16 editor picks across Poland.
16 late-night dives worth the night across Poland, editor-ranked. All Poland guides.
Mleczarnia on ul. Meiselsa in Kraków's Kazimierz is the indoor-outdoor old-Jewish-living-room bar with sepia photos, doily lampshades and the leafy seasonal.
TipBeer garden opens April; in winter the wood-panelled inside room is the warmer perch. Cash is preferred at the garden bar.
Singer on ul. Estery in Kraków's Kazimierz is the candlelit corner bar built around old Singer sewing-machine tables that essentially set the template.
TipDaytime is for letters and coffee; the room fills up after 22:00 and runs to 06:00 Fri-Sat. The pavement tables are the summer perch.
Eszeweria on ul. Józefa in Kraków's Kazimierz is the dark-academia bar in a former Jewish dwelling, with brass candelabras, murky mirrors, incense-filled.
TipThe back garden is the summer pick; the inside salon is the better winter perch. Few tourists find the door, so the buzz stays local.
Pro'Rock Pub in Gdańsk's Oliwa is the rock-and-metal dive at Plac Dworcowy beside the Oliwa train station, the reopened RockOut with 70 bottled craft beers, six taps and rock-and-roll karaoke into the early hours.
TipSix rotating taps from Polish craft brewers; karaoke runs from 21:00 most nights, outdoor BBQs in summer. Pints from 14 PLN.
Setka on Kazimierza Wielkiego in Wrocław's Old Town is the PRL-themed shot and vodka bar dressed in Fiat 126p booths, with herring, bigos, gzik plates.
TipThe 100ml setka shot is the order; weekends to 04:00, Saturday from 10:00 for hair-of-the-dog.
Café Lamus in Gdańsk's Old Town is the 1970s-throwback dive on ul. Lawendowa with heavy floral wallpaper, scavenged sofas and a bottled Polish craft beer list that anchors the city's hipster bar scene.
TipEntrance is from ul. Straganiarska around the side; deckchairs outside in summer. Bottled craft beers 13-22 PLN, occasional live jazz Thursdays.
Cybermachina on ul. Stolarska in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the late-night gaming pub with PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and Mortal Kombat cabinets in separate.
TipEntry is free with a drink purchase; Fri-Sat the room thins by 02:00. Reserve the basement Nintendo cabin for groups of four.
Brovaria on Stary Rynek in Poznań is the Polish brewpub hotel hybrid since 2003, with house-brewed unfiltered lagers in copper vats by the bar and a Town Hall view from the outdoor terrace.
TipOrder the unfiltered Pszeniczne wheat beer from the visible copper vats; the terrace is the better seat on warm evenings.
Dragon's cellar bar on Zamkowa in Poznań's Stary Rynek is the labyrinthine basement section that runs as a late-night dive on gig-free nights, with cheap pints and a table-football room off the corridor.
TipTable football and chess sets are in the second cellar; pints from 12 zł and the kitchen runs to 23:00.
Pijalnia Wodki i Piwa on Nowy Swiat in Warsaw's Srodmiescie is the 24-hour vodka-and-beer bar of the People's-Republic-themed PWiP chain, with shots from 8 zł and propaganda posters on the walls.
TipShots run 8-12 zł cash; the Nowy Swiat 19 branch is open round the clock and busiest after the surrounding clubs close.
Setka on Swietokrzyska in Warsaw's Srodmiescie is the brash People's-Republic-themed vodka-shot bar opened December 2017, with vinyl posters, propaganda decor and 100-millilitre vodka shots from 4.50 zł.
TipOpen through the weekend from Friday 06:00 to Monday 06:00 non-stop; shots are the order, the kitchen does Polish bar snacks.
Czupito on Ruska 51 in Wrocław's Pasaż Niepolda is the cult shot bar with 130 named pours, the burning Boy Scout served on flame with marshmallows.
TipShots run from 7 PLN; Boy Scout and Girl Scout are the theatrical orders, lollipop arrives with a stick.
Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa on ul. Floriańska in Kraków's Stare Miasto is the Soviet-themed shot-and-snack chain branch right off the Rynek, with 5 zł vodkas.
TipShots from 5 zł and herring from 13 zł; the booths fill after 23:00. Stand at the counter if you want a quick stop.
Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa on Wrocławska 8 in Poznań's Stary Rynek is the 24-hour PRL-themed dive with Soviet-era memorabilia, dirt-cheap shots and beers, and pickled herring toasts that cost less than the vodka.
TipBest between 02:00 and 06:00 once the clubs empty; 5 zł vodka and a herring toast keep the table full.
Art Cafe Kalambur on Wrocław's Kuźnicza 29a is the Secessionist student dive open since 1983, with tiny stage and a sloppy weekend dance floor that runs DJs.
TipWeekends pack out fast; the small stage hosts free musicians most weeknights from 21:00.
Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa on Długi Targ in Gdańsk's Main Town is the PRL-era nostalgia bar with transistor radios on the shelves and communist posters on the walls, cheap shots and beer on tap until 05:00 on Saturday.
TipEntrance from ul. Kuśnierska around the side; shots and pickled-herring snacks from 7 PLN. Loud after 23:00 once the students arrive.
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...