TASTE_it

The thatched roof of Elarnia Hotel & Spa rises at the edge of Wielkopolski National Park, thirty minutes by car from the centre of Poznań. The structure announces itself as something more deliberate than the typical roadside hotel dining room, and the restaurant inside, TASTE_it, carries that intention through. The black-and-white interior mirrors the minimalist design ethos of the spa, stripping away distraction and focusing attention on the plates. For travellers visiting the region or those staying in the hotel, this is one of the few restaurant options in Puszczykowo that approaches ingredient selection with this level of care.

A kitchen that respects raw materials

The cooking here blends modern technique with classic foundations, a balance that requires both training and restraint. The chefs build colourful compositions, dishes that offer texture contrasts and layered flavours, without relying on gimmick or overelaboration. Ingredient sourcing drives the menu: what arrives on the plate depends on what the kitchen can access from regional suppliers and what the season allows. This is not farm-to-table theatre; it is a practical culinary approach that prioritises provenance and quality over novelty. Poznań's dining scene has expanded in recent years, with restaurants such as A nóż widelec leading the charge on modern European cooking, but TASTE_it operates in a different context, embedded in a hotel, working with a smaller local radius, and serving both guests and visitors who seek a meal in a quieter setting near the national park.

Kitchen's respect for ingredients shows in execution rather than in menu copy. Proteins are cooked to temperature, vegetables retain texture, and sauces are built to complement rather than dominate. The emphasis on colour and visual composition signals a modern European sensibility, but the underlying technique draws from classical training. This combination, modern plating, classical foundations, defines much of Poland's evolving fine-dining segment, where chefs trained abroad return to work with local ingredients and regional traditions. TASTE_it fits that pattern, though it operates at a smaller scale than the headline restaurants in Warsaw or Kraków.

Location and access

Puszczykowo sits in Wielkopolskie, a voivodeship where dining options thin out quickly outside Poznań proper. The town itself is residential and low-density, with few standalone restaurants of note. TASTE_it benefits from its location inside the Elarnia Hotel & Spa, which draws guests seeking access to the national park and the surrounding forest trails. The restaurant address, ul. Morenowa 33, places it close enough to Poznań for a deliberate dinner trip, but far enough to feel removed from the city's noise. For those exploring accommodation in Puszczykowo, the hotel provides a natural base, and the restaurant functions as an extension of that stay rather than a standalone destination.

The drive from Poznań takes roughly thirty minutes depending on traffic, with most visitors arriving by car. Public transport options exist but require planning; the restaurant's location makes it more accessible to those with a vehicle. The surrounding area offers little in terms of competing dining choices, so TASTE_it holds a near-monopoly on higher-end cooking in this immediate zone. For comparison, restaurants such as Cucina and SPOT. operate in Poznań's more competitive urban market, where ingredient sourcing must compete with tighter margins and higher turnover. Out here, the kitchen has more room to focus on product quality and plating precision without the pressure of high-volume service.

Wielkopolski National Park provides the natural draw. Visitors come for the hiking trails, the lakes, and the forest air, and the restaurant serves as a logical stopping point for those who want a meal that reflects the landscape they've spent the day walking through. The thatched architecture reinforces that connection, traditional form meeting contemporary interior, and the menu follows suit, grounding modern technique in local ingredients and seasonal availability.

For those planning a broader culinary tour of the region, TASTE_it pairs well with stops in Poznań, where cocktail bars and wine-focused venues round out the hospitality landscape. The restaurant itself does not position as a destination dining room in the manner of Warsaw's AHAAN or Kraków's 3 Rybki, but it fulfills a specific role: a hotel restaurant that takes cooking seriously, serves a localised clientele, and delivers quality without pretence. That niche is harder to fill than it appears, and TASTE_it manages it with consistency.

The black-and-white dining room avoids decoration for decoration's sake. The space is clean, the lighting measured, and the table settings minimal. This restraint allows the food to carry the experience, which is precisely the point. The kitchen does not need to compete with maximalist interiors or theatrical service; it competes on the strength of what arrives on the plate. For diners accustomed to the sensory overload of urban fine dining, the quieter approach here offers a recalibration, less noise, more focus, and a meal that reflects the forest just beyond the windows.

Poland's restaurant scene continues to mature, with chefs increasingly focused on ingredient traceability and regional identity. TASTE_it participates in that evolution, operating at a scale that allows for precision without the compromises that high-volume service often demands. The kitchen's lightness of touch, a phrase that describes both the plating and the approach to flavour, positions it as a reliable option for those who value craft over spectacle. Whether you arrive as a hotel guest or make the trip from Poznań, the meal delivers what it promises: colourful, textured, ingredient-led cooking in a setting that respects both the food and the landscape that surrounds it.