The best restaurants Little Poland

A restaurant with a strong character, very popular with Krakow's wealthy youth. On the spot, with its bay windows, beige benches leaning against the wall, vertical metal and glass panel and lounge music mixing with lively discussions, you only have to close your eyes to imagine yourself in the bustling metropolis of New York, or in a modern Parisian neighborhood. The excellent cuisine specializes in butchery, with excellent tripe and other meat dishes. No surprises, it is Michelin listed.

In the heart of the old town, U fotografa is a microbrewery that is unanimously acclaimed in the city and should not be missed under any circumstances. Its charming interior, with old photos hanging on the walls, old photo cameras and movie cameras create an enchanting atmosphere reminiscent of the black and white movie era. The kitchens serve superb Polish food, while in the dining room there is live music, an excellent choice of craft beers and a young and smiling service that explains why the place is always full.

If you're looking for an authentic culinary experience, you've come to the right place. This small, family-run café (depending on the time of day, you can even set up on your own rather than waiting for someone to set you up) serves good home-cooked Polish dishes prepared in advance with fresh ingredients. Less crowded by tourists, it's still quite popular with Poles and students, so try to arrive before 2pm, otherwise the choice will be smaller. Recommended for a taste of the real Poland.

«Hamsa Hummus & happines Israeli retrobar» is located in a former Mikveh (Jewish ritual bath) alongside the Jewish bookshop, it is a orientalisant restaurant with copious cuisine. Rather Israeli dishes than "kazimierziens": …, labnah, hummus, babaganush… A place in the wind, with a kind of "globalized Jewish revivalisme" and quite amazing! Moreover, which Jew would it have believed 25 years ago?

Hidden in a kind of kitsch cellar in a rustic peasant style (and decorated with Polish bric-à-brac), this restaurant will satisfy the most starving. Soups, pierogi, placki (potato cakes) drowned in goulash… here you will find the best dishes a Polish mammoth could prepare for you. Of course, the portions are pantagruelic.

A well-placed restaurant at the foot of Wawel Hill, its atmospheric dining room with exposed brickwork and beams, and old family photos hanging on the walls, create a friendly atmosphere. Here you'll find excellent traditional Polish cuisine, a "country" variant particularly rich in meat and game dishes. The meal is preceded by a traditional starter of bread and lard (but without the pickles), offered by the house.

On the Rynek, this traditional Polish restaurant is a lesser-known, and therefore less rogue, address than all the others with a street-side terrace. Its rustic white-and-red decor, with a traditional wedding theme, and generous, hearty cuisine at reasonable prices, make it a consistently pleasant address in the heart of the city. Another advantage is the beautiful view of the square from the dining room on the^{1st floor}. The restaurant's menu includes several vegetarian options.

For a meal on the thumb, bagels for all tastes: sandwich with tuna, salmon, salad, garlic, cheese cream, sweet bagels, tapas bagels… We also eat soups, salads and tortillas. 

Located in a ^14th-century building, this is perhaps the city's most elaborate rustic restaurant, which also serves a selection of European dishes (particularly Italian). The stylish interior design evokes a small village in the Polish countryside, and conveys an intimate, convivial atmosphere. The Polish cuisine served is of good quality and well presented, at fairly modest prices. This is a well-known address, well placed and popular with tourists, so it's best to book in advance during the summer months.

Not far from Collegium Maius, delicious Polish cuisine and menu in French.

Bohemia, located in the historic Bystrzycki building just off the main market square, has a beautiful room in a recently renovated brick cellar and offers traditional Polish cuisine, as well as some Italian and Spanish dishes. The restaurant's cuisine aims at the high end of the market and its pleasant presentation only adds to the pleasure of discovering its regional specialties (many of which are game). In the summer, a beautiful terrace is set up on the square and makes the restaurant the darling of the neighborhood.

Polakowski is an improved mleczny bar that serves workers and tourists typical Polish food at good prices in a simple and warm setting. As in all Polish canteens, the meal is ordered directly at the counter and it is better to know in advance what you are taking so as not to provoke the ire of the rest of the queue. The space, as often, is a bit limited, but the folkloristic decoration makes it warm. Very good address in terms of quality/price ratio.

If you like herring and want to feel like a real Pole, this is the place to come. It is probably the best herring bar in the city and for really affordable prices

Located not far from the Wawel, Golonkarnia specializes in golonka, an ancestral dish very popular in Poland, based on pork shank and vegetables. Apart from golonka, in this very Polish restaurant you can taste a whole range of traditional meat dishes from the peasant tradition. The cuisine is therefore merciless to your liver and cholesterol, "a bit heavy" to put it mildly, but you will enjoy it like at grandma's in the village and you are sure to leave satisfied.

A small, vaulted room not far from the Rynek, this milk bar is slightly more expensive than the others. Nonetheless, this is an excellent address, perfect for lunch. Simple, fast food.

Right in the middle of a tourist street, "sous les anges" is a charming establishment that sets itself apart from the competition. Its main level is a copy of a colorful antique palace, and its basement is a maze of authentic little rustic cellars dating back to the ^13th century, with superb country decor. The Polish cuisine is masterful and good, while the service, quick and jovial, is faultless. To compensate, prices on the menu are higher than elsewhere, but still reasonable.

An honest little restaurant/snack bar with a unique, well-designed and pleasant room where you can enjoy a range of Polish specialties. The menu includes, in addition to soups, pierogi, potato pancakes and classic grilled meats, a set of homemade pancakes, including one with oscypek cheese from Zakopane that we recommend. The dishes are unpretentious, copious and very good, for a price that is also appreciable. We recommend the pierogi, one of the most appreciated specialties of the regulars.

Very welcoming self-service restaurant, with wood interior decoration, and where you can enjoy dishes of Polish cuisine at affordable prices.

Located just behind the MOCAK museum and the Schindler factory, the Bal is the opposite of a typical Krakow restaurant. If the entrance is more like a warehouse, don't be fooled by appearances: inside you'll find a bright, creative restaurant-café with white walls, large wooden tables and a decor that has been stripped of all unnecessary details. A pleasant terrace is revealed in summer, while an alternative cultural program takes place there all year long. A very nice address that contributes to the charm of this arts district.

If you want to experience a meal on board a barge in Krakow, this is the place to come. This 1889 Dutch river barge moored on the Vistula River at the foot of the pedestrian bridge that connects Kazimierz to Podgórze has been beautifully modernized by Polish craftsmen to great effect. The long room has beautiful wooden floors and a fireplace. It is a particularly pleasant place to go on a nice summer day. The cuisine consists of Polish specialties and seafood.

Splendid address absolutely ignored by the tourists, this restaurant Georgian guarantees an unforgettable experience of ethnic cuisine. Primarily meat tasty dishes, even if the vegetarians find their happiness also there, hearty portions, Georgian wines at ridiculous prices, merry and friendly atmosphere. Khinkali, khachapuri, kharcho: it will be a real pleasure!

"Long ago in Kazimierz..." is a restaurant with an atmosphere immersed in the Jewish past of Kazimierz. Good Jewish cuisine in an enchanting and exotic setting that aims to reproduce the atmosphere of the old stores and workshops of the early twentieth century. Its facade is still decorated with the signs of yesteryear and the windows, like the interior, display the products of an era lost during the war. The food is good (breakfast is served until 1am) and there are often Klezmer concerts for dinner. We highly recommend it.

In a vaulted cellar with a rustic and friendly décor, this restaurant offers Polish dishes, but also Spanish and Italian cuisine. Rich and well-executed dishes. However, we still wonder whether this head printed on the wall was really necessary to complete this decor…

In Nowa Huta you can't find much except milk bars (which is slowly changing). Stylowa is an exception. This restaurant, once one of the most prestigious in the city, is a local legend. It has kept the same interior for thirty years, probably the same menu, and a rather unique socialist atmosphere. While it used to be in its prime, it has lost its charm since it was repainted and the restaurant's disco closed. Go there anyway, there is a powerful spirit of nostalgia.

Ariel is the Revivaliste establishment of Kazimierz par excellence! The establishment is designed to honour Polish Jewish culture and Gastronomy. In addition to the delicious traditional dishes meticulously worked, the main private art collection of the city, be it antique and modern. Visited by Steven Spielberg during the filming of Schindler's List, Ariel offers a friendly atmosphere, rocked most of the time by traditional Jewish music in the evening. Of course, the place is now very tourist and a very high price practice… Ariel Ariel is an ideal place to immerse itself in the tradition of Kazimierz.

Excellent carpaccio, delicious pizza.

Trattoria Mamma Mia is the great rival of Italian restaurant Nolio in Kazimierz. The two institutions share the prize for the most authentic Italian restaurant, with their respective "home-style" menus using imported methods and products. Mamma Mia has somewhat lost the battle and is less frequented by posh Krakowites. It remains constantly full, with a mix of families, students and tourists, and reservations are recommended. The wood-fired pizzas are very good, especially the pizzas bianca.

Located in the abbey complex on the banks of the Vistula River, this restaurant offers simple, traditional, home-cooked Polish cuisine. This is a monastery restaurant, so don't expect gargantuan proportions, luxury in the decor (or even superfluous comfort) or a menu that stretches to the floor. There are few things, the tastes in the kitchen are simple, but in the end you are well provided for and served. The speciality of the restaurant are the pierogi, with white cheese, meat, cabbage, mushrooms or spinach.

In the heart of downtown, this refined restaurant with a superb interior with a ceiling in the shape of an upturned ship's hull, tasteful furnishings and a fashionable industrial decor combining wood, steel and leather, offers modern and refined Polish cuisine based on fresh products from local farms. The menu has a special emphasis on grilled meats, which we recommend. Moreover, the restaurant is famous (and proud) for its wine cellar, so don't hesitate to use it but not abuse it.

The restaurant Poziom 511 is up to the standard of its hotel. It is very design, pleasant, and its menu emphasizes a majority of regional dishes full of flavors and aromas, a bit gastronomic. However, international and vegetarian dishes can also be found there if you feel like it. The restaurant's approach is to use as much as possible products from the city's market for its local specialties. The wine list is one of the best in the region and is carefully selected.

In the hotel of the same name, this restaurant offers delicious Polish cuisine and excellent value for money.

This restaurant has a charming rustic interior, with exposed beams, stone and brick walls, large wooden tables, country benches and country tiles, and serves excellent traditional Polish cuisine. The place is very popular with the locals and often full on weekends, when it is not for a wedding reception or other joyful local event. The service is very pleasant and fast (except when the room is full) and the establishment also has charming and welcoming rooms.

Folkloric! This is the word that best embodies the spirit of Karczma Halit. In a small house, covered with wood on the outside and on the inside, you will eat typical dishes of the region. The waiters wear the traditional Cracovian dress (real nice costumes, not kitsch!), are very friendly and eager. The traditional cuisine is just as good and despite its central location which makes it invaded by tourists, the locals also go there to have a good time and eat well: what more could you ask for?

The Shtegarouvka offers regional pizzas and dishes.

Modern restaurant serving simple and good cuisine. A pleasant surprise!

Restaurant U Braci is located in a historic building adjoining the Jasna Góra monastery. The establishment serves a well-presented mix of Italian and Polish cuisine, with a gastronomic ambition that sets it apart from its neighbors. Run by two brothers, it has a very welcoming atmosphere in a large room with a beautiful fireplace in its center. The restaurant's garden is very pleasant, and its aromatic plants, vegetables and fruit are then used in the restaurant's kitchen.

Chic but friendly, this restaurant offers authentic, Polish, French, Italian and American cuisine of excellent quality. The location is very well-known for its American-style breakfasts, including cakes from maple syrup, very good, rich and cheap.

The restaurant offers classic Polish cuisine of high quality. In summer, there are two beautiful terraces in the middle of nature with a breathtaking view of the Ojców Castle and the park's water features. One terrace is reserved for the restaurant and offers grilled meat and fish, the other is a café. A nice stop to enjoy the green surroundings, in the heart of the Eagle's Nest Road. The speciality of the house is the spring trout, declined on several recipes.

Located between Tyniec and Krakow, this restaurant is the perfect place to stop on your way to or from the monastery. This cosy wooden inn has a dining room and a bar-grill room. The very rustic interior is reminiscent of the wilderness and the mountains, with its boar heads and stuffed pheasants. Impeccable service that brings to the tables soups, trout, salmon, pierogis, pork shank, sernik and szarlotka. Low prices, except for its wine and champagne list.

Located in the old town, in the cellars of an old building that has been tastefully renovated, this restaurant offers excellent Polish and regional cuisine, as well as the classic Italian food that is so popular with Poles. Another advantage of the restaurant is the large selection of red wines on the menu. As a result, it is the place to be for Friday night outings with the family or for romantic dinners, whether for the first time or for the hundredth time (partly because the choice is more limited than in the big cities).

Located next to an old mill transformed into a museum, this restaurant specializes in dishes based on trout, the king fish of the Roztocze waters for which it knows an infinity of variants (or almost). On the menu you can also find pierogi, preferably also based on fish...but not only, soups and typical Polish desserts. Of course, the restaurant is also known for its ponds where you can fish for trout, which can then be prepared on request: ready? get your rods! Excellent address.

This restaurant in the central square of the Rynek is an iconic part of the downtown landscape. It has been on official photos and tourist souvenirs for several decades and has changed little in the meantime. In its well-situated room, set in a stylish house, it offers a range of grilled food (its specialty) with, of course, Polish dishes and a little bit of European cuisine. It is a smart option to enjoy the central square for dinner, especially in the summer season.

From the outset, one is immediately seduced by its plush interior where everything is made of wood, in the characteristic manner of a dacha in the Russian countryside. The outside, with a sublime and shaded patio and a pretty green terrace, is enough to make the most undecided waver. As for the cuisine, we eat well, quite simply, with fresh dishes with Mediterranean accents (even if we are far from the sea) extremely well presented. On weekends during the summer, it is better to reserve, at the risk of finding yourself on the street!

This is the restaurant of chef Tomasz Leśniak, who cut his teeth for ten years at the Sheraton and is now the official chef of the Polish national soccer team. His ambition is clearly to win Michelin stars. Will he succeed? Certainly. The cuisine is excellent, particularly the steak (which would be criminal to miss), and the setting is fantastic, especially on the terrace. However, service, food and wine pairings and the sometimes crude experimental gastronomy are still lacking.

This Italian bistro with a modern, sober and friendly decoration with its beige and white dominants is a good contemporary trattoria that does not inflate its bill. It is also one of the only Italian restaurants in the city to offer gluten-free pasta. Everything is good and homemade with love, especially the fresh pasta in the morning. The atmosphere is family friendly, the small terrace at the entrance of the restaurant overlooks the church of Saint Mary and the wine list (mainly Italian varietals) is skillfully composed to please the palate.

Charlotte and Scandal are neighbors and together create a small island of ease and trendy party on Szczepańsk Square. The restaurant brings above all a refined setting an original modern and catch-all menu that mixes French dishes as well as Polish or Asian specialties. This clever mix, if not very great cuisine, is successful and appreciated by the executives of the neighborhood. In the basement, the room is arranged around a stage where musicians, comedians and magicians perform once a month

One of the most popular restaurants among locals. It serves excellent Polish cuisine of well above-average quality. The dishes are carefully presented, and the atmosphere is charming and festive in the three rooms decorated with artefacts and equestrian motifs such as colourful Cossacks or hunters with trophies in hand. The menu changes with the season, but you'll always find game and vegetarian options. The restaurant is also family-friendly, with a children's menu, adapted chairs and even a dedicated play corner.

Located in a cellar of one of the beautiful Armenian houses in the city center, not far from the city hall, this restaurant is specialized and even rather famous ten years ago in Polish cuisine and has seen over the years many great personalities. Although its star has faded somewhat, its traditional cuisine remains formidable, mixing local specialties with Jewish and Armenian dishes on its menu. The soups in particular are delicious. We recommend it for an atmospheric dinner in town.

The "Guardhouse" is a restaurant-cafe on the Rynek, which you should not miss: overlooking the square, its terrace is set high up on a small shady knoll. It is very popular for good reasons. First of all, it is very pleasant. Then, its rather trendy atmosphere joins its cuisine, which is very good, especially the naleśniki. The desserts are hearty. From a certain hour, it is the only somewhat lively place in the sleepy downtown Sandomierz. A must visit for a sweet break.