Also: Krakow food guide
Where Poland still cooks the old way, and the new wave answers.
Free cancellation on most tours, with live prices on the partner's site.
Kraków eats the way Poland remembers eating. The bar mleczny canteens that fed the city through every economy since 1896 still pour beetroot soup at lunch for a tenner, and Bar Mleczny Pod Temidą on Grodzka still has the laminated menu and the till that prints in zloty. Pierogi count as currency at Pierogarnia Krakowiacy and Przystanek Pierogarnia, both two streets from Rynek Główny. The obwarzanek krakowski, the salted ring bread under EU protected indication, leaves the city's red carts at the rate of about 150,000 a day. Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, layers Polish-Jewish revival kitchens like Hamsa and Klezmer-Hois over a working zapiekanka window at Plac Nowy that has not closed since 1989. Above all of it, Bottiglieria 1881 holds Kraków's first Michelin star and Karakter writes the loudest new menu in town.
Guided tour · 4 hours
Savor the flavors of Poland on a 4-hour food tasting tour of Krakow. Learn about the local food culture, and hear fascinating stories about the Polish relationship to ...
Guided tour · 4 hours
Go on a journey through the vodka culture of Poland on a 3.5-hour tasting tour in Krakow, and visit 3-4 different shot bars to taste 6-7 different types of vodka. Hear...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Eat your way through the historic Kazimierz district of Krakow on a 3-hour food tasting tour. Visit at least 4 local restaurants to try 11-13 different dishes and 2 vo...
The plates that define eating in Kraków.
Pierogi are the half-moon dumplings Poland built into a national grammar. Kraków cooks them across 20+ fillings: ruskie (potato and farmer's cheese), meat, mushroom-and-cabbage, blueberry in summer, goose at Szara Gęś.
Where Pierogarnia Krakowiacy, Przystanek Pierogarnia, Wesele, Miód i Wino, Polakowski
Taste itKrakow Pierogi Cooking Classzł 332Where to eat Pierogi in Kraków →Obwarzanek krakowski is the salted ring bread Kraków's bakers have boiled, then baked, then sold from carts under royal privilege since 1496. Crisp crust, chewy crumb, sesame or poppy seed or salt on top.
Where Obwarzanek Krakowski (Rynek Główny carts)
Where to eat Obwarzanek krakowski in Kraków →Żurek is the soured-rye-fermented soup Kraków eats from a bread bowl: cloudy, garlic-shot, with white sausage, hard-boiled egg, a swirl of sour cream. The Easter Sunday soup, eaten year-round.
Where Bar Mleczny Pod Temidą, Wesele, Milkbar Tomasza, Polakowski
Where to eat Żurek in Kraków →Zapiekanka is the open-face baguette Kraków built into a late-night ritual: half a long roll, layered with mushroom, cheese and ham, grilled until the cheese melts, finished with ketchup and garlic sauce.
Where Endzior (Plac Nowy zapiekanka), Vegab
Where to eat Zapiekanka in Kraków →Kotlet schabowy is Poland's breaded pork cutlet, the Sunday-lunch backbone: pork loin pounded thin, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, pan-fried in lard, served with mashed potato and sauerkraut. The Polish wiener schnitzel.
Where Bar Mleczny Pod Temidą, Smakołyki, Polakowski, Pod Aniołami
Where to eat Kotlet schabowy in Kraków →Oscypek is the smoked sheep-milk cheese the Tatra highlanders bring down from the mountains, sliced and grilled in Kraków with cranberry jam as the canonical winter bar snack and Christmas-market plate.
Where Pod Aniołami, Morskie Oko, Rynek Główny Christmas Market
Where to eat Oscypek in Kraków →Bigos is the slow-cooked hunter's stew of sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, smoked sausage, pork and dried mushroom: deep brown, vinegar-sharp, served by the bowl in winter across every Kraków bar mleczny and Polish bistro.
Where Bar Mleczny Pod Temidą, Polakowski, Milkbar Tomasza, Wesele
Where to eat Bigos in Kraków →Pierogi ruskie are the canonical potato-and-farmer's-cheese pierogi, served boiled with butter-fried onions and a dollop of sour cream. Despite the name, the filling is Polish through and through.
Where Pierogarnia Krakowiacy, Przystanek Pierogarnia, Miód i Wino, Polakowski
Where to eat Pierogi ruskie in Kraków →Sernik krakowski is the Krakow version of Polish baked cheesecake: dense farmer's-cheese filling, lattice of pastry strips on top, lemon zest in the curd. The city's daily pastry-counter standard.
Where Vanilla, Cukiernia Michałek, Noworolski
Where to eat Sernik krakowski in Kraków →Crisp Polish potato pancakes, finely grated raw potato and onion bound with egg and flour, fried in lard until lace-edged and golden. Served sweet with sour cream and sugar, or savoury under a goulash blanket.
Where Morskie Oko, Polakowski, Marchewka z Groszkiem, Pod Baranem, Milkbar Tomasza
Where to eat Placki Ziemniaczane (Polish Potato Pancakes) in Kraków →A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Kraków.
Bottiglieria 1881 in Kraków's Kazimierz holds Poland's only two Michelin stars. Przemysław Klima cooks Polish ingredients on a long tasting menu only.
OrderThe full tasting menu with the Polish-wine pairing from a 700-bottle list.
Karakter in Kraków's Kazimierz is the loud, low-lit neo-bistro with chef Daniel Myśliwiec. Open kitchen, offal-heavy modern carte, small Polish growers.
OrderThe tartare for the table, then whatever is on the grill list that night.
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.
OrderThe beech-smoked lamb shank, and oscypek with cranberry jam to start.
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.
OrderThe mixed pierogi plate and żurek soured-rye soup served in a bread bowl.
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.
OrderPork knuckle for two with honey beer glaze, with pierogi ruskie to start.
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.
OrderThe gyoza and a bowl of the shoyu ramen with king oyster mushroom.
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.
Best for: Fine dining, Pierogi, Obwarzanek, Old cafes
The old Jewish quarter, now the city's most layered food map: Plac Nowy zapiekanka windows, Polish-Jewish revival kitchens, natural wine bars and the synagogue restaurants.
Best for: Jewish, Zapiekanka, Natural wine, Late night
Across the Vistula from Kazimierz: the wartime ghetto map, Schindler's Factory, and a quieter run of neighbourhood bistros and beer gardens locals walk to.
Best for: Beer gardens, Bistros, Brunch
1949 socialist-realist district built around the steelworks: wide boulevards, original milk bars and the kind of working-class canteens the tourist Old Town no longer has.
Best for: Bar mleczny, Pierogi, Working canteens
Residential western edge between the Vistula and Las Wolski: weekend bistros, Sunday-walk cafes and the Salwator tram terminus institutions.
Best for: Brunch, Sunday lunch, Cafes
East of the Old Town: Hala Targowa Sunday market with the grilled-sausage cart, plus a slow build of new-wave bistros east of the Planty.
Best for: Markets, Bistros, Grilled sausage
Pierogi
Pierogi are the half-moon dumplings Poland built into a national grammar
Obwarzanek krakowski
Obwarzanek krakowski is the salted ring bread Kraków's bakers have boiled, then baked, then sold from carts under royal privilege since 1496
Żurek
Żurek is the soured-rye-fermented soup Kraków eats from a bread bowl: cloudy, garlic-shot, with white sausage, hard-boiled egg, a swirl of sour cream
Zapiekanka
Zapiekanka is the open-face baguette Kraków built into a late-night ritual: half a long roll, layered with mushroom, cheese and ham, grilled until the cheese melts, finished with ketchup and garlic sauce
Kotlet schabowy
Kotlet schabowy is Poland's breaded pork cutlet, the Sunday-lunch backbone: pork loin pounded thin, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, pan-fried in lard, served with mashed potato and sauerkraut
Kazimierz
The old Jewish quarter, now the city's most layered food map: Plac Nowy zapiekanka windows, Polish-Jewish revival kitchens, natural wine bars and the synagogue restaurants
Podgórze
Across the Vistula from Kazimierz: the wartime ghetto map, Schindler's Factory, and a quieter run of neighbourhood bistros and beer gardens locals walk to
Nowa Huta
1949 socialist-realist district built around the steelworks: wide boulevards, original milk bars and the kind of working-class canteens the tourist Old Town no longer has
Salwator and Zwierzyniec
Residential western edge between the Vistula and Las Wolski: weekend bistros, Sunday-walk cafes and the Salwator tram terminus institutions
A sample of Kraków hotels from our booking partner, who list 1,011 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Station Apartments KÄ
towa 11 Krakow
A stay at Station Apartments Ktowa 11 Krakow places you in the heart of Krakow, a 3-minute drive from Krako...
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Maly Krakow Aparthotel
A stay at Maly Krakow Aparthotel places you in the heart of Krakow, steps from Royal Road and St. Florian's...
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MB Cracow Apartments-SÅawkowska 30
With a stay at this apartment in Krakow (Krakow Old Town), you'll be steps from Planty Park and Czartoryski Museum.
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MB Cracow Apartments-Zyblikiewicza 17
With a stay at this apartment in Krakow (Krakow City Centre), you'll be within a 5-minute walk of Planty Pa...
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Krakow B&B
With a stay at Krakow B&B in Krakow (Kazimierz), you'll be within a 5-minute walk of Galicia Jewish Museum ...
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MB Cracow Apartments-Rakowicka 14a
With a stay at MB Cracow Apartments-Rakowicka 14a in Krakow (Krakow City Centre), you'll be within a 10-min...
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Krakow Central Apartments
With a stay at Krakow Central Apartments in Krakow (Krakow City Centre), you'll be a 5-minute walk from Gal...
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Dolna Suites Kraków Poland
With a stay at Dolna Suites Krakw Poland in Krakow, you'll be within a 5-minute drive of Expo Krakow and Kr...
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AT Krakow Apartments
With a stay at AT Krakow Apartments in Krakow (Krakow Old Town), you'll be steps from Royal Road and Floria...
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MB Cracow Apartments-Plac Na Groblach 6
With a stay at MB Cracow Apartments-Plac Na Groblach 6 in Krakow (Krakow City Centre), you'll be steps from...
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Retoryka Studio by Loft Affair
With a stay at this apartment in Krakow (Krakow City Centre), you'll be within a 10-minute walk of Krakow P...
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MB Cracow Apartments-ZegadÅowicza 4
With a stay at this apartment in Krakow (Krakow City Centre), you'll be a 4-minute walk from Krakow Philhar...
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Also compare: Zen Hotels in Kraków from USD 73/night · Holidu in Kraków from USD 34/night · Leonardo Hotels in Kraków
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Kraków, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Peak food season: September to November brings St Martin's goose, the autumn mushroom haul, and the October sausage fairs at Plac Nowy. April to June is asparagus, rhubarb and the first warm-weather pierogi terraces. Late August holds the Pierogi Festival on Mały Rynek.
Local dining hours: Lunch 12:00-16:00, dinner 18:00-22:00. Bar mleczny canteens run 07:30-17:00 and close hard at the dot. Zapiekanka windows at Plac Nowy in Kazimierz stay open past 03:00 on weekends.
Tipping: 10 percent is standard at a sit-down meal where service warranted it. Round up the bill at a bar mleczny or zapiekanka counter. Never enter a percentage on the card terminal; leave cash on the table.
Kraków's signature dishes include Pierogi, Obwarzanek krakowski, Żurek, Zapiekanka, Maczanka po krakowsku. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Kraków by district. Stare Miasto (Old Town), Kazimierz, Podgórze, Nowa Huta are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Kraków include Bottiglieria 1881, Copernicus, Wierzynek, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in Kraków, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Kraków dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.
