It’s true that the concept of “Polish cuisine” might dissuade people rather than entice them, but Ognisko certainly has a thing or two to say about that! Shrouded in classical South Ken opulence, the restaurant feeds upon its general members-only club to present an atmosphere of near James Bond vibe.
I had so many delicious little appetisers here! I was excited whenever the waiter came with a new dish for me to try. I loved the meatballs, little balls of flavour that punch you in the face. The food kept coming... I was forced to leave when they closed at 12am. The service and atmosphere was impeccable. In terms of cost, I'm sure it is expensive, I went there for a work- related social so it wasn't me that paid...lol (cheapo alert)
The food is modern Polish and excellent. You can share several starters like tapas if you can't face enormous hunks of meat. I like the potato pancakes with different things like salmon or mushrooms. One of these is enough for a small appetite. The steak tartare starter is enough for a meal for me. Puddings can be excellent - the cheesecake is to die for.
The place has high ceilings and can get noisy. There were two large parties when we were there, which is not ideal, but the staff coped well.
You can't reserve at the bar, but the vodka must be fantastic and the bar food sounded very tempting. There is a nice terrace at the back overlooking a garden square. Set lunch is very good value.
We Love Food, It's All We Eat
+4.5
Ever stumbled out of a museum in South Ken in need of food? We have, although there are usually kids in tow so cocktails and Polish food is not likely to be on the agenda. Shame as Ognisko, a beautiful bar and restaurant by Jan Woroniecki – the man behind the fab Baltic in Southwark, is surrounded by all the museums on Exhibition road. Housed in a very grand terraced Victorian building, where the Polish Hearth Club was founded in 1940, it has just undergone an extensive refurb. Luckily for us, they wanted us to come and see it.
Despite the plush surroundings and private members style entrance, there was no stuffiness here. In fact it had an air of romance about it and we were so impressed with the laid back yet attentive service. The decor has hints of Baltic, the same amber flower artworks on the wall, but a more pure and gleaming room graced with pillars and chandeliers. Ognisko offers a very reasonable set lunch and pre-theatre menus at £16.50 for two courses or £19.50 for three, it’s not as pricey as you’d expect.
The vast cocktail menu is worth a visit alone, some seriously good drinks on the list and at really good prices. And obviously there’s vodka too, we had a play around with some of the house-infused flavours (£3.75 a shot) such as Horseradish and honey (surprisingly you could taste both flavours), Cherry and Hazelnut. These shots came later though, I kicked things off with a gorgeous Grapefruit and chilli sour £8.50 and Ade a Potocki feb £7.50 from the specials list - a vodka based cocktail laced with frangelico (a hazelnut liqueur) delivering a Christmassy waft with each sip.
The menu isn’t too hard to understand, although I did have to sneakily Google a few names in order to decipher them. I can’t have been very subtle about it as a waiter came over and asked if we needed a hand. After much deliberation and getting distracted by the cocktail menu I went for a typical Polish staple dish of dumplings. Pierogi filled with sauerkraut, mushrooms and pork, boiled and served with onion and boczek (Polish bacon) £7/£12.50. Slippery little suckers packed full of robust flavours, very filling so possibly not the wisest choice considering what was coming next. Ade had Kaszanka (traditional blood sausage) served on a potato pancake with onion and apple £7 the rich crumbled sausage paired perfectly with the sweet apple and the crunchy potato cake.
My main was amazing, I only wish I hadn’t eaten or drunk anything prior so I could fully appreciate it. Choucroute of golonka, barbecued pork ribs and sausage with sauerkraut salad £16 was a carnivore’s dream. The waiter described it as a ‘polish mixed grill’ and it pretty much was, I loved it. The sausage was plump hot dog style, juicy and peppery. The ribs were covered in a sticky BBQ sauce and the Golonka (ham hock) so tender and sweet. I tried, I really did but I just couldn’t eat it all, damn those dumplings.
Ade’s interpreted his main as ‘Crazy Wolf’ he even ordered it as such, leaving our waiter looking totally bemused. Zrazy Wolowe – filled beef on potato pancake £17.50 was a thin cut of tender beef rolled around batons of smoky bacon, onion and sour cucumber. We were still full so a short cocktail break was called for before desserts.
After 15 minutes or so respite Ade tucked into a Chocolate mousse with vodka marinated sour cherries and cream £6 – bitter chocolate, sharp boozy black cherries and sweet cream – this must have been created with him in mind. My sticky and sweet Baked quince with brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts £6 was a lovely light end to my meal. I don’t think I could have coped with anything too bulky, it did feel a little quince-heavy though, not that I’d ever complain about a large portion.
As we left, the barman called us back saying ‘You must stay to have one for the road – it’s a Polish tradition!’ Who are we to argue with tradition? We did a shot of vodka at the bar with the barman and waiter and they bid us farewell. What a great way to end a meal, am pretty sure they don’t do that with every customer though, they’d be on the floor. And bankrupt.
For full review and more pictures go to http://welovefood-itsallweeat.com/2014/03/04/date-night-perfection-ognisko-55-exhibition-road-london-sw7-2pg/
Random tip and find for a post Museums visit (either post the V&A, Science or Nat History Museum).
As a non Polish person, this was a great tip off and it is something different than the usual pub/ bar visit!
Impressive building, interior and garden.
The staff were friendly & superbly knowledgeable and very persuasive to try the local Vodka Brand KAVKA! 😀
Although they do cater to all tastes, so don’t be put away by the vodka!
Lovely bar food selection.
Highly recommended and very historic!
This is a truly amazing restaurant and the reviews for this place reflect that.
The interior and presentation is excellent and the staff are very attentive, polite, and helpful. If you are unfamiliar with Polish food then they are happy to help you with recommendations.
The food itself is fantastic, very flavoursome, and well presented as can be seen in the photos.
If you like Polish food or are yet to try it, then I would recommend this place. If you are also looking for somewhere to go for a nice evening meal for an occasion then look no further.
I implore more people to try Polish food, it's very good and an underrated cuisine.
Thank you.
Historical location and venue, and stunning establishment. The service is good and the food is out of this world 😁. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are craving for some authentic polish food. From appetisers, soup and both of our main dishes are so well prepared and presented. The outdoor area was fully booked when we visited but will be back for lunch soon.
Had a lovely lunch here yesterday. Food was really tasty, service good & the building is lovely & grand - gives a good ambience.
Not the cheapest meal, but nothing is in Central London! Def recommend the Polish Sausage starter, and the cheesecake dessert was fantastic also (big portions).
A lovely restaurant in a stunning Victorian house which has some lovely history behind it. The wine list contains a great selection of wines from several regions, we opted for a Romanian wine which was delicious. We then ordered a selection of items and I have to say that they were all incredible, the duck pierogi are definitely a must in my book! We didn’t actually order any mains and just focused on tons or starters and sides and that was amazing for sharing and worked out to a total £35 each including wine. Overall would highly recommend if you’re after some slightly fancier Polish food.
Where do I even start. This place was a genuine 10/10, spectacular personable service, great food and perfect both indoors and out (especially on a warmer summer day). The starters I highly recommend the dumplings (mushroom and potato - recommended from a polish colleague). The cheesecake is a no brainer, please do try it as it was moist, fluffy, fruity with hints of white chocolate making me want to come back some time in the future! Polish food has never been given so much justice before. The mains are quite meat dominated and I personally had the seabass and rabbit which both went down a treat too. Though the dumpling starters and cheesecake were the outright winner. Will be returning no doubt!
Presentation of the interior is absolutely stunning. Food is excellent, of a high quality and is reasonably priced. Selection of vodkas is the best in London, would recommend the Honey vodka for dessert!
What a great place in exceptional location! The dining area looks grand, classic, and elegant. The staff is very welcome and friendly from the minute you step in. The service is fast, polite, and professional, and the traditional polish cuisine is very tasty and diverse. We didn't order any main course but wanted to try as many different dishes as possible and decided to order from the bar menu. The pierogi stuffed with meat and blinis with salmon were my favourite.
It was good to find this particular cuisine in London; the food was pretty good as was the service. The strong point was the lovely terrace / outside space at the back of the restaurant backing onto a little park. Great for Summer.
A great friend of ours, Michelle, recommended this hidden gem to us. Perfect location on our way to the Royal Albert Hall.
Very nice experience from start to finish. The staff was very friendly and helpful.
The food was absolutely delicious. It's one of my new favourite restaurants in South Kensington area for sure.
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