Gourmet products local specialties and wines Poland

In the vast "Hala Targova", a brick hall dating from 1908, there is a very lively and colorful market where flowers, fruits and vegetables are sold (a few meager stores on the second floor). This hall is also an interesting example of architecture with a bold reinforced concrete structure. It's an excellent place to take an authentic break in your walk in the old center: on the spot, a Melzny Bar, as local as it gets, with tables and plastic tablecloths. Obviously, very cheap.

It is in Krakow that you can visit one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in the country, or even in Eastern Europe. Especially if you are lucky enough to see snow fall. On the various stalls of the market, you can buy very beautiful products from Polish craftsmen.

Once known as the "Jewish Market," Nowy Square is home to a daily open-air fruit and vegetable market that turns into a weekend flea market selling everything from books and comics to clothing, shoes, and Jewish artifacts from the communist period. At the beginning of the 20th century, the round market - called "the rotunda" by the locals - was erected in the middle of the square. Here you will find the best zapiekanka in the city.

This store sells regional liqueurs with fruits, honey or herbs. It is also a bar. The vodka is inevitably there, from local distilleries. He even created his own brand of exclusive vodka. At the bar, you can both try and the different drinks: a great way to make a thoughtful and informed choice (depending heavily on your alcohol tolerance). The staff is used to the exercise and provides enthusiastic advice.

Located north of the old town, just above the Planty, it is the oldest and most picturesque covered market in the city. It is said to be over six hundred and fifty years old! You can find dairy products from the farm, breads, meats and cold cuts, fruits and vegetables in season, local cheeses: this is where Krakow's inhabitants, especially the older ones, do their shopping. It is best to come in the morning, as many of the exhibitors have left by the afternoon. On Saturday, expect a lot of entertainment.

Hala Targowa is one of the best open-air markets in the city. Fruits, vegetables, flowers, pirated DVDs and CDs, watches are sold every day, but the best time to go there is probably Sunday morning when it turns into a real flea market with paintings, icons, old vinyls, stolen bikes, shoes, old books, postcards of old Krakow and a whole lot of bric-a-brac. It is picturesque and the prices are unbeatable. It's a great place to find retro and vintage items used during the communist era.

The selection differs here, with only independent Polish stores.

5 minutes from the central station, from where you can take the Starowiślna street which takes you away from the Planty, then left the first great artery, rue J. Dielta, which then forms a elbow to continue on rue Grzegorzecza, the market is there.

Incontournable Główny is the place of the market. 

The representative of this restaurant chain is conveniently located in the historical centre of Zakopane. Its wide scope allows it to offer a wide range of sweets, for young and old, from ice cream to waffles, as well as bakery and pastry. Overall, the products are good, making it a solid stop for a warm breakfast or snack. The downside is that the place goes all out on price and the staff isn't exactly at your service.

On two levels, away from the crowds of the city center, Cakester is the place for students, young people and tourists to meet for a drink and a pastry. The decor is in cupcake tones of pink and blue, while the menu offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices, from breakfast to dinner. Overall, the food is good but unsophisticated, the prices honest for what is a niche kitchen. We particularly recommend it for breakfasts or a cake and juice break.

This small cafe hidden at the back of a charming courtyard surrounded by very tall buildings, away from the crowds of Floriańska Street on which it overlooks. It serves natural fruit juices, homemade cakes and quiches, alcoholic drinks and excellent bagels for the hungriest. The choice is limited in each category but everything is delicious. The atmosphere inside is wonderful, very intimate and calm among small wooden tables and colorful cushions. You will find a lot of Poles, refugees like you from the urban tumult.

The Kredens pub is one of the liveliest in Toruń, especially at weekends, as it combines pub, restaurant and disco. So you can sit down with friends over a beer, eat a tasty (and huge) pizza at a really ridiculously low price and vibe to live music played by a DJ. It boasts a vast collection of over 650 spirits from all over the world to accommodate all tastes. The place is charming, intimate and has a real soul, which locals rave about. We heartily recommend it.

Since 1945, this chain of cafés and patisseries has been making everyone happy. You'll taste some of the best ice cream in Poland. The company's founder, Stanisław Lenkiewicz, spent his childhood on a farm in Gryźliny. He began his confectionery practice in Grudziądz, graduating as a journeyman. During the war, he was interned and worked in a German bakery, where he learned the tricks of the trade that are passed on today.

This small store under the arcades may be very touristy, but it has the merit of offering an excellent choice of teas and coffees, but above all a delicious homemade hot chocolate (which is praised throughout the city). In the homemade section, we find cakes and pastries and, in summer, ice cream. Of course, you can also take a small waffle to take away on the square, or to taste in the pretty little room with a Renaissance atmosphere.

Good Lood has become the great reference of ice in Krakow. This delicious, artisanal ice cream attracts crowds on the lively square Nowy.

The English tea room is an elegant and impeccable service with an interior decor of wood and green velvet, with antique clocks and paintings depicting scenes of hunting. Tea is served by tasting superb cakes, such as the sernik (white cheese cake). You can also eat a few basic dishes (but attention is uneven).

Glacier and pastry since 1792, Słodki is undoubtedly the best ice cream in the city and probably among the best pastries. Located in a xve century building, you would find it difficult to find a more elegant setting to savor ice cream or sip coffee.

This chain of chocolatiers is close to Belgian standards and the quality is there. Beautiful presentations and originality in the creations with more than 50 varieties of chocolates, truffles, bars, chocolate with candied fruits and other specialties... the stores cause stomach cramps. The chocolate remains Polish, it is produced in Bielsko-Biała, Silesia from imported cocoa (obviously). This is an address that we recommend for hot chocolates, a real treat to take to the streets in winter.