10 Best Restaurants in Krakow

Located in Kazimierz, Krakow's Jewish quarter, Starka charms with its richly decorated rustic interior. It features terracotta-coloured walls, farmhouse-style ceiling beams, art by Berlin illustrator Heinrich Zille and a pretty courtyard garden. Dishing up traditional Polish fare, this bohemian bistro is also known for its in-house vodka, which is aged in old oak barrels, and available to order at the venue's old-school bar.

Sample delectable Eastern European dishes like Mrs Rysia's Dumplings filled with beef cheek and marjoram, spring beetroot with whipped feta and grilled chicken breast accompanied by Hasselback potatoes and pistachio dust. For dessert, don’t miss Nanna's homemade walnut cake. Book a table on Wednesday or Friday to enjoy live music from local artists.

Kogel Mogel instantly captivates diners with its luxurious wine collection, frescoed arched ceilings and country courtyard patio featuring an ivy-covered exposed brick wall. Reserve a white-clothed table for gourmet cuisine that is executed to perfection and some seriously good vino from the world's best vineyards.

Recipient of multiple Michelin nods, Kogel Mogel shines a bright spotlight on the nation's rich culinary traditions across dishes like goose liver pate with caramelised brioche, cabbage rolls with truffle sauce and breaded pork chop with fried sauerkraut. To finish, order warm fruit pie made with Szara Reneta apples, and pair it with a digestive like Chopin Etude Elderflower.

Featuring a curvaceous hand-painted ceiling and wagon wheels on the wall, Pierogarnia Krakowiacy entices diners with its delicate Polish dumplings that are filled with melt-in-the-mouth ingredients. Try the kluski: local baubles from Poznan and Wielkopolska that are piped with potato and salty cottage cheese.

Dessert lovers can skip the savoury plates altogether and head straight for the sweet dumplings which are stuffed with heavenly fillings like mascarpone cream, tart red cherries and juicy seasonal fruits. For those who hanker after a hearty main meal, don't pass up a helping of the Polish cabbage rolls or the belly-warming hunter's stew.

A contemporary eatery on the outskirts of Old Town, Restauracja Smakołyki is renowned for its light-filled dining room with humungous arched windows. The evening meals are accompanied by lilting live piano music. In the morning, come for the Viennese Classic featuring steamed white sausage and cheese from Kleparz, or try the shirred eggs on crusty bread with fresh spring onions. 

After sundown, Restauracja Smakołyki excels with its bowls of red borscht, beef stroganoff with warm baguette and Bavarian-style pork knuckle served with roast potatoes and fried white cabbage. The drinks menu is eclectic, with plenty of traditional concoctions on offer. Try the sweet honey lager and the homemade Polish wine.

Morskie Oko is situated on the magical Plac Szczepanski in an exquisite Art Nouveau building. Inspired by the lakeside location for which it is named, this rustic restaurant features live Highland singers, who perform in traditional costume, on both Tuesday to Saturday evenings. The interiors showcase exposed brick walls, wooden beams and pastoral adornments like lambskin throws and sprigs of glossy conifer. 

Adventurous foodies will adore the restaurant’s Tatra Mountain dishes like grilled sheep cheese served with cranberry jelly, boar loin in red pine mushroom sauce, traditional Polish herring in cream and oven-roasted trout. Visit during summer when the restaurant opens its garden patio with views over the square. Marvel at the litany of historic buildings and the glorious tinkling water fountain.

Found in Krakow’s Old Town, Pod Aniolami, meaning ‘Under the Angels’, is a food-lover’s paradise. It boasts an atmospheric gothic cellar and over-the-top banquets that feature succulent marinated meats, grilled over a beechwood fire. Enter the building under gilded seraphs for a dining space that was once an 18th-century goldsmith’s workshop and the most sumptuous meal of your entire holiday. 

On warmer days, eat outside in the courtyard garden with its romantic mosaic fountain, or enjoy your dinner in 1 of 2 candlelit rooms, deep in the cellars. Sample dishes like nobleman's shashlik of pork with red wine plums, venison dumplings pan-fried in butter and raspberry mazurek cake on a bed of almond shortbread.

With its elongated curved-roof dining room and stunning views of the Royal Castle, Pod Wawelem-Kompania Kuflowa charms like no other restaurant in Krakow. Diners flock here for the leafy surrounds of Dzikie Planty Park and the venue’s warm Galician hospitality, a region spanning western Ukraine and southeastern Poland.

Across a range of seasonal and mainstay menus you'll find traditional dishes like Atlantic herring with potato salad, beetroot soup with meaty dumplings and Vienna-style schnitzel served with crisp golden French fries. For something sweet, don't go past the hearty apple strudel sprinkled with walnuts and almonds. We also love the Polish vino, like Mazovia and Solaris.

Marchewka z Groszkiem is the place to go when you want to enjoy traditional Polish comfort food that’s been elevated for urban palates. The decor features rustic wooden shutters, pretty flower-filled window boxes and trattoria-style comfort. Order delicious starters like amizolki, which are grilled plums wrapped in bacon and served with horseradish sauce, and sourdough soup featuring chunks of white sausage. 

Carnivores will gravitate towards comforting main courses like beef cutlets with Silesian dumplings, ribs cooked in honey and rosemary and a quarter of duck baked with apples and boletus mushrooms. Show up at noon for a rotating selection of 'Lunch of the Day' specials like chicken fillets wrapped in ham and Polish barley soup.

Set in Krakow’s Old Town, Chimera beguiles with its pot plant-filled courtyard, rustic stone walls, open-air canopy draped in luminous vines and tasty salad bar with plenty of veggie options. Select one of the portion plans, depending on your hunger level, then hit the buffet tables to stack your plate with goodies.

The ingredients used are aligned with the seasons, so expect dishes like zucchini roulade, fried green tomatoes, confit goose leg with pumpkin dumplings and dreamy broccoli tart. Helpful hint: the restaurant’s table reservations are only valid between 5 pm and 9 pm, so if you want to come for lunch, simply show up.

Restauracja Pod Baranem is conveniently situated near the Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral and boasts a sophisticated menu of Eastern European classics. The restaurant’s intimate interior showcases exposed stone walls, ochre paint and crisp white tablecloths bedecked with candles. It’s the perfect venue for a sophisticated meal with a group of friends or a cosy, romantic date night.

Order delectable dishes like cabbage rolls in boletus sauce, wild boar tenderloin and duck breast infused with apple and cinnamon. There’s also a gluten-free menu that caters to coeliacs featuring steak tartare and red borscht dumplings.