Experiences in Restaurants in Poland

Not too sure how many of you have experienced this but tell me if you have and why this is the case in many of the restaurants in Poland.

The server brings you a menu you order a kotlet schabowy, or golabki, or anything for that matter. When your food comes all that you get is the exact thing you ordered and nothing more. No potatoes, or side salad just a big plate with one piece of meat on it. Everything costs extra (dodatki).

Why do restaurants in Poland do this? I think this may be the only country I have ever been to that does this. I mean what's the point of going to a restaurant.

Good - means I don't pay for something that I don't want or need.

Incidentally, the only places I've ever seen this are bottom tier restaurants.

Not all do this, usually they have those additions or waiters suggest them if they're not included.

I suppose Olaf and delphiandomine are used to this.

When I went to a restaurant and ordered what I thought was a meal and all I got was the plane meat I felt ripped off.

Yes, I suppose you are right this does only happen in bottom tier restaurants.

good to know!
In my experience though, if a dish comes with two sides, it usually will be indicated somewhere on the menu.

I'd feel quite ripped off if someone gave me meat made of aluminum too.


Exactly. You wouldn't expect a free "side" in a greasy spoon, so why expect it in Poland?

Personally, if the menu says "kotlet schabowy" and I get it, it's hardly a ripoff.

It is almost always indicated, plus you've got a waiter nex to you to ask if not sure. Also the prices may suggest it. I've never had this problem that I was served just a kotlet and no sorwki on the side...

Not at all. There are some excellent restaurants in Warsaw which have the side orders as precisely that.

They have salad bars which means you can add as much as you want at one time. You can only go up once and they monitor you. That way, you can add according to your taste. They don't add too many extras, right enough. Still, you just have to customise your dish as very often they have what you might want.

Well, I would say that a lot of other countries do the same