Epoka: Warsaw's Flagship Fine Dining Restaurant

Epoka is exactly the kind of flagship fine dining restaurant every capital should have – alongside a national theatre and an equally national museum.

A clear mission and philosophy, reimagined historical recipes, genuinely local flavors and ingredients, astonishing technical precision – these are not simply dishes; they are an entire layer of Poland’s collective unconscious wrapped into the form of a tasting menu. One that stays with you and – for me personally – ended up becoming one of the most memorable experiences of the past year.

Epoka begins with people. More specifically, with one person – chef Marcin Przybysz, whose name appears right alongside the restaurant’s name. And that feels deeply symbolic: here he is the creator, the guide and the storyteller all at once.

Marcin personally presents every guest with the products that will later become the dishes; he’ll invite you into the kitchen; casually offer you a preparation from something that hasn’t even appeared on the menu yet; show you old volumes filled with historic Polish recipes. Honestly, I can’t remember experiencing such a strong and genuinely wonderful synergy between a chef and guests.

Epoka looks as elegant as ever: vibrant colors, historic stucco, bold spring prints, a dark bar counter and slightly mad patterns across the stone floor – behind all of this there’s no pretension or kitsch, but an exceptionally comfortable space.

Some elements of the interior, by the way, are tightly connected to the tasting menu itself – from the book holding the wonderful complimentary bites, including elderflower compote turned into tiny candies that burst in your mouth, all the way to the lockers near the entrance where guests find a small gift at the end of dinner. And I’m sure many of you already know about the personalized napkin holders for regular guests – a wonderful idea and exactly the kind of trophy I’d love to earn someday.

A perfect pairing of oysters (which, by the way, appeared in Poland back in the 11th century) and potato, used not only for the shell itself but also for an improvised «pearl». Amuse-bouches that showcase both the essence of trout and all the imagination that can be applied to the idea of zero waste.

A completely stunning (and insanely beautiful) fine dining interpretation of mizeria – the level set right from the start doesn’t merely impress; it effortlessly outperforms a huge number of fine dining restaurants I visited over the past year.

And if a restaurant like this doesn’t have Michelin stars, then – let me say this honestly – the Red Guide ends up discrediting itself (especially considering that it does so with money from the tourism ministry, which is supposed to promote tourism in the first place).

Simply because it’s served at a separate counter directly opposite the holy of holies of any restaurant: the kitchen itself.

After all, it’s not every day that you get to sit across from a chef, overlooking the entire team, leaf through the books that inspired many of the menu’s ideas, and discover that crayfish mayonnaise and chilled beet soup jelly were conceived in much the same way as Heston Blumenthal’s famous meat mandarin – through inspiration from historic recipes.

Marcin loves crayfish? Fine – now you will too. Crayfish from the town of Jezierzany with crayfish mayonnaise, crayfish pudding and zucchini flower become the perfect example of intelligent flavors and textures.

A doughnut with truffle, liquid foie gras and duck broth jelly is one of those moments where the Polish doughnut steps into haute cuisine and reminds everyone who’s in charge.

Lamb cooked over live fire with cumin, saffron, white currant and roasted leek is one of the best interpretations of szaszłyk I’ve had in a very long time. This is not even a hit aimed specifically at Polish tastes – it taps directly into something universal and deeply human; wild and real, yet incredibly refined.

The main courses arrive roughly three hours after dinner begins. Wild pike-perch à la parisienne with white currant beurre blanc, strawberries, white asparagus velouté and just a touch of kaffir lime leaf oil gives the dish not only depth, but a kind of incredible elegance.

Lamb cooked over live fire with blackcurrant leaves and asparagus keeps up effortlessly, while both recipes happen to sit under the charming category of «dishes with asparagus». Which, honestly, feels perfectly logical.

Polish honey from Warsaw skyscrapers feels like the perfect joke about terroir and the taste of a city. An inside-out ice cream made with Polish cheeses as an homage to the beginning of the 20th century and Polish independence – this is how the menu transitions into desserts.

Strawberries, crumble and fresh sorrel sauce are once again one hundred percent childhood flavors – turned all the way up and somehow impossibly cozy.

Even the petit fours that end the evening feel like a perfect farewell: cream-filled pastry rolls that can be «washed down» with coffee jelly, raspberry with cream, apple and ginger candies, and «krówka» in edible paper – a perfect memory from the past wrapped in the most beautiful possible packaging.

In the end, Epoka manages to do something very few restaurants truly achieve – it brings people together. An interior that initially might seem a little formal becomes unexpectedly familiar. Complete strangers sitting across from each other can end up exchanging glances and saying goodbye as they leave their tables. And the food somehow introduces you not only to an entire culture, but also uncovers layers of memories you had somehow forgotten even existed.

That is magic – the simplest and most honest kind there is – and it’s something everyone who believes food is art should experience at least once.

‍