Doctor_Lyalya
Google
I am utterly perplexed as to how Zazie Bistro made it into the Michelin Guide Poland 2024. If this represents Michelin-level gastronomy, I dread to think what other establishments have been included.
1. Onion soup with red wine and mashed potatoes with Gruyere cheese – an absolute disaster. Instead of a rich and flavorful French onion soup, I was served a wine-based broth with barely a hint of onion and some mashed potatoes that had simply been thrown in and torched. The Gruyere was almost nonexistent, but when it did make an appearance towards the end, the combination with the wine broth triggered my gag reflex. I have never had anything worse in my life.
Additionally, the portion size is completely inappropriate for a starter. It was a full-sized deep bowl of soup, which does not fit the concept of a pre-main-course appetizer.
2. Crayfish bisque with snails and dried capers – a small but decent portion for a starter. However, in my opinion, this dish should be moved to the soup section and served in a full portion.
3. We ordered a side of mashed potatoes because the waiter told us that the main dishes do not come with any sides and that the portions would be too small to be satisfying on their own.
When the mashed potatoes arrived, they were plain and underwhelming—no croutons, no caramelized onions as we had expected. Instead, they were sprinkled with chives and an unidentified hard, flavorless topping that resembled brown sugar but had absolutely no taste.
For a place listed in the Michelin Guide, this lack of attention to detail was truly disappointing.
4. Beef rib with pepper sauce, lettuce, and green peas – one of the few edible dishes. The meat was tender and flavorful. However, there were far too many whole peppercorns, which overwhelmed the dish.
5. Sirloin steak with milk garlic, green pea hollandaise sauce with roasted pepper, roasted shallots, and salted butter – a complete disappointment:
• Nobody asked how I wanted my steak cooked.
• It was served already cut into large chunks (why?).
• The doneness was inconsistent – one side was well done, while the other was rare.
• The pepper sauce was a disaster. The whole peppercorns were completely tasteless, yet they were excessively abundant, making the sauce unpleasant. They should have either been removed or properly infused into the sauce.
• The green peas were completely lost—I couldn’t taste them at all.
• The meat was tough and sinewy, which is highly unusual for a cut that is supposed to be tenderloin.
6. Water for 12 PLN – a carafe of plain tap water with no additions (no lemon, no ice)—seriously?
Service
While the waitstaff were efficient, there were several off-putting aspects:
• A staff member, possibly the owner or manager, stood near the bar for an extended period, loudly chatting and laughing with the bartender and a waiter.
• When we were leaving, another staff member replaced her, seemingly there not to work but to socialize and have a meal behind the bar.
Atmosphere
For a Michelin-listed restaurant, I found it extremely odd that we were able to pick any table we liked during peak hours, and in the 1.5 hours we spent there, only two other guests arrived. That alone speaks volumes.
This restaurant left a terrible impression. I would never recommend it and will never return.
