Top tips for all foodies: The best restaurants in Kraków, Poland

Crowning Kraków’s Old Town Center, Szara is a family-run restaurant that has been welcoming guests for over 20 years. The visual experience the place provides is stunning, to say the least: the dining hall is nestled inside a splendid 14th-century mansion, adorned with intricate ornate vaulted Gothic ceiling painted by hand, and tastefully completed with elegant wooden furnishing. The vibe here is traditional and vintage, the same goes for the culinary offerings.

The menu is inspired by classic Polish, Swedish, and French dishes, accompanied by fine Old World wines. For starters, we recommend ordering octopus with garlic and parsley sauce served with crispy baguette. To get an impression of local generosity, move on to chopped beef sirloin in porcini mushroom sauce and tagliatelle in lovely pots, or opt for halibut filet with saffron-laced ratatouille and boiled potatoes. If you are in the mood for something warming yet lighter, mushroom soup with ravioli will be an ideal guilt-free choice. Finally, to add a sweet accent to your indulgence, try semla (a kind of Swedish éclair) with vanilla chantilly cream and passion fruit.

Average bill – $60

While Szara fully embraces and preserves bygone ambiance, Artesse, our second gem, while being an integral part of Kraków’s architectural and cultural heritage, beautifully fuses its glorious past with contemporary ideas. Located inside H15 Luxury Palace that has been witnessing the development of the urban image for hundreds of years, the gourmet establishment provides a truly royal experience in all senses: from gorgeous high-vaulted hall with marble columns and antique busts to a charming outside patio surrounded by numerous lush plants creating a lovely secret garden in the pulsing heart of Old Town.

As for the culinary vision of Chef Mateusz Suliga, orchestrating the whole process, your highest expectations will be exceeded. Every dish here is exquisite, prepared with knowledge and passion, and inspired by regional traditions with a subtle modern outlook. Your taste buds will be tantalized with specialties, such as smoked trout with goat curd and rowan berries, sturgeon with pumpkin and tomato, venison with pear, parsley, mushrooms, and truffle oil, and duck with blackberries and foie gras. Our top pick in wines is Joseph Drouhin, Meursault AOC, 2021 – this crisp, biodynamic Chardonnay will be an excellent addition to your meal at Artesse.

7-course menu – $115
Premium wine pairing – $230

ZaKładka is a bistro-style restaurant nestled a few steps from the Bernatek Footbridge over the Vistula River. It focuses on a Mediterranean-Polish repertoire, with a strong French influence. The kitchen team is run under the guidance of Chef Rafał Targosz, who has perfected his culinary craft by working with famous names like Thomas Bühner, Norbert Niederkofler, and Simon Taxacher, before opening the fantastic flagship place in Kraków. The menu consists of Parisian brasserie-type food made using organic regional produce.

Get ready for a gastronomic journey by relishing mouthwatering delicacies like onion soup with truffle, caramelized chicken liver with brioche bun, roasted rabbit leg in mustard sauce, cured pork shank served with red cabbage purée in red wine jus, shrimp risotto with lemon emulsion, and breaded pork escalope with green peas. Elevate the dining experience by pairing your meal with their drinks selections featuring house wines, draught beers, classic cocktails, and fizzy lemonades.

Average bill – $42 (without drinks)

For a contemporary take on traditional Polish food, you should visit Pod Nosem on Kraków's oldest street near the Wawel Castle. It is a medieval-looking dining establishment that is recommended by the coveted Michelin Guide. The moment you enter the restaurant, what catches your eye is the regal elegance and intimacy of the place. The overall sophistication is achieved by tastefully combining impressive tapestries, white wooden banquettes, embroidered seating, brick and stone walls, gorgeous striking dishware, dim lighting, and an open kitchen.

The culinary team presents a seasonal menu of tantalizing conventional cuisine revolving around the finest local ingredients and modern cooking techniques. You can sample decadent specialty dishes: grilled asparagus with eggplant, beef tartare flavored with vodka, venison sirloin with kale, duck dumplings in chicken consommé, roasted pike perch with white beans in crayfish sauce, and charred ham with spring cabbage in pork jus. Finish your meal on a sweet note with desserts, including homemade cheesecake with white chocolate and mascarpone mousse with raspberry jelly.

Average bill – $58

If you fancy a lavish seafood dinner paired with great wines, then Albertina is the place to add to your travel itinerary. Located at 3 Dominikanska Street, it is a gourmet restaurant that serves excellent fare of Mediterranean and Polish cuisines. The decor is exquisite and minimalist in the atmosphere, complete with dark wood-paneled flooring, black leather -furnished armchairs, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and white-washed walls coupled with green plants.

Albertina also possesses a basement cellar seating with a vino bar that presents over 32 labels of fine vintages by glass using the Enomatic dispensing system. This means that the organoleptic characteristics of the wine are maintained even after the bottle has been opened. The menu is designed by Chef Grzegorz Fic, who offers a delight of Polish-Italian culinary duo. Guests can opt for scrumptious dishes, such as mushroom ravioli in truffle sauce, lobster with saffron tagliatelle in lime-chili pepper sauce, poached king crab with zucchini, grilled cod in apple-coconut emulsion, and beef tenderloin with potatoes in peppercorn sauce. Complement your meal with their curated wine list assembled by local sommelier, Kajetan Zalewski.

Tasting menu – $117
Wine pairing – $89

The brainchild of Chef Tomasz Leśniak, Nota_Resto is an über-cool dining establishment situated in the heart of Kraków, just a stone’s throw away from the Main Square. It is a Michelin-recommended restaurant that serves sensational fusion cuisine in an upscale modern setting. The interiors of the premises form a perfect balance between elegance and comfort, and feature a space made up of monochromatic tiles, exposed brick walls, contemporary Edison lamps, and smooth wood furniture.

Chef Leśniak not only helms the kitchen, he is also the official cook of the Polish men’s National football team. At Nota_Resto, Tomasz creates a dynamic menu of global and local flavors. Some of the unique items you can enjoy here are black ink pasta with grilled octopus, pumpkin ratatouille with poached chicken breast, wild boar filet with Jerusalem artichoke, beef tenderloin tartare with pickles in truffle mayonnaise, and roasted beetroot mousse with goat cheese. In desserts, do not miss out on their signature sea buckthorn halva with sesame.

Tasting menu – $87
Wine pairing – $66

While Kraków, undoubtedly, is the most dazzling diamond on Poland’s urban map, we hope you get time to cover some other destinations while visiting the country. Check out our selection of food & travel guides for more information and useful tips:

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Top Michelin-recommended restaurants in Krakow, Poland
Poland: Warsaw's best restaurants creating a buzz
Exploring Poland: 10 Reasons why You Should Visit Warsaw