If
you're looking for a venue for a special occasion, I can recommend
you Villa Decius Restaurant (Restauracja w Willi Decjusza in
Polish). In this elegant Renaissance interior decorated with copies
of Old Masters, you will truly feel like a royal. But you also need a
purse full of gold because even with a discount card Karta na Plus, you can squander there a small fortune. :)
Located in one of the most luxurious districts of Kraków
called Wola Justowska, Villa
Decius was built by a finance minister and secretary
to the Polish king Sigismund I the Old, Iodocus Ludovicus Decius
(Justus Ludwik Decjusz in Polish). It was designed by Italian
renaissance architects who also collaborated on rebuilding Wawel. The
villa is surrounded by an English landscape garden, which is a lovely
place for lazy strolls after the dinner.
Thanks
to a party organised a few years ago by my ex-employer, I could have
a good look around upper stories, which have beautifully painted wood
ceilings, but the restaurant itself is situated in the cellars turned
into a set of opulent rooms (though the lack of windows can be a
little claustrophobic).
Food
is exquisite even though the portions are on the small side. I really liked
my chicken breast stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes accompanied by white rosemary-lemon sauce and black pasta (PLN 39).
Did you know that black pasta is made of squid ink and is very
tasty? (If you want to make your own black pasta, here's a recipe).
It's a pity, though, that the portions of pasta and other additions
to the dishes were much too small.
Another
tasty dish was wild boar loin in chocolate-balsamic sauce served with
filo pastry and stuffed vine leaves (PLN 59). For me the dish was
slightly too heavy (it's probably because I don't like game dishes in
general) but my Husband loved it, especially the tender and aromatic
meat. Our friends ordered duck with baked apple stuffed with
cranberries and red cabbage (PLN 57) and halibut on grilled courgette
(zucchini) with fried julienne (i. e. cut into long strips) potatoes
(PLN 43).
We
also helped ourselves to a dessert: a very tasty and delicate pear in
phyllo pastry with almond mousse (PLN 19). But a tart with gorgonzola
ice cream stirred a real sensation (PLN 18). The ice cream really
tasted like gorgonzola cheese and was probably one of the strangest
things I've ever eaten.
Waiters
in Villa Decius are very dignified, which may make them look a bit
aloof. I don't really mind it but I sometimes wished I was wearing a
crinoline dress or diamond necklace. ;) I can recommend Villa Decius
Restaurant for special occasions, such as romantic dates (or even a
marriage proposal), birthdays or celebration of other important life
events. And although the food and beverages are quite expensive, I
think that the renaissance architecture, unusual menu and elegant
atmosphere are worth their price. :)
Address: ul. 28 lipca 1943 roku 17a, Kraków (Wola Justowska)
Website: www.vd-restauracja.pl
Address: ul. 28 lipca 1943 roku 17a, Kraków (Wola Justowska)
Website: www.vd-restauracja.pl
