Cafe lives up to buzz for fresh and flavorful concoctions
I first heard about this new cafe a couple months ago when a nice man called to invite me to the opening party. I couldn't go that night but decided to drop in a couple days later, only to find it was not open. Another crosstown trek a week afterward yielded the same results. The sign on the door said very clearly that they were supposed to be open, but the people inside made no effort to tend to my door-rattling frustration, so I left determined never to darken 6/12's doorway again.
Soon reports started coming in from colleagues that the "new place" is great. There are few worse curses than being told something is great. To hear that a movie, or book, or band, or restaurant is great is an invitation to disappointment. But just as much as Cafe Bar Szpilka has become the in place to hate, the scene makers report that 6/12 is the best thing since, well, Szpilka.
All the adulation rubbed me the wrong way, so I had more than one reason to hate the place when I walked in one quiet Saturday afternoon to pick my table in the empty restaurant. The communist-era room had been spruced up a little with rubber trees and black marble tables. The oppressive columns had been painted a pleasant mint green. But the concrete floor with embedded pebbles let you know the building's past, as did the lamps hanging from the very high ceilings. Large picture windows facing onto ulica Zurawia gave the room a light, airy feeling. The outside tables received a sliver of sunlight but were pleasantly tucked under the arcade. Fantastic Plastic Machine Japanese techno-Muzak played lightly on the stereo, later to be replaced by reggae.
I decided to hit the back corner and pull out my PowerBookTM, pretending to be a pretentious American having his bohemian experience of sipping cappuccino (zl. 6.50) and writing poetry in a European cafe. The only problem was that I don't chain smoke Marlboros, but the waitress did offer me an ashtray on arrival. "Dork," was Pancho's immediate response upon seeing my laptop. As he is one of this restaurant's biggest fans, I felt it appropriate to let him steer me through the menu. But he seemed to have changed his tune at the prospect of getting the word out about his favorite place.
"You'll have to slam this place so no one else will come here," Pancho said. "Otherwise my precious neighborhood cafe will be crowded with obnoxious expats."
It has already become a popular lunch spot with workers from nearby government buildings and international types who like to discuss politics and finance over salad.
The menu is simple, and printed on both sides of a laminated card perched on the table. Breakfast items run zl. 4-zl. 11; salads zl. 17-zl. 17.50; soups zl. 12; sandwiches zl. 12-zl. 17; and desserts zl. 3-zl. 4. The only white or red wine served is Chevaliere Reserve at zl. 45 a bottle, zl. 28 for a half liter, zl. 14.50 for a quarter liter, and zl. 9 for a glass. A separate tapas menu is served after 5 p.m. Pancho assured me the delicacies he has tried, including the olives, bruschetta and Spanish omelet are delicious. They range in price from zl. 7-zl. 15.
I was surprised to see smoothies under the beverages and had to order the strawberry, banana and orange juice (zl. 10) mix. It was fantastic, very strawberry rather than overbearing banana. With one sip I'd abandoned bohemia and hopped the first boat back to California. I was left wondering why there was no wheat grass on the menu.
The salads were equally impressive. This is the first place in Warsaw to really get salads right. They are simple, made with crispy, fresh leaf lettuce. The tastes came through and were not smothered by excessive dressing. I had the chicken avocado salad (zl. 17) with chunks of skinless, boneless chicken breast, thin slices of ripe avocado, raisins and arugula in a fantastic herbal vinaigrette. Pancho went for his favorite Venezian salad (zl. 17), which had the same chopped chicken, only this time marinated and served with toasted pine nuts, raisins and leaf lettuce. At last, a salad that does not have to be smothered in sauce.
For round two, Pancho went with the gazpacho (zl. 12), a light and tangy cold soup. It again tasted of fresh ingredients and the herbs cut pleasantly through the tomato base. Pancho washed his meal down with a bottled Corona (zl. 12) with a lemon wedge. They also serve EB on tap (zl. 6-zl. 9). I opted for the chicken sandwich with salsa of the day (zl. 12), which happened to be mango. The sandwich comes with a choice of bread ciabatta, baguette, pita or croissant and a small side salad of two kinds of leaf lettuce dipped in vinaigrette. The salsa and chicken concoction came wrapped in grilled pita bread with lettuce and onion. The sandwich was so good as was everything else we had that I have run out of superlatives.
The prices did not seem high, but we let them rack up. A two-course lunch for two came to zl. 90.50 ($20) but you can lunch for less. Simplicity is the rule of the day here. The menu, if not made by a chef, shows the presence of someone who really loves food and doesn't overdo it who really knows how to bring out the taste in ingredients without cluttering the mix. Fresh ingredients used in such a way are so rare in Warsaw restaurants. The food at 6/12 delights the taste buds with every bite. It will be interesting to see if they hold to this standard through the winter when fresh produce is less readily available.
