Dworek Katarzynki

The food is freshly cooked and very good, though it takes around 15-20 minutes, as it does in other restaurants. We even got a lovely amuse-bouche while waiting. The place is beautiful, and we found it in the dark by following the signs. The road is only okay, but this is a tucked-away spot, and we’ve driven on plenty of similar roads in Poland. There have been new landlords and a new chef, so give it another try. The chef is talented, creative, and committed, though he knows the service staff are a weak point. They’re having trouble finding good waiters in the province after the lockdowns.

We left without eating after waiting more than two hours, and the rest of our group eventually gave up too. They waited another half hour, then learned their main courses hadn’t even been started. I’d never had a worse dining experience, in any sense of the phrase. We had booked for eight people and a child on the grand reopening day of Dworek Katarzynki, after several months of renovation. My Polish companions said it used to be a very desirable restaurant, and the rather posh setting made us expect a lot. Instead, everything felt disorganized and unwelcoming from the start. Nobody showed us to our table, and we had to find a staff member ourselves while people rushed around. There were complimentary drinks and snacks for the opening, which was fortunate because otherwise I might have gone hungry. Our order was taken promptly, but that was the last thing handled on time. About an hour later, soup appetizers arrived for only three people, then another half hour passed before more soup came out. By then the first guests had finished, and one person had been given a main course, though it was the wrong dish. Several of us had still received nothing after two hours. No one checked on drinks or cleared dirty plates. I took my toddler outside a few times because he was understandably bored and tired of sitting there. Other people outside said they’d also been waiting for an hour and a half to two hours or longer. By the end, I’d estimate at least half the guests had left before eating, and several were swearing. The waiter who occasionally came by didn’t try very hard to resolve things or make amends. He offered not to charge us if we kept waiting, but seemed to prefer that we leave, like most of the other guests already had. I went home to feed my son. This was a huge management failure, and I hope they can turn things around. I can’t imagine how much damage this evening did to Dworek’s reputation. Bad word of mouth from a disaster like this could spread fast.

A nice stop for a break on a bike ride. Just be aware there’s no asphalt road all the way there. It’s better to come via Uzarzewo.

A lovely hotel with welcoming hosts and staff. The government really needs to sort out the roads.