Restaurants

Functioning like a portal into a different country and another time, Lowiczanka is housed in a concrete cultural centre that seems to have been airlifted-in from a pre-Solidarity version of Warsaw. Indeed, the Soviet-style welcome (dour security guards instruct you to check-in your bag, whether you want to or not) begins immediately. The restaurant, tucked away on the second floor, resembles a Travelodge breakfast room. However, Barszcz (borscht) with mushroom dumplings, and a rich wild boar pâté were both great starters. To follow, the shared Polish ‘meze' for two showcased some of the best of the menu: delicious smoked sausage, potato balls with minced meat, golabki, meaty hunter's stew and a superb carrot salad. Our advice: come for the food, not the decor.

Time Out Cheap Eats in London Guide 2007