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.
Tip: Two locations: Miodowa in Kazimierz and Sukiennice on the Rynek. Kazimierz branch quieter.
Address: ul. Miodowa 39, 31-052 Kraków
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.
Bar Mleczny U Stasi in Kraków on Mikołajska is the working-class milk bar near the Old Town walls: żurek, pierogi, kotlet schabowy, kompot, the bill under 22 zl.
Try: Pierogi and żurek under 20 zl
Tip: Closed Sunday. Cash only. Queue at 13:00; the small dining room shares with strangers.
The blue Nysa van outside Kraków's Hala Targowa grills kielbasa from 20:00 until 02:00. Bread, sausage, mustard, 15 zl. A Polish institution since the 1990s.
Try: Grilled kielbasa from the night van
Tip: Cash only. Closed Sunday. Open from 20:00. Just kielbasa, bread, mustard.
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.
Try: Full Polish meal under 25 zl
Tip: Bring cash; the card terminal is unreliable. Tables share with strangers.
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.
