Daquise

Back in Mayregulars were disheartened by news that this much-loved restaurant was to daquise. Situated next-door to South Kensington station, daquise, Daquise is elegant and decidedly unassuming.

Daquise, a Polish establishment in South Kensington, is a relative youngster — tracing its history to the Second World War — but you can feel the hand of history on your shoulder as you enter a charming and unusual restaurant where diners using cell phones look anomalous. The walls are lined with old photographs, and the room is filled with people some of them as elderly as us who appear unhurried and fully able to understand the benefits of a long lunch. Daquise formally opened in , when the owner, a Mr Dakowski, conflated his name with that of his French wife Louise. But it is believed that prior to that, the space served as a canteen to take the overflow from the nearby Polish Club Ognisko Polskie during the war. And it was a home-from-home for Roman Polanski while he was filming Repulsion in the early s. More recently, it was a favourite of A. Gill, who gave it a five-star review in the Sunday Times in , having frequented it as a student in the s.

Daquise

LDN Review. South Kensington. Chandeliers hang alongside old photos and borscht is ladled tableside at this wonderfully old-school Polish institution in South Kensington. Sitting in its grand, aged dining room—part tiled, part distressed, but wholly elegant—makes us wonder why this traditional ideal of a restaurant is no longer in vogue. The tablecloths are white but the borscht is vibrant in colour and pepper. If you let your daydreams takeover, you can imagine sitting here waiting to meet your mysterious wealthy benefactor for the first time. But things like the fruit pierogies—hot dumplings filled with a slice of cold strawberry—can rupture this fantasy. The understated ceremony of this borscht—of it being carefully ladled tableside from the pot—will warm the coldest of hearts. There are three varieties of savoury pierogi. Cheese, potato, and onion. Cabbage and wild mushroom.

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For 63 years, it has had an almost monastic resistance to change: yellow walls, chipped crockery, plastic flowers and charm. It has been a totem for London Poles: Roman Polanski came daily for dumplings and stews when he was filming Repulsion nearby, and it was always a favourite of cold war spies — Christine Keeler met her Soviet attache there. Daquise opened in , an emigre's recreation of a country lost to Communism. The food was spartan but homely, the oiled tablecloths a cross between lino and Uhu, and fingerprints smeared the menus. But it was proof that restaurants can be more than the sum of their parts. And now, a superstar catering family from Warsaw, the Gesslers, has just bought it.

The term dacquoise can also refer to the nut meringue layer itself. It takes its name from the feminine form of the French word dacquois , meaning 'of Dax ', a town in southwestern France. It is usually served chilled and accompanied by fruit. A particular form of the dacquoise is the marjolaine , invented by French chef Fernand Point , which is long and rectangular and combines almond and hazelnut meringue layers with chocolate buttercream. Media related to Dacquoise at Wikimedia Commons. This dessert -related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Contents move to sidebar hide.

Daquise

Opened in , award-winning restaurant Daquise is the oldest Polish restaurants in the capital. The restaurant serves traditional dishes from Poland and over the years it has attracted some big names including Roman Polanski and exiled Polish president Edward Raczynski, who planned campaigns to overthrow Soviet powers whilst sitting in the restaurant. The venue is steeped in history and you feel it when you look around at the rustic interior.

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Mains are assembled directly at the table from well-worn saucepans, carried by the chefs who lovingly prepared the dishes. Features Interviews Profiles Guides Jobs. Plus, the vegetables actually tasted as they should. Bigos Poland's national dish, a rich and savoury soup with only two agreed ingredients: cabbage and meat. Bread and butter is on the table, without charge. Brits are increasingly taking to the new food. Served at the table from a saucepan, it was simple and richly flavoured with cream and pepper and containing just a few noodles. Portions are generous, without being over-the-top, and service is prompt and attentive, as it needs to be in a busy room with only a few staff. Falling back on a pummelled, breadcrumbed, and fried piece of meat is never a cop out. Share this article. If you let your daydreams takeover, you can imagine sitting here waiting to meet your mysterious wealthy benefactor for the first time. Beetroot and dumplings, Richard Vines. On paper it may not appeal to everyone, but this is a delicious and well-balanced starter. View this post on Instagram.

Back in May , regulars were disheartened by news that this much-loved restaurant was to close.

Features - 17 May - Share. Making an authentic bigos can take over a week: its flavour develops with the addition of new ingredients such as venison, veal and sauerkraut. Features Interviews Profiles Guides Jobs. LDN Review. The vegetable ones are particularly soft and delicious—flecks of sweet onion, an earthy hint of mushroom. Share on twitter Share on Twitter. Bigos Poland's national dish, a rich and savoury soup with only two agreed ingredients: cabbage and meat. The relaunched Daquise, quaintly formal, respectfully hospitable, its chefs in old-fashioned toques chef's hats , complements the modern appreciation of Polish food. It's an ambition that testifies to how much Polish food has grown in popularity here. Even something as simple as tomato soup was a winner. It has been a totem for London Poles: Roman Polanski came daily for dumplings and stews when he was filming Repulsion nearby, and it was always a favourite of cold war spies — Christine Keeler met her Soviet attache there. Share this article. Brits are increasingly taking to the new food. Stay up to date with Something Curated.