On a cold winter evening, there is nothing better than hearty food. As such, we visited Mamuśka, in the arches under Waterloo Station. The restaurant specialises in Polish food and drinks, including vodka and (alcohol-free) Polish craft beer.

The menu features all the Polish classics, from Barszcz and Pieorogis, to Placki and Schabowy. We definitely had to look some of these names up to figure out what they were.

We started our meal with a set of 10 mixed pierogies. That alone was nearly enough already, as they were filling. Some fillings were nicer than the others. My wife preferred the goats cheese ones, finding the meaty ones a bit samey and underwhelming. I liked the pork filled ones, but I was less enamoured with the Ruskie ones. Maybe because of the name.

For her mains, my wife had chosen the Salmon Fillet, which was served with mashed potato (which was a Christmas / seasonal special). The salmon was okay, but a little on the dry side. I picked the Schabowy Breaded Pork Loin, with a mushroom sauce. The meat was nice and tender, with a creamy sauce covering the batter which had gone a little soggy due to the sauce. It was also too much — a huge portion, the salmon was noticeably more restrained in size.

With our meal, we enjoyed a selection of the Polish Craft Beers. Two alcohol-free ones, and two alcohol full ones.

We found Mamuśka a little underwhelming. Unfortunately we sat next to one of the brick walls, which meant our table was quite chilly with cold air emanating from the brickwork — but this might make it a good spot in summer. But we were definitely no longer hungry.