Va Bene Ristorante, Warsaw

...a great Italian restaurant called Va Bene and did I fancy trying it out for lunch one day. I will never turn down an invitation to an Italian restaurant so I accepted. Only thing I had to choose was the location as there are three in Warsaw; Wola (where I live - why have I never noticed it?), Ursynow and Ochota. I chose Ursynow because it is in the nice part of town and I haven't been there for a while.

Ursynow is what I would call ...
...

Apparantly, Va Bene is part of a network of restaurants known for their great Italian specialities that are based on old recipes like Mama used to cook and only the best quality ingredients are used. I had no idea what to expect really and as this area is full of brand new swanking apartments that cost an absolute fortune I just assumed that the restaurant would be on the bottom floor of one of the blocks of flats. How wrong I was. ... more

Since I moved to Warsaw two years ago now, I realise that I haven't frequented many of its restaurants. In fact, I've been to 4 and reviewed 3. The other evening my husband came home and said that a friend of his had recommended a great Italian restaurant called Va Bene and did I fancy trying it out for lunch one day. I will never turn down an invitation to an Italian restaurant so I accepted. Only thing I had to choose was the location as there are three in Warsaw; Wola (where I live - why have I never noticed it?), Ursynow and Ochota. I chose Ursynow because it is in the nice part of town and I haven't been there for a while.

Ursynow is what I would call a yuppie part of Warsaw and to reach this luxuriant suburb you need to take the Metro from the central station and get off at the Stoklosy stop which is 3 stops before the final stop, Kabaty, south of the city. The restaurant is situated on ul. Zamiany 4 which is a small street opposite the Metro station.

Apparantly, Va Bene is part of a network of restaurants known for their great Italian specialities that are based on old recipes like Mama used to cook and only the best quality ingredients are used. I had no idea what to expect really and as this area is full of brand new swanking apartments that cost an absolute fortune I just assumed that the restaurant would be on the bottom floor of one of the blocks of flats. How wrong I was. The only word of exclamation I can think of is, Wow because that is the word I used when I saw this wonderful representation of an Italian villa.

As you enter the restaurant you walk through an archway typical of villas throughout the Mediterranean with a rough white painted exterior and rustic amber rooftop tiles. At this point I was very excited. The terrace is quite large and has several wooden tables and chairs set out. All very highly polished. The floor of the terrace is probably concrete but it has been designed to give it that cobbled courtyard effect. The surrounding walls are painted white with arched windows filled with flower boxes and there are old fashioned reproductions of gas lamps dotted around the terrace and the odd conifer and palm planted amongst brightly coloured shrubs. Very pretty indeed and we would have sat outside except I could see the clouds above the apartment block opposite, turning rapidly from white to grey and then to a demon black and I knew this was the same sign I have noticed over the last few weeks. A 30 minute blast of wind and torrential rain would be on its way.

Not wanting to get my posh gladrags drenched I chose to sit inside and my exclamation this time was a double Wow. The room was so pretty. A sea of powder blue; chairs, tables, beams, old-fashioned dressers. Every piece of furniture looked liked it had been dry scumbled. This a paint technique I have often used over the years for giving newly painted pieces of furniture a mellow appearance of age or as the DIY books say, a distressed look. Blue is my favourite colour and I immediately feel relaxed and at home in any environment where this colur dominates.

Threaded through the open beams are trailing ivy plants and scented geraniums. There is a mixture of circular and square tables; each with 4 chairs and very simply decorated on top with a small white vase of flowers and a serviette holder filled with white serviettes. The contrast of the blue and the bleached white is stunning. Lovely old Victorian style candle lamps hang from the ceiling and some are mounted on the side walls. Apart from blue stained wood the only other dominant material is wrought iron . I spotted wine racks, lamps and a beautiful mounted Victorian style clock all made from this versatile metal. I particularly loved the clock - it reminded me of a miniature version of the one at Lime Street Railway Station. The final touch to make the restaurant look authentic was the tiled floor - terra cotta floor tiles. When the sun came through the windows before the storm the streams of light danced on the tiles making the whole room incandescent. The light and atmosphere gave me the same feeling of warmth and friendliness that I have often experienced in many a trattoria in the south of Italy. Whoever designed this restaurant has done an excellent job and I have to mark the decor 10/10.

Rather than sitting in the central area of the restaurant we chose a small table near an arched window opposite the bar. The bar was very attractive, shaped in a semi circle decorated with old fashioned wine bottles and strings of garlic and peppers hanging down from the roof. At the back of the bar was the pizza oven and French wooden doors which led into the kitchen. My husband wanted to sit so he could see everything that was going on so I didn't get to see too much but it didn't bother me. He is rather fussy about sitting in the correct position and likes to be facing things and people rather than having his back to the world. I'm not bothered - the decor and food is the most important thing to me.

I was eager to see what was on the menu so when the waiter approached us with a menu card I nearly grabbed it out of his hand as I was so anxious to view the delicacies. Normally, if presunto or any home cured ham is on the menu I always opt for it but this time I thought I would choose something else and went with fried asparagus in a wine and cheese sauce. This is a hot starter and the price is 24 zloty (approx £5). My husband chose Crostoni Toscana which is also a hot starter and is toasted bread topped with mozzarella cheese, sun dried tomatoes and rucola. The price is 12zloty.

At the same time of ordering our starters and main meal, the very tall, handsome and smiley waiter took our drinks order which was as usual 2 large glasses of beer. Unfortunately, Carlsberg was the only beer on offer which I am not that keen on but as there was no other choice it was better than none. A 0.50l glass of beer is 8 zloty (1.50). Soft drinks and non - alcoholic drinks are also available.

When I saw the waiter coming through the kitchen door with my asparagus I wanted to shout Yippee as it seemed so long since I had tasted this delicacy. It is a vegetable that is very difficult to come across in this part of the world. And to my surprise the young, succulent tips hidden underneath a pale creamy sauce were of the green variety which I love and not the pale yellow. The sauce was very smooth and the balance of cheese to wine was perfect for my taste buds. The cheese just dominated the taste of white wine which is how I like it. So 10 out of 10 for the asparagus.

My husband's toasted bread consisted of two large slices of white bread served on a very nice platter of wild rucola, sliced onions, olive oil and herbs. The mozzarella was sliced in quite thick slices dressed in virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of fresh basil. He also informed me that it was the real buffalo mozzarella and not one of those imposters. The sun dried tomatoes were large and very rich in taste. He said that the starter was very filling, scrumptious and well worth 12 zloty. 10/10 again.

After we had finished the starters the waiter cleared the dishes away but didn't bring our main dishes to us straight away as we had asked him to give us a breather in between courses. I really don't liked to be rushed in a restaurant and like to savour each course in its own time. Plus I like to finish my beer before eating the next dish of wholesome food. At this point we ordered a carafe of house red wine. We were going to order a bottle of Tempranillo at 50 zloty a bottle but a carafe was priced at 57 zloty which was a litre of wine rather than 75cl. Not much diference in price but perhaps a little saving. Plus I like earthenware jugs - they are more pleasing to the eye than a wine bottle. I will add that you can have a glass, a quarter or half a carafe as well. A glass costs 7 zloty, quarter - 16zl and a half 31zl.

Eventually every drop of beer had vanished and the waiter who had been keeping an eye on us came to collect our glasses and then went to the bar to bring the carafe of red wine. Within 5 or 6 minutes he came back with our main meals. Having studied the menu when we first arrived we both decided not to have a pasta or a rissotto dish as I cook these type of meals at least three or four times a week so I chose a pork dish - pork fillet in gorgonzola cheese. My husband chose the lamb chops in a strawberry sauce.

Here comes our verdict -

The pork fillets were of the tenderloin variety - 3 pieces altogether. The taste was delicious. Every slither of meat was tender and melted in my mouth as soon as the slices hit the tip of my tongue. The aroma of the dish was slightly herby and spicy. I could taste dijon mustard, olive oil and thyme. The meat had definitely been seared as it was brown all over and all the juices had been kept inside. The sauce which had been gently ladled over the pork slices and served in an additional sauceboat as well, smelt of strong blue gorgonzola, white wine, cream and a hint of bouillion. Together the soft texture of the meat, its delicate juices and the creaminess of the mustard, wine and full cream and one of Italy's best blue cheeses, gave this dish an outstanding taste. I have to mark the dish 10 out of 10. To accompany the pork fillet dish I had a bowl of plain white rice which was cooked to perfection. Soft and fluffy - just as it should be. The price of the pork and rice came to 41 zloty ( just over £8).

My husband chose Lamb chops in a strawberry sauce which I thought was a strange choice ad couldn't see how the two would fit together, When the dish appeared on the table it looked very appetising I have to say. There were several small lamb chops and they looked like thay had been roasted in the oven with oilve oil, garlic, peppercorns and a marinade of strawberries and other ingredients. I was dying to taste the sauce although it looked like a dark red gravy rather than a sauce. With my husband's permission I first tasted a small amount of the sauce and it was rather unusual. It had a strawberry caramel sort of taste so I can only think that the onions had been caramelised with something like balsamic vinegar. Pieces of strawberry were noticeable in the sauce and mint leaves were part of the garnish which was actually quite refreshing. The cooked flesh of the chops was very dark and succulent. I am only guessing at this but I think the chops must have been marinaded in wine and sugar as the overal taste was sweet but with a rich flavour - very much like the taste of pheasant or partridge. I was very impressed - the taste was different but very pleasing and with a side dish of creamy whipped mashed potatoes, my husband was a very happy man. The price of the lamb chops and mash came to 52 zloty (£10.50)

The house wine was a little harsh and tasted like it was from the Languedoc and not of Italian origin but never mind - you can't win them all.

We ate everything on both plates and yes, we were very full indeed but I sort have had an hankering for a creamy Italian dessert so I asked our friendly waiter who was Polish and not Italian for the dessert menu. There were only about 6 desserts on the menu and three of those were ice creams of various flavours. The other three dishes were; Tiramisu - the popular tried and tested Italian dessert which cost 16zl, hot apple cake with two sauces - 16zl also, and pears in a red wine sauce - same price. My husband said that he didn't fancy anything else in a red wine sauce and although he loves apple cake he said it was too filling so we chose the ever friendly Tiramisu with mascarpone and coffee. Oh boy, this is a heavenly dessert.

As far as I know it tasted like a traditional recipe. I could taste two types of cream - mascarpone and whipping cream The texture and consistency was so soft. I can only think that it had been whipped several times until it formed a very soft peak. This delicious cream was spread upon a sponge base, covered by a layer of lady's fingers drenched in coffee liquer. Cocoa powder was dusted on top of the dessert. I think after every spoonful the words - heavenly - floated from my mouth. Absolutely delicious and another top mark goes to the chef.

What came next - a breather, a long chat and then a cognac! The cognac wasn't too bad to say it came out of a bottle that I didn't recognise. Priced at 7 zloty for a small glass, I think this is a bargain. The taste was smooth and the colour was of a pale honey shade. A perfect ending to a splendid meal.

I never used the ladies room so I can't comment but I am sure that they would have been spotless as I can't fault the rest of the restaurant for cleanliness. The ambiance was just about right - not too noisy but still had an animated feel. Waiter service came with a smile and I was very pleased that he let us have a rest betwen courses. At no time in the evening did I feel rushed. Background music was quite enjoyable too. It was a sort of acoustic country/folk rock - like Springsteen plays when he is in a pensive mood.

At just under £50, I can't fault the price and that includes two beers and a carafe of red wine. What other capital city can you get such good value? Vilnius perhaps but not sure - that has even gone upmarket.

I thoroughly recommend this restaurant but for visitors coming to Warsaw, remember that the restaurant is out of the city. I appreciate that not everyone will want to travel on the metro to find it but it is very straightforward as mentioned above. I say be adventurous, jump on the metro and find that little bit of Italy in the Polish capital.

Summary: An excellent restaurant serving good Italian cuisine

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