Fiorentina — Restaurant in Krakow

Fiorentina is a French inspired fusion of locally sourced inspirations. The atmosphere is cozy and refined with specific attention to Paris bistro vibes showcasing exposed brick, muted colors of greens, reds, oranges accenting dark woods and light marbles. The staff is welcoming and incredibly helpful in explaining the localities of each dish, the procedures painstakingly metered in craft, and answering questions pertaining to the dishes. While the menu boasts a 5 & 7 course tasting menu, we choose to create our own tasting menu from the menu. To begin, The dry-aged tartar and local cheese with lingo berries served with canola oil. The tartar was good, coming with shallots and mushrooms inside. Normally, you might find a bit of sesame oil on tartar to bring out more oily texture; however, the dry aging brings out rich fatty oils without the reliance of sesame. To note, a bit of flur de sul would have been a nice crunchy addition to the sturgeon caviar adorning the top. The sheep cheese starter was smooth as butter, with deep finishing notes. Combined with the lingonberry was perfection. The branches are sweet crackers infused with mushroom and bring about a woodsy flavor that pairs well with the cheese. The canola was plain and I felt needed an astringent note to better compliment and make the cheese shine more vibrantly. A tarragon infusion might have paired nicely. Moving on, we shared a bowl of white asparagus soup which was creamy with complimentary notes coming from sprouted coriander— delightfully playful and paired well with our champaign.

Moving to the main course, we both had the duck breast with sides of salad and ash potato. The duck was flavorful and juicy, with nice presentation. Small jelly bubbles adorned the circle of sauce and as most know accompany ducks game flavor notes to mellow and decrease the duck’s naturally rich disposition. Special notes to the stuffed potato cooked in ash. The ash stemmed from local trees (oak, birch, popular, etc) from nearby mountains. While I’m used to cooking with ash as a finisher to cheeses, this was new and it tastes invitingly good. The recommendation is to eat the skin last or not at all since it can be a bit bitter, I felt the skin was refreshingly tart pairing well with the foods being very rich. The salad also holds special mention with smoky balsamic vinegar which is a mix of spinach, romaine, and several other types.

Lastly, desserts, the shared the hazelnut chocolate mousse and fresh summer tart. Both were very good but the mousse won out for both of us with its decadent after taste.

The service was phenomenal and waiters and waitresses were attentive. Overall, I know this is a favorite from the 7 recommends we’ve visited this week. We already have a rebooking confirmed. Thank you for such a wonderful meal, we’re looking forward to the next time.

Update: June 21, 2023

We dinned here a second time, with different selections, including the halibut main entree, and the Fiorentina steak (about 760g-1kg, depending on the cut). As before, the food was exquisite with wonderful attention and care dedicated to creating a memorable meal. It's why we've made Fiorentina our restaurant of choice when eating our in Krakow....

During our recent visit, several aspects of the dining experience left us deeply disappointed—especially when compared with other Krakow's highly reviewed establishments that continue to deliver quality and consistency. Although our starters arrived in a reasonable time, we waited over 70 minutes for the main courses. This excessive delay was unacceptable, and we ultimately decided to leave, paying only for the dishes we had received.

The wine service was equally disheartening. We ordered two glasses at 68zl each—prices that are steep, considering a similar bottle would typically cost around 40 Euros. While the wine’s first impression was acceptable, its bouquet quickly faded, almost as if it had been open for several weeks.

The starters, which should have set the tone for the meal, were equally underwhelming. For example, the beef tartare was priced at 74zl and was noticeably underseasoned—arguably the worst version we have experienced in quite some time. Other establishments, which are well-regarded for their culinary standards, offer similar dishes at around 50zl with significantly better flavor and presentation. The herring, too, was priced at a premium yet failed to deliver the quality that diners expect from top-rated restaurants.

Service issues further compounded our dissatisfaction. When we requested a quieter table to enjoy a more relaxed meal—merely a preference for ambiance rather than a criticism of families—the response was dismissive and sarcastic. While the establishment proudly states it welcomes families, the lack of willingness to accommodate a simple request for a different setting starkly contrasts with the attentive service observed at other leading restaurants.

In summary, when compared to other highly reviewed venues known for their exceptional service and culinary quality, this restaurant falls short. With main courses that never arrived after an inordinate wait, a wine program that does not justify its high pricing, underwhelming starters, and service that borders on unprofessional, it is hard to see how this establishment could merit a place in the Michelin...

In one word, A VERY MESSY DINNER SERVICE! Considering the price of the new year’s eve dinner, my girlfriend and I had some expectation for the dinner. We arrived 15 minutes late due to traffic. However, we have informed them in advance through phones that we would be late. Nevertheless, it is not an excuse for what had happened during the dinner service. The dinner started with the amuse bouche being served long before our champagne aperitif, which was clearly stated in the set menu that aperitif comes first and then the amuse bouche. The worst part is I have to ask about it before it was being served. Then, we had to wait for about 1 hour and 15 minutes for our first appetizer for a 7 course menu. It did not end there, the waiter took away our white wine that was already became warm from the waiting into our first appetizer with a more portion of the next wine pairing for the 2nd course which did not offset the fact that we had to wait more that one hour for our first course. Moreover, our wine pairing for the 3rd course were served after my girlfriend had finished the food which did not make sense since it is supposed to be a wine pairing dinner that we had specifically chosen to indulge our new year’s eve. Attentively, the sommelier realized the terrible mistake and offered us to not pay the wine pairing which is the reason why I added one more extra star for her generosity. Overall, the food were well prepared. However, the messiness in terms of the service cost us our precious time to spend the night at the Krakow’s old town as we have planned the night accordingly. Being really honest, we were considered a lenient customer who had suffered a bad new year’s eve dinner experience. Even though one of the waiter sincerely apologized for what had happened, I believe that with all the experiences and the reviews the restaurant has received, it was a very mediocre dinner with a...