“Everything associated with Polish tradition was identified as being trashy and crude, an indicator of Poles’ alleged low socioeconomic background,” said Tomasz Szlendak, a sociologist. “So people tried to recreate the world from ‘Dynasty,’ ” the former prime-time American soap opera, he said. Poles began consuming sushi at the highest rate outside of Japan, he added, thinking that was a sign they had arrived and were no longer a Communist-era backwater, a punch line for jokes.

“They would still eat their tacky herring at home, but once they were out they would pretend to enjoy only more refined food,” said Izabela Skiba, 23, as she dug into her own herring in oil and washed it down with a shot of vodka at the Miedzy Wodka a Zakaska bistro, another of the new bars.

Poles have lots of reasons to be feeling a bit cocky. Since the end of Communism, their wages have doubled and their standard of living has significantly increased. According to a recent survey by a Polish public opinion research center, TNS OBOP, 75 percent of Poles are satisfied with their lives, which places Poland in the European elite. The survey measured Poles’ contentment with their financial situation, workplace, family life and health status.

As they began to feel better about themselves, Poles began to explore their past in a variety of ways, from historical documentaries to retro crime novels. Zakaskas bistros fit right into that trend. More than a dozen opened up in the capital alone, and the rest of Poland followed suit.

“I didn’t want a fussy place,” said Iwona Sumka, 44, who owns three zakaskas bistros in Warsaw. “I wanted something even a bit ugly, where one wouldn’t feel the need to show off.”