Knightsbridge, Polish Restaurant Guide

This “opulent, high-ceilinged dining room” within a Polish émigré club in South Kensington (“a stone’s throw from the Royal Albert Hall”) provides a “truly elegant” backdrop for a meal. “Inviting and cosmopolitan in atmosphere”, it is “unusually, equally good in summer and winter” thanks to its “delightful” covered rear outside terrace, which provides “a memorable location on a warm day”. “Delicious” Polish fodder comes in “hearty” portions and “without any grand prices despite the grand setting”; there’s a wide range of affordable central and eastern European wines; and “the cocktails and vodkas are well worth a shout out”.

“A wonderful survivor”, this old-world “gem” by South Ken tube has served “solid, Polish food” (“all the old hits: duck, goose, herring…”) at “sensible prices” since 1947, and its devotees love its “real sense of authenticity” (“I feel happy when I walk in the door: the menu never changes and I hope it never will!”). It may be “a level down from Ognisko” culinary-wise, but “you’re coming here for the charm, not the workmanlike fare”. Top Tip – “it’s well situated close to the South Kensington museums and a good alternative to the numerous expensive and unexciting chains!”