Bottiglieria 1881

Review Highlights

Bottiglieria 1881 is Poland's only two-Michelin-star restaurant, tucked into the Kazimierz district of Kraków. Alexander The Guest visits to experience the tasting menu crafted by head chef Przemysław Klima, who trained at Noma and Kadeau before returning to Poland to co-own the restaurant. What begins with reservations about the dated, antique interior quickly turns into one of Alexander's most pleasantly surprising meals — a menu that merges Polish culinary traditions with French technique across snack, seafood, meat, and dessert courses.

• ·Mackerel — salt-cured then marinated in a homemade sauce with ponzu, served on a striking ice plate set inside another plate. "A cool idea."
• ·Żurek — a modern interpretation of the traditional Polish sour rye soup, finished with a light potato foam. "Poland is a country of soups and stews, after all."
• ·Courgette — marinated with elderflower vinegar, served with lovage cream and crispy fried courgette on top. "This one for me, just stole the show."
• ·Beef tartare — seasoned with fermented beef trimmings and tomato, topped with Rossini Black caviar, finished with shallot and fresh tarragon sauce. "Perfect balance and great combinations."
• ·Pierogi — filled with chicken, mushrooms, artichoke, and cheese, finished with vin jaune sauce. "Beautiful textures, rich buttery notes, acidity, umami — this combination works incredibly well."
• ·Beetroot and smoked eel — with sheep's cheese foam, fresh radish, and Polish Antonius caviar, the beetroot juice made using traditional zakwas fermentation.
• ·Roe deer sirloin — with freshly shaved black truffles, fermented vegetable paste, plum tartare, and two sauces (roe deer with pine vinegar, and a cognac-white truffle sabayon). Served with a black pudding puff pastry bun. "Beautiful, rich aromas, very strong and distinct flavors."
• ·Memories of Summer — yogurt crust and sour cream ice cream with cardamom, concealing white strawberries, raspberry juice, and Sichuan pepper, finished tableside with frozen raspberries and fresh herbal flowers. Served with brown butter madeleines.

Alexander was thoroughly surprised by Bottiglieria 1881. Despite an interior he admits is held back by budget rather than taste, the food, service, and creativity were all outstanding. "I loved the menu from start to finish, and I would gladly go through it again and again." He likens the experience to Anthony Hopkins telling a story in a quiet basement — no flash, no big stage, yet utterly compelling. His recommendation is emphatic: "I strongly, I mean STRONGLY, recommend you to give it a try."

About

Bottiglieria 1881 is Poland's only two-Michelin-star restaurant, located in the historic Kazimierz district of Kraków. Helmed by chef Przemysław Klima — who trained at Noma and Kadeau — the restaurant serves a modern Polish tasting menu that reinterprets traditional ingredients and dishes through French culinary technique. It has also earned Chef of the Year and Sommelier of the Year honours at Gault&Millau Poland.