RestaurantWeek® is well underway in Poznań, and we recently visited NIFTY to try both of the restaurant’s festival menus. With contemporary interpretations of Polish classics, interesting flavour combinations and a dessert with a family story behind it, there was plenty to explore.
Our particular favourite was the starter from the vegetarian menu, which was a creative take on pyry z gzikiem, one of Greater Poland’s best-known traditional dishes. It also is what makes NIFTY an interesting addition to Poznań’s restaurant scene: familiar local flavours are given a contemporary treatment without losing their connection to the region.
As RestaurantWeek® continues, we are taking a closer look at some of the participating restaurants and the menus they have prepared for this autumn’s festival.
A modern take on Greater Polish classics
NIFTY has been exploring the relationship between regional Polish cooking and international influences, and its RestaurantWeek® offering follows much the same direction.
The restaurant has recently refreshed its interiors and patio, creating a comfortable setting for a relaxed meal. The atmosphere is welcoming without feeling overly formal, making it a pleasant place to spend an evening over several courses.
There are two festival menus to choose from, with different starters and main courses but the same dessert. We tried both.
Beef tartare and a comforting main course
Menu A begins with beef tartare accompanied by onion mayonnaise, miso paste, smoked paprika and kimchi.
The traditional tartare base is given a more contemporary flavour profile through the addition of miso and kimchi. The onion mayonnaise provides a creamy element, while smoked paprika contributes a subtle smoky character.
It is an interesting combination for diners who enjoy beef tartare but are happy to try something beyond the more familiar accompaniments.
For the main course, NIFTY serves tender pork shoulder with steamed yeast dumplings or pyzy, red cabbage slaw with coriander and ginger, roasted celeriac purée and pepper sauce.
This is perhaps the more comforting of the two main courses, bringing together slow-cooked pulled pork, soft dumplings and seasonal vegetables. The red cabbage introduces freshness, while coriander and ginger give the slaw a slightly different direction from the traditional accompaniments one might expect with pork.
The combination of familiar Polish ingredients and more contemporary seasoning fits neatly with the restaurant's wider approach to cooking.
A creative interpretation of pyry z gzikiem
The starter from Menu B was the dish that stood out most for us.
Cottage cheese spread, potato croquette, quince preserve, celeriac remoulade and Padrón peppers make up NIFTY’s contemporary interpretation of pyry z gzikiem.
For anyone unfamiliar with the dish, pyry z gzikiem is a traditional Greater Polish combination of potatoes and gzik, a creamy mixture of cottage cheese, sour cream and onion. It is a familiar part of the region’s food culture, and one that carries a certain sense of home cooking.
NIFTY takes those recognisable ingredients and presents them differently. The potato croquette provides the potato element in a delicate and crunchy breading, while the cottage cheese spread brings in the familiar character of gzik. Quince preserve adds a contrasting sweetness, with celeriac remoulade and grilled Padrón peppers completing the composition.
We particularly enjoyed seeing such a well-known regional dish approached with a little imagination. It felt connected to Poznań and Greater Poland, while still being distinctly contemporary.
The main course in this menu continues with potato dumplings served with pumpkin purée, Gorgonzola Dolce Latte, sun-dried tomatoes and caramelised walnuts.
It is a combination built around autumnal ingredients, with the pumpkin providing a smooth, gently sweet base and the cheese adding richness. Sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts bring further contrast, making this an interesting vegetarian option within the festival selection.
One dessert, with a personal story
Both menus finish with the same dessert: rolled French toast with cinnamon sugar, mascarpone mousse, caramelised apple and salted caramel.
It is a generous-sounding combination of familiar sweet flavours, with cinnamon and apple bringing a distinctly autumnal feel. The mascarpone mousse adds a creamy element, while salted caramel rounds everything off.
There is also a personal story behind this dish. The NIFTY Chef Łukasz said that he prepared this French toast for his family during important holidays for years. He has now brought that tradition into the restaurant, allowing guests to enjoy something that has been part of his own family celebrations.
It is a nice detail that gives the dessert a little more character than a standard festival menu finale.
RestaurantWeek® is still running in Poznań
RestaurantWeek®’s autumn edition runs until 25th November 2026, so there is still time to explore the participating restaurants and book a festival meal.
The format brings together restaurants across the city, each preparing special three-course menus for the occasion. It is a useful way to discover somewhere new or revisit a familiar restaurant with a different selection of dishes.
At NIFTY, the two menus offer different experiences. Menu A will appeal to those who enjoy beef tartare and a hearty pork main course, while Menu B has a particularly interesting regional twist in its interpretation of pyry z gzikiem, alongside a vegetarian potato dumpling dish.
Reservations are available through the official RestaurantWeek® booking platform and NIFTY has its last spots for tomorrow still available.
Share Your Poznań Story and Win a RestaurantWeek Voucher
There is another way to enjoy RestaurantWeek®, and it involves sharing a story of your own.
Poznań Magazine is currently running the Your Poznań Story Matters Competition, inviting residents, organisations, community groups and businesses to tell us about something interesting happening in the city.
It could be an inspiring local initiative, a school project, an independent business, a charity, a cultural event, a sports club or a story connected with Poznań’s international community.
Two winning entries will each receive a RestaurantWeek® voucher for two people.
Taking part is free. Simply submit your genuine story about Poznań through our submission platform and include the required competition sentence at the end of your submission.
The deadline is 8th November 2026 at 23:59, with the winners announced on 10th November.
Read the full instructions and competition terms here:
Your Poznań Story Matters: Share Your Story and Win a RestaurantWeek Experience
A regional favourite with a contemporary twist
NIFTY’s RestaurantWeek® menus offer an enjoyable combination of regional inspiration and contemporary cooking. The comfortable atmosphere, the choice between two different menus and the complimentary cocktail make it a pleasant option for an autumn meal in Poznań.
With RestaurantWeek® continuing until 25th November, there is still time to make a reservation and explore what Poznań restaurants have prepared this season.
