Kergulena — Where Does the Name of Our Fish Restaurant Come From? Mackerel Icefish for 50 Years

Kergulena is a fish — short answer

Kergulena (lat. Champsocephalus gunnari) is the Mackerel icefish — a perciform fish from the family Channichthyidae (icefishes, also called „crocodile icefishes"). Caught in waters around Antarctica, including the Kerguelen Islands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula. The Kerguelen Islands lie in the southern Indian Ocean, about 3,300 km southeast of the Republic of South Africa. Hence the name.

A unique feature of icefishes: they have no haemoglobin in their blood (the blood is colourless). They have evolved special antifreeze proteins that allow them to live in waters near freezing point. A rare biological phenomenon — icefishes are the only vertebrates on Earth without haemoglobin.

Where does the name „Kergulena" of our restaurant come from?

Back to 1976. Krystyna and Michał Socha were just opening their fish restaurant in Niechorze. It had to be called something. They had choices: „Socha's Fish Fry", „By the Lighthouse", „Baltic" — generic names like hundreds of other fish bars on the coast. Krystyna wanted something different.

At that time, an exotic fish from Antarctic waters reached Polish kitchens — especially coastal ones. Polish deep-sea fleets had been fishing in the Southern Ocean since the 60s and 70s. Mackerel icefish appeared rarely in stores, but when it did — it gained fame quickly. The restaurant had to stand out — in the first years on ul. Mazowiecka, Kergulena was their flagship, premium position.

„We chose the name of a fish that hardly anyone in Poland knew at the time. Krystyna said: if they remember us, let them remember us with this fish. And that's how it stayed." — Małgorzata Sikorska-Reutt, daughter of the founders, second generation

Since 1976, Kergulena has been on our menu — without interruption, through 50 seasons. Each generation serves it their own way, but the foundation hasn't changed: we treat it as a premium fish, fresh, fried in the Polish way, with simple sides.

How does Kergulena taste?

This is the question guests ask who've never tried it. Usually we answer: „white, lean, delicate — closer to cod than halibut, but more refined". Specifically:

• White, pearly flesh — no red veins, no „fishy" texture
• Firm texture, holds its shape well after cooking
• Low fat content (~1%) — making it light and easy to digest, but requires careful frying to avoid drying out
• Subtle, marine, clean taste — without the „fishy smell" that puts many people off
• Few bones — one main bone, easy to remove

That's why Kergulena is our most expensive fish (29.90 zł/100g, vs 21.90 cod, 22.90 halibut). It's also the most-ordered fish by guests who „don't like fish" — paradoxical but true.

How do we serve it?

Three main ways — the guest chooses:

1. Traditionally fried (most recommended)

Kergulena 250-300 g in our unique grain blend as breading. Pan-fried in clarified butter until golden. Served with young potatoes, braised sauerkraut, and a lemon slice. A classic since 1976.

2. From the oven

Kergulena fillet baked in a convection oven until golden. Served with young potatoes and grilled lemon. Recommended for light, easy meals.

3. From the grill

Grilled on the rack — 2 minutes per side, finished with white wine. Served with young potatoes and grilled lemon. In summer, on the terrace — when you want luxury without excess.

Is Kergulena endangered?

Short answer: not if it comes from certified catches. The Mackerel icefish was heavily overfished in some Antarctic regions in the 70s and 80s (mainly Soviet fleets), but today its population is under strict control by CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, established 1982). Best-managed stocks today: waters around South Georgia and the Kerguelen Islands.

Our policy: we buy Kergulena only from suppliers with MSC certification (Marine Stewardship Council) or from legal French/Australian catches in Kerguelen waters. We don't buy cheap, „unknown-origin" Kergulen. That's why our price is higher than at some other fish fries.

Trivia: The Kerguelen Islands

Where does the name „Kerguelen" come from? From Yves Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec, the French navigator who in 1772 became the first European to reach the archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean. The islands are inhabited only by scientists (~80–100 people) — no cities, no roads, just glaciers, volcanoes, and King Penguin colonies. In their waters lives Kergulena.

In other words: our fish comes from one of the most remote and cleanest corners of the ocean on Earth. Not marketing — a biological fact.

Read more

• Halászlé — the history of a Hungarian fish soup in a Polish fish restaurant since 1980
• Halibut season 2026 — when is the best time to eat it?
• Full menu (PL/DE/EN) — where to find Kergulena
• Complete price list 2026