This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Mercure Poznań Centrum Hotel, continuing the traditions of the Mercure Hotel, the first luxury facility built in post-war Poland. To commemorate this milestone, the head chef of the restaurant, Mikołaj Adamczyk, invites guests on a culinary journey into the past. Drawing inspiration from historical menus and collaborating with the former chef of those times, Wojciech Wiciak, he has crafted a retro menu that transports diners back to the 1970s and 1980s.
“The approaching 60th anniversary of the opening of the Mercure Poznań Hotel is an occasion for us to showcase the flavours that our hotel has been known for over the years,”
says Marcin Procajło, the director of the Mercure Poznań Centrum Hotel.
Dishes such as salmon in aspic, “Colbert” pike-perch, tournedos with “Rossini” beef tenderloin on toast with Madeira sauce, or the legendary fruit cream “Merkury” are just a few of the offerings available in the hotel restaurant.
“We created this menu with the intention of bringing back memories for those who remember the Mercure menus from those years. It will be a nostalgic journey for them. We have included gems that were popular back then. Perhaps the most famous is the beef tournedos à la ‘Rossini,’ originally created for the brilliant composer Gioacchino Rossini,
” explains Wojciech Wiciak, the longstanding chef and head of the kitchen.
The historical menu at the Mercure Poznań Hotel restaurant inaugurates the celebrations of the facility’s anniversary. Built-in 1964, the Hotel Orbis Mercure was the first luxury facility opened during the times of the Polish People’s Republic. It was initiated by the authorities of Poznań and the management of the International Poznań Fair as a comfortable accommodation for visiting guests, preventing the relocation of the fair to another city. The building’s architecture was inspired by the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, with innovative interiors and furniture designed in a specially established experimental workshop at the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Poznań.
Poznań’s Iconic Mercure Hotel: A 60-Year Legacy of Community, Culture, and Culinary Excellence
Throughout its 60-year history, the hotel has been a significant landmark in the city. Curious Poznań residents visited the construction site and followed reports on the progress of the works in the press. It was also the locals who chose the hotel’s name in a competition held by local newspapers. From its early days, Mercure became a window to the world of business, culture, and politics. The hotel is also a popular meeting place, housing one of the most renowned pastry shops in Poznań, famous for its cakes for Grandmother’s Day and St. Martin’s croissants. This venue hosted famous balls and receptions that were talked about throughout the city. The culinary achievements of the Merkury chefs are still being continued. Since its inception, the hotel’s greatest strength has been its employees. The initial team largely came from the Bazar hotel, and many of the current staff have been working there for decades, trained by the first department heads. They set the highest standards of work, which have been passed down through generations and are still appreciated by visiting guests today.
On July 1, 2001, tradition merged with modernity as the hotel joined the network of Europe’s largest hotel operator, the Accor Group, while still preserving the legacy of the legendary Mercure. Thanks to this, the building is regularly modernized and, despite the passage of years, remains one of the most modern and prestigious hotels in Poznań.