Last Updated on November 23, 2023
Dumplings and Vodka in South Kensington
I’m not a stranger to the Polish restaurant Ognisko. I have spent many happy evenings there downing flavoured vodkas and eating their refined take on Polish cuisine. Our editor Fiona has been there as well but claims she doesn’t remember too much about it…
Imagine my delight when we were contacted to review Ognisko along with Kavka Vodka, a recent enterprise from Ognisko owner and Kavka Vodka founder Jan Woroniecki. Jan has form in the London restaurant scene having been behind restaurants Vodka and Baltic, the much-lamented Waterloo stalwart. But he is now focussing his energies on Ognisko and the Kavka brand, which he launched in 2022.
Ognisko is on the ground floor of the Polish Club, a Georgian townhouse in South Kensington, just opposite the Science Museum. It’s a very elegant space, with dark wooden floors, high ceilings, pillars, cream walls, brass chandeliers, gilt and gold mirrors, bowback chairs and white linen tablecloths. There is also a marquee extension that is fab in the summer but still warm enough to use in the winter. Part of our brief was to try the Kavka range of three vodkas. These have been formulated in conjunction with Master Distiller, Urszula Wojcik. Because it was a Tuesday lunchtime and the world was going to pot, we decided we needed cocktails.
A beautifully chilled and blended Vodka Martini with the obligatory olive was made with the Kavka Estate vodka. It blends rye and wheat spirits with added apple and plum fruit spirits. It gave the martini a rounded buttery flavour with a hint of acidity from the apple. There is also a KAVKA cocktail list specially curated to match the spirits. For something fruity and refreshing the Kavka Orchard Spritz brings together Kaka Orchard vodka, made from fruit and grain spirits, with prosecco, fresh strawberries and mint. The Orchard Cosmopolitan uses the same base but adds cranberry juice, Fortunella liqueur and lime juice for a drink with more astringency. The Kukulka is really a dessert cocktail; Kavka Vodka shaken with Martell cognac, Mozart dark chocolate liqueur, advocat and cream. But I went for the Kavka Tokaji Manhattan – Kavka Tokaji cask vodka stirred with herbal white Cochi Vermouth and the sweetness of 5 Puttonyos Tokaji dessert wine. It was a drink with a delicious depth of flavour and a long aftertaste. I’m a sucker for bread and pickles and they are perfect for mopping up alcohol!
The Ognisko bread basket included an excellent rye bread that was perfect with gherkins and the sweetness of minced beetroot.
I take reviewing very seriously – it seemed appropriate at this time to order a flight of Kavka vodkas to accompany our food.
We had a series of starters: Barszez was a rich, sweet beetroot consommé with a hint of horseradish bite and served with cream on the side. It came with a mushroom pasztecik, a light glazed pastry stuffed with a luxurious mushroom filling. The complex notes of the Kavka Tokaji vodka brought out the flavours in the barszez beautifully.
It’s always crucial to have dumplings at Ognisko. Cheese, potato and onion pierogi were surprisingly light and delicious.
Kopytka dumplings stuffed with a creamy filling of chestnuts and forest mushrooms (think gnocchi) came sauteed and were a perfect warming winter dish.
Blinis (buckwheat pancakes) have to be warm and fluffy, and these were! Ognisko has a variety of topping options; sour cream served with slivers of lightly marinated herring, green salad leaves and gherkins is a classic version and was delivered perfectly.
My guest smothered hers with dollops of Keta caviar perched on a subtle bed of chopped onion and boiled egg. The apple notes of the Kavka Estate vodka were the perfect match for the blinis.
For our main dishes, we moved on to a Bourgogne blanc, robust and fruity enough to hold its own with the flavours of Polish cuisine. A generously sized Bavette Steak Salad brought together tender, well-seasoned and tasty strips of meat with beetroot, rocket, edamame beans, lentils and a creamy horseradish dressing.
A beautifully cooked tranche of roast cod sat on a bed of braised aubergine, courgette, tomatoes and capers. To be honest, this was a dish that spoke more to me of the South of France than Poland but as a light but satisfying main course on a cold day, it hit the spot.
Sernik vanilla and white chocolate cheesecake was slathered with a rich redcurrant and blackcurrant sauce. It was really a meal in itself but had a good texture and wasn’t too sweet. The Kavka Orchard vodka with its slight sweetness and warm apple notes was a great accompaniment.
Our waitress Aga embodied the spirit of good service, always there when we needed her. She was helpful, friendly and informative without imposing in any way. If you are new to Polish food, then Ognisko is a brilliant place to go for an introduction, if you are already a fan, then you probably know about the restaurant. And the Kavcka vodkas just give another great reason to visit.
55 Exhibition Rd,
Kensington
London
SW7 2PG
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