The best bars and cafés Krakow

The courtyard of the RE is its real treasure, and its beer garden in the summer season until the last beautiful days of autumn is among the most authentic and most frequented of the city. Part of its charm comes from the relative isolation of this shady garden courtyard, hard to find at the back and a bit off the main roads. It is therefore still largely occupied by locals. The interior of the bar is little different from its neighbors, but it often hosts concerts. Both are very often crowded in summer.

The Tram Bar is dedicated to the appreciation of the king of transportation in the city, the streetcar. It is above all an original decoration motif that gives a real cachet to the bar's unique room. Some of the tables, placed on a platform, are equipped with benches made of old streetcars from the 1980s, in varnished wood. This cool spot is popular at the beginning of the evening before going to the club. It proposes in particular very good mixed shots and original cocktails which make as much the happiness of the customers as of the very enthusiastic barmen!

The Cracow temple of street food and long aperitifs, Hala Lipowa is a good example of the current transformation of the Podgórze district. With its canteen atmosphere, this small food hall is the ideal place to start the evening and grab a bite to eat, whether on the large tables inside or on the sun loungers on the terrace in fine weather. The food is pretty good value for money. A good idea after a visit to the MOCAK contemporary art museum or the Oskar Schindler factory.

TAG. is all the rage with 30-somethings from Krakow, who come here to toast the occasion with excellent cocktails. With its dark walls, beautiful parquet flooring, somewhat revisited famous paintings and soft armchairs, the setting is modern and trendy. The bar staff are always on hand to offer advice when it comes to making a choice, and are also very welcoming and smiling. The room fills up quickly if you're a large group, so it may be wise to make a reservation, especially on weekends. So, mai tai, mojito or piña colada? Cheers!

After having operated in the city center and Kazimierz, this café, which moves around easily and changes premises regularly, also acts as a club or even a stand-up venue, depending on the evening. It's one of the Podgórze district's youth hot spots. The atmosphere is elegant and particularly well-kept. A place you'll love to frequent, even if you find it hard to understand the sketches spouting out at breakneck speed in Polish. The terrace overlooking the Vistula is also very pleasant, especially at sunset.

A stone's throw from the Rynek Główny, Lastriko is a charming little spot whose atmosphere changes at all hours of the day and night. Whether in the small, light-toned room or in the summer garden in fine weather, you can enjoy an excellent brunch during the day concocted with fresh produce, good smoothies, waffles, pancakes, homemade lemonade or fresh fruit juices. At night, excellent cocktails and mocktails (non-alcoholic) keep the party-goers happy. A hybrid place just the way we like it.

Born of the same project as Camelot, this little café livens up the Vistula quayside in front of Podgórze's historic center. With its beamed ceilings and satin wallpaper, it's the ideal place for an early evening drink with friends or a light dinner. On the menu: salads, mussels, shrimps, snails, panini and other delights from Italian, French and Japanese cuisine. The staff are super friendly and pay great attention to their customers' comfort. The view from the terrace over the Vistula at sunset is unique.

Located in a former house of Jewish prayer, Cheder café is a space with Judaic theme, which intends to entertain, but also to educate in reference to the word cheder which means "Jewish primary school". In this pretty café with a calm and pleasant atmosphere you can witness film projection, with readings, participate in workshop et enjoy a cup of coffee israëlien with cardamom and cinnamon. The cafe also has a library and coffee on the Jewish theme, with English and Polish titles.

As with most Nova Huta cafes, Kombinator is associated with a cultural space, in this case Łaźnia Nowa, an experimental art space. So the place is regularly frequented by bands of artists, and on weekends or after performances it is taken over by a very hippie crowd. The rest of the time, one comes to this café to have a drink and enjoy the somewhat bohemian decor, with its large Persian carpet on the floor and its large brown leather sofa, or to play cards and chess with other regulars.

A dark little room with wooden tables that ends on a small veranda throughout the year: this café exudes the charm of a beauty passed, quite far from reality. A nostalgic atmosphere that makes success of them.

This bookshop-café is one of Nowa Huta's most "atmospheric" places, and lends itself equally well to long breaks and short coffees for the road. The interior, shared with the bookshop, mixes tables with comfortable armchairs and rows of books, giving a certain intimacy to customers lost between the shelves. A large bay window illuminates the room all day long, and the tiny terrace, consisting of a pair of tables, overlooks Ratuszowy Park, which is beautiful in autumn. The cakes do wonders for tired minds.

This cocktail bar, which also has a dance floor, is very pink. It's entirely designed to attract groups of young women who come to drink a girly house cocktail, chat and take photos in front of or in the (pink) ball pools, the bathtub (also with pink balls), or on the (pink) carousel horses strategically positioned on the establishment's two floors. Despite a few criticisms of the (pink) style, we have to admit that the decor is a success, the atmosphere friendly and the drinks very decent.

Popular with Krakow's students and young hipsters, this bar offers a wide selection of Polish, Czech and international beers, as well as an art gallery area. The Betel is known for its large, friendly terrace garden, shaded in summer. It's the perfect place for a relaxing afternoon with friends or a romantic rendezvous. The discotheque takes over in the evening, playing music late into the night. It's a great place to enjoy Krakow's nightlife.

A few wooden tables, a bar, a candle on each table, regulars... and it's done! This small neighborhood bar, whose name means "smoke", has not been empty despite the ban on smoking in public places. However, people used to come here to have a smoke at the counter, with friends, without any fuss. Today, the DYM continues to animate the local life and is often taken by storm in the evening, especially on weekends, by young Poles who want to have a drink a little more quietly away from the main roads.

You can see all the colours! Cocktails of all kinds on this map, but also of the most traditional for those who are difficult to change their habits. Quiet atmosphere the day, ideal for laying and drinking hot chocolate. In the evening is more lively between the bar atmosphere, the "Absolut" terrace and the people who come to the restaurant downstairs. Menu of snack snacks.

Nestled on the first floor of the Hasma on Szeroka Square with its old parquet floor, high ceilings with superb chandeliers and old fireplaces, this superb cocktail bar plays the card of elegance, in a subdued atmosphere that invites you to abandon. When the bar-discotheque is closed, the barman prepares with seriousness and passion his own syrups and develops new cocktails named "From Maghreb with love", "Date with me" and whose list grows year after year. A DJ animates the dance floor on Friday and Saturday nights.

Located in the monstrous building of the former Soviet-era Forum Hotel, on the banks of the Vistula opposite the Kazimierz district, Forum Przestrzenie has rapidly become one of Krakow's trendiest and most alternative spots. The original interiors and vintage neon signs in the lobby have been preserved and enhanced with graffiti, large wooden tables, a bar and a kitchen serving sandwiches, pizzas and salads from morning to night. Concerts, DJ evenings, ping-pong tables and, in summer, a terrace adjoining the beach.

On the top floor of this luxurious hotel, a terrace with a wonderful view over Krakow, including Wawel Castle. Open only from April to October from 11 am to 22 pm.

The beautiful panoramic terrace of this café offers an unparalleled view of the Church of Our Lady and the Rynek. Ideal for a drink and a panini, sandwich or salad (or to take one of your best shots of the Grote Markt!), preferably on a nice summer day. On the other hand, it is a real tourist trap that cares very little about your comfort or the quality of its service. Its unique location allows it to bypass what would otherwise be very damaging for an establishment in Krakow.

This small neighborhood bar was the first in Krakow to serve craft beer when it opened about ten years ago. Two separate counters serve Polish beer and foreign beer. The waiters know a lot about the beverages they serve. On the walls, posters from the movie The Godfather. Over the years, it has become one of the locals' most beloved bars, with a regular crowd that contrasts somewhat with the youthful crowd on the other side of the block.

In a vaulted room lit by candles, you serve yourself sitting on stools around small wooden tables. In this cellar, one of the most famous for its programming of jazz is a clientele of all ages come to listen to live music, every evening at the end of the week.

In a large and bright room, more than 200 bottles of Portuguese, Polish, Italian, French and especially Spanish wines, the specialty, are displayed on shelves leaning against the walls. The owner of the place is the wife of a famous Polish actor, Marek Kondrat. He himself often comes to sip a glass to the sound of the piano (every Wednesday from 8pm), in an atmosphere that is relaxed and young. Tasting on Thursday from 8 pm. Canapés, platters of cold cuts or cheeses, olives to nibble. Terrace in summer.

Les Couleurs, or Kolory, as it is still called by Krakowites, is among the most beloved in Kazimierz. Its French bistro theme, with authentic imported chairs, walls lined with French posters and photos of Serge Gainsbourg, is seductive. Mainly frequented by a bohemian crowd, it is always full, day and night. Possibility to nibble on toasts and salads, French breakfast served in the morning. It is the only place in town where you can find a real pastis, but the bartenders don't know how to serve it.

It is one of the most beautiful courtyards in Krakow and was also used as a film set for the movie Schindler's List. Its many trees cast a welcome shade in the height of the summer days, but in case of rain you can always take refuge inside. The room is charming, with shelves full of books, portraits hanging on the walls and old wooden furniture typical of the city. The staff is very attentive and it is a very suitable place for a romantic candlelit dinner.

Located in front of the contemporary art gallery «Bunkier sztuki», this café with a very pleasant atmosphere occupies a huge covered terrace. Inside, we think we're in a greenhouse. There is a lot of charm with wooden tables and chairs. A very warm and friendly service. A beautiful place to meet with friends.

Place of worship in Kazimierz, Artefakt café offers a program rich in events that attracts artists and bohemians like flies. On two floors with a bar on each floor, this coffee is the quintessence of Kazimierz. Old furniture, books everywhere and a separate space that serves as a gallery on the second floor, walls lined with theater posters and full of sofas in the first: cultural appointments to the poster, a good atmosphere and a crowd that, with the beautiful days, flows into the street. Very recommended. Nice selection of beers.

Located in the property of the Mehoffer house, the small Meho Café has a large garden surrounded by rosebushes and fruit trees, which makes it one of the most pleasant places in Krakow, but also one of the most expensive, despite its very average quality. You can have breakfast here, enjoy the coolness of the garden over a cup of coffee, drink a beer in the evening or enjoy the delicious fresh and healthy one. A haven of peace and happiness in the city center on hot days.

Run by two artists, this café is utterly charming and extremely atmospheric. The red and blue walls lit by soft light, the handmade cupboards and cabinets that you can even sit on, the bird sculptures and the strange creatures in the décor create an out-of-this-world feeling that you can easily get lost in for hours. An artists' nest, the café often hosts concerts, photography exhibitions and regular film screenings.

Wesoła, with its bright and warm open decor, is inspired by Brooklyn cafes. Its exposed bricks, modern mobilization and industrial spotlighting create a relaxed yet active atmosphere. You come here to drink your hipster coffee, of course, but also to lick your lips at the pastries and sandwiches, and enjoy the homemade smoothies and lemonades. It's a great place for a brunch with friends, and the bagels, soups and other appetizers have earned a good reputation in the neighborhood.