Signature

Restaurants 25 April 2015 ilabs 1

‘Kilian who?’ people asked when Wojciech Kilian was installed as head chef. But this immense talent has had the last laugh, wooing diners with...

‘Kilian who?’ people asked when Wojciech Kilian was installed as head chef. But this immense talent has had the last laugh, wooing diners with an extraordinary menu that makes fine dining accessible to all bank accounts. Complementing Kilian’s cooking is a perfect design described by one Insider as a ‘Monegasque state of mind’. Think friezes and reliefs dated from the time this was the Soviet Embassy, lavish 1950s Oswald chairs, lighting by Serge Mouille and original Marilyn photos shot by the acclaimed Milton Greene. That sense of easy luxury makes you feel a millionaire just being there.

But have no doubt, it’s all about the food. On the Insider’s latest visit that means a salad starter composed of smoked Polar cod, fennel and apples with cucumber mouse. Accompanying it a dab of horseradish ice cream which plays off the cod well.

Mains aren’t the most photogenic, but my God they are fantastic. The beef tenderloin is cooked medium rare and sits next to a slick of mushroom sauce. Partnering it is a potato gratin that is rich and creamy. It’s a simple dish, meat and veg, but such is the quality you’d happily order it as a Death Row final meal.

Does luck run out with dessert? Does it hell. The praline tart won top prize at the Noble Wine & Food Night, and you soon see why. For a second I ponder ordering another.

Signature is not a restaurant that makes a noise and blows its own trumpet – it’s got more class than that. Yet it has every right to, for have no doubt this is a restaurant that sits alongside the other fine dining heavyweights. It’s extraordinary, and a worthy addition to Michelin’s list of recommended Warsaw restaurants.

Signature

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Comments

Nicos Andreou
5 August 2018 #1 Author

What can I say about the food? The best comments! Bravo to the chef and his team. All dishes were mouthwatering and well balanced. The only comment is the quantity of the protein. It certainly needs 30% more in each dish (comparing the quantity of the main dishes of 11 Michelin restaurants in Warsaw at my 13th gastro tour in the capital) Concerning the service, unfortunately I have bad news. It was the worst. If you ask why I will inform you that:
1. Bad, strict welcoming. Pretty arrogant many times.” You can sit here or there” she told us and she left the room” the waitress told us when we entered the empty restaurant.
2. She came after 5 minutes at our table, said nothing and THREW the menus on the table.
3. In 5 minutes a man, who was supposed to be the metr, came to take orders. I asked some questions about the food and while he was explaining, a party of three – four people entered the restaurant. He immediately left us while he was explaining us the menu and disappeared. He came back in five minutes.
4. On the menu we read about a dish called ” Homemade pasta “. We told the metr that we would like to have it. He immediately replied that due to a busy day (the restaurant was 75% empty) they ran out of stock. We said ok and asked to have the fish of the day. He immediately replied that it was the trout, but due to a busy day they ran out of stock.
5. Then me and my companions picked 4 dishes (1 starter and 3 mains) and asked to have them served one by one in order to match each one with a different glass of wine . He refused to please us. He said that ” it’s going to take long “. I told him ” it doesn’t matter” .He replied that he will bring the two meat dishes at the beginning and the 2 fish dishes afterwards. He simply decided that. This was our first time after visiting more than 600 Michelin restaurants, that the metr denied to serve us one by one the dishes and suggested to start with the beef and then with the cod.
6. The timing was a disaster. Everything was late. Just imagine that the bread arrived 10 seconds before the food. The dishes arrived at our table, before we received the sharing plates.
7. The funniest of All, happened at the end. The younger resto critic at my table, asked for a glass of fresh orange juice. It arrived at room temperature. We asked the metr for ice. He replied ” I will do my best” . A very curious answer. He left the restaurant and came back after 15 minutes. No ice at all at the hotel. They also run out of ice.
IT’S REALLY A PITY TO HAVE SUCH A CREATIVE CHEF AND DISTROY EVERYTHING DUE TO BAD SERVICE AND LACK OF ORGANISATION AND TRAINING.