Restaurants in Poland
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Chłopskie Jadło
Old Town (012 429 5157; ul Św Jana 3) This place, a short walk south of Wawel, looks like a rustic country inn somewhere at the crossroads in medieval Poland, and serves up traditional Polish ‘peasant grub’ (as its name says). Live folk music is performed here on Friday and Saturday, and seating in antique sleighs adds to the rustic atmosphere. We love the żurek (sour rye) soup in a bread loaf.
reviewed
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Gruzińskie Chaczapuri
Gruzińskie Chaczapuri ul Floriańska (ul Floriańska 26) ul Grodzka (ul Grodzka 3) If you have a hankering for something a little different, this cheap and cheerful chain of Georgian restaurants with five branches in Kraków serves up grills, salads and steaks and, the house speciality: cheese pie.
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Restauracja Kubicki
This family firm has served solid, tasty Polish food from its waterfront location since the last days of the German Empire in 1918, making it Gdańsk’s oldest continuously operated restaurant. There’s plenty of fresh fish on the menu, priced by weight, and a wide-ranging wine list including several Bulgarian drops. There’s a great river view from the outdoor seating.
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With Fire & Sword
Named after the historical novel by Henry Sienkiewicz, this dark, atmospheric restaurant re-creates the Poland of yesteryear. The wood interior is made even more rustic with animal pelts and a roaring fire. The menu features well-researched old-time recipes, such as the succulent roasted pig that comes stuffed with fruit.
reviewed
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U Babci Maliny
U Babci Maliny ul Sławkowska (012 422 7601; ul Sławkowska 17) ‘At Granny Raspberry’s’ is a godsend for travellers on a budget, with hearty Polish staples at giveaway prices served in an overwrought boudoir-like basement eatery. Love the boas and the chandelier.
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Kuranty
The menu is firmly based on the three Ps: pizza, pasta and pierogi (including a rather tasty baked version which looks suspiciously like the Italian calzone). Random photos and extraordinary Art Nouveau lights add to the atmosphere. Be warned: sports-playing TVs hang off the walls.
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Jama Michalika
Established in 1895, Jama Michalika is famous as the birthplace of the Młoda Polska movement - a hang-out for writers, painters and other creative types in the days of yore. The grand Art Nouveau interior has historic appeal, but the bored staff do not offer much in the here and now.
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Cafe Blikle
The mere fact that Blikle has survived two world wars and the pressure of communism makes it a household name. But what makes this legendary café truly famous is its donuts, for which people have been queuing up for generations. Join the back of the line and find out why.
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Bagel Mama
How clever of someone to think of selling bagels in the Jewish quarter. Whether you are a bagel traditionalist (lox and cream cheese) or a bagel innovator (warm brie and tomato), you'll find something you like. For some reason, there are also burritos on the menu.
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Green Way
Folksy blue-and-yellow space serving vegetarian and organic dishes ranging from soy cutlets to Mexican goulash. As the ultimate accolade, even nonveggies come to eat here. There’s another, more central, branch at ul Długa 11.
reviewed
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Karczma Zbójecka
An attractive basement eatery, this place offers regional dishes and meats grilled on a huge wood-burning rotisserie. There’s always a buzzy atmosphere and decent local folk music on some evenings.
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Bar Mleczny Pod Barbakanem
This popular milk bar looks as though it hasn’t changed for decades. It serves cheap, unpretentious Polish standards in a location that would be the envy of many upmarket eateries.
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Karczma Lwowska
Meaty Polish standards in a space with a rustic rural look.
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Stek Chałupa
Good for grilled sausages and steaks in all their guises.
reviewed
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Hotelik Dark Pub-Restaurant
A very popular pub-restaurant with a covered courtyard.
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Magia
Magia Like its menu, Magia’s atmosphere is eclectic; there are numerous vibes to choose from throughout the warren of dining rooms and its large outdoor courtyard, with each area decorated with a touch of magic. The chef uses only fresh ingredients to create dishes ranging from tiger shrimps and snails to deer and duck, with every sort of pizza, pasta and pancake between. Prices are spread through the spectrum of budgets, so you can venture through multiple courses or eat lightly just to rent yourself a piece of the atmosphere.
reviewed
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Zielona Tawerna
An old rustic house converted into a stylish restaurant with mismatched antique furniture, art on the walls, rugs on the floors and candles on the tables. There are many dining rooms to choose from throughout the creaking building and smooth tunes add a country-chic vibe to the ‘Green Tavern’. Meals, from the meaty mains to the vegetable platter, are lovingly prepared. Ingeniously, half-sized dishes can be ordered at 70% of the full price. Desserts and drinks are creative too – hot beer anyone?
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Kurt Scheller’s Restaurant
Kurt Scheller’s Restaurant Swiss-born Mr Scheller whips up some of the city’s most sought-after cuisine in this beautiful Art Deco restaurant. The menu is a trip for the tastebuds, swinging from Asian to Polish and back again, but always focusing on ingredients in season. There are also plenty of unusual morsels, such as creamy horseradish soup with veal tongue stripes, but be sure to save a little room for the wonderful desserts. Cooking courses are also offered.
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Restauracja Polska
The Polska is a classic old-fashioned Polish restaurant of the type that Polish families favour for special occasions – folksy farmhouse décor, lacy tablecloths, bouquets of flowers everywhere, and smartly dressed, attentive staff. The menu is devoted to hearty home cooking – this is the place to try authentic pierogi (dumplings) , żurek, schab z dzika (roast wild boar with crispy dumplings) and other dania staropolskie (old Polish dishes).
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Dom Restauracyjny Gessler
Gessler has a well-founded reputation as the top restaurant on the Old Town’s main square. Its two dining areas are quite distinct – the ground floor is an elegant, formal restaurant, while a rustic country inn fills labyrinthine brick-vaulted cellars below. With this kind of set-up the menu is of course dominated by traditional Polish dishes, ranging from żurek (traditional sour rye soup) to roast venison with cranberries. Reservations recommended.
reviewed
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Bacio
Romance is a wonderful thing, and if you like it shoved down your throat then you’ll go weak at the knees over Bacio. The décor here is over the top, featuring a copy of Klimt’s The Kiss, a portrait of Juliet, and more dried flowers, cat paraphernalia and horse pictures than a little girl could ever wish for. This shrine to amour also specialises in authentic Italian home cooking, from melt-in-the-mouth carpaccio to linguine with wild mushrooms.
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India Curry
The strong smells of India – the ones that churn, rather than turn, the stomach – wafting from the door are a good sign that this place does decent curry. The usual selection of tandoori chicken and rogan josh is available, and vegetarians will be happy with the likes of malai kofta (balls of cottage cheese stuffed with nuts in a coconut, herb and cashew sauce) and aloo bhindi bhaji (curried potato and okra).
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Restauracja Pod Łososiem
Founded in 1598 and particularly famous for its salmon dishes, this is one of Gdańsk’s oldest and most highly regarded restaurants. Red leather seats, brass chandeliers and a gathering of gas lamps fill out the sombre interior. The speciality drink here is Goldwasser, a thick, sweet liqueur with flakes of gold floating in it, and invented and produced in its cellars from the end of the 16th century till the outbreak of WWII.
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Rozmaryn
It may be the most pricey restaurant in town, but there’s a reason – the Italian food served here is excellent, as is the tasteful décor. In addition to the soups, pastas and salads, there are more exotic dishes such as curries. Service and presentation is top class, and there’s a way to enjoy it without breaking the budget: dine here between 1pm and 5pm on weekends, when all the dishes are discounted by 50%.
reviewed
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Cô Tú
Cô tú The wok at this simple Asian diner never rests as hungry Poles can’t get enough of the excellent dishes coming from the kitchen. The menu is enormous, covering all the main bases (seafood, vegetable, beef, chicken, pork), and you’ll never have to wait more than 10 minutes for your food despite the queues. Hadlowo-Usługowe is accessed through the archway at Nowy Świat 26.
reviewed