POLAND

For any curryholics visiting Poland there is good news. Indian restaurants do exist in Poland. In fact, there is even a Curry Club in Warsaw, although nothing to do with the Curry Club here. Unfortunately I can’t give you a report on the food as I was unable to eat in any of them, but I can report on the curry scene in Warsaw* and Cracow for any prospective visitors who may wish to sample them.  

*Since writing this report I have heard from Alex Webber, Editor of the city guide 'Warsaw in your pocket', who has eaten in all the Indian restaurants and provides a brief review of those in Warsaw in his guide. Alex tells me that generally curry in Poland is quite different from that in UK, mainly down to the conservative Polish palate and the difficulty getting the proper ingredients. Most, he says, are shocking but he rates the Tandoor Palace in Warsaw as standing head and shoulders above the rest and the India Curry (also in Warsaw) as pretty good. He has given me permission to quote him from the Oct/Nov edition of the guide and I am indebted to him for this. I have added a quote after my own reports of Warsaw restaurants.

Warsaw

Warsaw boasts four Indian restaurants, three of which are in the same general area on or just off Marszalkowska (the other side of Jerozolimskie from the Old Town), while the other is in the Old Town.

Starting with those in the same vicinity, there is the Tandoor Palace at 21/25 Marszalkowska. This is where the Curry Club of Warsaw meets every Wednesday night so it must be OK. It advertises ‘the best curry in Poland’ and looks a pleasant and comfortable restaurant without being pretentious and seats about 60. I was told that the chef is Nepalese, while the owner is Singaporean Indian. I was also told that he used to be joint owner in another restaurant - the Maharaja - with his brother but separated to open his own place about 6 years ago. It has, by all accounts, a good reputation. Prices about the same as ordinary English high street curry houses and I have used the following dishes, converting to sterling, as benchmarks - Onion Bhajias £3.30, Chicken Masala £4.65, Aloo Gobi £4, Pillau Rice £1.65 - total £13.60. The owner has also opened another Indian restaurant, called Asian Village in the town of Raszyn (wherever that is!). Alex's publication says "the best curry in Poland. Tikka butter masala will melt in the mouth while those looking for genuine bite should opt for the ginger chicken sizzler"

Not too far away is the Maharaja at 34/50 Marszalkowska. It is situated on the first floor and again looks an unpretentious standard Indian restaurant seating 56. It has been going for about eight years and I was told that the chef (and presumably the owner) is from Singapore. This may be the reason they offer Chinese dishes as well, although it is a predominantly Indian menu. It is the cheapest of the quartet with the above benchmarks converting to approx. £2.60, £4, £3.30 and £1.35 - total £11.25. Alex's Warsaw guide comments that "what was once an editorial favourite has seen a dramatic nosedive in quality, as proved by the worrying addition of Chinese food to their repertoire. Once the best butter chicken in town but our last curry had more water than the Ganges"

Moving further down the street and turning into the side street of Zurawia is India Curry at number 22. It is actually in a courtyard off the street, but is well signposted. This is the newest, opening there in November 2002 (although the owner had a restaurant at another location previously) and is by far the smartest and shouts of quality. It is beautifully decorated with tiled floors, a small fountain in the entrance and an open cooking area behind glass so you can watch the chef (from Madras, although I believe there are several chefs, all from India) at work. Seating about 70, one end of the dining area is covered like a large tent and it’s definitely the place for an occasion. As one might expect, it is the most expensive, with the above benchmark dishes being £4.60 (mixed Pakoras), £6.30, £5 and £2.30 - total £18.20. However, it has by far the most imaginative menu, and offers the southern Indian dishes of Dosa, Uttapam, and even Rasam (hot pepper soup). It has a good reputation and if I had the time to have visited any I think this would have been my first choice. Alex says this restaurant is pretty good and his guide says "..menu offers a varied collection of meat and vegetarian dishes with firepower ranging from mild to nuclear. Hot pepper soup is recommended"

Lastly is the Taj Mahal in the Old Town at 27/29 Brzozowa. I read in an advertising magazine that the Maharaja was the oldest, but they tell me at Taj Mahal that they have been there for ten years which, if true, makes them the original. Again a comfortable looking little place. Prices less than India Curry (not surprisingly as it is much less classy) but second highest, with the benchmarks working out at £2.30, £5.30, £3.60 (beans & potato) and £2.50 - total £13.70. Alex's Warsaw guide says "you'll need a cast iron stomach to survive this sloppy attempt at curry....there is more to the art of curry than just chucking spices into a pot. Expect to pay handsomely for what amounts to mediocre food .."

Krakow

Moving on to Krakow, I spent an interesting time trying to seek out Indian restaurants, heading eagerly to places with the names of ‘Oh! Calcutta’, ‘Swami’s’ and ‘Indian Market’ only to find they were all clothes shops. Eventually, however, I hit the jackpot and found there are three Indian restaurants, two of which are in the Old Town while one is just outside. The one outside is called the Indus Tandoor, which is at 12 Starowislna. Not easy to find as only a small sign is visible at that address, but it is set in a small courtyard through a doorway and is located downstairs. It opened in 2001 but the owner previously ran a restaurant called Ganges at a different location but this closed in 2001 (so old Cracow hands who might remember it - it is no longer!). The chef is Indian and it’s cheaper than those in Warsaw, with the benchmarks being approx. £1.10, £3.30, £2.10 and £1 - total £ 7.50

Under the same ownership, and only opened in October 2003, is the Indus at 13-15 StawKowska in the old town (although it is actually in Sw. Marka, a side street where the entrance is situated). Looks very small - only about five or six tables, and the young lady spoke not a word of English so I gleaned nothing more.

The third is the Bombaj (sic) Tandoori, at 11 Mikolajska in the Old Town and is the oldest, being there about 4 years. Although it advertises outside that they have a ‘new chef from India’, the girl told me that it is Polish owned and the chef was also Polish as their Indian chef went back to India about six months ago. Benchmark prices are 85p, £3, £2.30 (mixed veg) and £1.15 - total £8.30, although Indian food cooked by a Polish chef must be a bit of a shot in the dark!

 Malcolm Wilkins – November 2003