Polish restaurants with Michelin star

Poland’s best restaurants will delight lovers of original combinations and surprise them with the uniqueness of the offered dishes. What every restaurateur dreams of is a Michelin star, a distinction very much like an Oscar. Getting one is not only a confirmation of quality, but also a commitment. A visit to restaurants with even one star is like participating in a culinary spectacle where every detail matters and food becomes a form of art.

What is the scale of the awarded stars? One star means a very good restaurant in its category. Two stars is a place with sensational cuisine worth visiting, and three indicate cuisine so unique that it is worth a special trip.

The first restaurant in Poland to receive the Michelin star was Atelier Amaro in Warsaw. Chef Wojciech Modest Amaro is a true culinary virtuoso. In his kitchen he focused on the richness of local and seasonal ingredients. Michelin inspectors recognised the restaurant in 2013, among others, for the use of local products, innovative cooking style, as well as original combinations of flavours. The Atelier did not have a typical menu, instead there were tasting sets called “moments” to choose from. One of them was, for example, morel / wild peas / beech. The guests were at the edge of their seats waiting for what this combination would entail. In anticipation of the “moments”, guests could enjoy starters, such as a gooseberry cone with jelly and snail caviar or onion slices with blood sausage served on grass. Unfortunately, Amaro decided to close the restaurant, which was very affected by the pandemic, and focused on a different activity.

Another star establishment in the capital was Senses, in which chef Andrea Camastra combined Polish products with modern culinary techniques, creating unforgettable compositions. For 5 years in a row, the restaurant was awarded by Michelin. However, it did not withstand the effects of the pandemic and today it is no longer found on the culinary map of Warsaw.

However, Andrea Camastra, who was included in the list of the 100 best chefs in the world according to the prestigious French magazine Le Chef, did not exactly hang his apron on a hook. In his new restaurant, NUTA, the only one in Warsaw with a Michelin star, he continues to create culinary works of art. These include, among others, a gazpacho-style soup or a cucumber salad served in the form of an exclusive praline, delicious breads (including beetroot bread) served with acidified butter, redefined ruskie pierogi, and fish as an exclusive appetizer. And all this is prepared on the spot with care and attention to every detail. As we read on the Michelin Guide’s website, the inspectors recognised NUTA for the tasting menus, combining Polish ingredients, the chef’s Italian culinary heritage and the influence of Asian cuisine. As hinted at in the name – “nuta” means musical note in Polish – cooking is done according to the idea of note-by-note, a field of science derived from molecular cuisine, which is a great inspiration and passion of the chef. It combines culinary artistry with culinary craftsmanship creating unique dishes.

Currently, the only restaurant in Poland that can boast two Michelin stars is Bottiglieria 1881 in Kraków. The word spread quickly, as you can wait as long as 90 days to get a table there. Chef Przemysław Klima creates dishes inspired by Polish regional cuisine with a modern twist. As he says himself, his kitchen crosses borders, evokes memories and discovers childhood flavours. Based on local, fresh produce and seasonality, the menu changes several times a year. What can you try there? How about pierogi with artichoke, truffle, fried zucchini and półgęsek, i.e. goose cold cuts? Fans of fish will be delighted with turbot cooked in butter, decorated with blackcurrant leaves, with young cabbage and peas with mint, served with Hollandaise sauce based on white miso. There is also blood sausage made from mangalica (a breed of Hungarian pigs) in corn dough and chorizo, with a smoked paprika emulsion and spring onions, and beef tartare with caviar and marrow instead of egg, decorated with white sweet alyssum flowers.

You can also eat in a “starred” restaurant in the capital of Wielkopolska. Run by chef Artur Skotarczyk, MUGA is the first restaurant in Poznań appreciated by Michelin culinary inspectors. What to eat in Muga? The menu changes periodically every season, but attention should be paid to, for example, guinea fowl combined with miso and peach or escargots with parsley root and leaves in vermouth. In Muga you will also find a creative menu for vegetarians. Baked celery, caramelised buttermilk and rose petals or chanterelle mushrooms with blueberries and pine shoots are only a few mouthwatering ideas.

For lovers of refined tastes and unforgettable experiences, Polish restaurants with a Michelin star are a must on the food map of the world. They are proof that Polish cuisine can delight, inspire and become an equal partner for the best cuisines globally. They are spaces where tradition meets modernity, and the passion and creativity of the chefs take Polish gastronomy to a whole new level.

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