REVIEW : EAT - Restaurant Zoni and Vodka Bar, Warsaw, Poland

There is an important place for traditional cuisine in any country’s gastronomic landscape as it provides the foundation from which to learn and develop; but I do find myself drawn more to Chefs and establishments that take the old to make it new. The cutting edge mavericks of our culinary world and Head Chef Michał Gniadek of Zoni is no exception.

He won ‘Young Talent' of the year 2018 by Gault & Millau (restaurant guide much like the Michelin Guide) and bases his menu here at Zoni on international cuisine using the best of ingredients from across the world.

REVIEW OF ZONI RESTAURANT AND VODKA BAR, WARSAW, POLAND

THE BUILDING

From the moment you enter the building, you know you are in for a treat. Zoni is part of the Polish Vodka Museum; just one of the many buildings that make up the Praga Koneser Centre which has recently undergone a massive refurbishment and regeneration of this block of industrial buildings.

With Zoni included in a vodka distillery building, it meant that there were some amazing architectural gems that could be exposed and re-purposed for this build. For example the flooring is made from the old vodka barrels, part of the floor is glass to allow you to look down to the old factory and the kilns all form part of the interior of the vodka bar.

As soon as you walk into Zoni you are greeted with a 15m long bar displaying a vast amount of vodka, many of them Polish but an equal amount showcased from around the world. Upstairs is the dining area and open plan kitchen. Zoni was a finalist in the 2019 World Interiors Award for the most beautiful restaurant interior!

NEW CULINARY HOTSPOT IN POLAND

Zoni serves up creativity on a plate. They like to play with their food here which means that presentation and flavour fall outside the average gastronomy box. Flavours, textures, colours, patterns and aromas all come the the fore so make sure your senses are ready to be overloaded.

They have an A la Carte as well as a Set Menu. As we were in a large party of 15 or so, we dined on the Set Menu.

From the A la Carte menu there are some unusual dishes - try the Foie gras with berry and brioche 64zl (£12.87) or the Cod with celery and elderflower 49zl (£9.85) accompanied by the Spinach, miso and enoki (mushroom) 14zl (£2.81) followed by Pijana Koza cheese with truffle and honey 39zl (£7.84). A 3 course meal here would cost approx £35 per person. A bargain I think.

On the table were bottles of Red and White Polish wine. The red was the 2018 Regent Dwor Sanna and the white the 2018 Winnica Dwor Sanne Solaris both from the Lubelskie region in Poland. I especially loved the white wine which was light and fruity and suited the mix of dishes I would be tasting.

We started off with some whipped butter and speciality bread whilst we pondered the menu and decided.

Check out my Instagram page on where to find your cutlery at Zoni - TartanSpoonBlog

SOUP

Beef Broth with sour cabbage and mushrooms OR Mushroom Soup with creme fraiche.

I chose the Mushroom Soup. It was a dark yet clear consomme that retained every single element of those earthy mushrooms. It was hearty, earthy, warming and packed with an umami punch. The creme fraiche left white whispy creamy trails in the broth as it melted.

The Beef Broth looked very similar and came with a nice tang!

STARTERS

Beef Tartare with truffle, pickled cucumber and pearl onion or Cauliflower with burned butter and almonds.

The Beef Tartare was next and it was sensational. Small nuggets of well seasoned fresh beef slightly minced and ultra fine. The pickled cucumber popped with freshness against the richness of the beef. Beautiful.

The Cauliflower dish looked stunning with large just cooked florets of cauliflower on a mash.

MAINS

BBQ Ribs with roasted potatoes, brussel sprouts and shallots OR Sea Bass with capers, roasted poataotes and broccoli.

The Ribs were absolutely perfect and fell off the bone. Succulent, tender, soft and a lovely fairly thick layer of BBQ sauce lathered over the top. I loved the chargrilled brussel sprouts. Finger licking good!

The Sea Bass proved popular and this came to the table whole. As was impressed by my fellow foodies who ordered this as all seemed to be able to pull the fish bone whole from the flaky tender flakes. Definitely a sight to behold!

DESSERTS

Carrot, plum, yoghurt and orange OR Cheesecake, chocolate and black current.

The cheesecake was very much like a pannacotta. It had a wobble to die for but more creamy and dense. The chocolate was bitter, the black currents tart and the cheesecake sweet. A great play on solid flavours and textures.

The Carrot Cake was light and fluffy with the acidity of the yoghurt very much complimenting this dessert dish.

This meal at Zoni was one of my favourites whilst on my foodie tour of Poland with Poland Tastes Good. There is most definitely a strong Asian influence here backed up solidly by great ingredients and using some traditional Polish cuisine to turn it on its head. The food is colourful and playful but above all it tastes delicious.

The next time you are in Warsaw, make sure you add Zoni to your foodie itinerary. Take a chance, I promise you, you won’t be disappointed but do keep an open mind.

Zoni, Centrum Praskie Koneser, Plac Konesera, 1 03-736, Warsaw, Poland. Tel : +48223553001 www.zoni.today/en/

My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10