Pushed to name a favorite restaurant, and I often am, the answer is always the same: Nolita. There’s something about it I find magical – the immaculate service, the careful design and the lingering atmosphere of class and grace. Combined together, these are factors that conspire to create an evening to remember.
The food though is the true show stealer: a beautiful menu arranged around truly gourmet ingredients. Take the starter: a tranche of wild smoked eel served alongside glimmering ponzu caviar encircled by celeraic. While zł. 75 for a starter is seriously steep, this is quickly established as one of the highlights of my year.
Mains mean venison with smoked Jerusalem artichoke, a flowering collection of Brussels sprout shells and cornelian cherries. My hurried shot of this dish does it a grave injustice, for once more I’m left speechless at the elegant depth of this landmark dish. At zł. 108 it’s also the most expensive main on the menu, but savoring the meat you appreciate why.
There have been odd occasions when I’ve felt Nolita have disappointed dessert. This is not one of them: this one is a multi-layered miracle of peach tartar, black tea granita and quirky flashes of lime and amaranth.
And then comes a final touch of class: homemade chocolates that stop you in your tracks. Stubbornly overlooked for a Michelin star, it’s surely a matter of time till that is rectified. A standout restaurant, Nolita continue to epitomize quality.
Nolita
ul. Wilcza 46, nolita.pl