Daquise

Daquise has the air of a dining room that hasn’t changed for half a century. Chandeliers hang alongside old photos and borscht is ladled tableside at this wonderfully old-school Polish institution in South Kensington. Sitting in its grand, aged dining room—part tiled, part distressed, but wholly elegant—makes us wonder why this traditional ideal of a restaurant is no longer in vogue. But then we chew on the beef goulash for an eternity and are reminded that, often, you can’t have it all.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

The clientele, additional pieces of Daquise’s antique furniture, decompress at being served in the most thorough but familiar of fashions. There’s a sense that some of these folks—diplomats, ageing film stars, children of landed gentry—have been ordering the schnitzel since before they could hold cutlery. It’s a restaurant that feels core to many people’s histories and there’s an unmistakable charm to that.

While parts of this menu should be met with a raised eyebrow, stick to the classics and you’ll be perfectly content. The tablecloths are white but the borscht is vibrant in colour and pepper. If you let your daydreams takeover, you can imagine sitting here waiting to meet your mysterious wealthy benefactor for the first time. But things like the fruit pierogies—hot dumplings filled with a slice of cold strawberry—can rupture this fantasy. That said, once a complimentary glass of ice-cold vodka arrives, you’ll more than likely fall head over heels for Daquise’s tried-and-tested method of courting once more. 

Food Rundown

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Borscht

The understated ceremony of this borscht—of it being carefully ladled tableside from the pot—will warm the coldest of hearts. Vibrant in colour and fizzing in pepper, with three delicate dumplings bobbing on the surface, it’s a lovely bowl of soup.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Mixed Dumplings

There are three varieties of savoury pierogi. Cheese, potato, and onion. Cabbage and wild mushroom. And meat. The vegetable ones are particularly soft and delicious—flecks of sweet onion, an earthy hint of mushroom. The generically named ‘meat’ is pretty good too.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Marinated Herring

This is one of the best things you can order at Daquise. The herring is lip-smacking, but not overwhelmingly so, and it’s topped with dill and diced apple relish, alongside a kind of onion remoulade. On paper it may not appeal to everyone, but this is a delicious and well-balanced starter.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Veal Schnitzel

Falling back on a pummelled, breadcrumbed, and fried piece of meat is never a cop out. It’s always the right decision. This isn’t the greatest schnitzel we’ve ever had. But it’s crispy, moist, and has a fried egg on top. The less said about the mash the better—we’ve met camels with more interest in moisture—but the schnitzel, combined with a dollop of cranberry sauce, is a winner.

Beef Goulash

A good goulash is one of the heartiest dishes around. Unfortunately this one doesn’t hit the mark. The meat has been cooked too aggressively and has neverending chew to it, while the sauce leans insipid. The pile of nutty buckwheat is an excellent foil, but everything else misses the mark.