Daquise

LDN Review. South Kensington. Chandeliers hang alongside old photos and borscht is ladled tableside at this wonderfully old-school Polish institution in South Kensington, daquise. Sitting in its grand, aged dining room—part tiled, part distressed, but wholly elegant—makes us wonder why this traditional daquise of a restaurant daquise no longer in vogue.

Daquise, a Polish establishment in South Kensington, is a relative youngster — tracing its history to the Second World War — but you can feel the hand of history on your shoulder as you enter a charming and unusual restaurant where diners using cell phones look anomalous. The walls are lined with old photographs, and the room is filled with people some of them as elderly as us who appear unhurried and fully able to understand the benefits of a long lunch. Daquise formally opened in , when the owner, a Mr Dakowski, conflated his name with that of his French wife Louise. But it is believed that prior to that, the space served as a canteen to take the overflow from the nearby Polish Club Ognisko Polskie during the war. And it was a home-from-home for Roman Polanski while he was filming Repulsion in the early s. More recently, it was a favourite of A. Gill, who gave it a five-star review in the Sunday Times in , having frequented it as a student in the s.

Daquise

For 63 years, it has had an almost monastic resistance to change: yellow walls, chipped crockery, plastic flowers and charm. It has been a totem for London Poles: Roman Polanski came daily for dumplings and stews when he was filming Repulsion nearby, and it was always a favourite of cold war spies — Christine Keeler met her Soviet attache there. Daquise opened in , an emigre's recreation of a country lost to Communism. The food was spartan but homely, the oiled tablecloths a cross between lino and Uhu, and fingerprints smeared the menus. But it was proof that restaurants can be more than the sum of their parts. And now, a superstar catering family from Warsaw, the Gesslers, has just bought it. Their restaurant in the Polish capital, U Kucharzy, is updated back-to-basics: geese roasted then carved at table, pierogi dumplings handmade to order, proper zurek — the ethereal rich-sour soup made with fermented rye bread. The restaurant has done well — Michelin has awarded it one of Poland's few Bib Gourmands — and they're grafting a similar menu on to Daquise. It's an ambition that testifies to how much Polish food has grown in popularity here. When Daquise opened, around , Poles lived in the UK. Today, that figure is close to one million. Until recently, these expats could only assuage their homesickness in shops such as the doddery Prima on London's North End Road, or Morawski at Willesden Junction — both have been around for half a century. Today, supermarkets stock a range of Polish products and luxury delis, Polish bakers and polskie sklepy Polish shops abound. Now the Turkish delis all have a good range of Polish food. Brits are increasingly taking to the new food.

Their restaurant in the Polish capital, U Kucharzy, is daquise back-to-basics: geese roasted then carved at table, pierogi dumplings handmade to order, proper zurek — the ethereal rich-sour soup made with fermented rye bread, daquise.

Back in May , regulars were disheartened by news that this much-loved restaurant was to close. Situated next-door to South Kensington station, Daquise is elegant and decidedly unassuming. On each table, a modest drinking glass accommodates a single bloom, a rose or tulip, in keeping with the understatedly romantic atmosphere of the interior. The menu contains traditional dishes executed to an exceptional standard. Classic cold starters of tender herring with cream, apple, onion and flax oil, or beetroot with subtly warming horseradish, are ladled directly from earthenware bowls. All the Polish favourites such as zurek, a fermented sourdough soup, barszcz, a tangy broth made with beetroot, and pierogi, filled dumplings made by wrapping unleavened dough around a savoury or sweet filling cooked in boiling water, can be relied upon.

Back in May , regulars were disheartened by news that this much-loved restaurant was to close. Situated next-door to South Kensington station, Daquise is elegant and decidedly unassuming. On each table, a modest drinking glass accommodates a single bloom, a rose or tulip, in keeping with the understatedly romantic atmosphere of the interior. The menu contains traditional dishes executed to an exceptional standard. Classic cold starters of tender herring with cream, apple, onion and flax oil, or beetroot with subtly warming horseradish, are ladled directly from earthenware bowls.

Daquise

LDN Review. South Kensington. Chandeliers hang alongside old photos and borscht is ladled tableside at this wonderfully old-school Polish institution in South Kensington. Sitting in its grand, aged dining room—part tiled, part distressed, but wholly elegant—makes us wonder why this traditional ideal of a restaurant is no longer in vogue. The tablecloths are white but the borscht is vibrant in colour and pepper. If you let your daydreams takeover, you can imagine sitting here waiting to meet your mysterious wealthy benefactor for the first time.

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Beef Goulash A good goulash is one of the heartiest dishes around. A good goulash is one of the heartiest dishes around. The walls are lined with old photographs, and the room is filled with people some of them as elderly as us who appear unhurried and fully able to understand the benefits of a long lunch. The other main was a special of goose leg confit, served with a cherry sauce, pearl barley like a couscous and red cabbage. Golonka Pickled, boiled ham hock, typically served with sauerkraut. All the plates were cold so it helps if you like to eat quickly. Like this article? For 63 years, it has had an almost monastic resistance to change: yellow walls, chipped crockery, plastic flowers and charm. Herring Polish pickled herring, fresh dill and hot blinis is one of the most delicious quick bites. Today, that figure is close to one million. Bigos Poland's national dish, a rich and savoury soup with only two agreed ingredients: cabbage and meat. Share on facebook Share on Facebook. The vegetable ones are particularly soft and delicious—flecks of sweet onion, an earthy hint of mushroom.

The term dacquoise can also refer to the nut meringue layer itself. It takes its name from the feminine form of the French word dacquois , meaning 'of Dax ', a town in southwestern France. It is usually served chilled and accompanied by fruit.

Until recently, these expats could only assuage their homesickness in shops such as the doddery Prima on London's North End Road, or Morawski at Willesden Junction — both have been around for half a century. Daquise certainly understands the importance of theatre when it comes to the experience of dining. For 63 years, it has had an almost monastic resistance to change: yellow walls, chipped crockery, plastic flowers and charm. Golonka Pickled, boiled ham hock, typically served with sauerkraut. The vegetable ones are particularly soft and delicious—flecks of sweet onion, an earthy hint of mushroom. So should we. Brits are increasingly taking to the new food. Now the Turkish delis all have a good range of Polish food. Inga Wojciechowska, who co-owns the high-end deli Polsmak in north London, says, "Sausages such as kabanos and podwawelska have always been popular, but more of our British customers are now buying Polish buttermilk and smoked fish. If you let your daydreams takeover, you can imagine sitting here waiting to meet your mysterious wealthy benefactor for the first time. But it is believed that prior to that, the space served as a canteen to take the overflow from the nearby Polish Club Ognisko Polskie during the war. Current, but with an eye to tradition, upmarket but true to its roots, it is honest, stout and upright, which is not unlike how the British like to see themselves.