Restaurants

Has Bar Polski taken its eye off the ball? This long-time favourite was always primarily a bar, but it was also somewhere you could enjoy decent Polish home-style cooking, provided you picked your time carefully. Yet on our last visit, though early in the week, the atmosphere resembled that of a rowdy pub; a large group was braying over thumping music, making it difficult to relax and enjoy the enterprising range of Polish beers (including lesser-known dark brews like Okocim Porter), the chance to have a shot of raspberry syrup in your Zywiec or Tyskie, and the well-organised menu of over 60 vodkas. The range can’t be faulted – but Polish drinks are now ubiquitous in London. Vibrant barszcz and tender herring salad went down a treat, but greasy fried pierogi and heavy potato pancakes did little more than mop up the booze. For vodka, try dry Debowa Biala (white oak), sour-sweet Koneser Cranberry or an aromatic Kminkowa (caraway seed). We’ll always love the light-wood backdrop to the bold wycinanki(traditional paper cut-out designs) of cockerels and other stylised folk motifs, but Bar Polski needs to get its cool vibe back.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009