Krakow Food Guide
Pierogi, żurek, obwarzanki, and beyond — the definitive guide to eating in Poland's culinary capital
Krakow is Poland's undisputed food capital — a city where centuries-old culinary traditions live alongside a thriving modern dining scene. From the 2 zł obwarzanek bagels sold from blue carts on every corner to Michelin-recommended tasting menus in medieval cellars, from Communist-era milk bars serving pierogi at astonishingly low prices to Kazimierz cocktail bars with inventive food menus — Krakow offers one of Europe's best and most affordable food experiences. This guide covers the essential dishes, the best areas to eat, the legendary milk bars, and the tips you need to eat like a local.
8 Must-Try Krakow Foods
These are the dishes that define Krakow. You cannot leave the city without trying them.
Pierogi
Poland's most iconic dish — hand-made dumplings stuffed with a variety of fillings and boiled or fried. The classic fillings include ruskie (potato and cottage cheese), mięsne (meat), kapusta z grzybami (sauerkraut and mushroom), and sweet versions with seasonal fruits like blueberries or strawberries. The best pierogi have thin, delicate dough that almost melts on your tongue, with generous filling. Served with sour cream and fried onion, they are the ultimate Polish comfort food. Every restaurant claims the best pierogi in Krakow, and everyone in Poland has an opinion.
Żurek (Sour Rye Soup)
A distinctive sour soup made from fermented rye flour that is uniquely Polish and deeply satisfying. The base has a tangy, complex flavor unlike anything in Western cuisine. It is loaded with chunks of kielbasa sausage, potatoes, and a hard-boiled egg. The best versions are served in a hollowed-out bread bowl (żurek w chlebku), which you tear apart and eat as you go. Żurek is the soup that Poles eat for breakfast on Easter morning, but in Krakow you can find it year-round. If you try one Polish soup, make it this one.
Obwarzanek (Krakow Bagel)
Krakow's most ubiquitous street food — a braided, ring-shaped bread covered in poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt, or cheese, sold from distinctive blue carts on almost every street corner. The obwarzanek has been a Krakow tradition since 1394, when Queen Jadwiga granted the city the exclusive right to bake them. Over 150,000 are sold daily in Krakow. They are best eaten fresh and warm from the cart. At 2-3 zł each, they are the cheapest and most authentic snack in the city. The cheese version (z serem) is particularly addictive.
Oscypek (Smoked Sheep Cheese)
A hard, smoked cheese made from salted sheep milk in the Tatra Mountains south of Krakow. Oscypek has a distinctive spindle shape with decorative patterns pressed into the rind. It is sold by highlander women in traditional dress on the streets of Krakow. The best way to eat it is grilled (oscypek z grilla) — the outside becomes crispy and golden while the inside turns soft and gooey. Served with cranberry sauce, it is a sublime combination of smoky, salty, and sweet.
Placki Ziemniaczane (Potato Pancakes)
Crispy, golden pancakes made from grated potatoes, onion, egg, and flour — fried until the edges are crunchy and the center is soft and steaming. They are served with sour cream, applesauce, or goulash spooned over the top. Polish potato pancakes are thinner and crispier than their Western counterparts. They are classic comfort food and appear on every traditional Polish restaurant menu. The smell of placki frying is one of the signature scents of Polish cooking.
Zapiekanka (Polish Pizza Bread)
Poland's answer to fast food — a halved baguette loaded with sautéed mushrooms, cheese, and various toppings, then toasted until bubbling and finished with ketchup or garlic sauce. The zapiekanka was born in the 1970s as cheap student food and has evolved into a Krakow cult item. The most famous zapiekanki are sold from the round rotunda on Plac Nowy in Kazimierz, where a dozen windows compete for the longest queues. Toppings now range from classic mushroom to pulled pork, goat cheese, and smoked salmon.
Bigos (Hunter's Stew)
Poland's national stew — a hearty, smoky dish of sauerkraut and fresh cabbage simmered with multiple types of meat (kielbasa, pork, bacon, sometimes game), dried mushrooms, and prunes. Bigos is cooked low and slow, traditionally for several days, and reheated multiple times — it gets better with each heating. The flavor is complex: sour from the sauerkraut, smoky from the meats, slightly sweet from the prunes. It is the dish that sustained Polish hunters and soldiers for centuries. Best eaten in winter with a slice of hearty bread.
Kremówka (Cream Cake)
A luscious cream cake made with layers of crispy puff pastry filled with thick vanilla custard cream and dusted with powdered sugar. Kremówka became nationally famous when Pope John Paul II — a Krakow native — recalled fondly the kremówki he ate as a young man in nearby Wadowice. Since then, it has become one of Poland's most beloved desserts. The best versions have perfectly laminated pastry that shatters when you bite into it, giving way to the cool, rich cream inside. Available in virtually every cafe and bakery in Krakow.
5 Best Food Areas
These neighborhoods and markets are Krakow's greatest food destinations.
Kazimierz
South of Old Town, across PlantyKrakow's most diverse and exciting food neighborhood. The Jewish heritage is preserved in traditional restaurants on Szeroka Street serving Polish-Jewish cuisine — borscht, gefilte fish, and cholent accompanied by klezmer music. But Kazimierz has also become the city's modern food hub, with everything from Vietnamese pho to artisan burgers to fine-dining tasting menus. Plac Nowy's zapiekanki are the neighborhood's street food crown jewel. The brunch culture here on weekends is legendary — arrive before 11 AM or queue.
Old Town (Stare Miasto)
City center, around Main Market SquareThe Old Town has Krakow's highest concentration of restaurants, but quality varies enormously. The tourist traps on the Main Market Square serve mediocre food at inflated prices. The real gems are on the side streets — Sławkowska, Świętego Tomasza, and Grodzka — where you will find excellent traditional Polish restaurants, creative modern cuisine, and some of the most atmospheric cellar dining rooms in Europe. Many restaurants occupy medieval vaulted cellars that have been serving food for centuries.
Plac Nowy
Central KazimierzThe spiritual home of Krakow street food. The circular rotunda at the center of Plac Nowy has been selling zapiekanki since the 1970s, and the tradition has only grown stronger. Each window in the rotunda belongs to a different vendor, and locals have fierce loyalties. Beyond the rotunda, the square hosts a weekend flea market and is surrounded by restaurants, bars, and cafes. On a Saturday afternoon, Plac Nowy captures the best of Krakow's relaxed, social food culture.
Pod Wawelem (Below Wawel)
Between Old Town and Kazimierz, along Grodzka StreetThe stretch of restaurants along Grodzka Street and around Wawel Castle is where you will find some of Krakow's most traditional Polish dining. These establishments cater to a mix of tourists visiting the castle and locals who appreciate classic Polish cuisine done right. The restaurants here tend to be more formal than Kazimierz, with tablecloths and proper service. Several occupy beautiful historic buildings with atmospheric interiors.
Nowy Kleparz Market
North of Old Town, beyond the BarbicanKrakow's oldest market is the place to experience food the way locals do — stalls piled high with fresh produce, meats, cheeses, bread, and flowers. This is where chefs shop, where grandmothers buy their ingredients, and where you can taste oscypek cheese, fresh kielbasa, and seasonal fruits. The surrounding streets have some of Krakow's best budget restaurants and the legendary Endzior pierogi place. Not touristy at all.
Legendary Milk Bars (Bar Mleczny)
Communist-era canteens serving authentic Polish comfort food at prices that defy belief. A full meal for the price of a coffee at a tourist cafe.
Bar Mleczny Pod Temidą
Est. Communist eraGrodzka 43, Old Town
One of the last authentic milk bars in the Old Town, Pod Temidą serves traditional Polish home cooking at astonishingly low prices. The system is canteen-style: study the Polish-only menu on the wall, order at the counter, and carry your tray to a table. The pierogi, bigos, żurek, and kompot (fruit drink) are all excellent and heartbreakingly cheap. A full three-course meal costs less than a single drink in a tourist restaurant.
Milkbar Tomasza
Est. Modern revivalŚw. Tomasza 24, Old Town
A modern take on the milk bar concept — the same canteen-style Polish comfort food, but in a brighter, more updated setting with an English menu. This is a good introduction to milk bar culture for those who find the traditional ones intimidating. The naleśniki (Polish crepes) and kotlet schabowy are excellent. Portions are generous and prices are still remarkably low.
Bar Mleczny Centralny
Est. Communist eraMikołajska 5, Old Town
A surviving relic of Communist-era Krakow, Centralny is the real deal — Formica tables, fluorescent lighting, and a queue of locals ordering hearty Polish food at prices that seem to belong to another decade. Do not expect smiles or atmosphere — come for the food and the authenticity. The gołąbki (stuffed cabbage rolls) are some of the best in the city.
Kuchnia u Doroty
Est. Traditional styleAugustiańska 4, Kazimierz
A beloved Kazimierz canteen that feels like eating at a Polish grandmother's kitchen table. Dorota herself often oversees the cooking. The daily-changing menu depends on what is fresh and seasonal. Soups are extraordinary — try whatever is on that day. The atmosphere is warm and homey. Arrive at noon when the fresh batch of pierogi comes out.
Fine Dining Picks
For a special evening, these restaurants showcase the best of modern Polish cuisine.
Starka
Józefa 14, Kazimierz
A refined Polish restaurant in a beautiful Kazimierz townhouse serving creative interpretations of traditional Polish cuisine. The tasting menu takes you through modern versions of classic dishes — deconstructed żurek, duck with plums, and elevated pierogi. The vodka bar upstairs serves over 80 varieties of Polish vodka. Reservations essential on weekends.
Fiorentina
Sławkowska 1, Old Town
A sophisticated Italian-Polish restaurant in a stunning vaulted cellar. The handmade pasta is excellent, and the wine list is one of the best in Krakow. The chef combines Italian technique with Polish ingredients — wild mushrooms, game, and seasonal produce. The atmosphere is elegant without being stuffy.
Szara Gęś
Main Market Square 17, Old Town
One of the few restaurants on the Main Market Square that actually justifies its prime location with outstanding food. The menu focuses on Polish and European cuisine prepared with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. The duck and the venison are highlights. The medieval dining rooms with original stonework create a memorable setting.
Eating Tips
Milk Bars Are Essential
Bar mleczny (milk bars) are Communist-era canteens that survive on government subsidies, serving traditional Polish food at absurdly low prices. They are not fancy — Formica tables, self-service, and Polish-only menus — but the food is authentic and a full meal costs 15-25 zł. Use Google Translate on the menu board. Every Krakow visitor should eat at a milk bar at least once.
Lunch Menus Save Money
Most Polish restaurants offer "zestaw obiadowy" (lunch set) between 12:00-3:00 PM — typically a soup and main course for 25-40 zł, which is 40-50% less than ordering à la carte at dinner. Even fine-dining restaurants often have affordable lunch specials. This is how locals eat out without spending a fortune.
Tap Water is Safe
Krakow tap water is perfectly safe to drink. Many restaurants now serve filtered tap water, but some will try to sell you bottled water. Ask for "woda z kranu" (tap water) — most places will provide it for free. Carrying a refillable bottle saves money and plastic. The city has public drinking fountains in summer.
Tipping Culture
Tipping in Krakow is 10-15% for good service. Round up smaller bills. In traditional restaurants, leave the tip in cash on the table rather than adding it to a card payment. In milk bars and casual eateries, tipping is not expected. At high-end restaurants, 10-15% is standard. If service is included (check the bill), additional tipping is optional.
Vodka, Not Just Beer
While Krakow has an excellent craft beer scene, Poland's national drink is vodka. Try it the Polish way — chilled and neat, as a shot, accompanied by a pickle or a bite of bread. Polish vodka is world-class. Look for Żubrówka (bison grass), Żołądkowa Gorzka (herbal), and Krupnik (honey). Vodka bars and tasting flights are available throughout Kazimierz.
Reserve for Dinner
Popular restaurants in the Old Town and Kazimierz fill up quickly, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings from May to September. Book online or by phone at least a day ahead for popular spots like Starka, Szara Gęś, and Hevre. Walk-in options are better on weekday lunches and in the shoulder season.
Hungry for More?
Combine your food exploration with the best of Krakow. Our itineraries include the top food stops alongside historic walks, neighborhood guides, and day trips.
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