Best of Warsaw – Fine Dining

First, a disclaimer! Atelier Amaro is absent in this category for the sake of levelling the playing field: for their quite staggering contribution to Poland’s gastronomic sector, we’ve bestowed them with a separate award for outstanding achievement – quite simply, what they and Wojciech Amaro have accomplished is nothing short of extraordinary.

Even so, the list below should not be considered as a ‘best of the rest’. The following have all made a serious impact this year, and have ably demonstrated why Warsaw is fast gaining international recognition for its developing palate. Tighter than a mouse’s waistcoat, this category originally ended in a tie, with our jury having to return for a second bout of voting – the winner? All will be revealed tomorrow!  

Casa Pablo

The Spanish restaurant Warsaw has been waiting for since Day 1. Breaking away from hackneyed cliché, this ace has given the capital’s Latin restaurants new direction.

La Rotisserie

Local foodies and international visitors are unanimous in their praise of Rotisserie, with chef Paweł Oszczyk combining to form a dream double act with Andrzej Strzelczyk – Poland’s top ranked sommelier.

Nolita

The one everyone is talking about. Seen as Poland’s next best shot at another Michelin star, chef Jacek Grochowina has got this restaurant really up and purring. The tasting menu has raised the bar.

Signature

The Insider ate here four times last year: once when we had to for the sake of a review, and three times when didn’t. A fabulous experience, and a bargain to boot.

Winosfera

Not to be dismissed as ‘just a wine bar’, we know people who argue it’s the best restaurant in town. And yes, we can’t think of a bad word to say about it either. Certainly one of the best debuts of 2013.  

(all photos from Facebook)