R20, ul. Rozbrat 20, Warsaw, Poland

I have a special place in my heart for the Powisle district of Warsaw.  This is where I grew up and went to my kindergarten,  elementary and high schools.  This is also where I used to know every street, building and podwórko.   Unfortunately, aside from indestructible Tokio sushi  and a number of really cool places on the wrong side of Powisle, it is pretty devoid of decent restaurants.  Thus, it gives me a great pleasure to write about a “desert flower” called R20 at Rozbrat street 20.  In my humble opinion, it is one of the best restaurants in Warsaw, and considered to be THE best by many.  I have been there many times for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and never was disappointed.  The place seems a bit crowded, but this feeling together with the overall décor creates a great imitation of a small high-end Parisian restaurant.  The always fresh and abundant flowers and the windows/doors that open to the street only strengthen this feeling.  Yesterday, we were sitting there in the evening, inside the restaurant.  The air temperature was perfect for the windows / doors to be open.  The ambiance was perfect; even the street lamps gave the right light on the trees outside.  Of course, the company you are with helps a lot in the positive perception.  Nevertheless, I was there many times before (also in the wintertime), and my observations were always positive.

The food has been always exceptional.  Starting with the freshly baked bread; through truly amazing starters (here I highly recommend the tuna-in-chunks tartar and whatever they happen to serve the scallops with);  moving into the main courses.  And here, I have to complement the chefs with what they do with the fish.  I have never eaten such a good cod with a touch of tomato sauce.  The same can be said for perch with asparagus.  You can really taste the unique flavour of each fish, delicately enhanced by the sauces.  On the meat side, if you like poultry, the guinea fowl is always a great choice, and their steak served with black truffles makes for a unique and sensational palate experience.  I try to stay away from desserts, but I hear ;) their chocolate soufflé is to die for.  The only weak point is rather narrow selection of wines, yet a sufficient one to go well with the served food.  To sum up, I recommend the place not only because it is in Powisle, but because it has both the style and the taste.

http://www.rozbrat20.pl