There’s something gloriously irresistible about La Rotisserie. Just the location is enough: down a narrow cobbled twitten in the New Town. Bask under the shaded colonnades, or retreat inside to a small dining room that has an easy sense of quietly-spoken luxury.
Hailed as one of the top fine dining experiences in Warsaw, it’s true that chef Paweł Oszczyk’s menu doesn’t welcome all pockets: starters average out at around zł. 40, and mains close to zł. 90. And with Poland’s No. 1 sommelier, Andrzej Strzelczyk, prowling around, do tuck away a little extra for a good bottle of wine.
Even so, don’t think of this restaurant as just a way to bleed money. It’s way too good for that, and besides, the big spend might not be as large as you expect. That’s thanks to their ‘Fresh From The Market’ lunch menu, served from Mon-Sat from noon through till 5. Priced at zł. 78 for two-courses, and zł. 88 for three, being a cheapskate has rarely tasted better.
Visiting last week, that meant starting off with a creamy pumpkin soup with strings of duck and apple floating about. It’s soups like this that make me love autumn.
For mains, a grilled beef fillet arrives served in a thick soup of chanterelles and lovage gratin. It’s a dish to be savoured with each slow bite.
As for dessert, that’s Mirabelle cheesecake with a few groats surprisingly scattered in. Go on, admit it, you’d happily eat the picture.
Rated as one of Poland’s biggest culinary talents, Oszczyk’s growing collection of accolades are a testament to his burgeoning stock. That sampling his cooking no longer leaves the pockets breathless cannot be ignored – see you there.
La Rotisserie
ul. Kościelna 12 (Le Régina Hotel), rotisserierestaurant.com.pl