Karczma restaurant is a maze of rooms underground; it sits on the old town square which was destroyed during the 1945 Warsaw uprising by the retreating Nazis, and since rebuilt stone-by-stone using old plans and drawings. A typical Warsavian dinner is loaded with cholesterol: there was bread on the table when we arrived, and in the candlelight the spread looked as if it was white butter. As it melted we realized that it was lard. Fat floated in the spicy sausage soup - which tasted wonderful - and spinach-filled dough followed.
In a city where the temperature falls below minus 30F., the residents need plenty of internal insulation between ribs and skin. This is the place to find it. The duck was as duck should be and the cream desert was beautiful; loads of beer and vodka wash it all down. The atmosphere was loud and friendly with different sorts of live music in different rooms. A place to visit, eat in and admire.
