Targ Rybny - Fishmarkt in Gdańsk sits on the historic fish-market square that gave the city its name. Chef Patryk Domachowski runs a Kashubian-Mediterranean menu of smoked eel, oysters and whole lobsters.
Signature dishes: Whole-cooked lobster, Smoked Baltic eel
Must order: Smoked eel from Hel to start, the whole-cooked lobster as the splurge main.
Tip: Lunch service is calmer; book the upstairs window seats for the Hilton-side view.
Address: ul. Targ Rybny 6C, 80-838 Gdańsk
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.
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.
