Finessing the countryside tastes we all know and love, a crop of new restaurants are successfully reexamining Poland’s culinary traditions… For our Best of Warsaw, we bring you four that have knocked us sideways!
Madalińskiego 7
This charming brick-lined recess has a magical intimacy and a menu that’s the epitome of rustic purity. The cooking here sings of care and freshness, and it becomes a pleasure to pick your way through a seasonal menu of homespun tastes. The beef cheeks are exceptional, but we’ve also taken great joy in balls of black pudding with panko and apple sauce – this is the gastro equivalent of a hug between friends.
Wilcza 29A
Warm and homely with its woodsy finishes and empty pans hanging from the walls, Patelnia Patera deserve credit for creating the most incredible schabowy we’ve yet to taste: this flattened portion of pork is monstrous in size and marinated overnight in buttermilk ensuring that the meat stays moist and tender when fried. Coated in challah breadcrumbs mixed with dried podgrzybki, the flavors are electrifying.
Marszałkowska 10/16
Some know Syty Chmiel as a craft multitap, but the truth is it’s also so much more. Better-known as Pan Tasak, co-owner Wit Szychowski has devised a menu that champions Poland’s rural greatness, with star cameos including blood sausage pancakes with caramelized apples. Hearty yet surprisingly sophisticated in its presentation and tastes, this is the kind of food befitting of the sound of clinking glasses.
Targowa 81
Hardwood floors, exposed pipes and a flurry of plants equip an open area decorated with blasts of contemporary art, recycled furnishings and extravagant light installations. Menu-wise, the food lights the soul. But more than just celebrating the power of local produce, there’s a refinement at play that speaks of a kitchen team that aims for the exquisite. For us, the pierogi with mushroom stock and smoked cottage cheese remain a favorite memory.