A move, a new job, friends who left town — there are plenty of reasons to end up without a group. The good news: a big city like Warsaw has enough people with interests like yours. You just need to know where to look and how to make the first step easier.
Start with an activity, not a search for friends
Looking for “friends in general” is hard and a little awkward. It’s much easier to pick something you enjoy: board games, running, quizzes, walks, cooking, talking about work. A shared activity answers the biggest question of a first meetup — what to talk about. Friendship, if it happens, grows by itself.
Pick formats where people come to meet
Some groups have known each other for years; other meetups exist precisely so people can meet someone new. Start with the second kind: nobody expects you to know anyone there.
- Coffee or breakfast — a short format: you can leave after an hour.
- A walk — the conversation flows, and pauses don’t feel strange.
- Board games and quizzes — the rules set the script for talking.
- Sports — a run or a workout in a park, such as Łazienki or Pole Mokotowskie.
Find out who’ll be there
The main fear before meeting strangers is not knowing what to expect. It gets easier when you know in advance who’s hosting, how many people are coming and whether you can come alone. City chats rarely show that: you see the announcement, not the group. On Mates, the meetup card shows all of it before you sign up.
Check the meetup language
Warsaw speaks many languages, and the same board game night can be in Polish, English, Ukrainian or Russian. If you’re learning Polish, a meetup in Polish is great practice. If you just want to relax, pick a language you speak easily.
Come with a friend — or on your own
Bringing a friend is fine: it makes deciding easier, and the table gets one more interesting person. If you go alone, choose meetups where that’s clearly welcome, and come on time — it’s easier to meet people while everyone is still arriving.
The first five minutes are the most awkward. Ask a simple question about the activity itself — say, “Have you played this game before?” — and the conversation will get going.
Don’t lose people after the meetup
The worst outcome is a great evening and no contacts. Agree on the next meetup right away, or find each other where you signed up. On Mates, people from shared meetups stay in “My people”, so they’re easy to find again.
Host your own meetup
Haven’t found the right group? Create a meetup around your activity. On Mates you choose how people get in — open entry or by approval — limit the number of spots and set the language. If the meetup has costs, you can set a price: more on the paid meetups page.