Maybe the fact that, like nothing else, it makes you aware of the earth rolling in its' track, and the sheer inevitability of it all. It is like a ritual dance that the Sun and Nature dance before your eyes every year. Sensing the impending departure of the Sun, Nature is a woman about to be abandoned by her lover. She strips slowly of her lush summer vestige, and for a brief while, she is more beautiful than ever before, illuminated by all the shades of golden, brown and ruby. But her efforts are all in vain; in the flicker of an eye, she stands bare of all her lavish glory, and crumbles; a naked skeleton of an old love nest. Mercifully, her bare bones are wrapped in a soft blanket of snow. It drowns all sound, and she can sleep in silence for months, until she is reborn again in her full splendour, when the Sun returns.
What an epic tale! No wonder that G and I decided to follow up on this epic spirit and venture onto the one street in Warsaw where one certainly gets the genuine feel of an epic tale:
Winnie the Pooh Street! It is here, right off the busy swarm of Swietokrzyska / Nowy Swiat, that you find an unexpected leafy cul-de-sac, with exactly one lovely cafe sign, a colourful promise on a grey autumn afternoon.
The story has it that the place was established by two Dutchmen who chose the glamorous city of Warsaw for their place of residence. Lente means "springtime" in Dutch, but the word evokes other pleasant associations, such as the Spanish lento, "slow", which makes you immediately think of a fantastic afternoon spent lazying around over a cup of fabulous coffee. Unfortunately, as we were to find out, in this particular case the word would be more indicative of the quality of the service, which was, how shall I put it, improbably slow? I know that a great many people would run and complain, but on that particular day, in that particular place, I was enjoying the slow pace. It was a lovely neighbourhood, and the wind was blowing a whole new season into the city. And G and I had all the time in the world.Dodging the crowd of four dread-locked chain-smoking individuals whose egoes were, unfortunately, sprawling all over the comfy-looking upstairs, we made ourselves at home at a simple round table on the ground floor. Knowing that the place enjoys quite a reputation among the locals, I was surprised to have all the place to ourselves. However, no sooner had we sat down than the place started filling up. As our neighbours, we had an elegant female patron who could equally well have been a corporate lawyer or a porn star. Her long, skin-tight boots ended where her ultra mini-skirt began. She was clearly enjoying her pick, which was the creamy soup of the day and pink wine.
Behind us, we had an endearing spectacle that I always love to watch. A wrinkled elderly couple, accompanied by their walking canes and big glasses, carefully going through their menus, and finally settling on two pots of different teas, as well as a small plate of cheese appetizers. I always smile watching old people who still have it in them to enjoy the small pleasures of life outside of home.
We started off slow, with our classic set, double espresso and large latte. Then we spotted in the menu just the perfect accompaniment for our starter pack: since Lente is a Dutch joint, they will happily treat you to stroopwafels, thin waffles with syrup filling. Yum and warming, thanks to the cinnamonny-nutmeggy aftertaste.
They took a long while to arrive, but I had something to busy myself with in the meantime, as Lente has a rather short, but intriguing menu of sandwiches and wraps with various fillings. I went for the Avocado Wrap, which was an enticing perspective of all my favourite ingredients put together: avocadoes, smoked salmon, feta cheese, and fresh basil leaves.
G was seduced by a Tuna Wrap, and after a rather lengthy while, which was enough to send his tastebuds trembling with expectation, he was informed that unfortunately, there was no tuna in stock. At the same time, we heard disgruntled whispering from the Grampa Table. They placed their order for appetizers long before us, but were too polite to complain properly. It only took my wrap arriving ahead of their much earlier order for the Grampa to raise his voice in a shy disapproval. The waiter and the waitress, who were the only staff on board that day, were quick to inform him that apart from waiting the rooms, they were also in charge of the kitchen for all food orders, as the chef had not shown up on the day. Lento, lento... Just how many more similarities are there between Dutch and Spanish eating out?
However, this is not a strict food writing blog, nor it was meant to be. Service is slow, and the chef sometimes doesn't turn up at Lente. But it does have a certain aura of unwavering cheerfulness, space for slow and thoughtful enjoyment of what the day might bring. Maybe it was the Grampa Table, the crumby sweetness of the stroopwafels, or the green mosaic tiles in the bathroom? I will be happy to give Lente another chance, and see how it can help us ease into autumn.
"The longer you spend awaiting the future, the shorter it is going to be."Lente
Warecka 8/30a (entrance on Kubusia Puchatka)
Coffee: 4 beans
Ambience: 3 beans
OVERALL: 3.5 beans / 5
