It is one of the most important addresses on the culinary map of Poland. The restaurant is famous for its uncanny approach to culinary art. And this approach has become the restaurant’s identification.

Sztuczka, most of all, serves delicious, top-quality products. Each day, restaurant team outdo themselves, under the watchful eye of its head chef, Jacek Koprowski. They strive to surprise guests with brand new flavour and aroma compositions of – supposedly – well-known products.

Foto: Łukasz Stafiej

-If I were to provide a definition of my cooking, I would most probably say that I like pairing meat and fish. This is my hallmark, and I try to stick to it. My experience stems from Italian cuisine. For me, an outstanding, classic Italian composition of flavours is the vitello tonnato. I have twisted this dish on numerous occasions. I enjoy fiddling with its convention, although I always stress that one shouldn’t overcomplicate it. Besides, it’s the flavour that is most important – says Jacek Koprowski.

Although many guests consider Sztuczka a fine dining restaurant, chef Koprowski thinks otherwise. – I don’t think it’s fine dining, although we probably fit into the pattern at some point. However, this is not most important to me. I very often tend to improvise in my cooking. No two dishes look alike. Of course, I always maintain proper proportions, use proper techniques, and ingredients. It’s a sort of controlled chaos. The looks of a dish itself gives a lots of room to manoeuvre. However, flavour combinations are the most important – he says.

Foto: Łukasz Stafiej

In the spring-summer season, Jacek Koprowski favours lilac flowers. As he admits, not only does he enjoy using them in the kitchen, but also he likes to pick them up. Lilac flowers appear in savoury dishes, as well as desserts.

There’s also place for asparaguses and strawberries during long, hot summer days. Heart-shaped strawberries will be combined with beef in steak tartare with pickled strawberries from Kaszuby, fresh strawberries, and oyster mayonnaise.

Guests will also have the opportunity to try the currant assiette. This course will treat us to currant sorbet with cardamom, currant emulsion with buttermilk, or the simple fresh currants with olive and salt, two ingredients that further bring out the flavour of the fruit. Since Sztuczka is famous for its team’s passion for “dissecting” products, and playing around with available cooking techniques, we can be certain that the currant assiette is bound to surprise us.

Foto: Łukasz Stafiej

The restaurant offers both a la carte service, as well as tasting sets. This season, offer includes seven or ten set menus. Beer food pairing is a new element in the menu. Chef Koprowski has begun co-operation with a brewer, Michał Saks. Dinners combined with beer tasting sessions take place on a regular basis.

-Working in the kitchen can’t get boring. Especially if you’ve got the possibilities that I have – says Jacek Koprowski – I have a very creative team that supports me. They have surprised me on numerous occasions, too. Very often, I’d drop a word, and my team would interpret my words on their own. It’s great fun for everyone.

Foto: Łukasz Stafiej