Magda Gessler Catering — Review by KSIĄŻULO

The Dishes

The reviewer ordered similar items from three catering services to create a fair comparison. For eggs, Magda Gessler prepared Polish eggs with mushrooms and Polish eggs with ham, while Mateusz offered eggs stuffed with truffle and traditional Polish preparation. Magda's eggs were criticized as dry with hard shells and overly salty, costing around 16-17 zloty per piece. Mateusz's truffle eggs were found to be bland and completely underseasoned, tasting like plain boiled eggs with minimal flavor additions despite the premium truffle markup. The ham-filled eggs from Magda were better received with good balance of mayonnaise and ham, though still expensive.

For pates, all three locations offered duck or game meat versions. Butcher's duck pate at 65 zloty for 560g was the most affordable and featured a pleasant sweet note from cranberry, with a distinct offal climate. Mateusz's duck pate at 76 zloty was dry and unremarkable, with heavy seasoning that masked the meat flavor. Magda's game pate with mushrooms at 98 zloty per 500g proved most expensive at 200 zloty per kilogram, but delivered superior moisture, richness, and an appealing mushroom accent that made it the standout choice, though quite intensely seasoned.

Vegetable salad proved divisive. Magda's version at 44 zloty for a small jar was oversaturated with mayonnaise, making it creamier than vegetable-forward. Mateusz's unnamed salad at 46 zloty for 500g was dry and predominantly peas with large potato chunks, lacking sufficient dressing. Butcher's version at 39 zloty appeared most balanced with visible vegetables, more mayonnaise coverage, and apparent mustard notes, making it the favorite despite none matching homemade versions.

Herring selections included Mateusz's herring in linseed oil and Magda's sherry herring from U Fukiera restaurant, presented as a historical specialty. The sherry herring was intensely vinegary, smoky, and bitter with assertive mustard and onion notes that dominated the palate.

The Experience

The review took place in a rented Airbnb kitchen that was not ideal for food preparation. The reviewers had to string up lighting fixtures and work around an unusual kitchen layout with a limited island. Despite these constraints, they methodically evaluated each dish using visual presentation and careful tasting notes. The catering items arrived packaged from each establishment, with verification upon pickup.

Value and Pricing

Pricing emerged as the most controversial aspect of the review. Magda Gessler's eggs cost approximately 16-17 zloty per piece, making a single egg prohibitively expensive. Her pate reached 200 zloty per kilogram, which the reviewer found shocking compared to historical shop prices around 40 zloty per kilogram. Mateusz's offerings were similarly expensive but offered poor value relative to quality. Butcher's pate at approximately 116 zloty per kilogram provided the best value proposition, while their vegetable salad at 39 zloty for 500g was also most reasonably priced. Overall expenditure per order ranged from 800-900 zloty, with the reviewer questioning whether prices justified quality in any case.

Notable Moments

For Mateusz's bland eggs: "He simply boiled eggs, peeled them, ground them, added maybe a tablespoon of mayonnaise for all six eggs and completely forgot to season them."

Regarding Magda's expensive pate: "You're really paying crazy money for regular, regular eggs and pate."

On home cooking comparison: "My grandmother's homemade vegetable salad that I eat at home, which she makes, none of these breaks through that."

Overall assessment: "Really paying insane prices for plain, plain eggs."

The Verdict

While Magda Gessler demonstrated superior flavor and technique in certain items like the game pate with mushrooms, her pricing structure is indefensible at 16-17 zloty per egg and 200 zloty per kilogram for pate. Mateusz Gessler consistently disappointed with bland, under-seasoned preparations that failed to justify premium pricing. Butcher emerged as the unexpected winner, delivering the most balanced value across items with reasonable pricing and solid execution. However, the reviewer concludes that none of these catering options truly compete with home-cooked versions. This review is best for those curious about premium Warsaw catering options, but viewers should temper expectations given the extreme pricing and quality that doesn't always match the investment.