KATOWICE - In Your Pocket

34 RESTAURANTS
Mediterranean
Cuisine
THE BEST MEDITERRANEAN
RESTAURANT IN THE REGION
Let us take you to a Mediterranean
climate where you can feel the
rhythm of a sunny day.
Our restaurant can be found in the
ALTUS BUILDING (QUBUS),
FIRST FLOOR.
ul. Uniwersytecka 13, Katowice
mobile +48 512 020 808
tel +48 (32) 603 01 91
katowice@viatoscana.pl
www.viatoscana.pl
La Grotta C-2, ul. Wawelska 3, tel. (+48) 512 51 74 36,
www.lagrotta.co. Though La Grotta doesn’t quite live up to
its lofty reputation, it has a lively, family-friendly atmosphere
that helps keep it buzzing with diners throughout the week.
The multi-level interior comes cluttered with bottles, old
adverts and black and white photos of Italy, while the small
but diverse menu features everything from their over-rated
pizza to ravioli to fresh clams. QOpen 11:00 - 22:30. (17-
49zł). TAVGBSW
Sicilia D-2, ul. Kochanowskiego 2, tel. (+48) 32 251
79 90, www.sycylia.com. Moody waitresses, three sizes
of pizza plus soup and pasta inside a Mediterranean-feel
restaurant with colourful tiles on the walls and a fairly
decent wine list. The service is far from fast and efficient
and the food isn’t going to win any awards, but if you don’t
mind waiting as well as being made to feel like you’re giving
the staff work they’d rather not be doing, this isn’t such a
bad place for a spot of lunch when exploring the area. Also
at ul. Chorzowska 107 (Silesia City Center, A-1). QOpen
12:00 - 22:30. (22-75zł). PTAVGSW
Via Toscana C-3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13, tel. (+48) 32
603 01 91, www.viatoscana.pl. A sensory delight inside
Altus Tower with interiors touting archways, lampposts, vines
and even mock balconies. It’s every much as delightful on the
palette as it is on the eye, with a menu featuring New Zealand
lamb, Argentinean beef, a great pickled salmon carpaccio and
seafood. Equally suited to romantic trysts or hushed business
dinners, Via Toscania is further proof of Katowice’s growing stature.
QOpen 12:00 - 23:00. (26-115zł). PTAUXSW
Japanese
Hana Sushi A-1, ul. Chorzowska 109, tel. (+48) 32
605 09 77, www.hanasushi.pl. A former swimming pool
attached to one of Katowice’s closed coal mines, this lovely
brick building has been refitted to house the city’s best sushi
house and Japanese restaurant. With the added advantage
of being at the Silesian City Centre, yet sovereign over its
own independent space and atmosphere (they even have
their own separate parking), Hana Sushi boasts a rich menu
rife with Japanese delicacies and hot dishes for those still
suspicious of the sushi fad. If you don’t feel like making your
way to Silesia’s biggest shopping mall, enjoy free delivery
by picking up the phone, chop-chop. QOpen 11:00 - 22:00,
Sun 12:00 - 21:00. (28-68zł). PTAUVGBSW
Hobu D-3, ul. Plebiscytowa 10, tel. (+48) 32 203 00
10, www.hobusushi.pl. A trendy venue with green, seethrough
plastic seats, pieces of origami and some zebra-print
fittings. It looks hi-tech and minimal, and the sushi sets play
their part in winning return customers. Those squeamish of
raw-fish (particularly hundreds of miles from the sea) haven’t
been overlooked, and the menu includes numerous cooked
dishes including teriyaki duck and teppanyaki. QOpen 12:00
- 22:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (35-
66zł). TA6VGBSW
Kyoto Sushi C-3, ul. Uniwersytecka 13, tel. (+48)
32 603 01 66, www.kyotosushi.com.pl. Located up
the first set of escalators inside the swanky Altus Centre,
this large, excellent Japanese restaurant comes with lots of
wood trimmings, a tinkling tranquility pond in the centre and
a sushi canal built into the fine wooden bar, behind which
the masters are at their work. Choose from Nigiri, Maki,
Sashimi and classic Japanese dishes, washing it down with
a Japanese beer or a carafe of sake. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00,
Fri 12:00 - 23:00, Sat 13:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 21:00.
(42-63zł). PTAUGSW
Katowice In Your Pocket katowice.inyourpocket.com
A large selection of hot dishes
Ul. Chorzowska 109, 40-101 Katowice
tel. 32 605 09 75 • silesia@hanasushi.pl
Narada Sushi Club E-1, ul. Barbary 13, tel. (+48) 795
59 44 65, www.narada-sushi.pl. We don’t profess to be
experts on sushi, but we’re fairly certain this isn’t the best
you’ll find. The simple white interior resembles a hotel lobby
and has about the same amount of atmosphere, anchored
by ambient music, a fountain, some lousy murals and a long
stooled bar: don’t expect to see sushi being prepared behind
it, but the recent addition of a liquer license has gratefully put
the barman to work. Asked if our sushi could arrive before
our appetiser (hmm), when it was brought to the table our
waitress then inexplicably asked if we’d like some kind of
massage. In the moment’s uncertainty, we declined and now
have to live with that regret (don’t make our mistake, it may
be the best part of your evening). QOpen 12:00 - 23:00.
(27-67zł). PTAUVGBSW
Sushi Arigato M-3, ul. Wodna 5, Gliwice, tel. (+48)
32 231 60 47, www.sushiarigato.pl. Gliwice might seem
an unlikely spot to provide for your sushi needs, but the
raw fish here certainly comes up to scratch. A stark white
interior punctuated by some Japanese artwork is the setting,
while the menu involves a run down of all your staple sushi
hits. Also on offer is a brief selection of sashimi, as well as
cooked dishes like fried king prawns. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00.
(12-43zł). PTAVGSW
Mexican
Kartel I-1, ul. Wolności 11/1, Chorzów, tel. (+48) 32
241 25 54, www.kartel-mexican.pl. One of the most
popular restaurants in Chorzów, Kartel benefits from a good
location and creates a classy understated dining atmosphere
by not acting like every day is Cinco de Mayo. While
the Mayan-inspired tiles, gaucho graphics and sombreros
don’t exactly jive, they’re subtle, and the red-clay interior
katowice.inyourpocket.com
RESTAURANTS
is probably Kartel’s least offensive attribute. In addition to
the tasteless name, the food is completely flavourless and
unimaginative. While we admire the use of corn tortillas,
what’s inside them is hardly authentic; generally we could
do better at home, as the coleslaw (!) was the best thing
on our plate. The margaritas are simple and strong, but
the closest thing to Mexican beer on hand is the ‘tequilaflavoured’
Desperados (produced in France). The outdoor
terrace is great in summer and Kartel has proven itself to
be a huge success with the locals, but a bit of effort towards
authenticity would go a long way here. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00.
(12-35zł). PTAGBS
Polish
Bar Pod Siódemka C-2, ul. Stawowa 7, tel. (+48) 32
258 66 18. A good place to sample the traditional nosh on
one of Katowice’s most peopled streets. Decked with netting,
frayed ropes and funny cariacatures of potential patrons
on the walls, here you’ll find little more than honest people
eating honest food and a cute, chirpy blonde collecting the
orders. Q Open 09:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. From
September open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 19:00.
(10-20zł). VGBS
Bryka H-1, ul. Wolności 4, Chorzów, tel. (+48) 32 241
47 47, www.bryka.com.pl. How could anyone resist a restaurant
covered in clashing carpets and fabrics, including the
tables, floors, walls and even some columns? With one of the
most truly unique and baffling interiors we’ve seen - including
a chandelier the size of Belgium and a very cute minstrel
gallery - this veteran restaurant does possess some charm
and class, maintaining its solid reputation with a huge menu
of expertly prepared regional dishes. QOpen 08:30 - 22:00,
Sun 11:00 - 22:00. (10-62zł). PTAUVGBSW
July - October 2012
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