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 dishes: Kashubian herring, Baltic salmon
Must 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.
Address: ul. Tokarska 21-25, 80-888 Gdańsk
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.
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.
Brovarnia in Gdańsk operates inside a 17th-century granary on Szafarnia, the city's oldest active brewery. House-brewed Złoto Brovarni won gold at Concours de Lyon 2022; the kitchen pairs Polish classics.
Signature: Pork knuckle in dark beer, House-brewed Złoto Brovarni pils
Order: The pork knuckle braised in dark beer with a glass of Złoto Brovarni pils.
Tip: Sit in the high-beam main hall, not the modern annex. The brewery vats are behind the bar.
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.
Avocado Vegan Bistro in Gdańsk Wrzeszcz cooks the everyday-Polish canon without animal product. Soy schabowy, croquettes, stews, dumplings, all turned out by one of the first vegan kitchens in Poland.
Signature: Soy schabowy, Plant-based pierogi
Order: The soy schabowy plate with cabbage, the kitchen's most-requested dish.
Tip: Daily specials sell out by 14:30; arrive at lunch for the full board.
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.
