Bar Mleczny Pod Temidą on Kraków's Grodzka is the city's most editorial surviving milk bar: full meal, soup-main-kompot, all in under 25 zl since the 1960s.
Tip: Bring cash; the card terminal is unreliable. Tables share with strangers.
Address: ul. Grodzka 43, 31-001 Kraków
Milkbar Tomasza in Kraków updates the milk-bar format with table service. Naleśniki with cottage cheese, pierogi, żurek, a brunch plate at 25 zl. Open from 09:00.
Try: Naleśniki and pierogi for under 30 zl
Tip: Closed Monday. The brunch plate is the steal; sit-down service, not a counter.
Endzior in Kraków's Plac Nowy rotunda has poured zapiekanka, the open-face baguette, since 1989. Mushroom-and-cheese is 12 zl; the half-metre version 22 zl.
Try: Zapiekanka
Tip: Cash only. Open until 03:00 weekends. Half-metre version shareable.
The obwarzanek krakowski carts on Kraków's Rynek Główny sell the EU-protected salted ring bread for 2 to 3 zl. The city's cheapest food, walking-pace.
Try: Salted ring bread, hot from the cart
Tip: Best within 30 minutes of the oven. Poppy seed, sesame or salt; ask which came out latest.
Polakowski in Kraków's Kazimierz is the all-day Polish canteen for the Old Synagogue end: pierogi, bigos, schabowy, gołąbki, served counter-style 10:00 to 22:00.
Try: Polish canteen plate under 30 zl
Tip: Two locations: Miodowa in Kazimierz and Sukiennice on the Rynek. Kazimierz branch quieter.
Andrus in Kraków's Kazimierz serves maczanka po krakowsku, the city's slow-roasted-pork sandwich on a homemade bun. About 18 zl; street-food since 2014.
Try: Maczanka po krakowsku sandwich
Tip: Cash and card. The sandwich is built to order; queue at lunch.
Smakołyki on Kraków's Straszewskiego is the cheap-and-honest student-canteen Polish room: schabowy, pierogi, potato pancakes, a full plate under 28 zl.
Try: Schabowy and pierogi student plate
Tip: Cash only. Closes 22:00 weekdays, 17:00 Sunday. No bookings.
