Since it has been a while since my husband and I have traveled together, as well as the fact that it was my birthday week, we decided to do something special. We booked a table in
Bottiglieria 1881*. This is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Kraków, and the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Poland. The last time I have been to a Michelin-starred restaurant was last July, in Hamburg, when we had dinner in
Petit Amour*.
The restaurant is located in Kazimierz, and we had a relatively late reservation for 8:45 PM. That wasn't an issue, and we were on time. The restaurant was of course expecting us, and we were seated promptly.
Given that this is a Michelin-starred restaurant, there was no question we were interested in the tasting menu. I seem to have a habit of getting an aperitif, so I went with their recommendation of a sparkling wine. I also started looking at the menu, which they gave us, even though I already knew I wanted the tasting menu. They left it at the table just so we had an idea what would be coming up next.
As is typical for tasting menus, there's a selection of amuse-bouches that were given to us. The main ingredients were written on the menu, and I must say, the presentation was also superb.
Polish cuisine traditionally begins with some version of steak tartare, and it was no different here. But they had a very delicate presentation of it. Tarragon and cucumber were involved, which definitely deviates from the traditional presentation which normally involves a raw egg yolk.
A fish dish in broth followed it, and then appeared their rendition of the Polish pierogi. I definitely liked these reinterpretations of Polish traditional culinary elements. It definitely makes things interesting.
Then they gave us a small cup with a white drink. It apparently has kombucha in it, and is meant to be a mouth cleanser.
Then the two main dishes were served. The first one was a halibut, and the second main dish was lamb, which came in two parts. It looked surprisingly innocent, yet it was definitely very tasty I must say.
Dessert came in many sequences. First, there was a raspberry concoction that came in a carved-out rock. It was accompanied by a small tidbit which was also served on a rock. Then there was a rhubarb dessert with strawberry and goat cheese. And finally, some petits fours on a crystal bowl.
My husband doesn't like cream-, milk-, and butter-based products, and I am amazed at how the restaurant modified their menu to accommodate his restrictions. This is why in the photos above, you see little things deviating here and there. Nevertheless, it was never a problem for them, and they still managed to provide us a very enjoyable evening.
We didn't do the wine pairing, as we're typically slow on wine. But it was still a very positive experience. Three hours later, we slowly made our way back to our hotel, fully satisfied with a marvelous meal.
