Borsch, Vodka & Tears - Windsor

Polish food is not a cuisine I often eat but the urge to eat was real, so off we went to Borsch, Vodka and Tears in Windsor. I had heard great things about this place so was quite excited to see what all the hype was about. It was dimly lit with warm red hues with quite an extensive bar menu. It was a standard Tuesday night so unfortunately we didn’t try any of its namesake: vodka.

I did order the Sex in Krakow ($17), which was a concoction of cranberry vodka, clear polish vodka and cointreau shaken with cranberry and lime. It was quite sweet but I could definitely taste the alcohol. E had their bestseller, Pinta Pierwsza Pomoc ($10.50). It was described as a crisp and clean Czech style pilsner, perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Safe to say he liked it. It had quite a sweet aftertaste which I couldn’t quite distinguish.

We definitely had to order the Zakuski, described as favourite bites inspired by our travels to the Motherland. We selected the Farmer’s Zakuski ($35) which had an impressive repertoire of Vodka-cured kangaroo "tartare," lamb croquette, venison & smoked duck terrine, devils on horseback, wild boar salami, ham hock fritters, rich man's butter, rye bread and bottomless pickles.

Wow where to even start? 

The vodka-cured kangaroo wasn’t gamey at all and I forgot that vodka was an element. It sat atop a rye crisp. To be honest, it was quite salty but when paired with the mint jelly or saukeraut, it was a lot more enjoyable. The single lamb croquette was very rich and dense. The venison and smoked duck terrine was thinly sliced with pistachios peppered through it. It had a nice meaty taste. Wild boar salami? Tasted like good quality salami. The devils on horseback was an interesting one. Not quite a pate spread but not quite a stand-alone component. The ham hock fritters were a winner. Tasty shredded meat with a good mustardy kick from the sauce. Don’t even get me started on the butter, rich man’s butter indeed. Velvety smooth and so easily devourable with the rye bread. Bottomless pickles? Enough said.

We had to get the traditional Polish dumplings here and ordered 2 Beef and Chicken Pierogis and 2 Porcini and Sauerkraut Pierogis ($18). Love me some variety. The pierogis were good and well flavoured. I actually preferred the latter as I felt the porcini mushrooms really shined.

We also ordered the Lamb Goulash, which comprised of all things yummy: lamb and capsicum ragout, baked semolina dumplings and pickled red cabbage. The semolina dumplings sold me on this dish and I was not disappointed. Very pillowy and the perfect vessel to mop up the flavorsome stew. The lamb chunks were beautifully tender. Highly recommend this dish.

Overall, we had a fantastic time at Borsch, Vodka and Tears. The waitresses were personable and made us feel at ease. The food was fantastic and we were very comfortably full and definitely happy with our food choices. I am excited to go back to try their other dishes and maybe a tasting platter of vodka...or 2. It is definitely worth a visit to satisfy your Polish cravings or experience this cuisine for the first time.


Taste: 9/10
Presentation: 9/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Service: 8/10