Walled medieval centre around Rynek Główny: obwarzanek carts, the Cloth Hall, the Old Town bistros and the densest run of fine dining within the Planty ring.
Pod Aniołami in Kraków sits in a 13th-century cellar on Grodzka with a beech-wood grill at the centre of the room. Kitchen leans traditional polish.
Signature: Beech-smoked highlander lamb, Grilled trout
Order: The beech-smoked lamb shank, and oscypek with cranberry jam to start.
Tip: Ask for the vaulted-cellar room over the courtyard. Open daily from 13:00.
Wesele in Kraków is the editorial pick for traditional Polish on the Rynek Główny: pierogi, roast duck, żurek, with a terrace pointed at the Cloth Hall.
Signature: Mixed pierogi platter, Roast duck with apple
Order: The mixed pierogi plate and żurek soured-rye soup served in a bread bowl.
Tip: Reservation recommended for evenings; the cellar room is quieter than the terrace in summer.
Miód i Wino in Kraków sits at the north end of the Old Town with a courtyard under linden trees. The carte is straight Polish bistro: pierogi.
Signature: Pierogi ruskie, Pork knuckle in honey beer
Order: Pork knuckle for two with honey beer glaze, with pierogi ruskie to start.
Tip: The summer courtyard runs first-come weekdays; book ahead for Friday and Saturday dinner.
Pod Norenami in Kraków runs the city's most editorial vegan kitchen with a pan-Asian menu: ramen, gyoza, banh mi, sushi rolls. Krupnicza is the original room.
Signature: Gyoza, Shoyu ramen with king oyster
Order: The gyoza and a bowl of the shoyu ramen with king oyster mushroom.
Tip: Cash and card; closes around 22:00. Walk-ins for early dinner, book for prime time.
Szara Gęś on Kraków's Rynek Główny runs a Polish carte in a Cloth Hall-facing dining room. Located in Stare Miasto. Kitchen leans polish-french.
Signature: Roast goose with apple and red cabbage, Pierogi with venison
Order: The roast goose for two with red cabbage and apple, in November during goose season.
Tip: Reservation only on weekends. The Cloth Hall side tables go first; ask when booking.
Fiorentina on Grodzka in Kraków's Old Town is the Tuscan-inspired room with a vaulted red-brick ceiling. Located in Stare Miasto. Priced at $$$.
Signature: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, Hand-rolled pasta
Order: The bistecca for two with a Brunello by the bottle, and the gnudi as a starter.
Tip: The bistecca needs ordering in advance; closed Sunday. Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition.
Filipa 18 in Kraków's Kleparz is the neo-Polish room inside Hotel Indigo. Located in Stare Miasto. Priced at $$$. At ul. Świętego Filipa 18.
Signature: Tartare with pickled mushroom, Duck with smoked plum
Order: Whatever tartare is on, and the duck with smoked plum if it's running.
Tip: Tasting menu Tuesday to Saturday 17:00-22:00. Book a week ahead for weekend dinner.
Pierogarnia Krakowiacy on Szewska in Kraków's Old Town runs a 30-strong pierogi carte: ruskie, meat, duck, spinach, sweet cherry. Located in Stare Miasto.
Signature: Pierogi ruskie, Pierogi with duck
Order: A mixed plate of pierogi ruskie and pierogi with duck; a glass of kompot to wash it down.
Tip: Pierogi come boiled or pan-fried. Pan-fried takes 5 extra minutes; ask for half-and-half.
Przystanek Pierogarnia in Kraków's Old Town is the no-nonsense pierogi counter locals queue at: 20 fillings, plates from 18 zl, open from 11:00 to late.
Signature: Pierogi z mięsem, Pierogi z kapustą i grzybami
Order: Pierogi z mięsem (minced meat) and the cabbage-and-mushroom version. Sour cream on the side.
Tip: Cash and card. Counter seats only; ten stools and a window-bar.
Bar Mleczny Pod Temidą on Kraków's Grodzka is the city's most editorial surviving milk bar: laminated menu, queue-and-pay-first, full meals for 15 to 25 zl.
Signature: Żurek, Kotlet schabowy
Order: Żurek (sour rye soup), kotlet schabowy with mash, kompot. The whole meal lands under 25 zl.
Tip: Bring cash; the card terminal is unreliable. Tables share with strangers; queues at lunch.
Milkbar Tomasza on Kraków's Świętego Tomasza updates the milk-bar form: same prices and naleśniki, but table service and a younger crowd. Priced at $.
Signature: Naleśniki with cottage cheese, Pierogi
Order: Naleśniki with cottage cheese and strawberry jam; the żurek soup is the runner-up.
Tip: Closed Monday. Breakfast all day; the brunch plate at 25 zl is the steal.
Morskie Oko in Kraków cooks Tatra-highlander Polish in a wooden-room dining hall with live folk music. Oscypek, kwaśnica cabbage soup, slow lamb.
Signature: Oscypek with cranberry, Highlander lamb stew
Order: Grilled oscypek with cranberry and the kwaśnica sour-cabbage soup with smoked pork ribs.
Tip: Live highlander folk music in the dining room most evenings; check ahead for the schedule.
Chimera on Kraków's Świętej Anny is a salad-bar counter near the Jagiellonian University in a covered medieval courtyard. Located in Stare Miasto.
Signature: Build-your-own salad plate, Stuffed cabbage rolls
Order: A four-salad plate with the cabbage rolls; the kompot is the drink.
Tip: Cash and card. Daily 10:00-22:00; the covered courtyard is the main dining area.
Veganic on Karmelicka in Kraków cooks Polish classics fully plant-based: pierogi ruskie with cashew cream, beetroot tartare, vegan żurek soup.
Signature: Vegan pierogi ruskie, Beetroot tartare
Order: Vegan pierogi ruskie and the beetroot tartare. The vegan żurek runs in winter.
Tip: Closed Monday. The weekend brunch service is the easy table to take.
Smakołyki on Kraków's Straszewskiego is the cheap-and-honest student-canteen Polish home-cooking room: schabowy, pierogi, potato pancakes, full plate.
Signature: Schabowy with potatoes, Pierogi
Order: Kotlet schabowy with mashed potato and sauerkraut; pierogi ruskie as a starter.
Tip: Cash only. Closes 22:00 weekdays; until 17:00 Sunday. No bookings.
Pod Baranem near the Wawel side of Kraków's Planty cooks classic Polish since 1997. Chef-founder Jan Baran's menu runs duck, veal cheeks, traditional soups.
Signature: Duck with apple, Veal cheeks
Order: Duck with apple and red cabbage; veal cheeks in mushroom sauce.
Tip: Reservation only in the evening; lunch easier as walk-in. Close to Wawel Castle.
Movida on Kraków's Mikołajska in the Old Town runs a refined cocktail and plate room: Polish Mules with Wyborowa, Polish and Mediterranean food.
Signature drink: Polish Mule with Wyborowa
Food: Polish, burgers, Italian and Mexican plates
Tip: Walk-in; open daily 16:00-03:00. Cocktails and plate menu through the night.
Prozak 2.0 in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the labyrinthine techno club tucked under Plac Dominikański with a Funktion One rig and four rooms running residents.
Tip: Door from 22:30 Wed-Sat; queue thickens after midnight. The deepest basement room runs hardest after 02:00.
Klub Re on ul. św. Krzyża in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the small Old Town concert club known for booking touring indie, electronica and hip-hop acts.
Tip: The summer garden is free entry; ticketed shows in the indoor room. Concerts often sell out, book through klubre.pl.
Klub Studio on the AGH student campus in Kraków is the 1,500-capacity Polish concert hall booking Jack White, Fat Freddy's Drop and Gogol Bordello through.
Tip: Doors usually 90 minutes before showtime; balcony seats are the easier sightline. Closest tram is Czarna Wieś or Miasteczko Studenckie AGH.
Harris Piano Jazz Bar on Kraków's Rynek Główny is the cellar room under the Main Square running live concerts every single night since 1997 and headlining.
Tip: Free entry to the jam sessions on Mon and Wed from 21:30; ticketed concerts most other nights from 21:00. Steps down off the square.
Piec Art on ul. Szewska in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the vaulted-brick acoustic jazz cellar opened in the 1990s, with live concerts most weeknights.
Tip: Arrive 19:30 for a candlelit table near the piano; sets usually start 21:00. The room favours acoustic over amplification.
Klub Awaria on ul. Mikołajska in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the cramped Old Town blues dive booking live rock and blues acts Tuesday to Sunday.
Tip: Live bands most nights from 21:00; tight floor space, come early or late and brace for noise. Cash and card accepted.
Roof Top Terrace on the 5th floor of the Sheraton Grand Kraków is the hotel rooftop bar over the Vistula with a wraparound deck facing Wawel Castle.
Tip: Open seasonally; rain closes the deck. Book a Wawel-side table 24 hours ahead and ride the lift to the fifth floor.
Sky Bar on the 6th floor of Hotel Stary in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the small open-air terrace looking across the Rynek Główny to St Mary's Basilica.
Tip: Open in summer only; lift to the 6th floor through the hotel lobby on Szczepańska. Cocktails from 32 zł.
Mercy Brown above the Smakołyki restaurant on ul. Straszewskiego in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the unsigned art-deco speakeasy, with jazz and burlesque nights.
Tip: No street signage; enter through Smakołyki and ask for the cloakroom. Cocktails from 24 zł. Book burlesque nights two weeks ahead.
Mr. Black on the second floor above the Multi Qlti pub on ul. Szewska in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the dark-walled cocktail speakeasy with a small bar.
Tip: No signage at street level; walk past the Multi Qlti taps and climb the stairs. Cocktails 32-45 zł; the rye and apple sour is the house call.
Wódka Cafe Bar on ul. Mikołajska in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the two-floor speakeasy-tight Polish vodka room running since 2003, with around 100 flavoured.
Tip: Order a tasting flight of six shots for around 30 zł; the upstairs counter is the quieter perch. Pairs with herring snacks from the menu.
Lindo Cafe & Bar on ul. Sławkowska in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the rainbow-lit two-level gay-friendly venue just inside the Planty, with a daytime café.
Tip: Upstairs opens daytime for coffee and brunch; the cellar bar gets going from 22:00 Thu-Sat. Art exhibitions rotate monthly.
Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa on ul. Floriańska in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the Soviet-themed shot-and-snack chain branch right off the Rynek, with 5 zł vodkas.
Tip: Shots from 5 zł and herring from 13 zł; the booths fill after 23:00. Stand at the counter if you want a quick stop.
Cybermachina on ul. Stolarska in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the late-night gaming pub with PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and Mortal Kombat cabinets in separate.
Tip: Entry is free with a drink purchase; Fri-Sat the room thins by 02:00. Reserve the basement Nintendo cabin for groups of four.