Lava rock cooking, tasty music distinguish the new Rabarbar
It was early evening so I found one with no problem. It was at Rabarbar, the newest addition to the street, nestled between Barbados and the other drink-and-food joints.
A super-friendly, New York-style barman greeted me, poured a large EB beer (zl. 6) and handed me a menu. I settled into one of the rope-and-wicker chairs thinking I had come to the right place.
While sipping the beer, I stared through the tall, open windows of the bar. It was done up in deep red and green and had a classy look. Latin jazz played, and some modern beats floated outside. Then I heard Robbie Robertson's deep, Native American whiskey-voice singing poetry. The spot had a good, cool feel.
Quite comfortable, I scanned the short food menu. It kicked off with salads (zl. 16-zl. 23) featuring grilled vegetables and couscous, grilled salmon and grilled goat cheese among other things. The barman said the portions were big, a good feed. I wanted something more and moved on through the list.
Fondue dishes for two (zl. 65-zl. 90) took up the middle of the menu. You can dip beef, chicken, king prawns, salmon, Hungarian salami and vegetables. I was dining alone and didn't feel like playing with my food that much.
The dishes prepared on lava stones (zl. 35-zl. 50) sounded like what I was looking for. It took me a few minutes to decide among the steak, the chicken, the king prawns and the salmon. In the end, the beef won out and the barman said I had ordered well. He seemed to know his stuff and his service was on target and informal.
I liked the simple style of their menu but thought a choice of a few smaller starters and maybe a soup or two would have improved things. Maybe they will offer daily specials in the future.
Telling myself that the steak would be enough, I took a look at the wine list. I liked what I saw before reading anything. The label for each wine was printed in the menu. That was a nice, sharp touch. And I noticed that you could get most wines by the glass. Another good detail.
The list itself was heavy with French wines but also included vino from California, Italy, Austria and Spain, as well as a few of the other usual suspects. Prices ran from about zl. 50-zl. 500, but most bottles went for about zl. 100. I ordered a glass of Spanish Rioja reserva (zl. 20).
I had just enough time to sip my wine before the barman quickly and carefully strolled to my table carrying a dangerously hot tray with my meal cooking on a slab of lava rock.
I was taken aback for a moment when I saw that the beef was raw and only beginning to cook. Then I decided I liked the idea. It was something fresh and different, which is worth something in this city. And you can't send your meat back because it was cooked wrong when you happen to be the chef.
The rest of the food was presented as grandly as the steaks. Thickly sliced red, green and yellow bell peppers and fanned slices of dark onions decorated two corners as a huge baked potato sat guard in the middle of the roasting black rock.
The steaks, two well-cut fillets, proved to be lean and tender. I was impressed with the whole show and the quality.
I wanted my beef cooked medium-rare, so I pulled one fillet into a corner and ate it from there. It was excellent and the vegetables mixed well with the pepper-treated meat. And I liked the sizzling sound that the plate made every time I cut into something. The heat was most intense in the middle of the rock, so if you prefer your meat well-done it's best to let it cook there.
I finished my first fillet and began the medium-cooked second piece. I guess it takes a while to get the swing of cooking your meal while eating it at the same time, especially when off a hot rock. The second steak was just as good, though.
Full, impressed and satisfied, I skipped dessert despite the barman's promise that the sweets were superb. Instead, I had a strong espresso (zl. 6) and a flaming Sambuca (zl. 9).
The bill came to zl. 81 ($23) plus a 10% service charge, which I took as good value. Although, their management should state the service charge in the menu. I threw the barman a bit extra for his knowledge and style.
On my way out, I took a quick glance at one of the dining rooms inside and it looked as stylish as the bar. I will definitely return for more food and wine at Rabarbar. Inside and out, it's a welcome new neighbor on Warsaw's trendy food corner.
A super-friendly, New York-style barman greeted me, poured a large EB beer (zl. 6) and handed me a menu. I settled into one of the rope-and-wicker chairs thinking I had come to the right place.
While sipping the beer, I stared through the tall, open windows of the bar. It was done up in deep red and green and had a classy look. Latin jazz played, and some modern beats floated outside. Then I heard Robbie Robertson's deep, Native American whiskey-voice singing poetry. The spot had a good, cool feel.
Quite comfortable, I scanned the short food menu. It kicked off with salads (zl. 16-zl. 23) featuring grilled vegetables and couscous, grilled salmon and grilled goat cheese among other things. The barman said the portions were big, a good feed. I wanted something more and moved on through the list.
Fondue dishes for two (zl. 65-zl. 90) took up the middle of the menu. You can dip beef, chicken, king prawns, salmon, Hungarian salami and vegetables. I was dining alone and didn't feel like playing with my food that much.
The dishes prepared on lava stones (zl. 35-zl. 50) sounded like what I was looking for. It took me a few minutes to decide among the steak, the chicken, the king prawns and the salmon. In the end, the beef won out and the barman said I had ordered well. He seemed to know his stuff and his service was on target and informal.
I liked the simple style of their menu but thought a choice of a few smaller starters and maybe a soup or two would have improved things. Maybe they will offer daily specials in the future.
Telling myself that the steak would be enough, I took a look at the wine list. I liked what I saw before reading anything. The label for each wine was printed in the menu. That was a nice, sharp touch. And I noticed that you could get most wines by the glass. Another good detail.
The list itself was heavy with French wines but also included vino from California, Italy, Austria and Spain, as well as a few of the other usual suspects. Prices ran from about zl. 50-zl. 500, but most bottles went for about zl. 100. I ordered a glass of Spanish Rioja reserva (zl. 20).
I had just enough time to sip my wine before the barman quickly and carefully strolled to my table carrying a dangerously hot tray with my meal cooking on a slab of lava rock.
I was taken aback for a moment when I saw that the beef was raw and only beginning to cook. Then I decided I liked the idea. It was something fresh and different, which is worth something in this city. And you can't send your meat back because it was cooked wrong when you happen to be the chef.
The rest of the food was presented as grandly as the steaks. Thickly sliced red, green and yellow bell peppers and fanned slices of dark onions decorated two corners as a huge baked potato sat guard in the middle of the roasting black rock.
The steaks, two well-cut fillets, proved to be lean and tender. I was impressed with the whole show and the quality.
I wanted my beef cooked medium-rare, so I pulled one fillet into a corner and ate it from there. It was excellent and the vegetables mixed well with the pepper-treated meat. And I liked the sizzling sound that the plate made every time I cut into something. The heat was most intense in the middle of the rock, so if you prefer your meat well-done it's best to let it cook there.
I finished my first fillet and began the medium-cooked second piece. I guess it takes a while to get the swing of cooking your meal while eating it at the same time, especially when off a hot rock. The second steak was just as good, though.
Full, impressed and satisfied, I skipped dessert despite the barman's promise that the sweets were superb. Instead, I had a strong espresso (zl. 6) and a flaming Sambuca (zl. 9).
The bill came to zl. 81 ($23) plus a 10% service charge, which I took as good value. Although, their management should state the service charge in the menu. I threw the barman a bit extra for his knowledge and style.
On my way out, I took a quick glance at one of the dining rooms inside and it looked as stylish as the bar. I will definitely return for more food and wine at Rabarbar. Inside and out, it's a welcome new neighbor on Warsaw's trendy food corner.
