I was just beginning to admire the extraordinary ‘talking pictures’ on the walls (photographic portraits of Polish celebrities with a microphone attached that allows you to eavesdrop on their conversations!), when the smiley waitress delivered the extensive menu.  While the a la carte offered some mouth-watering choices, I wanted to explore the new Winter Menu.  For starters, I settled on the spicy cheeses soup with bruschetta, while my companion opted for spinach leaf salad with confit of duck.  Presented in delicate, trendy chinaware, my soup - decorated with a few strands of saffron - was rich and creamy, though never glutinous. Just very more-ish. This was nicely complemented by the crunchy bruschetta, itself enhanced by the unusual addition of cinnamon. Arriving in a huge, boat-shaped dish, my companion’s salad was almost a meal unto itself and a feast for the eyes with its bright green spinach, white feta and vivid melon balls to complement the richness of the duck.

The main courses were equally inventive, each accompanied by a specific wine recommendation. Though dearer than the other dishes on offer, the deer steak  - fairly rare on the Warsaw restaurant scene – proved irresistible.  Sourced from a Polish farm personally visited by the chef, its quality is guaranteed.  Mine arrived medium rare, as requested, on a bed of miniature sage dumplings with red cabbage, served with a separate jug of red wine sauce…heaven! The succulent meat was a treat to behold and melted in the mouth.  Possibly I would have preferred it in thinner slices, considering its intense flavour, while the sage in the dumplings could have been more imposing.  Other than those small gripes, I was more than satisfied with what the chef had dreamed up so far.

When head chef Rafal Sanetas started chatting to us about his influences, his passion for food was evident. Driven by his conviction that ‘routine kills culinary invention’, he was inspired to create a menu offering exotic combinations to surprise and delight the three senses: sight, taste and smell. He claims to have learned most from the French chefs he worked with in his previous job at a five-star chateau restaurant in Jersey.  He cites their attention to detail, insistence on local, fresh, quality ingredients and inventive, forward-looking culinary creations.  Such a focus on presentation and creativity has often led to accusations that ‘nouvelle cuisine’ translates as tiny portions.  At KOM however, while the cuisine is definitely novel, the portion sizes are by no means mean.

Already feeling well sated, only sheer greed allowed me to order the ‘dessert tasting plate’ from the main menu, while my friend went for the more modest but equally arresting banana soufflé.  With four fantasy puddings in front of me, I felt like a kid in a sweetshop. I was able to sample frozen raspberries covered in a blanket of white chocolate, passion fruit crème brulée that astounded, chocolate mousse with a perfect gooey centre and to top it all off  - the most refreshing sorbet I have ever tasted: mango and papaya, decorated with a delicate flower hiding a surprise fruit: ‘physalys’.  This exotic touch, tomato-like in texture but tasting of pineapple and strawberry, was the perfect end to my utterly exhilarating meal.

KOM oozes professionalism and originality from start to finish – from the spectacular surroundings to the peaceful ambience and of course, the quality of the food itself.  Even a visit to the bathroom is rather enthralling, as you walk through the Telegraph Lounge area downstairs and note the beautiful original tiled floors and preserved art-deco fixtures and fittings. Black and white photographs on the walls remind you of the building’s former function as a telecommunications hub, witness even to some early communications between Churchill and Stalin.  The illuminated floor is arranged as a depiction of the Engima keyboard. The unusual nature of the venue is put to full use with plenty of thoughtful initiatives for entertaining guests – from cookery lessons for kids to exhibitions, live music nights and even stand-up comedy (recently featuring Hubert Urbanski who entertained the crowd with amusing anecdotes from his experiences as host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?).

Over the past ten years there has been an explosion of new restaurants in Warsaw.  However, while many offer flash interiors and concepts, Rafal Sanetas confides that sadly, all too often the food itself is only an afterthought.  Allowed free rein over his culinary creativity, it is clear that Sanetas has found his ‘home’ in KOM, a place where a banal label such as ‘fusion’ does not do justice to the truly original food combinations on the menu.  In short, this is a Warsaw restaurant that genuinely impresses.

Emi Bulman