The reconstructed Hanseatic core: Długa, Długi Targ, Mariacka, where the cafes, milk bars and the city's oldest restaurants line cobbled blocks under St Mary's Basilica.
Piwna 47 in Gdańsk is the Michelin-recommended Old Town brasserie behind St Mary's, run by a kitchen that reads the Pomeranian rulebook with a few Mediterranean accents. The menu changes by the season.
Signature: Pomeranian seasonal main, Modern bistro plates
Order: Whatever seasonal main the chef has built around local Pomeranian produce that week.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. The conservatory at the back is the brightest table for lunch.
Restauracja Fino in Gdańsk hides off the tourist track on ul. Grząska, with chef-owner Jacek Koprowski running a Michelin-recommended tasting menu. The plant-based parallel menu is one of the most ambitious in Poland.
Signature: Tasting menu, Plant-based seasonal menu
Order: The full tasting menu or, if vegetarian, the plant-based equivalent.
Tip: Easier to book Monday to Thursday. Service ends 22:00 weeknights and 23:00 Saturday.
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.
Velevetka in Gdańsk is the city's most committed Kashubian room, in the cellars of one of the Old Town's tenements on Długa. Smoked-bacon potato cake, Kashubian fish soup, mains served inside a hollowed loaf.
Signature: Kashubian fish soup, Pike-perch (sandacz)
Order: The Kashubian fish soup with mussels followed by pike-perch.
Tip: Small dining room; book ahead Friday and Saturday. Cash and card both work.
Zafishowani in Gdańsk runs out of a townhouse on Tokarska, with a wine bar and shop attached to the restaurant. Baltic fish is the kitchen's only argument; the halibut is the room's signature plate.
Signature: Halibut, Baltic herring tasting
Order: The halibut, the kitchen's most asked-after dish year-round.
Tip: The wine shop next door pours flights at half restaurant prices.
Cała Naprzód in Gdańsk crowns the Maritime Culture Centre with a fourth-floor terrace beside the medieval Crane. Kashubian herring, Baltic salmon, pike-perch pierogi and the best Motława-side view in the city.
Signature: Kashubian herring, Baltic salmon
Order: Pikeperch fillet with spinach and cauliflower, or the pike-perch and smoked-trout pierogi.
Tip: Take the glass lift inside the museum building. Sunset on the terrace is May to September.
Restauracja Filharmonia in Gdańsk sits on Ołowianka Island opposite the Old Town, with chef-Kashubian Marcin Szlagowski cooking his region: herring tartare, mustard soup, golce dumplings with roast goose.
Signature: Herring tartare on potato pancakes, Roasted goose with golce
Order: The roasted goose with golce, the dish from Szlagowski's family table.
Tip: Cross the footbridge from Długie Pobrzeże; the Old Town view from the dining room is the trip.
Pierogarnia Mandu in Gdańsk Śródmieście rolls pierogi to order in dough varieties from yeast to spelt. The international card runs from ruskie and wild boar to khinkali and Korean mandu; salmon-and-dill anchors the fish side.
Signature: Salmon-and-dill pierogi, Pelmeni
Order: The salmon-and-dill pierogi, plus a side plate of the sweet seasonal ones.
Tip: Everything is made to order; budget 25 minutes from sit-down to first plate.
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.
Czerwone Drzwi in Gdańsk hides behind a red door on Piwna, two blocks from St Mary's. The kitchen runs a tight Pomeranian-Polish card with a fish-of-the-day and a goose dish locals book ahead.
Signature: Pomeranian goose, Baltic fish of the day
Order: The Pomeranian goose if on; the fish of the day if not.
Tip: Small dining room, around twenty seats. Book a 19:00 slot or expect to wait at the bar.
Piwna 47 in Gdańsk runs a Michelin-recommended Pomeranian brasserie behind St Mary's. The menu rotates by the season, the conservatory is the best lunch table, and a Mediterranean accent keeps it light.
Signature: Pomeranian seasonal main, Bistro plates
Order: Whatever Pomeranian main is on the seasonal board, paired with a local craft beer.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Weekend dinners book out a week ahead.
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.
Velevetka in Gdańsk runs the city's most committed Kashubian menu in cellar rooms beneath a Długa tenement. Smoked-bacon potato cake, fish soup with mussels, mains served inside hollowed loaves of bread.
Signature: Kashubian fish soup, Pike-perch (sandacz)
Order: Kashubian fish soup followed by pike-perch served in a loaf.
Tip: Tight room of about twenty seats. Book ahead Friday and Saturday.
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.
Zafishowani in Gdańsk works a Tokarska Street townhouse with a wine bar and shop attached to the restaurant. Baltic fish is the only argument; halibut is the room's signature dish.
Signature: Halibut, Baltic herring tasting
Order: Halibut grilled simply, with a flight from the next-door wine shop.
Tip: The wine shop pours bottles at retail-plus prices, well under restaurant lists.
Cała Naprzód in Gdańsk crowns the Maritime Culture Centre on Tokarska with a fourth-floor terrace beside the medieval Crane. Kashubian herring, Baltic salmon, pike-perch pierogi and the best Motława view in town.
Signature: Kashubian herring, Pike-perch and smoked-trout pierogi
Order: Pike-perch fillet with spinach and cauliflower, or the pike-perch and smoked-trout pierogi.
Tip: Take the museum's central glass lift directly to the fourth floor.
Restauracja Filharmonia in Gdańsk runs on Ołowianka Island opposite the Old Town, with chef Marcin Szlagowski cooking Kashubian: herring tartare on placki, mustard soup, roasted goose with golce dumplings.
Signature: Herring tartare on potato pancakes, Roasted goose with golce
Order: Roasted goose with golce, the dish from Szlagowski's family table.
Tip: Cross the footbridge from Długie Pobrzeże. The dining-room view back to the Old Town is the trip.
Pierogarnia Mandu in Gdańsk Śródmieście rolls pierogi to order in dough styles from yeast to spelt. The international card runs ruskie and wild boar to khinkali and Korean mandu; salmon-and-dill anchors the room's fish side.
Signature: Salmon-and-dill pierogi, Pelmeni
Order: Salmon-and-dill pierogi, with a side plate of sweet pierogi for dessert.
Tip: Made-to-order kitchen; budget 25 minutes from sitting down to the first plate.
Czerwone Drzwi in Gdańsk hides behind a red door on Piwna two blocks from St Mary's. A tight Pomeranian-Polish card with a fish-of-the-day and a goose plate locals book ahead.
Signature: Pomeranian goose, Baltic fish of the day
Order: The Pomeranian goose if on; the fish of the day if not.
Tip: Around twenty seats only. Book a 19:00 slot, or wait at the small bar.
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.
Pikawa Bistro in Gdańsk runs a small Old Town room beside St Mary's, sibling to the Piwna cafe two doors down. Breakfasts run until noon; a tight modern-Polish lunch follows from 12:00.
Signature: Pomeranian seasonal main, Polish breakfast plate
Order: The Polish breakfast plate; or whatever seasonal main the chef builds at lunch.
Tip: Book a window seat for the St Mary's view; weekends fill by 11:00.