Editor Pick
Restaurant Kawaleria
- January 17, 2007
- Rated 4 of 5 by
mightywease from Carshalton, United Kingdom
I have to admit that when I read that Restaurant Kawaleria, “Cavalry” I believe in Polish, was equine themed, I was worried that I would be sharing a rustic space with a display of horse shoes, horse brasses, horse paintings and, worst of all, cartoons of robust girls on small ponies. I’m afraid I tend to view equine pursuits with ambivalence or bewilderment. However, Kawaleria proved to be an elegant, attractive restaurant specialised in contemporary Polish cuisine.
The first two rooms – a bar and dining room - are quite intimate with cream walls, sepia photos, wooden furniture and subdued lighting.
The room we were seated in is more of a banqueting space, very pleasant perfect for large groups and parties but a little empty with just the two of us at 6 in the evening. Towards the end of the room is a wonderful old stove and, yes, there are equine themed black and white photographs but actually this gallery, well displayed on the pale blue walls, was both decorative and interesting.
The menu is traditional Polish with a modern slant, starters include crab terrine, Polish sour rye soup, battered sardines and the intriguing but a little gruesome (at least for a non-meat eater like me) piglet in jelly. Main courses take in a selection of meats in sauces and casserole including wild boar, duck and turkey. For non meaties there are fish and vegetarian options, the latter including pancakes and pierogi. The food was extremely well presented and service throughout the evening was excellent. The standard of cooking was good but I am not sure that the main courses we had exactly worked, the carp was tasty but a little overpowered by the strong taste of the mushrooms, the Turkey could have done with a little more garlic and a little more sauce. However, it was still a very nice meal and I would certainly eat there again, not least because of the lovely ambience and attentive staff.
We had:
Herrings in Spicy Sauce – very fresh, clean taste complimented by a light curry sauce
Cheese Plate – smoked, blue, soft brie style and plenty of it – delicious
Sunflower bread – very tasty
Carp with Mushrooms and Boiled Potatoes– very nice but the mushrooms were a little overpowering. The potatoes were lovely and stodgy, just as I like them
Turkey with Spinach and Garlic Sauce – spinach provided a very interesting space, portion was a bit small
One large bottle of water, one espresso, 2 vodkas
134zl (inc. tip) approx. £25/$47
From journal Krakow - History, Culture and Legends