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Cafe Ariel

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fizzytom
fizzytom
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
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1
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3
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Editor Pick

Let me Put you in the Picture at Cafe Ariel

  • October 30, 2008
  • Rated 4 of 5 by fizzytom from Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Let me Put you in the Picture at Cafe Ariel

Having been to Krakow once before on which occasion we spent a lot of time in the Old Town, we wanted to see some different areas on our second visit. We had previously spent a little time in Kazimierz, the former Jewish district where Oskar Schindler had one of his factories, but we had heard it had changed a lot in five years so we decided to spend the afternoon and evening there.

As we know from history, the Krakow Jewish population suffered a terrible fate during the Second World War; the Kazimierz district had been a prosperous part of the city but after the German invasion it fell into decline and, indeed, until around 2000 much of the area was still derelict. Today the regeneration of Kazimierz is almost finished and the area is teeming with boutique hotels, designer bars and shops selling handmade gifts. In this renaissance the Jewish heritage of Kazimierz has not been forgotten. At the heart of this is ulica Szeroka (actually more of a square than a street) where you will find the Rumah - the only remaining synagogue in Krakow to function on a permanent basis - and a collection of Jewish restaurants and cafes. These restaurants have played a major role in the resurgence of klezmer music in Poland in recent years and several have nightly live music.

We chose Cafe Ariel, mainly because it looked the liveliest from outside. In doing so we were choosing to ignore the reviews we had read in local restaurant guides so we were taking a chance. There are several doorways so we weren't sure where to go in, especially as earlier we had seen some customers go in one door only to be escorted out of the building and to another entrance by a staff member. However, we entered through the left hand door (as you look at the building) and found ourselves in a small reception area with an ornate bar. We were attended to immediately and shown to a table for two. We asked about music but there was none this evening.

I almost couldn't look at the menu because I was so busy looking at the decor. The walls are a deep turquoise colour and covered in ornately framed paintings of Jewish scholars and scenes of old Krakow. It wasn't until later I learned that Cafe Ariel also calls itself a gallery. Elaborate menorah stood on the piano beside our table and on the huge marble mantelpiece. It was like dining in some cosy and slightly formal drawing room. There were very decorative light fittings and big urns of flowers wherever there was space. I was glad I was sitting in one place and not having to negotiate all this stuff with trays of food!

The menu was fairly extensive but well laid out so you could skim through and find what you fancied. Being a Jewish restaurant Ariel offers several "very Jewish" special occasion dishes and some more common dishes as well as few traditional Polish dishes whose heritage is partly tied up with Jewish cuisine. I suppose the most "Jewish" of dishes is the Carp Sephardic style and while I wanted to try something very traditional I usually don't eat carp because I find the high number of bones intensely irritating. After our orders were taken a basket containing two soft bread rolls was brought to us.
To start I chose the green salad with chicken livers which turned out to be an enormous plate of salad dressed in a delicious garlic dressing (very like a Caesar salad as there were also croutons) and perfectly sautéed chicken livers. At 25 Zloty this cost more than my main course but it was certainly worth it. Himself chose the chopped herrings in onions and cream, another good portion and again it was delicious; this dish cost 14 Zloty.

For my main course I chose the stuffed cabbage leaves in creamy tomato sauce. This arrived as two big parcels of cabbage leaves stuffed with rice and seasoned meat which had been cooked to perfection in stock. The rich tomato sauce was slightly spicy with a hint of cinnamon. Having eaten all my starter I struggled with this dish towards the end but himself was more than willing to assist. He chose the cod fish in horseradish sauce with which he chose fried potatoes as an accompaniment. The fish had been battered then the sauce poured over the top which seemed to defeat the point of frying the batter until crisp as it promptly turned soggy under the sauce; it still tasted pretty good though.

Having spent the afternoon drinking Polish beer in various bars I had decided I'd had enough alcohol for the time being so I only drank water while himself had a beer. However there is a good wine list starting at around £11 for Bulgarian and Hungarian wines and the list even includes two wines from the Golan Heights though these were priced around £30.

We didn't have desserts, feeling we had already eaten too much but there is a good selection of sticky, creamy desserts and - the one I would have chosen - the Passover cheese with raisins and orange zest which looked delicious when I saw it being taken to another table.

Our bill came to 104 Zloty - £21 - which I feel is very good value for the surroundings and what we ate, although it is quite expensive by Krakow standards. Had there been music an additional 20 Zloty per person (approximately £4.20) would have been added to the bill; however I had hoped to hear some klezmer music and was disappointed that there was none that evening. A glance at the Cafe Ariel website will tell you about some of the notable performers who have played here.

Dining at Cafe Ariel was an interesting and enjoyable experience, offering some traditional dishes at reasonable prices for Kazimierz which can be quite pricy. The surroundings are lovely and the atmosphere intimate and cosy in spite of the fact it was quite busy. We didn't have much interaction with the staff but service was prompt and efficient.

I do like to try different places but this is somewhere I would consider going back to; there are still things on the menu I would like to try and I would like to go back in summer to dine in the courtyard or at one of the outside tables where you can have a view of life passing by on the square.

I am glad I ignored the poor reviews and gave Cafe Ariel a try. I have enjoyed some great food in Poland but this was one of the most memorable experiences.

Szeroka St. 18, Krakow

http://www.ariel.ceti.pl/?page=sg&lan= en

From journal Enjoy Some Polish Spirit

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