{"id":17178,"date":"2016-03-04T12:00:37","date_gmt":"2016-03-04T11:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteaway.pl\/en\/?p=17178"},"modified":"2018-06-06T10:26:56","modified_gmt":"2018-06-06T08:26:56","slug":"warsaw-where-to-go-for-mussels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteaway.pl\/en\/2016\/03\/04\/warsaw-where-to-go-for-mussels\/","title":{"rendered":"Warsaw: WHERE TO GO FOR MUSSELS??"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mussels are one of \u0141ukasz\u2019s biggest loves. I like them too, however not as obsessively as \u0141ukasz and as long as there\u2019s choice I go for other kinds of seafood. We all know that the best mussels are mussels in Bruges served with chips and Belgian beer, or mussels somewhere on a beach in Normandy but still, we sometimes get the urge to have mussels in Warsaw<\/strong>. What then? Where can you find them? Where do they serve good, meaty mussels, prepared properly, without broken shells? Large mussels with perfect sauce \u2013 tasty, intriguing yet not spoiling the distinct mussels flavour.<\/p>\n

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Looking for perfect mussels, we checked out several places. Some are known for their mussels, some not really??? What did we learn??? Where you should definitely go for mussels and where you really shouldn\u2019t?<\/p>\n

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1) Mamma Marietta<\/a> – ul. Wo\u0142oska 74 A<\/h3>\n

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\"mule,<\/h3>\n

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Definitely our no.1. Even by only looking at them you know you want them and that it\u2019s going to be tasty. High quality mussels here \u2013 large ones, bigger than in many other mussels-specialised restaurants, irregular and heavy. Inside \u2013 tasty and firm meat. You can sense the quality. When we ask for the origin we learn they get the mussels from Fish Lovers<\/a> and that they come from sustainable keeps. On Fish Lovers website I read that they import the mussels from Sagres area in Portugal.<\/p>\n

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In Mamma Marietta they serve it in wine sauce with a gently roasted baguette which tastes perfect dipped in the sauce remains. A portion costs PLN 40.<\/p>\n

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PS. Mamma Marietta is a great place if you\u2019re feeling like Italian cuisine. It had its better and worse moments but lately they\u2019re chef, Andrea Scarantino from Italy returned to daily cooking. And you can feel it! After mussels, try their tiramisu!<\/p>\n

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2) WINIARNIA \u017bU\u017bU<\/a> – ul. Kazimierzowska 43<\/h3>\n

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\"mule,<\/p>\n

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Mussels in the intimate Winiarnia \u017bu\u017cu<\/strong> on ul. Kazimierzowska 43 is a great deal for those who love real sea mussels flavour. You can also go for mussels in white wine here, but the sauce is a bit different than in Mamma Marietta \u2013 it reminded us of a classic marinara style, \u0141ukasz loves. Mussels flavour is definitely dominating. Really nicely prepared, no crushed mussels or sand you can feel under your teeth. A good, properly prepared products. Once again it\u2019s mussels from fish lovers.<\/p>\n

A portion costs PLN 39 and \u017bu\u017cu also serves mussels in tomatoes and coconut milk.<\/p>\n

We haven\u2019t tried any other meals there yet. How about you? You know \u017bu\u017cu?<\/p>\n

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Even though we visited plenty of places serving mussels it was only \u017bu\u017cu and Mamma Marietta that turned out to be the ones worth visiting. Both places served mussels perfectly prepared, with high quality ingredients and sauce that wasn\u2019t killing the flavour. So if you would like to have perfect mussels, go to any of these two places!<\/p>\n

What about the rest??? Why not?? Let me explain…<\/p>\n

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Looking for best mussels in Warsaw we also visited:<\/h3>\n

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1) BISTRO LA COCOTTE<\/a> – ul. Mokotowska 12 (right next to Pl. Zbawiciela)<\/h3>\n

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\"mule,<\/p>\n

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We love Bistro la Cocotte but their mussels where a bit disappointing. The sauce was quite blunt and mussels of poor quality \u2013 prepared properly but you could feel that the product wasn\u2019t the best. Served traditionally in a large pot with thick fries and sauce to go with them.<\/p>\n

The service was perfect though: the waiter was able to tell us where do the mussels come from and he could even explain that usually they\u2019re serving Black Sea mussels but now, due to a storm they\u2019re serving Dutch. Unfortunately they did not remind us of the Dutch mussels we had in Bruges. It\u2019s a real pity since dinner at La Cocotte is always a perfect way to spend your evening. Especially with mussels!<\/p>\n

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2) SAN ANTONIO<\/a> – ul. Senatorska 12<\/h3>\n

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No picture since we haven\u2019t got there this time but we definitely had more mussels than anywhere else in San Antonio. A hundred years ago, in 2009 we obsessively went there on Thursdays to have mussels. They served them 2 ways \u2013 with garlic and parsley or with basil and Pernod. And this Pernod sauce was one of the best in Warsaw! However when we returned to San Antonio a few months ago the sauce may still have been tasty however the mussels weren\u2019t that good \u2013 floury, not so firm meat. And plenty of unopened shells in the pot which are not fit for eating. I guess the golden age for mussels in San Antonio has already passed.<\/p>\n

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3) PORTUCALE<\/a> – ul. Merliniego 2<\/h3>\n

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\"mule,<\/p>\n

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Portucale is a restaurant serving Portuguese cuisine. You will find it in the back of Warszawianka, in an inconspicuous building where sport halls are also located \u2013 even our Maks goes there for some classes! The smell outside the restaurant never attracted us to the place but we thought that maybe we were wrong? Maybe it\u2019s worth it and we\u2019ll find good mussels there?<\/p>\n

We check it out on Thursday night. Mussels can be ordered 3 ways: in white wine, tomato sauce and cheese and cream sauce. They cost PLN 32. We get the cheese and cream version. They come sprinkled with parmesan, looking quite messy and being of poor quality. They waitress has no idea where do the mussels come from. Unfortunately this visit assured us that we had a good reason not to come to Portucale before.<\/p>\n

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4) BISTRO PIGALLE<\/a> – ul. Ho\u017ca 41<\/h3>\n

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\"mule,<\/p>\n

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It was the first time we visited Bistro Pigalle on the corner of ul. Pozna\u0144ska and ul. Ho\u017ca. A pleasant interior arranged with a lot of taste. Huge windowpanes are quite impressive and the open kitchen quickly draws our attention.<\/p>\n

Mussels look the least appetising from all we have tried in Warsaw. Prepared poorly, overcooked, floury. Also served in wine sauce, but that doesn\u2019t make it any better since the sauce is uneatable due to the sand in it.<\/p>\n

Neither the waitress nor the chef can tell us where do the mussels come from. Doesn\u2019t matter, we won\u2019t get back here anyway!<\/p>\n

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5) VILANO<\/a> – ul. Kazachska 1 (Miasteczko Wilan\u00f3w)<\/h3>\n

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\"mule,<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a while since we\u2019ve been to Vilano. It was last summer to be precise and their mussels are the best example of how no to serve them. 1 kg portion which looks like there\u2019s a lot less in there. We remember the pots from France or Belgium filled to the very top. Here, it looks a bit empty… Mussels are small, crumbled, improperly prepared and the shells are broken in some places. Some of the shells are empty and the mussels lie somewhere else… so either they were cooked for too long or in too high temperature.. or both. And yes, they cost PLN 65! And it looks like they\u2019re stirred them with a hammer! You just don\u2019t do things like that!<\/p>\n

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As you can see there was plenty of places we checked and only 2 of them served really good mussels that had something in common with the ones from Normandy or Bruges! But maybe we missed something?? Maybe there are some great mussels but we missed the place?? If so, be sure to let us know!:)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mussels are one of \u0141ukasz\u2019s biggest loves. I like them too, however not as obsessively as \u0141ukasz and as long as there\u2019s choice I go for other kinds of seafood. We all know that the best mussels are mussels in Bruges served with chips and Belgian beer, or mussels somewhere on a beach in Normandy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":17179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3021,3022,2984,2993,3003,3002],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWarsaw: WHERE TO GO FOR MUSSELS??<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We love mussels! In Belgium we ate tem with thick fries and drank some Belgian beer with it. In Normandy we accompanied them with a crispy baguette, and in Warsaw? 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