FANTASTACO!

Wilanów’s borderlands reveal a vegan to remember… structure, walk in to find not a restaurant in the traditional sense of the word, but rather an attractive timber-encased room with around four tables to speak of.

This intimacy charms immediately, and is accented by a neon pink flamingo, fragranced candles from the London-based Pecksniff’s, and a discreet pile of books such as Emily Han- son’s Modern Rustic. Taken together, these individualistic add-ons lend a welcome sense of identity, with the good mood yet further enhanced by the soft glow cast from the Edison bulbs found strung between the hanging plants and potted shrubs.

AND WHAT IS IT?

Despite what the name may otherwise suggest, the Wild

Rabbit is not some meat-eating frenzy of primal pleasure, but instead an eatery that prides itself on its vegan foundations. Owned by head chef Magdalena Kurowicka, her cooking mixes familiar faves (tacos!) with more fine-handed concoctions that are veganized with love. And yes, we don’t say that lightly. You can think of love as being the guiding principle at the

Dziki Królik Rzeczypospolitej 2A, fb.com/dzikikrolikrestaurant

Dziki Królik. Expressed not just via the food, you can tell in an instant that the whole team here enjoy everything that they do. Confined in such close quarters with them, it’s impossible not to be infected by their optimism and joy.

What They Say

Clear in their goals, the Królik crew say that their venture was born out of their love of animals, nature and rich, nutritious flavors. “We wanted to create a space which would meet the needs of the ever-growing community of socially aware consumers, their health, animal rights and, of course, climate change. Furthermore, we wanted to prove to everyone that vegan good could taste just as brilliantly as the original culinary classics it was based on.”

What Others Say

Dziki Królik’s name flashed globally over the summer when HappyCow, the planet’s No. 1 vegan platform, named it as one of Warsaw’s top restaurants in their annual rankings of the world’s most vegan-friendly cities (Warsaw, if you don’t know, polled ninth overall). This, however, was merely indicative of the buzz that this restaurant has spawned. Whether on Google or Facebook, not a single one of Dziki Królik’s reviews falls below five star, with sample write-ups describing it as “mind-blowing”, “just wow”, and “the best vegan food ever”.

What We Say

The plaudits are well-deserved. It takes about six seconds to memorize the menu, but despite it’s modest size it hits just about every high point that your tastebuds might know (plus a few they possibly don’t). From the comfort food perspective, the tacos are out-of-this world, and come in combos such as Philly cheese featuring jalapeno and vegan cheddar, thin strips of grilled plant steak, pico de gallo and pinches of cilantro. Lovingly tossed inside soft, floury tortillas –themselves pressed on-site – you quickly understand why people happily cross town to eat at Dziki Królik. When it comes to handheld goodness, not one place in Warsaw does it any better.

But there’s more to Dziki Królik than the simple stuff alone. Using soy meat, the bourguignon is one of the primary sellers, though we can also vouch for the scallops. Served in a rich white wine sauce abetted by chili, saffron, lime and three types of seaweed, the role of the scallops comes played by grilled Eryngii mushrooms that combine with the other elements to sing in a harmony of flavor. In a city full of frequently outstanding vegan options, this sets a new benchmark that’s unfair on the competition.

Good To Know

We may have missed one or two, but we counted 12 seats in all. With people coming from far and wide to visit, ring ahead to reserve a table. Note, also, their opening hours. Cooking only on Fridays through to Sundays, at all other times find the staff engaged in the production of Dziki Królik-branded goodies such as 100% vegan steaks – peruse the available stock in the small fridge by the entrance.