You've been in charge of the kitchen at the Stolica restaurant for over five years now. How long have you been involved in cooking professionally?

Rumor has it that it's been there since I was a child. I remember my mother, while cooking young cabbage, calling me into the kitchen and setting me on a stool next to a pot full of various ingredients. I was her expert on flavor—I knew best which spices to add to give a dish the right character. So I was promoted to professional chef very early on (laughs).

So you're a true chef!

Not counting five years of culinary school and internships, I've been a professional chef for over 24 years. I've led restaurants serving Polish, Italian, and European cuisine, as well as working alongside British chefs abroad. Being a chef isn't a profession, it's a lifestyle—that's why I'm sticking with my apron through thick and thin.

What cuisine do you enjoy working with most?

I specialize in Polish cuisine, which is also European, due to its influences from across the continent. Ingredients from abroad dominate many dishes we've come to consider traditional. However, there are still many purists who are reluctant to accept that the way we eat is constantly evolving. The cuisine of STOLICA strongly harks back to the interwar period, when French-style platters were served – can you say it's no longer Polish?

While on the subject of our restaurant, what items on the menu for the current season do you particularly recommend?

Even during the planning stages, I always know exactly what dishes I want to include on the menu. Black caviar served on ice with a crisp French baguette, perfectly complements our historic atmosphere. The silky, creamy crème brûlée with crispy sugar cane top is sure to please every lady and gentleman, while the beef tenderloin steak accompanied by French truffle potatoes, roasted garlic sauce and seasonal vegetables will please meat-eaters of the world. Of course we have some wonderful vegetarian dishes, such as the seasonal risotto, which is already our staple. I highly recommend visiting us to get a taste of this culinary gems.

You seem to remember all the social groups that visit the Old Town.

Undoubtedly, literally everyone comes here. There are many regular Guests, not just locals, as many treat a visit to this area as a vacation from their daily lives. There are significantly more and more foreign visitors, as the tourism boom in Poland is still hitting us. This has its significant advantages, so we are happy to welcome all!

So what would you recommend to Guests who have already visited us?

There are items on our menu that remain on the menu regardless of the season, thanks to our regulars. You can always order steak tartare with finely chopped pickles, a portion of pierogi with savory fillings, or żurek (sour rye soup) with boletus and smoked bacon. There's always room for lamb shank, which we serve with other accompaniments depending on the season. For dessert, I always recommend the traditional Polish ulipki, or tubes filled with cream and fruit, as well as baked apples with a crumble topping, which has never disappointed many.

However, if we'd like something seasonal...

We change the menu at Stolica Restaurant twice a year, but we don't stop there. In addition to the dishes found on our classic menu, we usually offer additional seasonal or special occasion menus.

In the coming months, we intend to offer our guests new culinary delights, as cuisine is the heart of the capital, beating very strongly.

So what can we expect?

We'll certainly offer our guests the best morsels of the upcoming season, and we'll also prepare a special insert featuring game dishes. What's more? I've already revealed the secret, and for the rest, I invite you to Szeroki Dunaj, where the questions will end and the feast will begin...