Also: Casual Dining in Gdansk
Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where Gdańsk actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Gdańsk actually eats.
Piwna 47 in Gdańsk runs a Michelin-recommended Pomeranian brasserie behind St Mary's. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Weekend dinners book out a week ahead.
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. Book the window tables for the Motława view at sunset.
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 Walk-ins usually OK.
Witómë in Gdańsk runs a Kashubian dining room on Piwna behind St Mary's, the city's most centrally-located rendition of the regional kitchen.
Signature: Kashubian fish soup, Pomeranian herring
Order: Kashubian fish soup with the regional herring plate to start.
Tip: Open seven days from 07:30, late kitchen until 23:00 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. Located in Main Town.
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. Located in Main Town. Priced at $$$.
Signature: Halibut, Baltic herring tasting
Order: Halibut grilled simply, with a flight from the next-door wine shop.
Tip: The wine shop pours bottles at retail-plus prices, well under restaurant lists.
Targ Rybny - Fishmarkt in Gdańsk works the historic fish-market square the city was named for, with chef Patryk Domachowski running a Kashubian-Mediterranean.
Signature: Whole-cooked lobster, Smoked Baltic eel
Order: Smoked eel from Hel to start, then a whole-cooked lobster as the splurge main.
Tip: Open to midnight every day. Window seats upstairs face the Hilton across Targ Rybny.
Cała Naprzód in Gdańsk crowns the Maritime Culture Centre on Tokarska with a fourth-floor terrace beside the medieval Crane. Located in Main Town.
Signature: Kashubian herring, Pike-perch and smoked-trout pierogi
Order: Pike-perch fillet with spinach and cauliflower, or the pike-perch and smoked-trout pierogi.
Tip: Take the museum's central glass lift directly to the fourth floor.
Restauracja Filharmonia in Gdańsk runs on Ołowianka Island opposite the Old Town, with chef Marcin Szlagowski cooking Kashubian: herring tartare on placki.
Signature: Herring tartare on potato pancakes, Roasted goose with golce
Order: Roasted goose with golce, the dish from Szlagowski's family table.
Tip: Cross the footbridge from Długie Pobrzeże. The dining-room view back to the Old Town is the trip.
Pierogarnia Mandu in Gdańsk Śródmieście rolls pierogi to order in dough styles from yeast to spelt. Located in Main Town. At ul. Elżbietańska 4.
Signature: Salmon-and-dill pierogi, Pelmeni
Order: Salmon-and-dill pierogi, with a side plate of sweet pierogi for dessert.
Tip: Made-to-order kitchen; budget 25 minutes from sitting down to the first plate.
Pierogarnia Mandu Oliwa in Gdańsk is the chain's first room, the leafy-suburb flagship near the cathedral. Priced at $$. Kitchen leans pierogi.
Signature: Salmon pierogi, Sweet plum pierogi
Order: A mixed half-and-half plate: savoury salmon pierogi plus sweet plum.
Tip: Order via the QR card to avoid the lunch service crush Walk-ins usually OK.
Pierogarnia Stary Młyn in Gdańsk works a long-recipe oven-baked pierogi style off Św. Ducha Street near St Mary's. Located in Old Town. Priced at $.
Signature: Oven-baked pierogi, Ruskie pierogi
Order: The oven-baked house pierogi, golden top, butter pooling out.
Tip: Lunch sets are 30 $; queues thin out by 13:45.
Brovarnia in Gdańsk runs the city's oldest active brewery inside a 17th-century granary on Szafarnia. Located in Granary Island. Priced at $$.
Signature: Pork knuckle in dark beer, Złoto Brovarni pils
Order: Pork knuckle braised in the house dark beer, with a Złoto Brovarni pils on the side.
Tip: Sit in the high-beam main hall; the brewery's copper vats are visible behind the bar.
Restauracja Gvara in Gdańsk sits at the base of St Mary's Basilica on Chlebnicka, a modern-Polish room that pulls traditional Pomeranian plates.
Signature: Żurek with pork chop, Cod with blood sausage
Order: Żurek with the pork chop or the cod with blood sausage; the house cake to close.
Tip: Live music Friday and Saturday evenings; reserve a window seat for the Basilica view.
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.
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.
Pyra Bar in Gdańsk imports the Poznań potato-bar formula to the Old Town. Order at the counter; sit upstairs by the window for the Old Town view.
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.
Avocado Vegan Bistro in Gdańsk Wrzeszcz cooks the Polish everyday-canon without animal product. Soy schabowy, croquettes, stews and dumplings.
Signature: Soy schabowy, Vegan pierogi
Order: Soy schabowy plate with cabbage, the room's most-asked dish.
Tip: Daily specials sell out by 14:30; arrive at lunch for the full board.
Manekin in Gdańsk runs out of an Aleja Grunwaldzka unit in Wrzeszcz, the Poznań chain's Tri-City room. Crepes in 60-plus combinations, savoury and sweet.
Signature: Savoury crepes, Sweet crepes
Order: Half savoury, half sweet plate: spinach and goat cheese, then strawberry and white chocolate.
Tip: Tram 6 or 12 to Politechnika stop, two minutes' walk. Open to 23:00 weekends.
Pikawa Bistro in Gdańsk runs a small Old Town room beside St Mary's, sibling to the Piwna cafe two doors down. Located in Main Town. Priced at $$.
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.