Bernard — Restaurant in Wrocław

Ah, Wroclaw. A city that beckons you with the charm of a thousand postcards, a mix of vibrant history and modern flair that feels like the love child of an old European town and a trendy Instagram influencer. On a rather chilly Saturday afternoon, I took a brisk stroll away from my hotel to explore the Old City—because why sit indoors when you could be braving the cold to discover a world of restaurants, bars, and the kind of historical buildings that make you feel like you’ve stepped into a live-action museum?

Among the options was Bernard, a bistro-style joint with a lovely heated outside space that’s basically a warm hug for your frozen self. A friend suggested it, probably because they knew I’d fall for the promise of warmth and food. As we walked in, we were greeted by an exceptionally pleasant English-speaking waiter, who was probably the friendliest person I’d met all day, which was both a blessing and a curse—more on that later.

The menu at Bernard is nothing short of delightful. It’s like a curated playlist of food that makes you feel classy without the pretension. For starters, I opted for pielmieni, which is basically the Eastern European equivalent of dumplings but with a fancy name. And let me tell you, these little pockets of heaven were just right. Not too big, not too small—perfectly portioned like the kind of person you meet and think, Why aren’t we friends already?

Then came the pork cutlet. Oh, the pork cutlet. It arrived with all the bravado of a dish that was ready to take on the world. Unfortunately, it had a dark secret: one of the cutlets wasn’t cooked through. I was greeted not by a succulent piece of meat, but by raw pork staring at me like it had just come from a horror film audition. It was less "gourmet delight" and more "what's going on here?" It was the kind of uncooked pork that makes you wonder if someone in the kitchen just looked at the clock and thought, Eh, good enough.

Now, to the waiter’s credit, he was as apologetic as a puppy caught chewing on the furniture. He quickly swooped in with an apology that sounded like he had personally offended my taste buds, and the dish was promptly removed from the bill. Still, I’m convinced the chef could use a gentle reminder that pork should not be served like it’s a challenge on Chopped.

To finish off my meal, I went for the pistachio tartlet with summer fruits. It was fine. It was the kind of fine where you think, Yeah, that’s dessert. Perfectly portioned, just sweet enough, and it didn’t try to be more than it was. Like the perfect closing argument—delightfully satisfying but not trying to win an Oscar.

All in all, Bernard was a lovely experience—except for the uncooked pork, which I’m pretty sure is a health hazard, but let’s not dwell on that. The setting was fantastic, the food was mostly good, and even though I had a minor run-in with undercooked meat, I wouldn’t let it stop me from returning. I mean, who doesn’t love a good adventure in gastronomy? If you’re looking for a warm, historic spot with good food, I’d recommend it, but just maybe give the pork a once-over before...

Friendly staff, great service for an English customer.

For my starter I had prawns which were amazing, one of them was battered(?) in some kind black stuff - I only wish that they were all like this because it tasted so good.

My main was Duck with beetroot. Too much beetroot! Diced beetroot, beetroot purée and beetroot, nut and potatoe dumplings described as crispy on the menu. They weren't crispy at all and the meal really needed some bite. All of the textures of the meal were so soft and rich. For the duck this was a good thing but I was disappointed in the dumplings despite the taste being quite nice.

The dessert was a white chocolate cheesecake that was a bit too cakey for my taste. I'm used to cheesecake being creamy.

When it came to paying I was asked if I wanted to pay in PLN or GBP. At first I didn't think it would matter much so I just shrugged my shoulders. Then I said I'd like to pay in zloty but I don't think the waitress heard me so I ended up paying in pounds. Initially I didn't mind but I wasn't warned about the 4% conversion fee charged by the card machine. I use a Starling bank card so I don't get fees for using my card abroad. After returning to the restaurant to try and refund and pay in zloty I was met by a rude waiter who was convinced I was charged by my bank even though the recipient said clearly I was charged by the card machine. They said it was impossible to refund which I'm uncertain if that's true because I work in a restaurant myself and know it's possible to refund card payment through the terminals. I'm sure if they spoke to a manager it could have been sorted.

Anyway you can't judge the full restaurant by an uncommon experience but the food wasn't anything special for the...

Great food , below par service.

I went there with some family to celebrate mum's birthday. As long as a it comes to food ,it was great ,the dishes are fresh and hearty and the selection of available meals will surely satisfy majority of customers ,even those with highly refined palate.

However the service was another story - the 2 waiting staff ,one blond girl (with a few pounds extra) and another young skinny,tall boy seem to be interested very little in making this evening a memorable for us. The girl was rather abrupt and unwelcoming when we arrived and waited downstairs by the bar for a free table upstairs.She did not offer any drinks or provided the menu.Very unprofessional.

The boy's service was very impersonal ,he did not make any effort to make us feel welcome either.Just blant, minimalistic ,mechanic approach ,'let me just get it over with' attitude.

He seemed like he did not want to be there.I appreciate it was a Sunday night and close to closing time but still such a service can ruin any celebration.

The management should seriously pay more attention to the quality of the service provided and the waiting staff employed as this venue may soon loose customers no matter how good the food is.

I'll think twice before coming back there ,not because the food but because of the...