Pani Solińska

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

Pani Solinska is Polish for 'Mrs Solinska'. Dorothy Nowak-Solinska took over Broughton Street landmark Café Mediterraneo last year, but before putting her name above the door in spring 2008 took some time to design a restaurant she could be proud of. The revamp looks fresh, pretty, stylish and Polish. It remains an all-day operation – breakfast is now a more Continental affair, but bacon rolls still feature. Eat lunch in or take away soup, sandwiches and four types of grilled sausage, while cakes and tea take things through to dinner. This comes from a short menu that will change with the seasons. The woody mushroom pierogi floating in the sweet and peppery beetroot consommé are stout enough to qualify it as a winter dish. Zrazy is a beef roulade with gherkin slices tucked into the rolls, served with chive mash and warm beetroot salad, as well as a subtle and delicious gravy produced by the beef and gherkin. There's a cocktail based on vodkas and whisky to celebrate Scottish Polish roots, and other plans in this vein include a bigos and beer open mic night and a vodka appreciation society.

• High point: Proud Polish cooking
• Low point: Not every Polish beer's a winner

The LIST Card C13

Pani Solińska

The following information has been provided by the restaurant.

Pani Solińska, the vision of Dorothy Nowak-Solińska, is designed to introduce its Scottish diners to the delights of Polish food. Born in Poznan to a Scottish mother and a Polish father, Dorothy grew up with the delicious traditional dishes which she now shares with her customers here in Edinburgh.

Many of these wonderful recipes go back hundreds of years and have stood the test of time. The combinations of flavours used in Polish cooking are rich, diverse and often quite surprising! Recipes not only consider the flavours but also the health giving properties of many of the ingredients used. Pani Solińska offers a healthy and hearty menu with all dishes cooked from fresh ingredients.

Pani Solińska is delighted to have a classical Polish chef from Gessler, one of the oldest and most respected restaurants in Warsaw. So we can truly guarantee authentic quality Polish cuisine!

Poles are passionate about their food and there are many classic dishes that they simply must have on a menu . These include such wonders as bigos – a rich cabbage stew made with sourkraut and all sorts of Polish sausage; Pierogi – little crescent shaped dumplings stuffed with anything from cheese, onion and potato to fresh strawberries or blueberries; Żurek - a classical soup made from fermented rye which was described in the 13th century as the national dish of Poland and is still loved by Poles today. The list goes on…

A daytime speciality is our range of hot grilled Polish sausage on rye with Polish mustard and gherkins, but we also offer a delicious range of hot meals, daily specials, homemade soups, sandwiches and cakes all day.

Every Monday evening Pani Solińska also hosts an exciting evening of live music, bringing together Polish, Scottish and world musicians. We have fiddlers, accordionists, flutists, drummers and many more ‘Music, Bigos and Beer’ and are always on the lookout for fresh talent!

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