Rozbrat 20 is both the name of a Michelin-starred restaurant and its address. Located in Warsaw’s Powiśle district, at the corner of Fabryczna and Rozbrat streets, the restaurant sits at number 20. The entrance, painted black, is contrasted by a red Michelin star plaque. While the interior is concealed by draped fabric covering the windows, you can easily sneak a peek into the kitchen if you’re curious about how the dishes are prepared.
Both the kitchen and the dining area are quite small and compact, which presents challenges for the staff and is arguably the biggest downside for guests. The decor is minimalist, featuring wooden chairs, futuristic lamps, and bright tablecloths. It’s an understated setting that allows the dishes to take centre stage without distractions.
The head chef, Bartosz Szymczak, honed his skills primarily in London restaurants, which explains the influence of British and French cuisines in the dishes served here. Curious to learn what earned the restaurant its Michelin star, we turned to the guide’s description. It turns out they were impressed by the bread consommé, which was not included in our tasting menu, and the Marmite butter, a rather popular delicacy in the United Kingdom.
Before diving into the dishes, it’s worth noting that this wasn’t our first visit to Rozbrat 20. We dined here in November 2023, before the restaurant was awarded its star. On that occasion, we left somewhat underwhelmed. This time, we approached with an open mind, hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Were we?
We opted for the full tasting menu, which included three snacks, nine courses, and petit fours. The shorter menu excludes the crab with apple and cucumber and the foie gras. Instead of the default main course of venison with savoy cabbage and parsley, diners can upgrade to wagyu with potatoes, truffle, and dogwood for an additional charge. Both standard and premium wine pairings are available. Alternatively, there’s a set menu allowing guests to choose an appetizer, main course, and dessert. Interestingly, the wagyu supplement is lower in the set menu than in the tasting menu.
We began the evening with champagne and an extra order of oysters. They were fresh and served in a classic manner. There’s not much more to say about them – classics tend to speak for themselves. From there, we moved on to our tasting menu.
The start of the evening showed promise. The first snacks included tomato consommé with basil oil, a parmesan cookie, and a tartlet with classic beef tartare and lovage mayonnaise. The consommé, also known from our first visit as “Tomato Soup with Rice,” was a classic, aromatic, slightly tangy clarified broth with a hint of basil that perfectly prepared our palates for the other snacks. The parmesan cookie was rich with the intense aroma of the cheese, while the warm tomato filling added freshness. The tartlet offered a familiar pairing of tartare and lovage mayonnaise, where the lovage flavour took the spotlight. It was delicious, but the combination is one we’ve encountered in many other restaurants, including non-Michelin-starred ones, so it didn’t surprise us.
Rozbrat 20 excels in its bread course. We were served an outstanding onion brioche and sourdough bread, paired with impeccable butter in two versions – one with Maldon salt and the other with Marmite. The Marmite butter was expertly balanced, ensuring the yeast extract’s flavour wasn’t overpowering. While the pairings were classic, they were exceptionally executed, earning our praise.
The next appetizer, served in an elegant, spherical glass bowl, was a variation on a salad featuring smoked eel from the Mazury region, accompanied by sushi rice, apple, nori in tempura, and apple dashi. The dish delighted us with its rich flavours, aromatic notes, and diverse textures. Unfortunately, the presentation left something to be desired – one element of the salad was carelessly attached to the edge of the bowl, detracting slightly from the dish’s aesthetic appeal. Complementing the apple notes was an apple jelly infused with Żubrówka – a lightly refreshing element reminiscent of the well-known cocktail based on this spirit. Its cloudy appearance surprised us slightly, as it had previously been presented in a semi-transparent form that gave it a more visually appealing character. Here too, the aesthetics fell short—the plate bore visible marks from previously placed jellies, which did not meet the standards of precision we had expected.
The next appetizer was undoubtedly a highlight of the evening. It excelled both in presentation and flavour. The dish featured smoked eel (staying in a similar theme as the previous course), this time served with compressed watermelon and gazpacho. The gazpacho achieved its rich creaminess not through the addition of bread but a generous amount of olive oil, resulting in an exceptionally velvety texture. The gazpacho itself was very delicate in flavour but, thanks to its richness, was not overshadowed by the aromatic eel, creating a highly successful combination. Surprisingly, it was paired with Pinot Noir, which turned out to be an unexpectedly excellent match.
Next, tuna tartare was served – a dish we knew well from a previous visit. It remained quite classic in its form, despite the inclusion of some trendy additions such as yuzu mayonnaise, kohlrabi, trout roe, and sherry vinegar granita. The tartare was strongly fish-forward, slightly tangy, and rich, pairing well with a sparkling rosé wine.
Following the tartare, we moved on to a crab salad with crème fraîche, apple, apple and lemongrass foam, finger lime, and puffed rice. The use of apple tied it to previous dishes on the menu, and its aroma was further enhanced by a Riesling with apple notes. The dish was fresh in flavour, with the crab distinctly present, but it didn’t stand out as particularly memorable.
Unfortunately, the next item on the menu didn’t meet our expectations. As seafood enthusiasts, we were excited to see langoustine featured, but several elements of this dish fell short. The langoustine was served on lettuce with Marie Rose sauce and topped with shell powder. Sadly, the composition of one of our two plates began falling apart during the server’s presentation, and by the time they left, the dish had literally collapsed.
The lettuce with Marie Rose sauce tasted and felt like wilted greens, which detracted from the freshness and lightness of the dish. The shell powder added little to the flavour and contributed an unpleasantly grainy texture. Fortunately, the langoustine itself was well-prepared and stood out as the best element of the dish. We suspect this may have been intended as a creative take on the classic prawn cocktail, a staple in British cuisine. While we appreciate the creativity, in this case, we found the classic version more appealing.
As wine was poured for the next course – turbot – we were told it would pair beautifully with a sauce that was essentially a combination of three different sauces. Unfortunately, no further details about the sauces were shared, leaving us slightly curious. The turbot was served with a sauce based on fish stock, drizzled with mint oil, and accompanied by pickled mussels, fennel, and herring roe. Hazelnuts added a pleasant crunch to the dish. The sauce was creamy and aromatic, perfectly complementing the delicate, expertly prepared fish, which harmonized well with the accompanying elements. Overall, we found this dish to be very positive – balanced and well-conceived – though we would have appreciated learning more about the unique sauce that tied it all together.
The following course featured foie gras served on figs with orange and Campari, finished with a sauce made from port. The foie gras was beautifully caramelized, with a soft, delicate interior. We found the dish to be very good – harmonious and flavourful. Its rather classic presentation might be viewed as a drawback by some for lacking surprise, while others might appreciate its traditional appeal. Personally, we would have preferred a touch of unexpected creativity, but that comes down to individual preference. We were impressed by the wine pairing – a lightly sparkling, low-alcohol red Brachetto d’Acqui – which complemented the dish wonderfully.
Our biggest disappointment was the wagyu dish, which, it’s worth noting, came with an additional charge. The wagyu was served with potato purée, chanterelles, fresh truffle, and demi-glace sauce with truffle oil. While the wagyu itself was of excellent quality, we found it slightly undercooked, which meant that the marbled fat hadn’t melted sufficiently to release its full buttery flavour. As a result, the meat, while still tasty, lacked the silky texture that defines this type of beef. The potato purée and chanterelles were classic, neutral accompaniments for wagyu but didn’t elevate the dish. The presentation could also have been improved, as the dish didn’t impress visually. However, what disappointed us the most was the treatment of the truffle. The finely grated truffle (done in the kitchen rather than tableside, which would have added a touch of drama) was drowned in demi-glace sauce with truffle oil! This sauce felt overly heavy and lacking subtlety, particularly for a Michelin-starred restaurant. This choice overshadowed the natural flavours of both the wagyu and the fresh truffle, ingredients that deserve a more delicate and refined approach. We strongly believe that noble ingredients such as truffles, caviar, exceptional seafood, or wagyu require respect and care, and in this case, that was lacking, in our opinion.
Our spirits were slightly lifted by the dessert – a white chocolate mousse with a praline centre, black olive ice cream, and a spiral of white chocolate dusted with freeze-dried raspberries. The flavours were well-balanced, with the sweetness of the chocolate complemented by the tartness of the raspberries. The presentation of the dessert was flawless. The meal concluded with petit fours: an Earl Grey and yuzu praline, buckwheat caramel, and a whisky sour jelly.
As for the service, we noticed a significant improvement compared to our previous visit – it was much friendlier and more pleasant. The presentation of the wines also showed great progress, and we have to give credit to the sommelier for that. However, we were less impressed with how the dishes themselves were presented. We had to ask about many ingredients, and no one on the staff noticed when one of the dishes on the plate was falling apart. The biggest drawback of Rozbrat 20, however, is the limited size of the space, which means that staff frequently bump into guests’ chairs while moving between tables. After a few occurrences, this becomes particularly irritating.
Summing up the entire dinner, there were many positives – the beginning of the evening was truly promising. Unfortunately, the langoustine and wagyu dishes, although often praised online, did not meet our expectations. Some of these shortcomings might have been due to the head chef’s absence on the day of our visit, but this is only speculation, as we cannot compare it to other days. The service still needs some fine-tuning. That said, we appreciate the highlights of the evening and wish the restaurant continued growth and future success.