Food in Krakow

‘You can’t just eat good food, you’ve got to talk about it too’

If your a foodie like me then Poland is the place to go! 

We went to the city of Krakow and couldn’t get enough of the tasty treats on offer and the delicious flavours. 

The city is known for its cafe culture, wherever you go you can grab a coffee and a cake, even in the evening... I’m not joking there is cake everywhere, I had to undo my buttons on my jeans a few times, but there is so much more to try here too!!!

Here is my Top 10 that you can’t miss out on...prepare for your mouth to start watering!

Doughnuts (pączki)

They don’t come better than this... filled with mainly a fruit filling but also savoury doughnuts are on offer too. Doughnuts filled with rose are everywhere and are so tasty but also don’t miss out on the chocolate filled ones either. 

In Poland instead of pancake day they celebrate Fat Thursday which is basically a day of doughnuts. We was lucky enough to be there at this time (the very last Thursday in February) but you wouldn’t believe the queues outside the bakeries from first thing in the morning till late at night with people buying huge boxes filled with different doughnuts. We joined in the celebrations and enjoy them out in the day but then had some left in our apartment too by the owner so we really did indulged on this day, so worth it! 

Pizza Baguette (Zapiekanka)

We had looked around for these most of the trip to have as a lunch time snack but didn’t have much luck... so many people had told us about them but we just didn’t seem to come across them. 

On our last evening we wasn’t that hungry and was wandering around the Jewish quarters when we came across a square full of food stalls, yes they were here! No joke as soon as I saw them I became hungry very quickly. I had a 4 cheese pizza slice and my partner had a sausage and bbq one. Absolutely worth the wait!

Dumplings (Pierogi)

You can’t go to Krakow without trying the polish dumplings. They are either filled with potato and cheese or meat. Both delicious and a must! Served in all the polish restaurants around the Old Town and the Jewish Quarters so you won’t have to look far. Doesn’t look like much but very filling. 

Cream/Custard Cake (Kremowka)

A bit like an ice slice with two layers of puff pastry and filled with a custard cream but it is sprinkled with powdered sugar instead of icing and sometimes filled with whipped cream as well as the custard. Bigger than a ice slide and absolutely beautiful!!! 

Sheep’s Cheese (Oszczypek)

Oszczypek is a smoked cheese made of salted sheep milk. The cheese is fried and is served as a starter or toasted on bread. Very tasty especially if your a cheese lover like me.

Sausage (Krakauer)

Polish sausages are thin and long and are sometimes U-shaped. The sausages are smoked and used in lots of different foods like pizza breads, pastas for example. The sausage rolls and hot dogs are to die for and because the sausages are longer it make the sausage roll and hot dog much longer.

We had a hot dog from ‘The Dog’ and it was very tasty, a small food booth in the Jewish Quarters where they cook you up a treat. You must go there, I’m not even a big fan of sausage but would go back to this place tomorrow. 

Ice cream (Lody)

I didn’t know Poland was known for their ice cream but everywhere you go there is a ice cream parlour or if you buy a dessert or waffle for example it is always served with ice cream. So many flavours to choose from and the ice cream is very creamy which makes is so delicious. I bet in the summer the ice cream shops are full because even when we travelled in the winter people were walking around with a ice cream cone in hand. 

Potato or Fruit Pancakes (Polskie naleśniki)

These thick pancakes are either filled with potato or fruit for breakfast, as a snack, meal, or for a dessert. Both are delicious and worth a try. We had the potato pancakes as a side dish to go with an evening meal. The fruit pancakes we had were for dessert, apple pancakes known as ‘Racuchy’ are the main fruit pancakes in Poland to try. Words can’t describe how delicious they are, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with lots of flavour. Don’t miss this one out! 

Cabbage Rolls (Gołąbki)

Doesn’t sound the best I know, I was wondering if I would like these too but they are delicious! They are made from boiled cabbage leaves wrapped around a filling of minced pork or beef, chopped onions, and rice or barley. Give them a go!! 

Braided Bread (Obwarzanek krakowski)

This bread is in a braided ring-shape that is boiled and sprinkled with either salt, poppy seeds or sesame seeds. The bread is sold on the streets on little stalls and you can choose between plain or cheese. It’s better to buy one earlier on in the day as they do go a little stale later on. 

And one last thing you must try even though it’s not a food is...

Vodka (Wódka)

Polish Vodka is amongst the most revered of all the vodkas. There is a huge variety of production methods used to produce vodka across Poland including flavoured vodkas. We was given a shot of honey vodka with our bill in one of the Polish restaurants we went to for lunch and we also gave the popular cherry flavoured vodka a go in one of the bars and wasn’t disappointed with either! 

So eating in Krakow... prepare to pile on the pounds, there is no way you can go to Poland and eat healthy, I’m telling you there is no way to avoid the delicious treats on offer. 

Enjoy yourself, take some loose clothing and worry about the calories once you’re back home. 

You’re on holiday remember!