WROCŁAW - In Your Pocket

44 RESTAURANTS
Zbigniew Cybulski
Referred to as the ‘Polish James Dean,’ Zbigniew ‘Zbyszek’
Cybulski personified the confusion and longings of Poland’s
post-war youth. His image – dark glasses, leather
jacket, angry young man frown – was so widely emulated
that a border guard once pointed at him sneering ‘there’s
another idiot pretending to be Cybulski’. He was born in
1927 in what is now Ukraine; his mother saw active service
during WWII with the Red Army, while his father was
imprisoned in France for his work with local resistance
fighters. His cinematic debut (and Roman Polański’s) came
in 1954 when he played a small role in Andrzej Wajda’s
film, A Generation. His big break followed in 1958 when
he starred in Krzyż Walecznych, and later that year he
shot to international fame when he was nominated for a
BAFTA award as best foreign actor for his seminal role,
that of a troubled resistance fighter in Wajda’s Ashes
and Diamonds. From there he became one of Poland’s
best known faces, appearing in a string of hit films. His
premature death came on January 8, 1967, when he was
killed while jumping onto a moving Warsaw-bound train at
Wrocław’s train station. Only the day before he had been
informed that he was to star in the New York production of
Tennessee Williams’ ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. His impact
on Polish film cannot be underestimated, as proved in
1996 when readers of Film magazine voted him Poland’s
‘Best Actor of All Time’. A plaque commemorating his life
was unveiled on platform three of Wrocław’s train station
by his mentor Andrezj Wajda in 1997. Two years later a
star honouring Cybulski’s achievements was unveiled on
the Walk of Fame on Łódź’s ul. Piotrkowska.
Mexican
Mexico Bar A-3, ul. Rzeźnicza 34, tel. (+48) 71 346
02 92. Unfortunately, here in PL, the temptation is to adapt
ethnic cuisine to the ‘Polish palate’. All too often huge effort
and no doubt expense is expended on the cosmetic details
with much less attention paid to what gets served up on
your plate. Mexico Bar is a case in point. The compact
hacienda-style interior is decorated with lots of cacti, Aztec
masks and Corona bottles chandeliers, giving a positive first
impression, however the anti-climax appears the moment
inauthentic, tasteless food arrives. We would like to believe
that we’d be just as critical if we were eating at a Polish
restaurant outside of Poland. All that however doesn’t stop
this place turning tables on a regular basis with the locals
evidently more than happy with what they get. QOpen 12:00
- 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. (15-75zł).
PTJAGBSW
The Mexican B-3, ul. Szewska 61/62, tel. (+48) 516
06 93 33, www.mexican.pl. It keeps getting worse. Most
recently, we accompanied a friend who, gringo that she is,
went ahead and ordered a vegetarian burrito. The results?
A flour tortilla filled with frozen peas and carrots on a bed of
kraut, topped with wimpy salsa and guacamole. Difficult to
look at, so I can’t imagine her difficulty in eating it, an endeavour
that didn’t progress very far. Home to expensive, flaccid
margaritas craftily clogged with ice and lemon slices, barely
a trace of tequila and rimmed with sugar (ay caramba), The
Mexican is a constant embarrassment. A vibrant atmosphere
where the waitresses have winning midriffs, this could be
a fun place for lads to have a few beers, but we strongly
advise against anything else. QOpen 11:30 - 01:00, Mon,
Tue 12:30 - 24:00, Wed, Thu, Sun 11:30 - 24:00. (15-50zł).
PTAEBXS
Wrocław In Your Pocket wroclaw.inyourpocket.com
Middle Eastern
Piramida B-3, ul. Wita Stwosza 12, tel. (+48)
71 344 58 44, www.piramida-steakhouse.pl. Set
inside an interior consisting of Egyptian scrolls, fairy
lights and hieroglyphs the chefs at Piramida have
done their research (of the competition?) to bring you
the authentic dishes once enjoyed by the pharaohs:
pizza, kebabs with cabbage etc. Basically the poor
man’s Sphinx, when the former closes its doors, you’ll
always have Piramida to remind you why it didn’t last.
A second city centre location at ul. Św. Mikołaja 8.
QOpen 12:00 - 22:30, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00. (18-
54zł). PTJAGSW
Sphinx B-3, Rynek 39/40, tel. (+48) 71 795 77
30, www.sphinx.pl. Once considered by many Poles
as the height of sophistication, Sphinx’s nationwide
chain of identical restaurants offered cheap plates of
poorly cooked kebabs and steaks with heaps of cabbage
delivered to your table by amiable men dressed
as penguins. However, since bankruptcy has struck
the food corp, the once ubiquitous chain has all but
disappeared with this outing on Wrocław’s main square
being one of the doomed brand’s last Mohicans. Apparently
the appeal of rubbery steaks was strongest
in Wrocław where Sphinx has succeeded in spawning
numerous knock-offs that will remind you of what it was
like long after it’s gone. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. (21-60zł).
PTJAUGBSW
Polish
Art Restauracja i Kawiarnia A-2, ul. Kiełbaśnicza
20, tel. (+48) 71 787 71 02, www.arthotel.pl. A hotel
restaurant that would thrive even without its captive
audience of hotel guests. The vaulted interiors of Art
come decorated with light colours, timber beams and
wicker chairs, while visual distractions include a well,
local artwork and potted shrubbery in every conceivable
form. The menu does the rest with a strong line
in maritime delights and regional Polish cuisine in addition
to well-presented modern Italian dishes. QOpen
06:30 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 07:00 - 24:00. (38-68zł).
PTJA6UGBSW
Chatka Przy Jatkach A-3, ul. Odrzańska 7, tel.
(+48) 71 342 72 20, www.chatkaprzyjatkach.eu.
This small, popular self-service Polish eatery, across
from the ul. Jatka gallery stalls, achieves the trick of
appearing like a rustic village cottage if you don’t notice
the ceiling ductwork. Enhancing the illusion is the
genuine Bolesławiec folkware on the tables (begging
to leap into someone’s handbag), stout wooden tables,
timber fittings and a thatched awning over the bar. The
menu - conveniently available in Polish, English and
German - features all the Polish classics, but take note
that almost everything on it is fried. Despite the average
food, this veteran chow house still makes a fine place for
a fast, local lunch if you can score a table. And they take
euros. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:30.
(10-25zł). AGBS
Dwór Polski A-3, Rynek 5, tel. (+48) 71 372 48 96,
www.dworpolski.wroclaw.pl. Decorated with stuffed
falcons and enough medieval armour and weaponry to
start a museum this is a suitably upmarket Old Town feed.
The menu focuses on boar, deer, pigs and ducks, all carved
up with pewter cutlery. If you’re a vegetarian, run. QOpen
12:00 - 23:00. (25-65zł). PTA6GBS
wroclaw.inyourpocket.com
RESTAURANTS
September - December 2012
45