Cracow is my favourite Polish town, not counting Warsaw, my hometown which I love the most. I enjoy visiting it as frequently as I can bot only because of it’s beautiful monuments and interesting history but also the great foodie scene. There are always new bars and restaurants to check out. That’s why when Dieter, my friend from Belgium, announced that he’s coming to Poland I knew I wanted to take him for a quick weekend trip to Cracow.
It turned out that Dieter is as much of a foodie as I am. We decided that eating will be the main objective of our trip and the history, culture and monument will be just a background. We started our ‘restaurant crawl’ in Boscaiola, a great Italian restaurant where I’ve been many times before and I never left dissapointed. First we ordered a foccacia with rosemary and sea salt, than we moved on to pizza. We chose two different kinds – one with salami and the other one with truffles. Plus polish beer so that a Belgian connoisseur can try what we have to offer in this department. Dieter was over the moon with Boscaiola. The restaurant is always full and I can see why.
Evening plans
We aimed for a chilled evening with boardgames and beer. We started of at Domówka cafe in Kazimierz district. There’s quite a big selection of draft and bottle beers, cheap vodka shots (1,5 euro) plus a huge selection of board games to choose from. If we’re not beergeeks and we don’t know what to go for, a friendly bartender will help. We played a few rounds of Dobble with my friends who were in Cracow for a weekend as well and decided it’s time to change a bar.
The next one on our list was House of beer located on Saint Thomas’ street. It’s another one of those bars where the list of local craftbeers is neverending. We manage to secure spots in a comfy leather sofa. We sink into it as we drink our beers. The atmosphere is amazing. If you get peckish there are some snacks available at the bar.
Now we move on to yet another bar called Tea Time Brewpub. Here the beer is served in pints, not liters, as it usually is in Poland. They not only sell beer here but brew it as well. There’s a little brewery located in the basement so the beer in the bar is as fresh as it gets. On mondays there are pub quizes organized in here which is one of our favourite pastimes and we frequently participate in them in Warsaw. We particularly enjoy those where the price is beer 😉
Breakfast of champions and a burger bigger than my head
Our main plan for the next day is a trip to Auschwitz. I know it won’t be an easy and enjoyable trip so I decide it’s best to start the day with something pleasant. We start the day with coffee and breakfast at Wesoła cafe, very popular among the locals. It’s only 9 a.m. and the place is already packed. We manage to find two spots at the bar. We order chemex brewed from Kenyan coffee beans. We spend good few minutes trying to decide on a breakfast order. There are too many delicious looking options. Finally we order omlette of the day with spinach and feta cheese. It’s served with fresh bread and a simple salad. When our food arrives at the table I glance at a happy face of my friend. He takes a photo of his breakfast and explains: ‘I’ll send it to my mom to show her how much delicious food I get for such a small price in here’. We eat our breakfast in silence. it’s so good that we don’t want to interrupt ourselves with a conversation. We like the cafe so much that we decide to stay a bit longer. We order a cake to share because it just looked too good not to.
After breakfast we were lucky enough to find a free walking tour around Kazimierz district. It’s my favourite one in Cracow. The guide tells us all about the Jewish influence and tradition of the district. After a few hours long tour we’re hungry again. We want something quick but filling so we go to Moa Burger which I found on Zomato. I recall Balmas recommended this one. There’s several options to choose from, from a vegetarian burger to one made of lamb. We decide on two avoburgers. After 15 minutes two huge buns filled with meat and veggies land on our table. How will we manage to eat that! The burgers were bigger than my head! After first taste I can already say it’s perfect. The meat is cooked perfectly and the veggies are a great addition. Somehow I managed to eat the entire thing but I did contemplate death for a second. It was just too good to leave to waste. I highly recommend this place!
Just to be on a safe side we get some sandwitches for the road from Awiteks bakery as well. They have a great selection of sandwiches and other breakfast options that you can take to go. There’s also tea and coffee. We enjoy our sandwiches so much that we go back there the next day and buy some for our trip to Wieliczka salt mine.
Jewish specialty
The last restaurant I visited during this visit is Hamsa in Kazimierz district. It’s specialty is jewish cuisine. They make delcious brekfasts but it’s a great spot for lunch or dinner with wine as well. They serve breakfast until 1 p.m. so it’s a perfect spot for those who value their morning sleep. We ordered shakshuka and a Jerusalem breakfast set which is filling to the max. There’s a great selection of hummus as well. The classic is delicious but if you feel more adventurous why not go for one with mango and cranberries? Everything is served on beautiful colourful plates. That’s another spot Balmas recommended to me. She was in love with their fish soup made of cod.
That’s where our Cracow foodie adventure ended. I’m sure I’ll be back there as soon as possible. There’re still many restaurants and bars I’ve got my eye on. Plus there’s always something interesting to learn about the city. Maybe you know some spots I should visit during my next trip? Let me know! I’m always looking for something new and exciting!
