Butchery & Wine

Butchery & Wine is the only restaurant in Poland to be awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand, which implies good value for money.  Their motto is "Food is our passion. Preparing, serving and enjoying a delicious meal is always inspiring."  Their goal is to create a place in Warsaw where people can enjoy great food that is prepared with ingredients of the highest quality and served in a setting that is without unnecessary fuss, where we can say with confidence to all: eat what you love.


Keith attempted to make reservations, and again did not hear back a confirmation.  So given that we'd had luck so far with this same approach, we decided to show up anyway and try to get a table.  We were successful in this attempt, just in time as there were two large bachelor parties arriving, and so the restaurant packed out pretty quickly.

The restaurant itself was pretty modern, with a wall of wine behind me.  We decided on a nice dark red from Poland called Sukcesor 2011, Winnica Dziedzic 44, Podkarpacie.  Unsure of how Polish wine would taste, we were very pleased by the robust grape and plum notes of this red wine.  It was memorable enough to make me want to look out for a bottle in the States.

Since I did not get to eat lunch, I was especially hungry.  There were a couple appetizers that caught my eye, and Keith was happy to oblige in sharing them with me.  First, we shared the Grillowana Ośmiornica - grilled octopus with black olives and roasted peppers.  The octopus was tender and all the spices and vegetables gave a heavy Mediterranean feel to the dish.  It paired perfectly with our wine.

Next, we shared the Tuna Tartare with avocado mousse.  While the fish was high quality and fresh, there was nothing unique about the flavors.  I did like the avocado mousse that had a hint of lime, and gave an extra fattiness to the tuna.

For my main dish, I continued the fish theme and ordered the Swordfish.  A large steak was coated with breadcrumbs and then lightly grilled, so the inside was still medium-rare.  It was served with a side of spicy Mediterranean ratatouille, studded with eggplant, raisins, peppers, and onions.  The swordfish was meaty, and cut against the grain differently than usual.  The vegetables were too spicy for me, and I could not finish them all.

Keith ordered a large Rib-Eye Steak from Poland.  It had the right ratio of fat to meat, and was served with peppercorn sauce and a side of sauteed spinach.  The sauce was more like regular pan gravy and lacking any peppercorns, though.  The Polish meat did not taste that drastically distinct from U.S. grade meat, but was something different to try.

All in all we had a lovely meal at Butchery & Wine.  The steakhouse and winery surely lived up to its name, and offered a nice selection of seafood as well.  If looking for a change from the traditional Polish food while in Warsaw, then check out Butchery & Wine.

Total Rating: 3.73
Food: 4, Price: 3, Service: 3.5, Ambience: 3.5, Accessibility: 4.5

What I ate:

♥Grillowana Ośmiornica♥

Grilled octopus with black olives & roasted peppers

Tuna Tartare

with avocado mousse

Swordfish

with Mediterranean ratatouille

Plus Keith ate:

Rib-Eye Steak from Poland
with peppercorn sauce and a side of sauteed spinach