Kraków’s Cafés and Bars

Recently I wrote at length about where in the city of kings one can eat well, so today’s entry naturally focuses on places where you can have a drink. This is, on the one hand, highly subjective and, on the other, not at all systematic. Just a few impressions from the author. I’ve been to each of these places in the recent past, and as a rule I only recommend what I know, consider good, and where I’d gladly return.

Food&vodka and/or beer – culinary tour of Kraków

Where to Have Coffee in Kraków

Let’s start with the absolute classics: Jama Michalika at Floriańska Street 45, just a stone’s throw from the Market Square. This place is something you simply must see. Founded at the end of the 19th century, it was a meeting spot for Kraków’s bohemian circles from the very beginning. Here—certainly not only over coffee—artists and writers like Wyspiański, Mehoffer, Wyczółkowski, and Boy-Żeleński enjoyed themselves in the decadent atmosphere of the fin de siècle. To this day, a painting of a “drunken” Florian Gate hangs on the wall, swaying and blurred. Such impressions the drink itself—according to legend brought to Kraków after the relief of Vienna with King Jan III Sobieski—probably does not deliver.

I must admit without hesitation that my favorite café in Kraków is U Pęcherza, located in the Gothic, oldest seat of the Jagiellonian University – Collegium Maius, at Jagiellońska Street 15. Not only is it situated in beautifully vaulted medieval cellars, but they also probably have the best cakes in Kraków. The sight alone is impressive.

Another interesting option is Cafe Bageri, a Swedish café on Przedbrzezie Street in Kazimierz, right next to the Tempel Synagogue (churches there are rare in this country). They serve delicious Scandinavian-style pastries baked on site.

Where to Have Coffee and Something Sweet Without Sugar

The author—though it may not show—sometimes goes through short periods of trying to reduce carbohydrates. For those also battling culinary temptations, here are two places where you can enjoy delicious cakes baked on site without flour or sugar. One is Dora the Cook on Stradomska Street near Wawel, and the other is Nie Cukiernia in my beloved Nowa Huta. The latter offers, in addition to a wide range of cakes and cookies (though only once a week), a decent keto bread.

Where to Have Good Beer in Kraków

Man does not live by coffee alone—especially in summer, but not only—sometimes you crave a cold beer. Beer has been brewed in our old capital since time immemorial, and respecting tradition, one shouldn’t drink inventions like Coca-Cola or Mirinda here. Unless you’re driving—then don’t drink, too much spills.

Among dozens of places serving decent craft beers on tap, I’ll mention just a few:

Omerta in Kazimierz on Kupa Street (yes, you heard right—more on the name in my article about Kazimierz), styled after The Godfather. CK Browar Podwale 7, in the style of a Bavarian Bierstube, still displaying a portrait of Emperor Franz Joseph. They brew their own beer on site and serve it in giant tubes known in French as “giraffes.”

Pod Wawelem on the bottom of Wawel Hill also has a nice atmosphere and live music, but the beer and food are average and the crowds overwhelming.

Where to Have Vodka in Kraków

If you enjoy sitting down with a half-liter of something that neither stains uniform nor soul, but warms heart and spirit, my favorite spot is Zakąski u Ani on Plac Nowy in Kazimierz. Run by two sisters, it’s a small, amazing place perfect for a shot of well-chilled rye vodka, chased with pink soda and accompanied by steak tartare or bread with lard and pickles. And if the munchies hit after a few drinks, just 20 meters away you’ll find the famous Kazimierz zapiekanki.

Where to Have a Good Cocktail in Kraków

There are plenty of proper cocktail bars in Kraków. For atmosphere, one of the most unique is Chewre, housed in a former synagogue on Bożego Ciała Street in Kazimierz. Hebrew inscriptions and scenes of the Holy Land are still visible on the walls. Highly recommended—if you can find a seat near the entrance, they have comfortable armchairs.

Recently I visited The Trust on Węgłowa Street in Kazimierz for the first time. It tries a bit too hard to be refined, but I ordered a cocktail called Misty Mountain—a tasty mix of extracts and cordials, served by friendly staff on a moss-covered tray. The waitress poured liquid over the moss, producing a dense artificial fog.

Kraków – A City Where the Weekend Never Ends

There are countless interesting places in Kraków. The city runs at full speed, and with millions of tourists and well over a hundred thousand students, here the weekend lasts all week. One is reminded of the Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey and her line: “What is a weekend?”

And with that optimistic note, I end these few words, wishing all readers every success and happiness.