Cocktail barCafe and absinthe bar$$$kazimierz
Absynt on Kraków's Miodowa in Kazimierz pours 20 absinthes the traditional drip-and-sugar-cube way in a Belle Epoque room. Live music on Thursdays.
Signature drink: Absinthe drip
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: The traditional absinthe drip with sugar cube is the order; open daily from 10:00 to past midnight.
Cocktail barJazz bar$$$
Harris Piano Jazz Bar in Kraków's Rynek Główny cellar has run live jazz nightly since 1996. Whiskey-heavy bar, candle-lit cellar, free entry on weeknights.
Signature drink: Whiskey old fashioned
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Live jazz nightly from 21:30; weekend slots fill by 22:00. Reservation by phone.
Cocktail barCabaret cellar bar$$$
Piwnica pod Baranami on Kraków's Rynek Główny is the cabaret cellar that ran the city's literary-cabaret scene since 1956. Order the polish vodka.
Signature drink: Polish vodka
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Saturday cabaret nights need booking ahead. The cellar room is also open as a regular bar most weeknights.
Cocktail barSpeakeasy cocktail bar$$$Wed-Thu 19:00-02:00, Fri-Sat 19:00-03:00
Mercy Brown in Kraków is the city's most editorial speakeasy: unmarked door on Straszewskiego, candlelit cellar, classic cocktails and Polish whiskey.
Signature drink: Old Fashioned with Polish whiskey
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Walk-up policy: ring the bell and ask for the table. Closed Monday and Tuesday; opens Wednesday through Saturday from 19:00.
Cocktail barBohemian bar$$$Mon 10:00-04:00, Tue-Sun 09:00-04:00
Alchemia on Kraków's Plac Nowy in Kazimierz has run candle-lit, antique-furniture rooms since 1999. Order the polish vodka shots. At ul. Estery 5.
Signature drink: Polish vodka shots
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Five rooms across two floors; the back-room piano is the better seat after 22:00.
Cocktail barBohemian bar$$$Mon-Sun 11:00-24:00
Singer on Kraków's Plac Nowy in Kazimierz, named for the sewing-machine tables that double as bar tops, runs the late-night Kazimierz drinking room.
Signature drink: Mulled wine
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Cash only. The mulled wine is the autumn order; absinthe shots after midnight.