Cafe Baobab

Cafe Baobab is situated in one of the nicest areas in Warsaw – Saska Kępa, at Francuska Street. Among many cafes and restaurants that you can find there this Senegal restaurant is quite modest or even a bit shabby. There is a small room at the back with four tables and in the front a tiny bar preceded by two coffee tables. 

Menu is short but definitely interesting. We have tried the Yassa ginar – grilled chicken in onion-mustard sauce served with olives and paprika and accompanied by rice. Taste is quite original and a bit surprising but in a pleasant way. I have tasted also the Mafe yap – beef in a peanut sauce and it was absolutely delicious. Fish-filled dumplings served fried were very good as well. I still need to taste some fish and salads and definitely will do that on my next visit to Saska Kępa. 

 

They have also hilarious teas – fruit and mint and a cake of the day was really good as afternoon snack. And if you need coffe that kicks you out of your shoes this Senegal one is definitely better than 10 energy drinks in a row. 

Staff is friendly they speak Polish, French and English. Menu is available in English. 

Monika

Café Baobab

Francuska 31, Warszawa  
tel. +48 22 617 40 57 () ‎

Wine Review

Our new favorite wine has hit the shelves in Warsaw.  So far, I've found it at Leclerc in Ursynów at a price o 38.00zl.  It's a Carmenere / Cabernet blend from Chile and it is just simple delicious.

Keep an eye out for:  Vina Maipo Carmenere Reserve!

Restaurant of the Year Award!

For the past few years, there has been a contest to choose Warsaw's best restaurant.  The final drawing happens next week on the 26th of November!  I've only been to one of them so far - but I may have to do some 'research' this week and fill you in on some others!  Here are the options:

El Greco - ul. Grzybowska 9 - Greek Cuisine (I'll write a review on this one soon!) Website in Polish
La Iberica - ul. Płowiecka 35 - Tapas (I need NO excuse to try a new tapas bar! :)) Website in Polish/Spanish only.
La Table - ul. Nowogrodzka 38 - French Cuisine - First minus - they don't have a functioning website that I    can find  :(
Maho - aleje Krakowska 240/242 - The claim to be the first 'real' Turkish restaurant in Wawa
Tamka 43 - ul. Tamka 43 - Cafe / Wine bar which I think has been included because it's in the new Chopin Center and this is Chopin's year (if you all hadn't noticed).

See the nominees on a map


Let the Eating Begin!  :) :)
~Caity

Słodki ... Słony (Magda Gessler)

http://www.slodkislony.pl/
45 Mokotowska

This was a long awaited trip.  The first time I had a dessert from Słodki Słony (which means Sweet Savory/Salty) was at a friend's house.  These are the things I knew about the dessert:  It was VERY expensive and AMAZINGLY delicious.  It was a chocolate cake, rolled and filled with marscapone (mixed with a lot of sugar) and dark red cherries.  I melted with every bite.  That was about a year ago and last week, I finally made it down to the real deal!

After looking at the website, I expected the inside to be bright and modern which heightened my excitement.  I like showy fashionable places.  Then, I showed up and here is the entrance:

Entrance to Słodki Słony at Mokotowska 45

 It is homey, warm and cozy.  WHAT?!?  I usually like this kind of atmosphere (it's a bit like Casa To Tu, which I LOVE inside) but it was so far from my expectations that I found myself a bit disappointed in it.  I took some time to try and look in the display case while I was waiting for my company but it was hard to catch a glance due to the amount of people who were in line.   The place was packed - and at 250.00zl per cake, I guess business is going pretty well.

My friends showed up and we sat in a little corner that was a bit dark ---->
There were doilies everywhere (I hate doilies) but it was time to eat, so I figured we should get to it.  Poland as a general rule does an amazing job with seasonal eating.  Everywhere right now has pumpkin everything which is a big plus for me because I'm a big fan.  I ate some really delicious pumpkin soup that had a  hint of cheese in it with some pan fried pumpkin seeds and followed it up with a salad.  While Poland does seasonal foods well, as a general rule, it sucks at great salads but this one was an exception.  Arugula, Bacon, Cheese, YUM.  Both of my friends ordered (keeping in tradition with pumpkin season) pumpkin pancakes with goat cheese, spinach and walnuts.  Also amazing.  I was really surprised by the quality of the "savory" food choices considered this restaurant is so well known for it's sweets.  But, here, check it out for yourself.. the savory dishes were GREAT.

Rucola, Bacon, Cherry Tomatoes and Feta

Pumpkin Cakes with Goat Cheese, Spinach and Walnuts

And then, finally, it was time for dessert.  I was so excited.  So so excited.  And they were just alright.  My Napoleonka was a little hard on the edges (sat there all day pre cut?) and cost 12zl.  My friends had a type of donut stuffed with cherry and a type of french crust with sliced plums.  All just ok.  For the full meal, we paid over 200.00zl.  The desserts look amazing, so I'll include pictures but when you make your trip to Słodki Słony, be sure to get that chocolate roll that I mentioned at the beginning - I guarantee it's a success, even if it will costyou 18zl  :)

Napoleonka

Cherry stuffed pastry

Plum flatbread

Enjoy!
Caity

Przekąski –Zakąski Bistro a la Fourchette

Bistro is remarkable, original and has a special quality all of its own. The place is small but the bar is massive. They have two prices: 4 zl for beverages and 8 zl for food. Those are just simple appetizers heavily rooted in Polish history, best known as tasters to accompany vodka drinking. When it comes to drinks: vodka, beer, red wine, white wine, coffee – just one brand and kind. It is a perfect place for a drink between a dinner and heading for a club. It is great when late in the night you need just the last shot and a titbit. It is charming on the early afternoon when you can observe Krakowskie Przedmieście while sipping coffee. It welcomes you in the morning after a tough night with cold beer and hot sausages. It warms you up with wine after the sightseeing. Open 24/7. People come and go. None of them spend long time there but everyone adds something to the place’s unique ambiance. 

I encourage you to watch a bit of the documentary “From Poland with Love” where you can see more explanations from the owner himself. 

From Poland with Love Episode 2 

Na zdrowie! 

Monika

Przekąski-Zakąski  Bistro a la Fourchette
Krakowskie Przedmieście – corner with Ossolińskich Street, just across The Bristol Hotel
open 24/7

Papu

Papu restaurant is situated in Mokotow, a part of town I have been living in for almost four years now and first time I dined there was no earlier then spring this year. Really do not know why I waited so long...

Décor is absolutely ornamental, abundant in flowers and with rigid white linen on the tables. After entering you are welcomed by a warm semi-darkness (because of thick window dressings) and wooden walls. Charming lights in the evening complete the ambiance of relax and food-fiesta. As one of my friends summed it up accurately: Christmas but without reindeers. 

Shrimps on hot lava

Specialties of the restaurant are meals served on hot lava. Guests can value between shrimps, tuna steak, white meats and fillet steak (beef).  Food is placed raw on the lava and actually it is the client that decides how much it is cooked. Quite spectacular to watch but rather for those, who like playing with their food in restaurants. I would rather trust chef and be served something that is already done. And in my opinion you can trust chef in Papu. 

Carpaccio

Starters: Polish pierogi are very good there, small, delicate, served cooked and you can choose between cheese, veal and spinach or mix them together. I think it is just right for someone who is in Poland for first time and would like to eat something really Polish. Beef tartar served Polish style with yolk and sour chopped cucumbers is also worth trying. Salmon tartar that I had was good, or rather – okay but I would not recommend it strongly. Instead it is better to have carpaccio – in my opinion one of the best in Warsaw. Delicious secret lies in the horse-radish cream that is spread under meat. Absolutely fabulous. 

Soups: I haven’t tried the cucumber soup so I have yet to have an opinion on that one, but from other three the wild mushroom soup evokes the best emotions. Obviously you need to like wild mushrooms (boletus to be precise). Lemon soup is just not to my taste. Truthfully I have no idea if it was good lemon soup or not because it was simply strange. Seasonaly, they are offering pumpkin soup on the menu but previously they had tomato cream which was really nice.

All salads (except Caesar salad) are interesting with not so common in Poland add-ons as pear, balsamico-honey sauce, chicken livers etc. Nice, fresh, proper portions and absolutely as it should be. Regarding Ceasar salad… It needs a few words of explanation. I am an absolute fan of Ceasar salad and I try it in every restaurant if it is on the menu. But as a fan I’ve become quite a purist in the subject and I want it to be done the classic way. No changes in salad type, no extras as tomatoes or other vegetables, proper sauce etc. And it is not served that way in Papu – nevertheless the chicken is tasty and juicy, bread toasted nicely and sauce is good. Still…. It is not The Right Ceasar salad I would love to have. 

Main courses: Papardelle with prawns and vegetables is very nice, though not being fan of pasta I shall not be eating it regularly. Cod fillet – I have tried a bit and it was very good but generally Poland is not a country where fish is served in an impressing way. Pork cutlet with mashed potatoes is so Polish and conventional for me that I skipped that one but might be a new experience for foreigners.  Unfortunately I haven’t tried goose yet. But I recommend definitely beef fillet – truffle oil gives it quite a splendid taste. Duck is perfect – Polish are good in preparing duck and if you have a feeling for that and a chance to try – go for it. As for the ribs this honey glaze they do fights now for the first place with BBQ sauce in my personal “way to serve ribs” contest.

Desserts: Though they look and sound delicious, every time I dine there I am so profoundly filled after the main course that I simply have no chance to stuff in anything else…. Need to go JUST for a dessert some time.

The menu is in Polish and English and there is special menu for kids as well. Staff is nice, they speak English and are perfectly able to recommend and explain how dishes are served and made. Good wine list and wide range of aperitifs and afters complete the picture. Prices are rather high, You can check them on the website, but it is really worth trying. I would rather recommend it for dinner than quick lunch – it is such a nice place to sit and relax that it is worth at least 3 hours of your time. 
Monika

http://www.restauracjapapu.pl/
Al. Niepodległości 132/136
tel.: (+48) 22 856 77 88

Delizia

This Italian restaurant was strongly recommended by one of my friends and he insisted that this is the only place in Warsaw where you are served decent portion of truffles. So be it, tonight is the Italian night. 

The restaurant has big windows but the view onto Poznańska Street is not exactly spectacular. Just an average street in a busy city. There are about 8 tables and a small bar, so it is better to book ahead if you are planning on having dinner in the evening. The atmosphere is a bit different from what I expected (a cosy Italian restaurant). The décor is rather simple, lot of shades in shades of beige and brown. The tables are wooden but either were they too high or the chairs were too low because I needed a pillow to feel comfortable with the height between my mouth and the plates. And just for the record 1,70m is not small, is it?;-)

But let’s get to the point, which is food, shall we? I was a bit nervous due to the character of the meeting so I lazily but willingly followed recommendations of Lorenzo and pick up tuna tartar and tagliolini with truffles. Tuna was perfectly fresh, delicate and not spoiled with any unnecessary spice, just fresh pepper and a dash of balsamico. The main course was an absolute REVELATION: truffles freshly sliced, aromatic and lavishly scattered all over the plate and the best tagliolini I have ever had. Pasta generally is at the end of my food list and I hardly ever order it, but here it was worth every penny.

I’ve tasted a bit of carpaccio as well and it was nothing but good. We took a bottle of house wine and the choice was really good (I.G.T. Montagner Veneto) and in a reasonable price (65zł).

Menu is in English, Polish and Italian. Lorenzo speaks English, Italian and very good Polish, which is a reason to congratulate him. Staff is helpful, friendly and ambiance is very familial. I would definitely recommend delizia and shall be coming back there from time to time. 

Monika


http://www.delizia.com.pl/
ul. Hoża 58/60 Warsaw
(entrance Poznańska Street)
Monday to Saturday, 12 to 22, Sunday closed
Reservations:+48-22 6226665

Food Food and more Food

Hey :)  Caity here.

So, it's after work (yes, I admit it, the last post was written on work hours.. oops!) and I've already made dinner (turkey meatloaf - recipe below) and somehow, again, I ended up on foodblogs.  There are a a few that I really love that I'd like to share.  They mostly have to do with baking and since that's what I love the most . . .

http://bakingbites.com/  - amazing recipes.  I made the Lemon Curd Cream Cheese Pie for the hubster's birthday this year (he's a huge lemon fan) and it was a huge hit.

http://www.visionsofsugarplum.com/ - There is nothing healthy about this website, but man she has some amazing recipes!

http://stephchows.blogspot.com/ - and finally, a girl after my own heart.  She loves food and recreates her own healthier version of non healthy items - check out her homemade nutella (which is how I found her.. searching the vast internet database for a decent homemade nutella recipe that didn't include white refined sugar!


Today's Dinner:  Turkey Meatloaf 

     *side note:  I don't actually measure things when I cook, so the below are estimates.. you'll have to play around with it to figure out what you like!
     *side note 2:  I usually use onions in meatloaf, but I didn't have any so I left them out.

.5 kilo (~ 1 lb) of ground turkey meat
3 garlic cloves, mashed and chopped
1/3 cup of sundried tomatoes, chopped (I use the kind soaked in oil)
1/3 cup of bread crumbs
1/3 cup of rolled oats
splash of milk
egg

Topping
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons mustard
3/4 cup of tomato sauce (just the plain stuff, no flavor and NO, not ketchup)
1 teaspoon of honey

Mix topping ingredients together, set aside.
Mix meatloaf ingredients together.
Spread 1/4 cup of the topping in the bottom of a loaf pan.  Add meatloaf mixture to loaf pan.  Add remaining topping and bake, uncovered for 35ish minutes in a 175C oven.  I served this with some stir fried brussel sprouts (make sure to cook them until they are fairly dark brown - they turn sweet!).  YUM!

Mały Belgrad

ul. Belgradzka 4 lok. 9U
Metro Natolin
18 - 26zł for a main dish
Serbian / Bulgarian
http://malybelgrad.pl/index.htm

My husband and I LOVE Mały Belgrad.  First of all, for us it's conveniently close to home and second of all, the food is consistently delicious.  We've eaten here at least once a month since they opened (in 2008??) and have never had a bad meal.  One major con is that the restaurant is quite small and often full.  There are 8 tables, most of them 2 tops that can be pushed together for bigger groups, but be sure to ask a polish speaking friend to make a reservation for you!  Another trip up for foreigners is that they don't have an english menu - but there are pictures and some names are common enough to recognize (musaka, cukinia, etc.) besides the fact that I'll give you the scoop on all their best food right now, just be sure to grab a paper and pen . . .

Starting at the beginning -

SOUP

• Zupa z Soczewicy -- Lentil soup -- this is how my husband and I fell in love with this restaurant, it is the most delicious lentil soup I've ever tasted
• Gęsta Zupa z Kurczaka -- Chicken Soup -- just like grandma used to make it!
• Zupa z klopsikami -- this actually IS the chef's grandmother's soup and really worth a try :)

APPETIZERS

• Smażona Cukinia -- our favorite appetizer.  Butter fried zucchini (courgette) topped with garlic sauce
• Naleśniki po Jugosłowiańsku -- Spinach crepes, battered and deep fried, covered in the same delicious garlic sauce.  I order this often as a full meal

DINNERS

• Kurczak "Montenegro" -- My absolute favorite dish.  Chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce with potatoes or rice and coleslaw.  I don't even like mushrooms, but I love this. 
• Saszłyk "Hajducki" -- Pork, wrapped in bacon cooked on a skewer on the grill. YUM. 

SALADS
As a general rule, Warsaw isn't the best place for getting great salads (I'll keep you posted as to where the best are) but the salad I'm about to list my husband dies for every summer.  It's his favorite meal then, not exactly healthy but...

• Sałata Leskovaczka - bed of greens topped with liver, wrapped in bacon and grilled.  Served with toast.

This should get you started.  Hope you enjoy!!!

Been to Mały Belgrad and loved it?  Tell us about it below!
Have another favorite dish?  We'd love to hear from you :)

To Be Reviewed . . .

Just a quick list of haunt that we like to frequent - stay tuned for full reviews and our favorite dish picks!

Hektor
Casa to tu
Mały Belgrad
Nasz Naleśnik
Izumi Sushi
Rimini Pizzeria
Mistrz Asia

and many more to come!