Daquise

LDN Review. South Kensington. Chandeliers hang alongside old photos and borscht is ladled tableside at this wonderfully old-school Polish institution in South Kensington, daquise. Sitting in daquise grand, aged dining room—part tiled, part distressed, daquise, but wholly elegant—makes us wonder why this traditional ideal of a restaurant is no longer in vogue.

Back in May , regulars were disheartened by news that this much-loved restaurant was to close. Situated next-door to South Kensington station, Daquise is elegant and decidedly unassuming. On each table, a modest drinking glass accommodates a single bloom, a rose or tulip, in keeping with the understatedly romantic atmosphere of the interior. The menu contains traditional dishes executed to an exceptional standard. Classic cold starters of tender herring with cream, apple, onion and flax oil, or beetroot with subtly warming horseradish, are ladled directly from earthenware bowls.

Daquise

Daquise, a Polish establishment in South Kensington, is a relative youngster — tracing its history to the Second World War — but you can feel the hand of history on your shoulder as you enter a charming and unusual restaurant where diners using cell phones look anomalous. The walls are lined with old photographs, and the room is filled with people some of them as elderly as us who appear unhurried and fully able to understand the benefits of a long lunch. Daquise formally opened in , when the owner, a Mr Dakowski, conflated his name with that of his French wife Louise. But it is believed that prior to that, the space served as a canteen to take the overflow from the nearby Polish Club Ognisko Polskie during the war. And it was a home-from-home for Roman Polanski while he was filming Repulsion in the early s. More recently, it was a favourite of A. Gill, who gave it a five-star review in the Sunday Times in , having frequented it as a student in the s. The prices have risen since then, but not too much. The food and service are surprisingly good. But what we were served was food where flavour came first. Everything was properly seasoned and on the plate for a reason. Even something as simple as tomato soup was a winner. Served at the table from a saucepan, it was simple and richly flavoured with cream and pepper and containing just a few noodles. This traditional dish zupa pomidorowa was half of the set lunch, followed by roast chicken. Plus, the vegetables actually tasted as they should.

It's an ambition that testifies to how much Polish food has grown in popularity here, daquise.

For 63 years, it has had an almost monastic resistance to change: yellow walls, chipped crockery, plastic flowers and charm. It has been a totem for London Poles: Roman Polanski came daily for dumplings and stews when he was filming Repulsion nearby, and it was always a favourite of cold war spies — Christine Keeler met her Soviet attache there. Daquise opened in , an emigre's recreation of a country lost to Communism. The food was spartan but homely, the oiled tablecloths a cross between lino and Uhu, and fingerprints smeared the menus. But it was proof that restaurants can be more than the sum of their parts. And now, a superstar catering family from Warsaw, the Gesslers, has just bought it.

Opened in , award-winning restaurant Daquise is the oldest Polish restaurants in the capital. The restaurant serves traditional dishes from Poland and over the years it has attracted some big names including Roman Polanski and exiled Polish president Edward Raczynski, who planned campaigns to overthrow Soviet powers whilst sitting in the restaurant. The venue is steeped in history and you feel it when you look around at the rustic interior. You'll see clean white tiles, rugged floorboards, and crisp white tablecloths on round tables. This South Kensington restaurant has a warm atmosphere that's the ideal match for the hearty home-cooked food you'll see on the menu. The food choices are concise but there's still plenty of variety on offer. Traditional dumplings with a choice of fillings are a great way to start an authentic meal here, or to finish one off if you go for dumplings filled with fruit. You can also choose starters like soup, Russian salad, and Polish-style stuffed eggs. Next there are hearty main courses such as veal meatballs, breaded pork chop, and goulash.

Daquise

LDN Review. South Kensington. Chandeliers hang alongside old photos and borscht is ladled tableside at this wonderfully old-school Polish institution in South Kensington. Sitting in its grand, aged dining room—part tiled, part distressed, but wholly elegant—makes us wonder why this traditional ideal of a restaurant is no longer in vogue. The tablecloths are white but the borscht is vibrant in colour and pepper. If you let your daydreams takeover, you can imagine sitting here waiting to meet your mysterious wealthy benefactor for the first time. But things like the fruit pierogies—hot dumplings filled with a slice of cold strawberry—can rupture this fantasy. The understated ceremony of this borscht—of it being carefully ladled tableside from the pot—will warm the coldest of hearts.

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Jake Missing August 31, Barszcz The Polish variant of Ukrainian borscht. The food was spartan but homely, the oiled tablecloths a cross between lino and Uhu, and fingerprints smeared the menus. So should we. The vegetable ones are particularly soft and delicious—flecks of sweet onion, an earthy hint of mushroom. Share on email Share on Email. Features Interviews Profiles Guides Jobs. On each table, a modest drinking glass accommodates a single bloom, a rose or tulip, in keeping with the understatedly romantic atmosphere of the interior. Everything was properly seasoned and on the plate for a reason. Cabbage and wild mushroom. Pierre at Daquise, Richard Vines. London's Classic Restaurants. Richard Vines, with Pierre Koffmann. It's an ambition that testifies to how much Polish food has grown in popularity here. Brits are increasingly taking to the new food.

The term dacquoise can also refer to the nut meringue layer itself.

Making an authentic bigos can take over a week: its flavour develops with the addition of new ingredients such as venison, veal and sauerkraut. But the longer they stay, the more their adopted country absorbs their food. There may not be such a thing as…. So should we. A post shared by marion marionxpauline. The food was spartan but homely, the oiled tablecloths a cross between lino and Uhu, and fingerprints smeared the menus. Golonka Pickled, boiled ham hock, typically served with sauerkraut. Beetroot and dumplings, Richard Vines. Today, supermarkets stock a range of Polish products and luxury delis, Polish bakers and polskie sklepy Polish shops abound. Daquise is a historic restaurant with old-fashioned food and hospitality that feels honest and welcoming. The vegetable ones are particularly soft and delicious—flecks of sweet onion, an earthy hint of mushroom. Restaurant Review. Herring Polish pickled herring, fresh dill and hot blinis is one of the most delicious quick bites.