Tasting Cracow – a perfect day for a gourmand

In the area of Rynek Główny (Main Market Square) more than 40 percent of the premises are restaurants and cafeterias. Taking that into consideration it seems obvious that Cracow can be considered a “culinary wonderland”. However it is good to know where exactly you should head to in order to find the greatest delicacies of the city. Let us help you and offer a few tips and hints on where it is best to have a tasty bite of our city.

Breakfast

CONTINENTAL WAY
Let’s start with cafe and restaurant Kolanko No. 6, at Józefa Street 7. It is situated in the center of Kazimierz – an old Jewish district of Cracow. Established 16 years ago it is well known for being a place where you can eat a hearty breakfast for a very reasonable price .That being checked countless times by local people is a solid and safe recommendation. An ideal place for breakfast if you are staying in our apartment at Koletek street.

OUT OF THE BOX
Here is another place where you can have a good start of a day – Wesoła Cafe, at Rakowicka Street 17 (to be more precise, at the corner of Rakowicka and Topolowa). If you are staying in an accommodation near the Main Railway Station, like for instance our apartment at Librowszczyzna Street – it’s a good choice, because in the area you can easily find a lot of nice pubs, bars, restaurants and cafeterias, especially with aromatic coffee and tasty food. One of them is Wesoła – it exists since 2016, but with its outstanding meals and delicious portions the place has already gained a fan base. Here you can count on a big and unobvious choice of breakfast sets, allowing everyone to find something that helps them to create a perfect morning in Cracow.

VEGETARIAN WAY
If you are vegetarian you will find something for you in Wesoła Café, but if are determined to go only vegetarian or gluten-free way – we recommend you a veggie bar Glonojad at Matejko Square 2. For the last 8 years the place earned its name for good on the Cracow culinary map and is visited both by locals and tourists. There is probably no other place in the city where you can open a new day eating panini with bunc (traditional polish sheep cheese). So if you are looking for interesting vegetarian mix of tradition and novelty – there you go. There are two more advantages of Glonojad: it offers good meals for very reasonable prices and it is located just about 10 minutes’ walk from our apartment at Szlak Street.

Lunch

STYLISH WAY
Restaurant called Pod Nosem (Under Your Nose) is inconspicuously nestled at Kanonicza Street 22. Indeed, it is under your nose, when you go with the crowd of tourists leaving the Wawel Castle and heading down the street towards the Main Market Square. Consider stopping for a moment – you are just passing by a phenomenal restaurant, serving delicious modern Polish dishes. The menu is short, but it changes regularly, so each time you will be surprised with something different. Prices are not low, but the food there is worth every Zloty (or Euro) you are going to pay and, what is also important, the service is just perfect. We would like to discreetly mention, that it is just a 7 minutes’ walk from our apartment at Koletek Street.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY WAY
Nearby Wesoła Cafe, at Rakowicka Street 11, you can find another place worth visiting – Restaurant Bistro 11.
A nicely decorated, cosy restaurant hidden in the gate separating the backyard from the street noise, is serving interesting meals for good money. In the menu you can find dishes inspired by both Polish and European cuisine. We recommend this place for anyone staying in our apartment located at Szlak Street.

WARMING WAY
Our third proposal for lunch is something completely different: Tbilisuri at Meiselsa Street 5, a Georgian restaurant in Kazimierz Quarter. It is another intimate place, but opposed to the two previously mentioned it offers cuisine from the Caucasus, not from the central Europe. Delicious chinkali (Georgian dumplings filled with soup) or odżachuri (potatoes with meat and vegetables) that can satisfy any hunger, will be a great idea for lunch, especially for those who come to Cracow in autumn or winter and need to warm-up. In such circumstances Tbilisuri is your perfect match – it is a combination of a high quality food with low prices. And, what is also good to know, Tbilisuri (and also Pod Nosem) are just one step away from our apartment at Koletek Street.

Dinner

MEDITERRANEAN WAY
According to numerous reviews – Farina, quiet and cosy restaurant at św. Marka Street 16 is one of the best in town. Located in just three rooms of a historic tenement house, the place specializes in seafood and fish. The restaurant is cooperating with the best suppliers not only from Poland but also from the shore of Mediterranean Sea, Italy and Brittany. Prices may look a little bit Western European (we suppose they may take word Mediterranean with all its consequences), but it is hard to find a person who would have any doubts or regrets about this place. In short: we recommend it to everyone who stays in our apartment at Szlak Street. One more thing: we truly recommend making a reservation in Farina – the restaurant has only three rooms, remember!

NEAPOLITAN WAY
During the last couple of years Pizzeria Nolio at Krakowska Street 27 conquered the hearts of Cracovians. There is no doubt that here you can eat the best Neapolitan pizza in the city and their Italian pasta is simply delightful. The restaurant’s interiors were expanded twice, but still the place is usually full, so better be ready to wait to get the table – or just make sure you book one in advance. There is one more option: you can order your pizza by phone, but in that case you need to pick it up yourself at the restaurant. It shouldn’t be a problem if you spend your Cracow holiday in our apartment at Koletek Street – it is just about 8 minutes walk from Nolio.
Note: The restaurant is closed every Monday!

CRACOVIAN WAY
Od Jajka do Jabłka (From an egg to an apple) at św Gertrudy Street 7 –is the name of small restaurant hidden next to the Hotel Monopol car park. For the last couple of years it serves as a culinary backroom for insiders. It is a bit like one of these hidden levels in a computer game – if you won’t search for it, you won’t find it because it’s rather out of the beaten tracks. But it is precious. The dedications written on the yellow walls inside the restaurant reveal that at least half of the musicians of Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra eat here regularly and, to be honest, it is not very surprising. The meals are smart and simple, but served with a class which is probably the secret. You will find here great kitchen in less formal decor. The most famous dish is probably the duck with a fig sauce and porto. That duck and any other meal from the menu make this restaurant definitely worth visiting. If you stay in our apartment at Librowszczyzna Street you can get to Od Jajka do Jablka in a few minutes.