Well, almost. Among this plethora of colourful and old things sits a cafe, which, as I have been informed by different internet forums, boasts a somewhat cult status among the locals. It might be for this very reason that it is called Lokalna, meaning precisely local.Encouraged by the generous ratings, we arrived, weary from the walk in full sunshine. Quirky, is the first word that comes to mind when you take in the establishment. It made me think a lot of Pedzle i Szczotki, the main hero of the previous post. Similarly, Cafe Lokalna seems to be occupying a spot which in the past must have been some kind of a store. If it wasn't for the maroon marquee and the small sun deck outside, we could have missed it altogether.
The decor inside is almost too simple, devoid of any kind of consciously styled decoration. When aiming for plain decor, it is always difficult to balance the degree of simplicity to avoid making the place unspirited, unwelcoming. Cafe Lokalna is saved by the row of old books and knick-knacks lining the inner windowsill, which makes it look homely and cosy.But, this is the only good, of things, that mine and G's palates have to say after a visit to this establishment. The maroon-clad menus look impressive, offering a staggering selection of summer and winter drinks, ranging from innovative creations, such as ice cubes of mint tea with honey and lemon, to twists on classics, such as coffee coke. The blackboard inside announces daily specials; on the day of our visit, one of which was Leek and Camembert Quiche. Yum! Now, this is really cruel of the folks at Lokalna - first they set your imagination going in expectation of the sensual feast to follow, only to disappoint you greatly when things do arrive at your table.
The mouth-watering combination of leek and camembert on crusty dough was little less than a microwaved yesterday's bake, with soggy base and inappropriate steaming hot interior. While G's coffee was served with a gingerbread thin of similar quality; and the coffee completed this Rather Hopeless Trio.
I opted for one of the fancy cool creations from the menu, described as ice cubes of green tea, topped with honey and mint. What I got was a mildly chilled mixture liquid, green tea with honey, all frothy for some mysterious reason about which I was scared to enquire. Ah, so very disappointing!
Let me quote mine and G's favourite dinner companion as of recent, Gordon "Yes, Chef!" Ramsay, whose ramblings we love listening to at dinnertimes - "All of this was absolutely ghastly!" We felt we needed to make immediate amends to our palates, and so we dashed around the corner to the legendary ice-cream parlour of Malinova, which saved our day, and which will be the subject of an altogether new post.
Cafe Lokalna
Kwiatowa 1/3/5 (enterance on Rozana)
Mokotow, Warsaw
Coffee: 1 bean (a very crumbly bean it is)
Ambience: 3 beans
OVERALL: 2 beans / 5
