Słodki Słony — Review by KSIĄŻULO
Warsaw, Poland — Polish
This review of Słodki Słony, Magda Gessler's restaurant in Warsaw, reveals significant issues with pricing and execution. While some dishes like the ground meat and beets were good, most soups were overpriced for tiny portions, and main dishes suffered from being under-seasoned or dry. The reviewer criticizes the establishment for taking advantage of the owners' fame with inflated prices that don't match quality or quantity.
What was great: Tomato soup had good flavor with cream and pasta; ground meat cutlets were juicy and well-seasoned with excellent beets; shrimp salad had quality shrimp and good bread; young potatoes were acceptable
What could improve: Portions extremely small for high prices; sorrel soup had strange herbal aftertaste; broth with dumplings resembled scrambled omelet and lacked parmesan; beet soup lacked saltiness; beef tartare overly seasoned with spices at high price; veal cutlets were dry; dishes generally underseasoned; overall pricing is excessive relative to portion sizes and quality
The Dishes
The meal began with four soups, each representing poor value. The tomato soup at 34 zloty was surprisingly small but tasted genuinely good with a sweet tomato and cream base and pasta, making it the best soup despite high pricing. The sorrel soup at 37 zloty disappointed with a strange herbal aftertaste that the reviewer suspects was made with vegetable stock or similar ingredients, creating an off-putting flavor profile. The broth with dumplings at 36 zloty was perhaps the most controversial - the dumplings resembled scrambled omelet rather than proper dumplings and had poor consistency, while the broth itself was too light and parmesan was completely undetectable. The beet soup at 43 zloty, though flavorful with sweet and delicate notes, lacked sufficient saltiness and seemed excessively expensive, costing as much as quality ramen at other establishments.
The main courses showed more promise. The ground meat cutlets with boiled potatoes and beets at 67 zloty were excellent, featuring juicy, well-seasoned meat without fillers, though the reviewer preferred mashed potatoes over boiled. The beets were standout, described as sweet, sour, and expressive with excellent flavor. The veal cutlets with hooves-shaped pasta at 74 zloty looked appealing but proved disappointing - the meat was dry despite being tender, the sauce lacked seasoning and was too delicate, and the pasta had no salt. The dishes needed additional seasoning to reach acceptable levels.
Additional items included a beef tartare at 65 zloty, which was heavily seasoned with spices and herbs, making it more suitable for those who enjoy traditional old-style tartare but disappointing for those preferring subtle beef flavor. A Caesar-style salad with shrimp at 59 zloty featured quality shrimp with tails removed, good garlic flavor, and fresh bread, making it better value than the tartare, though more shrimp could have justified the price.
The Experience
The restaurant operates with delivery and dine-in options. The reviewer and cameraman were challenged by the small portions and ate in shifts to prevent food from cooling, though the weather was warm. Professional lighting and equipment were set up for filming, though technical issues arose with manual focus during recording. The service and atmosphere details were not extensively discussed, suggesting a straightforward casual dining experience.
Value and Pricing
Pricing is the review's primary complaint. Soups ranged from 34 to 43 zloty for minuscule portions, with the reviewer noting these prices are outrageous - comparing them unfavorably to Fukier restaurant and other establishments. The 43 zloty for beet soup is criticized as absurd, equivalent to the price of quality ramen with much more substance. The veal cutlets at 74 zloty for an underseasoned, dry main course is dismissed as a scam. Even the affordable-seeming 59 zloty salad and 67 zloty ground meat are analyzed against the quality received. The reviewer suggests these inflated prices exploit the restaurant's association with celebrity chef Magda Gessler and her daughter Lara Gessler rather than reflecting actual value or culinary excellence.
Notable Moments
This tomato soup is the smallest and most expensive tomato soup I've ever had in my life and on this channel.
For me it's better not to eat tomato soup than to eat it with rice - that's a crime.
Who comes here to eat soup for 43 zloty?
For me this is just regular lunch for 74 zloty, meaning a scam.
If you want to eat good ground meat, don't look at the price and have these 67 zloty, then it's a verdict I would actually return for.
The Verdict
Słodki Słony fails to justify its pricing despite occasional quality moments. The ground meat cutlets at 67 zloty represent the best value and are genuinely good, making that dish worth returning for if ignoring the overall restaurant economics. However, the soups are universally overpriced for their tiny portions, main courses like veal are underseasoned and dry, and premium items like beef tartare are mediocre. The reviewer suggests the restaurant exploits its famous ownership rather than delivering value. Best suited only for those with unlimited budgets who don't mind paying celebrity prices for inconsistent quality and small portions, or specifically for the ground meat cutlets which, while expensive, actually deliver satisfying food.