RESTAURANTS mains to hover on, the highlight being the duck breast. The meringue dessert is heaven, as well. $$ Concept 13 (D4) ul. Bracka 9, tel. 22 310 7373. Open 12:0023:00. Perched on the fifth floor of the Vitkac luxury department store, Concept 13 has a look that’d be approved of by any lifestyle mag: hardwood floors, glass and plenty of open spaces. The menu is contemporary and cleverly direct, five course set lunch menus from zł. 50. Modern designer dining BEST WAWA 2012 rarely gets better. $$$ “Restaurant for a Business Meeting” Winner, “Restaurant Design” Winner Downtown Restaurant (C4) ul. Emilii Plater 49 (InterContinental Hotel, level 2), tel. 22 328 888. Open daily for Breakfast 6:30-10:30; Mon-Fri Business Lunch 12:00-15:00, Sat Lunch 12:00-15:00, Sunday Brunch 12:30-16:00. Dinner 17:30-22:00 every Mon-Thurs. There’s now a few candidates for Warsaw’s best steak, and Downtown have certainly upped the erm, stakes, with their new menu. Appealing to the serious spender, the US Longhorn (a cool zł. 185) is utterly unforgettable. Try it with orange whiskey sauce. $$$ Duchnicka Wine & Food ul. Duchnicka 3, tel. 22 320 2989, duchnickawinebar.com. Open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00. Filling the boots of outgoing
chef Joseph Seeletso is Michał Budnik, a rising star with a bright future ahead. The thrilling menu includes cappuccino soup, and a totally triumphant T-Bone. $$ Flaming & Co. (E6) ul. Chopina 5, tel. 22 628 8140, www. flaming-co.com. Open 7:30-24:00. A superb eatery seemingly styled by Ralph Lauren. Winning rave reviews across the board, find a strong international offering and even a small playground in the park that it views. $$ Grill & Co (B9) ul. Żaryna 2B (Milllennium Park, Building C), tel. 22 646 0045, www.grill-co.com. Open 12:00-last guest. Featuring plexiglass seats and clean, dark woods this place could easily be mistaken as one of the trend dens on Mazowiecka. A top (m)eatery, the filet mignon is perfect, and served with generous sides. Prices, too, are pleasingly moderate. $$
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Hoża by Mondovino ul. Hoża 25A, tel. 603 778 275. Open 12:0022:00 (or last guest). Stepping inside, the place feels dark, which is a refreshingly unorthodox sensation in Warsaw – really, when was the last time you saw a new restaurant that wasn’t decorated in the same bright white colors and bleach wood fittings. Having a chef who runs his own meat shop is a blessing, with the meat here coming out absolute trumps. $$
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Jasna 24 ul. Jasna 24, tel. 22 447 24 41, www.jasna24.
pl. Open Mon-Fri 11:00-23:00; Sat 12:0024:00; Sun 12:00-20:00. Slick, modern and loungey in look, Jasna 24 has a creative menu that include the use of deliciously unexpected combinations. Roll up on Wednesday’s if you prefer your dinner served with a slice of live music. $$ La Rotisserie (C1) ul. Kościelna 12 (Le Régina Hotel), tel. 22 531 6000, www.leregina.com. Open Mon-Fri 6:30-10:30, 12:00-23:00; Sat & Sun 7:00-11:00,12:00-23:00. That the head chef, Paweł Oszczyk, came within a whisker of pipping Wojciech Amaro in the Best Chef category of our 2012 awards says a lot. And he’s not the only star on the pay roll: there’s also Andrzej Strzelczyk, Poland’s top ranked sommelier. Mixing ‘French techniques, Polish products and Italian influences’, Oszczyk’s menu is built for superlatives. The venison is magnificent, and on our visit came served by Poland’s most theatrical waiter – someone, give him a BEST WAWA 2012 “Hotel TV show. $$$ Restaurant” Winner Magiel Café ul. Stępińska 2, tel. 22 841 0016. Open Tue-Sun 12:00-last guest. Set with gingham tablecloths, antiques and launderette detritus, Magiel is as charming as they come. But don’t let the café part of the name fool you – the cooking here demands attention. Specializing in eco-minded slow food produce, the ever-rotating menu is fresh, natural and packed with taste. $$
ul. Senatorska 27 tel. 22 827 97 07 www.cesarski-palac.com.pl
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WARSAW INSIDER | JULY 2013