Restaurants, Cafes, Pubs, Oh My

Dateline: Krakow 18 October, 2008

Earlier Post: Krakow 2 March, 2008

I hit my 118th restaurant on Saturday at the beautiful La Fontaine. I have been keeping this list since February of 2006 as a place to find restaurants when someone new comes to town. Over the months locals have complimented me on what I was doing. A while back my friend Basia told me that she refers her friends to my blog when they are looking for a place to eat. And the concierge at the Radisson SAS said that he was going to tell his fellow concierges about it as he agreed with a lot of what I wrote. Kind of makes me happy that I can give something back to the city that has meant so much to me.

Original post:

The guidebooks will tell you that there are over 400 restaurants, pubs and cafes crammed into the confines of the old town. Overall, I, and others in my group, have found the food to be very good to excellent. I have eaten cuisines here that I have not had in the Memphis area. E.g. Polish, Hungarian, Provencal and Corsican. My intent is to list the places I have been to for the benefit of others who follow. The establishment's name is followed by the type of cuisine, comments about the food and atmosphere and price.

Restaurants in Poland are places w/ food that have waitress / waiter service. A self-service establishment with food is called a "bar". Restaurants begin this segment. Cafes and Pubs to follow later.

Total Restaurants Visited: 129 (September / October additions in bold.)

Akropolis: Greek. ul. Grodzka 47. Very good and inexpensive.
Amadeus: ul. Sw. Krzyza. Polish. One of the finest restaurants in Krakow. Beautiful cellar decor, very good food and expensive.
Amarone Ristorante: Polish and European. Street level room has a V. romantic atmosphere w/ candle chandeliers. Expensive.
Ancora: ul. Dominikanska 3. International but w/ a Mediterranean slant. One of the best meals I have had in Krakow yet very expensive. A great experience as it is pretty on the inside in an austere kind of way. Extensive wine list.
Anytime Sandwich and Pizza Bar: Pizzas, sandwiches, etc. Inexpensive.
Aqua e Vino: Italian. Located in a cellar. Very good. Moderate.

Arial: Jewish. Good. Inexpensive.

Arlecchino Ristorante: Italian. VG food. Moderate.

Avanti: ul. Karmelicka 7. Italian. Very good and fancier than the prices showed. Moderate.

Bagelmama: ul. Podbrzezie 2 in Kazimierz. Excellent bagels. (Owner is from Huntington, Long Island... 20 minutes from my hometown.) Also serves burritos and other Tex-Mex dishes. Inexpensive.

Balaton: ul. Grodzka 37. Hungarian. Delicious and inexpensive.

Bambus: Glowny Rynek 37. International. I had a very good Thai coconut soup.
Bar Smaczny (Stop Bistro): ul. Sw Tomasza 24. Polish. VG and inexpensive.

Bodega Marques Winiarnia: Spanish wine bar which serves mostly tapas. Wine store also. VG and expensive.

Bohema Restauracja Artystyczna: ul. Golebia 2. Polish and very good. Moderate.

Bom Fogo in the Holiday Inn: International. Good. Moderate-high.

Boogie Cafe: ul. Szpitaina 9. International and very good. Moderate.Botanica: Vegetarian. Good and inexpensive.
Buena Vista: ul. Jozefa 26. Cuban. Nice atmosphere. Has a tapas menu. Moderate-expensive for what you get. Brasserie: French, so the guidebook says. Lots of other dishes. I had curry chicken w/ rice and it was VG. Moderate.

Buda i Pest Restauracja and Winiarnia: CLOSED. Pijarska 9. Hungarian and excellent. Located in a cellar and serves fabulous food. Moderate.

Bull Pub: Maly Rynek. Traditional English pub in the heart of Krakow. Great choice of pivo but only sandwiches and appetizers. Inexpensive.

Cafe Nobelesse: Polish. VG food. Moderate.

Zakopianka Cafe: ul. Sw. Marka 34 (On the Planty.) French cafe. My favorite place in all of Krakow. Great outdoor terrace and an inside room that makes you feel like you are sitting in a French cafe. Being a cafe it has a limited menu. Moderate. http://www.estradakrakowska.com/
Caffee Carmen: CLOSED. Polish. VG food and inexpensive.

Carlito Restauracja: ul. Florianska 28. Italian and very good. Nice interior similar to Trattoria Soprano as it is owned by the same company. Moderate to expensive.

Casa Della Restaurant: Italian. Great pizza, OK pasta. Inexpensive.

Chimera Salad Bar: Polish self-service bar. Good food. Inexpensive.

Chlopskie Jadlo: Peasant Polish. VG food. Inexpensive.

Cherubino: Polish and Tuscan. VG. Romantic. Moderate.

Chimera Salad Bar: Traditional Polish in an intimate setting. VG. Expensive.

C.K. Browar: Microbrewery w/ great beer served in 3 liter vertical pipes which are paraded out to your table by the staff. I do not remember the food. A recent return to this pub has rated it VG for food.

C.K. Dezerter: Central European. Good and moderate.

Cosa Nostra: ul. Dajwor 25. Italian. Excellent food in an inviting atmosphere. Moderate in price.

Crepe Nalesniki: Mikolajska. Inexpensive pancake (crepes) place. VG food.

Cul-de-Sac: Polish. VG. Expensive.

Da Pietro: Italian. Excellent Pizza. Less than stellar service. Moderate.

Del Papa Ristorante: ul. Sw. Tomasza 6. Italian. Excellent food in a pretty interior. Moderate. In my top 3 Italian. Return often.

Domowe Przysmaki: ul. Slawkowska. Modern "milk bar" w/ tasty pierogi and low prices.

Dookola Swiata: ul. Szewska. Modern "milk bar". Tasty and inexpensive.

Dynia: ul Krupnicza. Italian and other cuisines. Great courtyard and good food. Inexpensive.

Edo Sushi: Yes, sushi in Krakow. Considered the best place for sushi here. Seven of us ate there and agree that it is VG. Expensive.

El Paso Restauracja: CLOSED. Tex-Mex. VG bowl of chili. Moderate.

Europejska: ul. Rynek Glowny 35. Polish. Good and moderate.

Farina: Polish and Italian seafood. Romantic atmosphere in an old mansion. Moderately-high in price. Best chocolate cake in the city. Too bad it took me three years to taste it. Will return.

Farinella: Spanish and Italian. Good and moderately-high.

Folia: Rynek Glowny 30. International. I had a very good garlic chicken in a tortilla. Moderate. Foodology: Polish lunch place. VG. Inexpensive.

Gospoda C.K. Dezerter: Polish. Good and inexpensive.

Grill 15/16: Outside dining under a roof. Good. Moderate.

Grill Cafe (Kawiarnia Grill - Kramy Dominikanskie): ul. Stolarska. Polish, good and inexpensive.

Guliwer: Provence-style. Excellent food in a pretty atmosphere. Moderate-high.

Il Calzone: Italian. Good food but nothing ordinary. Moderate.

Ipanema: Brazilian. VG food. Inexpensive.

Jeff's: American in the Galeria Kazimierz. OK food but not good service. Moderate.

Karczama Rzym: ul. Tyniecka 118 H. Polish and Good. www.karczmarzym.krakow.pl

Karwiarnia U Literatow: ul. Kanonicza. Polish and good. This is the place where the Wawel Cathedral bell ringers hang out.

Kawiarnia Bankowa: Rynek Glowny. Cafe that serves omelettes that everyone raves about. Moderate.

Kryjowka Pub Grill Cafe: Polish and Italian. Good food but the best part is that they have a Karaoke night.

Kuchina i Wino: ul. Jozefa 13 in Kazimierz. Polish and very good. Moderate-high.

Lemonday: Pl. Na Groblach 22 (Pod Wawelem Hotel). International. VG food but poor service on Sunday night. Moderate.

La Fontaine: ul. Slawkowska 1. French restaurant housed in the prettiest cellar in Krakow. Expensive but good food.

LaStrada: ul. Stradomska 13. Italian. VG and inexpensive.

Leonardo: Italian. Exc. food in a great cellar atmosphere. Moderate-high. In my top 3 Italian.

Lowcy Smakow Explorers' Restaurants: CLOSED ul. Karmelicka 14. International. Most extensive menu I have seen over here. Polish, Mexican, Thai, Southwestern, and more. Good. Inexpensive-moderate.

Loza: Pasta and other dishes. VG. Moderate.

Magma Restuaracja: ul. Szeroka in Kazimierz. Polish. Good.

Metropolitan: American. Best hot breakfast and filtered coffee in town. Moderate.

Miod Malina: Italian and Polish. Very good and Moderate. Had one of the best bolognese sauces I have ever had.

Morskie Oko: ul. Jagiellonska. Polish, good and inexpensive.

Nic Nowego: A modern Irish pub that serves a VG hot breakfast. Moderate.

Nostalgia: ul. Karmelicka 10. Polish. Good and inexpensive. First place I had ever eaten blood pudding.

Officyna: Emphasis on Italian but many other cuisines. Has live jazz music at 9 p.m. each night. Good and inexpensive. Behind Tri-Be-Ca.

Oldsmobil Pub and Restaurant: Polish food in an American-themed restaurant. Very Good. Inexpensive.

Orient Ekspres: Cuisine from Paris to Instanbul. VG. Moderate-high.

Padre: ul. Wislna 11. Italian. Good and inexpensive.

Padva Ristorante: Italian. VG. Moderate.

Paese: Corsican. Very nice interior and delicious food. Mid-priced. My favorite.

Paparazzi: ul. Mikolajska 9. Pub food. Good service but OK food. Inexpensive-moderate.

Piwnica Przy: Italian & located in the cellar of a former convent. Good and inexpensive.

Pizzeria Cyklop: Italian and mostly pizzas. Good food and inexpensive. Lasagna, large salad, pivo and a tip = $10.00.

Pizzeria Pasaz: Rynek Glowny 10. Italian. Pizza was just OK. Inexpensive.

Pod Amorem: Italian and mostly pizza that is just OK. Inexpensive.

Pod Aniolami (Under the Angel): ul. Grodzka 35. Polish. Great atmosphere but I was here with such a large group that I did not enjoy it. But others rate it highly.

Pod Grodkiem: ul. Jagiellonska. Breton cuisine of Poland. Good food and inexpensive. Worst service of any restaurant in the 13 months I have been here.

Pod Gwiazdami Restauracja (Under the Stars): ul. Grodska 5. Polish. Very good food but expensive.

Pod Komimkiem: Traditional Polish cuisine. VG. Inexpensive: 3 piwo, 3 bowls of pierogi, 3 plates of oven roasted potatoes and one bowl of onion soup. All of this for just $18.00. And they have billiards tables for $3.00/hr.

Pod Krzyzykiem (Under the Cross): CLOSED Rynek Glowny 39. Polish and VG. Dali-esque interior. Expensive. Best chocolate soufle in the city.

Pod Oslona Nieba (Under the Cover of Heaven): ul. Grodzka 26. Best kabobs in town. Other items also. Inexpensive.

Pod Papugami: ul. Sw. Jana 18. Irish bar in a cellar. Had lunch of Frytki and Zakapianki. Good. Great atmosphere too.

Pod Roza (Under the Rose): ul. Florianska 14. International. Great food and superb service but very expensive.

Pod Sloncem (Under the Sun): Rynek Glowny. Polish. Great cellar atmosphere and good food. Moderate.

Pod Winogronami: Sw. Jana 1. International. Ate outside and the food was very good. Moderate. Poezja Smaku (Poetry of Taste): ul. Jagiellonska 5. Polish. VG. We ate in a beautiful courtyard. I had gruel. Extensive menu. Moderate.

Polakowski: ul. Szeroka 1 in Kazimierz. Polish. Good food and neat interior. Moderate-high.

Polskie Jadlo Folwark: ul. Sw. Krzyza 13. Very good Polish folk food. Inexpensive.

Polskie Jadlo Klasyka Polska: ul. Sw. Tomasza 8. Excellent Polish food. Started w/ blinis w/ black caviar, moved to mushroom soup in a bread bowl, tasted some Wiener schnitzel and ended w/ pierogi. Moderately priced.

Radisson SAS Restuarant: Continental. Best breakfast buffet in town. Expensive.

Ratuszowa: Rynek Glowny 1. Polish. OK. Outdoor eating at the foot of the old city hall.

Razzy Dazzy Jazz Restaurant: CLOSED. ul. Sw. Tomasza 11. Polish. Great Greek salad, not so great goulasch, terrible service. (May have been the worst service in my 15 months here.)

Restauracja Florianska: ul. Florianska 43. Excellent. All types of food including Thai. White linens. Expensive.

Rooster: Think Hooters in Krakow. Good and inexpensive. Not that I would frequent this kind of place, of course.

Salt & Co. at the Radisson SAS Hotel: Great chicken club sandwich w/ Okocim on draught.

Sioux Steakhouse: American western. Did not like it 2 of my last 3 times there.

Slodki Wentzl: Rynek Glowny 19. Ice cream parlor with outside seating. Beautifully presented deserts.

Solfez: In Radisson SAS. In November and December they feature Thai food on the weekends. It was excellent and also the spiciest food I have tasted in Poland. Expensive.

Someplace-Else at the Sheraton Hotel: American. Great fajitas and Death by Chocolate. Expensive.

Sphinx: Galeria Krakowska. Middle-Eastern and good. Moderate.

Sphinx: Rynek Glowny 26. Middle East meets Poland. Good and moderate.

Sukiennice: Polish. OK. Moderate.

Szabla i Szklanka: Hungarian and Polish in a romantic candle-lit room. VG. Moderate.

Szara Kamienica Restaurant: Rynek Glowny 6. International. Very upscale w/ VG food. Expensive. Outdoor seating.

Szara Kazimierz Restaurant: ul. Szeroka 39. International cuisine in a less formal setting than the original. VG food and expensive. Outdoor seating.

Szlacheckie Jadlo: Polish. VG food and a famous flaming sword main course. Moderate-high.

Szoberowska Restaurcja: Maly Rynek 6. Polish. Very good. The goulash soup was fabulous. Moderate.
Taco Mexicano: No refied beans, Mexican rice or ice in the Magaritas. Worst meal I've had here.

The Olive in the Sheraton Hotel. International. Great Easter brunch. Expensive.

The Piano Rouge: Rynek Glowny 46. International. A cellar location with great live jazz music and good food. Moderate to expensive.

Tivoli: ul. Stolarska. Italian, good and inexpensve.

Trattoria Soprano: ul. Sw. Anny 7. Italian. Best lasagna Toni has ever had and I make good lasagna. Great interior design. Now my #1 Italian restaurant. Moderate. Return often.

Trattoria Pod Winogronami: ul. Sw. Jana 1. Italian and on the Main Square. Very good with tables outside. Moderate. TriBeCa Coffee: American bar food. Good and inexpensive.

U Szkota: Scottish. Cellar atmosphere. VG. Moderate-high.

U Babci Maliny (Raspberry Grandma): ul. Szpitalna 38. Polish. The decor upstairs is Polish farmhouse and downstairs is Polish mansion. VG and inexpensive.

Vega: ul. Sw. Gertrudy 7. Vegetarian. Good and inexpensive. $5.00 for dinner.

Vulcano Ristorante and Trattoria: Italian and Polish. I did not like my pork roll but will give the place one more chance. Inexpensive.

Wentzl: French and Polish. VG. Expensive.

Wisniowy Sad: ul Grodzka 33. Russian. I had a very good stew and some Ukranian beer. There was also a classical guirtarist named Yuri who was very good. Moderate.

Zdarzenie Restauracja: pl. Mariacki. Polish and good. Inexpensive.