Goldwasser Restaurant sits on the bank of the River Motlawa, in prime position on the busy track between Gdansk’s star attractions of the medieval crane and the Dlugi Targ thoroughfare. The restaurant is housed in a historic styled building and offers traditional Polish cuisine.
On a first glance, the interior is warm and elegant, but you quickly realise it is getting a little tired – a mismatch of ideas from the last twenty years; fringed curtains, covered chairs, heavily stencilled walls and jarring modern brick work. Our table was next to a rather sorry looking polystyrene and plaster font that had seen better days and was now home to dusty plastic foliage complete with a few cobwebs.
On sitting down we were greeted by a dirty tablecloth and complete lack of any kind of place setting. The service was also rather slow, but was friendly and we suspect they were understaffed due to it being New Years Day.
The wine list was good but seemed very expensive – we settled on a couple of glasses of the pleasant house white before receiving our starters. The creamy potato and mushroom soup was delicious, while the lobster soup largely tasted of tomato – and neither were helped by the lack of any bread.
For the main course we went for as hearty and traditional as we could (will we never learn?). The roast duck, beetroot and ‘golden dumplings’ dish was pleasant, if bland. The ‘golden dumplings’ were the highlight – like little delicious rounds of Northern Irish potato bread. The wild boar neck was very dry, served with a meagre helping of gravy and flavours were again underwhelming.
Both main courses were served on four individual plates – all arranged on a large platter like a jigsaw. This made the dishes look like they had been thrown together from lego-brick-like servings – one carrot dish here, one cranberry sauce there… The garnish was a real blast from the past – a one inch piece of peeled cucumber with tomato slice balanced vertically on top crowned with a sprig of curled parsley. Very retro.
We shared a pancake with hot raspberries for dessert – a pleasant but proficient way to end a lacklustre meal.
At just under 200 PLN (£45) the food was reasonably priced, and all it would take is a bit of a spring clean and some innovation and enthusiasm in the kitchen and this could be the great place that had been recommended to us. We’ll give it another try in the summer months when the terrace is buzzing – rather than laden with snow as per our visit.
Goldwasser Restaurant
ul. Dlugie Pobrzeze 22
Gdansk
2 beetroot out of 5
