9 editor-picked eastern european restaurants across 3 cities.
A guide to eastern european restaurants worth a trip, by city. We list operators, signature dishes, and the rooms locals book first.
Kubicki in Gdańsk is the city's oldest restaurant, opened 1918 by Bronisław Kubicki on Wartka Street. Fresh fish priced by weight, eisbein from a kept-secret recipe and a pianist Wednesday to Saturday.
Signature: Eisbein (pork knuckle), Marinated matias herring
Order: The eisbein, the dish the kitchen has refused to alter for a century.
Tip: The window tables on the Motława side fill fast; reserve for sunset in summer.
Goldwasser in Gdańsk sits in a 15th-century tenement on Długie Pobrzeże, named for the gold-flake liqueur first distilled in the city in 1598. Traditional Polish cooking with the famous Goldwasser poured at the table.
Signature: Duck, Steak topped with edible gold
Order: A duck main with a glass of Original Danziger Goldwasser to close.
Tip: Open from noon every day; the Motława-side terrace is the room's best feature May to September.
Pyra Bar in Gdańsk imports the Poznań potato-bar formula to the Old Town. Oven-baked spuds with 20-plus toppings, a strong vegan run and a price ceiling well under 40 PLN per dish.
Signature: Oven-baked stuffed potato, Vegan potato bowl
Order: An oven-baked potato with the mushroom-and-onion topping; the kitchen makes it vegan on request.
Tip: Order at the counter, sit upstairs by the window for the best Old Town view.
Restauracja Kubicki in Gdańsk has run since 1918 on Wartka Street, the oldest surviving room in town. Fresh fish priced by weight, the famous eisbein and a pianist Wednesday through Sunday.
Signature: Eisbein (pork knuckle), Marinated matias herring
Order: The eisbein, the kitchen's century-old never-altered dish.
Tip: Book the window tables for the Motława view at sunset.
Goldwasser in Gdańsk sits in a 15th-century tenement on Długie Pobrzeże, named for the liqueur first distilled in the city in 1598. Traditional Polish cooking, fresh fish, and the actual Goldwasser poured at the table.
Signature: Duck, Edible-gold steak
Order: Duck with red cabbage, with a glass of Original Danziger Goldwasser as the closer.
Tip: The Motława-side terrace from May to September is the best seat in the room.
Vis a Vis in Gdańsk sits over the Motława on Szafarnia, facing across to the Old Town granaries. A boutique Polish menu, strong pierogi card, and the kind of riverside terrace tourists usually find by accident.
Signature: Pierogi, Polish duck
Order: A mixed pierogi plate followed by Polish duck.
Tip: Reserve the riverside-facing table at booking; it is the room's whole reason for being.
Pyra Bar in Gdańsk imports the Poznań potato-bar formula to the Old Town. Oven-baked spuds with 20-plus toppings, strong vegan options, full plates well under 40 PLN.
Signature: Oven-baked stuffed potato, Vegan potato bowl
Order: Oven-baked potato with mushroom-onion topping; vegan on request.
Tip: Order at the counter; sit upstairs by the window for the Old Town view.
Kramarczuk's on East Hennepin has cured Eastern European sausages in Minneapolis since 1954. James Beard America's Classics 2013; pierogi and varenyky to take home.
Signature: Polish sausage, Pierogi
Order: Polish sausage on a bun with sauerkraut and a side of pierogi.
Tip: Cafeteria line moves fast at lunch; the deli counter at the front sells uncooked sausage.
The dining room of Hotel Monopol in Wrocław, the city's grand hotel since 1892. Refined Polish cooking on the same ground floor where Hitler once stayed and Picasso later did.
Signature: Duck confit, Beef tartare
Order: Duck confit with red cabbage and the beef tartare assembled at the table.
Tip: Sunday brunch in the gilded room is roughly half the price of a Friday-night three-course dinner with similar dishes.
More cities are in research. Want eastern european covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.