-and-tested recipe for over 30 years, no artificial powders here, just a natural base and milk from small local dairies.
The coffee that changed everything at the café
“At some point we noticed people were coming to us… for the coffee,” Artur recalls. Miętowa was initially known mainly for its ice cream, but coffee gradually started stealing the spotlight. They added cakes and desserts, so a hot drink became a natural part of the menu.
At first they used bean-to-cup machines, it was quicker and simpler. But as the café got busier, problems appeared: the machines broke down regularly, and servicing in Szczecin took weeks. That’s when their journey with professional espresso machines began, and later in this article we describe how Miętowa ended up with a Nuova Simonelli Appia Life espresso machine that transformed the quality of the coffee served there.
How Miętowa got its professional espresso machine
This is where I come in, Samuel, owner of the Colbergcoffee roastery and the author of this piece. After my first meeting with Artur, the owner of Miętowa, it quickly became clear this wasn’t just about supplying fresh coffee. A seasonal café needs a reliable espresso machine that can handle dozens of cappuccinos a day. The grinder matters just as much, it has to be fast, precise and rarely break down. After a series of conversations, we settled together on the Nuova Simonelli Appia Life, an Italian espresso machine with an insulated boiler, stable temperature and two groups, which makes a huge difference in conditions like these.
Artur laughed at the time: “I can’t afford to cut corners. If the machine dies in the middle of the season, you’re left with no income.” And he had a point. At Miętowa, reliability and service are what matter, and we’re always on call. Sometimes we adjust settings remotely, sometimes we bring over a replacement machine, so the café is never without coffee, even for a moment.
That’s how a partnership began that’s now lasted several years. Our whole bean coffee from Kołobrzeg, freshly roasted at Colbergcoffee, made its way to Miętowa too. We started with the classic Captain’s Blend, 70% arabica and 30% robusta. It turned out tourists loved it so much that people ask what this amazing coffee is, and some come back specifically for more bags of it.
In later seasons we added small “Dźwirzyno” packs, a nod to the town and its visitors. It’s coffee packed in 200 g and 500 g bags, perfect for a beach bag, while regulars tend to go for the bigger kilogram bags. One customer takes 7 kg of coffee to Germany for friends every year, and that’s the best review our work could get.
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Beyond coffee: ice cream, waffles, cocktails
Miętowa is still, first and foremost, an ice cream parlour in Dźwirzyno known for its natural flavours. The hand-churned ice cream is made to a traditional recipe, and the cream comes from a small dairy near Poznań. Artur says a lot of regulars tell him the taste of the ice cream reminds them of their childhood, and there’s something to that.
There are no shortcuts here. The waffles in Dźwirzyno are baked on site from freshly made batter, and the lemonades are made from lemons squeezed on the spot. Even the water used in the drinks comes from a local source and is clean enough that it doesn’t need any additives. The menu also includes homemade cakes and desserts, sometimes baked by the family, sometimes from trusted local bakers. There are also desserts served in glasses, which catch the eye and pair beautifully with coffee.
A souvenir from Dźwirzyno: Kołobrzeg coffee
While you’re at Miętowa, you can buy whole bean Colbergcoffee, straight from our roastery in Kołobrzeg. The price? Exactly the same as at the roastery, no tourist markup. For anyone after an original souvenir, we also put together small bags of coffee with a special “Dźwirzyno” design.
The small bags are a hit with tourists, and the kilogram bags often travel further still, as gifts for family or friends. “It looks a lot better than a fridge magnet,” Artur laughs.
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Where the idea for a café in Dźwirzyno came from: Artur’s story, in brief
Artur isn’t an accidental owner of the Miętowa café. He started out in restaurants in Kołobrzeg, then ran a café at a spa resort, where he learned the most important lesson, that it pays to listen to your guests. After a short break, he decided he didn’t want to work for someone else again and set out to try his own hand once more.
In Dźwirzyno he found an empty unit, run-down, with no terrace and no toilet. Instead of being put off, he renovated it step by step: first the interior, then the terrace, then finally the bathroom. Today Miętowa is a fully-fledged seaside café and ice cream parlour that tourists visit every summer.
The quality that makes the difference
Artur and his wife have focused on quality from the start. “I never wanted to use cheap cream or powder. I’d rather buy the best ingredients, even if they cost more. You can taste it,” Artur says. That philosophy applies to everything: from fresh cream, to homemade waffles, to Colbergcoffee and a modern espresso machine.
Come and visit Miętowa, the best coffee in Dźwirzyno!
Miętowa café in Dźwirzyno: frequently asked questions
Where is the Miętowa café in Dźwirzyno?
Miętowa is right in the centre of Dźwirzyno, a few steps from the beach. It’s a great spot for a coffee after a walk along the sea.
What desserts does the Miętowa café serve?
Miętowa’s specialities are hand-churned ice cream made to a traditional recipe, waffles, homemade cakes and refreshing lemonades.
What coffee does the Miętowa café serve?
At Miętowa you’ll drink coffee from the local Colbergcoffee roastery. The biggest favourite is the Captain’s Blend, perfect for espresso and milk coffees.
Can you buy coffee to take away at Miętowa?
Yes. The café sells whole bean coffee in 250 g and 1 kg bags. Many people buy it as a souvenir or as a holiday gift.
Is the Miętowa café dog-friendly?
Yes, Miętowa is dog-friendly. There are even small treats prepared for dogs, your pet will love it.
Is Miętowa open all year round?
The café is mainly open during the summer season, but it’s worth checking current opening hours on site or on Facebook around long weekends and holidays.
