Warsaw restaurant wins Poland's first Michelin star

Wojciech Modest Amaro: photo - Facebook

The chef's Atelier Amaro restaurant had been tipped for the honour after securing a 'Rising Star' accolade in 2012, and today's publication of Michelin's Main Cities in Europe: Restaurants and Hotels 2013 has confirmed hopes that he'd enter the guide's culinary pantheon.

Amaro, who is of Polish and Italian descent, cut his teeth working for the legendary, now defunct Spanish restaurant El Bulli on the Costa Brava.

At Amaro's Warsaw restaurant, diners are left entirely in the hands of the chef, and it is only when the food arrives at the table – in a series of between 3 and 8 courses – that guests discover what they're being treated to.

British celebrity chef Nigel Slater is among fans of the restaurant, noting how Amaro explores the Polish tradition of making liqueurs (nalewki), providing different distillations to complement each course.

Three stars are the maximum that chefs can achieve under the Michelin system, leaving Amaro plenty of room to up his game.

As was the case last year, a number of other restaurants in Warsaw and Krakow earnt a mention in the guide (21 in the capital, 19 in Krakow).

However, for the time being, Amaro remains the master, according to Michelin's gastronomic grandees. (nh)