cafe wanda, clapham polish cafe

From Time Out: An unexpected find amid the bland gastropubs and bars of Clapham High Street, Café Wanda can rustle up anything from a takeaway cake to a full meal of Polish home cooking. It's an informal spot, furnished with potted plants and eastern European art, and is populated by a steady stream of Polish diners, all of whom seem to know the staff by name. The small menu of Polish staples and mainstream European dishes allows diners to pick and mix; vegetarians are well looked after. To start, the mixed vegetarian platter (goat's cheese bruschetta, roasted aubergine and courgette) was excellent, if about as untypical of Polish cuisine as you can get. This was followed by the two cornerstones of any Polish restaurant: pierogi and blini. Both were faultless: the pierogi succulent and flavoursome; the two large blini (with smoked salmon and sour cream) wonderfully calorific and comforting. Our waiter's comedic patter was relentless, despite our cringing, but service overall was tip-top. Café Wanda makes a fine venue for a quiet supper during the week and is an even better choice for a raucous group dinner at the weekend.