Epoka

There is something magical about Warsaw’s Krakowskie Przedmieście, the main tourist track, with its old buildings featuring monumental architecture, bars, hotels and cultural institutions. For a long time, there was no fine dining place with a wine list worth mentioning here, but now there is! Epoka, located in the 19th-century Neo-Renaissance-style palace, opened in 2019 with an interior designed by Boris Kudlička, world-famous designer of theatre and opera sets, events and architectural spaces.

Epoka's menu is based on old Polish recipes, but with a modern interpretation and very detailed presentation. There is an à la carte option, but the tasting menu is the must-have. There are tasting menus highlighting 10, 15 and 20 “recipes” – the biggest contains around 10 courses, with some smaller dishes on the side. The food is well executed by the highly skilled chef Marcin Przybysz and his team; every dish is beautifully presented, light, and full of flavour – for sure one of the best-tasting menus in Poland. The staff is friendly and professional (a combination that’s supposed to be the standard in such venues, but we all know is not).

After several years of its operation, Epoka has proven not only that it fulfills its objectives, but also that it becomes a more complete place each year, and a unique concept on a national scale.

The wine list is relatively short at about 160 selections, but none of them are ‘democratic’ – they are all very carefully-curated wines.

Whites and reds are grouped into special categories like “Iodine & a reminiscence of the seaside” or “Intro to umami & sapidity,” helping you to make a choice. The range of producers is vast, featuring names that can be found on the best wine lists – figures well known to wine enthusiasts and sommeliers.

Importantly, many of the wines are already at their optimal drinking window, which is not something you often find in other restaurants.

France is widely represented, but you can also find wines from other parts of Europe, ranging from classics to the new wave; Champagne is mainly represented by grower-producers.