Mercato Bistrot & Bar

"Located in the Hilton but also open to non-guests, Mercato is the finest restaurant in Gdańsk. Here, chef Paweł Stawicki endeavors to “capture and highlight the multicultural and metropolitan aspects of Gdańsk’s culinary culture,” using local Pomeranian products alongside a few colonial imports. The menu, which changes four times a year, features elaborate takes on traditional recipes, plus a weekly special composed of seasonal ingredients. Perhaps the best choice is to place your fate in the skilled hands of Stawicki and order the six-course tasting menu, which includes signature dishes like cobia tartare, white asparagus cream soup, and veal cheek confit. Named after Via Mercatorum (the ancient trade route that once linked Gdańsk with the south), Mercato is proud of its heritage—a fact that’s readily apparent in the restaurant’s decor. Around the space, you’ll find framed drawings of everything from the broad bean (grown by the Pomeranians since prehistoric times) and the Baltic salmon (once served to noble Gdańsk residents of German origin) to the duck (a favorite fowl of the Polish, Kashubian, and Prussian inhabitants of Pomerania) and the Fagas sheep (brought to Poland from Holland by the Mennonites)."