Top 10 Polish Dishes
“Gastro traveling” embraces the joy of indulging in cultural dishes worldwide, and Polish dishes stand as a prime example of this culinary adventure. However, as tourists, we often find ourselves in touristy restaurants serving Westernized versions of traditional fare, contrasting the authenticity of Polish dishes found in local kitchens.
Polish cuisine, with its comforting and hearty Polish dishes, mirrors the warmth of a meal at grandma’s in winter. Crafted with love and quality ingredients, these dishes leave a nostalgic trace. Below, we’ve listed 10 quintessential dishes that promise a genuine taste of Poland.
Table of Content
Best Polish dishes
1. Pierogies
Our eternal favorites, there are so many types, even some for dessert!, and they are all delicious. We even went to a restaurant that only serves homemade pierogi as you can see below where to eat in Gdansk.
One of the most well-known meals from Poland is the pierogi. Actually, the word “pierogi” is the plural of the word “pieróg,” which is a general term for filled dumplings. These half-circular dumplings are stuffed with filling and prepared from unleavened dough. Mash potatoes, cheese, sauerkraut, cabbage, mushrooms, spinach, ground beef, even grains or legumes, can all be used as these fillings. Pierogi may be anything from sweet to spicy because there are so many different options for the fillings.
Poland’s national dish, pierogi, is loved by people of all ages all year long and has been produced in Poland since the 13th century.
2. Oscypek Cheese
We have to confess that at the beginning we had no idea of what they were. This type of cheese is everywhere but it does not look like cheese at all. We saw a lot of people eating it on the street, restaurants and even in bars. It is usually served with jam and it looks like a pastry. However, it is a smoked cheese made with salty sheep milk that is produced exclusively in the region of the Tatras Mountains, south of the country. The recipe is from the 15th century and I believe it is a real delight.
We had the opportunity to go to the Tatras Mountains up to Zakopane and we stopped at a little town where we saw how it is made and served in a little pastor’s house. it was for sure an experience and it made us love it even more.
3. Zurek soup - Barszcz zurek
One of Xavi’s favorite typical Polish food dishes was Zurek soup, a fermented flour soup with a strong smell. It has a slightly acidic touch and is a true classic in any traditional house or restaurant in the country.
You will recognize this white soup because it is traditionally served inside a bread bowl. Unlike Spanish and Italian bread and garlic soups, the zurek is somewhat more complex because its base is not meat or vegetable broth but something called zakwas that is nothing more than a fermentation of straw flour and water. They will usually serve you with bits of jam, sausage and potatoes inside, sometimes with hard eggs. They serve it as they serve it, it always has an acidic, salty and creamy spot at the same time. It is a delight.
4. Borscht - Barszcz Czerwony
Another of the best-known typical Polish foods is beetroot soup. As its name suggests, it is prepared with beets and is one of the most traditional Polish Christmas dishes (although it is not the only country where it is eaten and its origins are from Ukraine).
The best thing about it is its color, it is pink and if you travel with kids they are going to love it for sure!
5. Bigos
It may not be the most photogenic typical Polish food but bigos is possibly one of the country’s national dishes. This delicious steak that is also eaten in Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine is cooked with various types of crushed meat and streaked with chucrut.
6. Kotlet or Kotlet Schabowy
Even Though it might seem like a typical fried chicken, it is way better than this. Again, if you are traveling with kids this is the best way to go. We traveled alone and we enjoyed it as kids.
It is another classic of typical Polish food, kotlet is the Polish response to Austrian schnitzel. The most traditional way is to make it with pork but some people use chicken. If you order it at a milk bar, where they are a classic, they will serve you with a salad of raw vegetables (surówka) and boiled potatoes.
7. Placki Ziemmiaczane
We didn’t understand at the beginning what it was until we asked the waiter. It is like fried potato but a little bit different. It is mostly used as accompaniment for the main dish, but at some bars you can find them as a single dish.
The Placzi is one of the typical Polish that you most easily will like. These “tortillas” made with peeled and roasted potatoes were the best side dish. It is traditional to eat them on Fridays in very Catholic homes as a substitute for meat. The mass is frozen until they are crunchy and are eaten accompanied with sour cream.
8.Golonka
The hock is the ankle of the pig and in Poland golonka is considered to be one of their national dishes, sometimes insted of the ankle of a pig is half a chicken, depending on the area of poland. It can be prepared in many ways and each cook has his own recipe, but one of the most traditional is the one with a varnish of beer and honey that tastes like heaven.
9. Ogórek or big cucumbers
In Poland they are eaten a lot and are usually present at all tables, both while waiting for the main dish and to accompany some dish. Actually, we got them for free in most of the restaurants while we were waiting to get our order.
We didn’t like them a lot, they are big, chunky and a little bit spicy, but maybe you love them! Better if you try them yourself.
One of the Poles’ favorite way of preparing ogórki is Ogórki kiszone, which can be easily made at home with garlic, strawberry, spicy rye root and mustard leaves.
10. Nalesniki - polish crepes
We couldn’t finish this list without something sweet (besides the sweet pierogies). From the moment we discovered Nalesniki we finished every dish with it. You may think that they are typical crepes but no, they are sweet and soft and usually go with cream and red berries jam. They are stunning.
Where to eat in Poland by City
We’ve curated a list featuring the best restaurants in each city of Poland we explored, ensuring you savor every bit of typical Polish food. This culinary guide aims to enrich your travel experience, offering a taste of authentic Polish dishes that resonate with the nation’s rich culinary tradition. Each restaurant selected champions the essence of Polish food culture, serving up hearty Polish dishes that promise a delightful gastronomic journey through Poland. Your adventure in Poland will be significantly enhanced as you dive into the traditional flavors and savor every unique dish Poland has to offer.
Where to eat in Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital of Poland but it is not the It is not the most touristic one which makes it a good place to find traditional cuisine without being too full of foreigners.
Costa Coffee
For breakfast we stopped at Costa Coffee near Nicolaus Copernicus Monument where we had some hot chocolate, orange juice and two sandwiches for 63zl (13€).
Sklep Z Kawa
It was snowing so we needed to warm up a little bit after some walking so we had some hot chocolate at Sklep Z Kawa near the Marie Curie museum. It was a cozy place with nice music and very warm. We highly recommend going in there, it was full of local people wich made it even more special.
Podwale 25
We had lunch at Podwale 25, a typical Polish restaurant full of decoration and made out of wood. It is a nice experience from the beginning where you can weigh yourself to compare the before and the after. It is well known that Polish dishes are full of food, we couldn’t finish a plate during our trip!
We each had soup (Paula Gulash and Xavi Chicken soup) and then, as you can see above in the “typical dishes to eat in poland”, Paula had some chicken roasted as a Golonka and Xavi had Kotled. Both of these plates had salad and french potatoes and, in addition, they gave us some bread, which was delicious, and Ogorek. In total we just paid 151zl (32€).
We didn’t eat anything during the afternoon because we were too full from lunch. Even Though we love to eat at local places and to try typical food wherever we go, we believe that you also get to know a lot about the culture of the country by trying their fast food.
Warsaw KFC
At night we wanted to see what the KFC of Poland had special so we went to one that was very near our hotel. To our surprise KFC in Poland is very cheap, crunchy and tasty. We had a Chicken Bucket with 14 pieces (it ended up being 17!) and two Mirindas for only 38.98zl (8.45€).
Where to eat in Gdansk
Supermarket
We started the day eating breakfast on the train, the day before we bought some cookies and juice at the local supermarket and that was it. We recommend visiting supermarkets everywhere you go, at the end, you will find things that you would never expect and that are part of the culture of the country.
Pierogarnia Mandu
For lunch we stopped in which ended up being our favorite restaurant in Poland, Pierogarnia Mandu. It is a restaurant that only serves pierogies and they are made at the moment. We recommend going very early, we were lucky to get the last table before the cue started to form outside the restaurant. They take between 20 and 30 minutes to bring you your pierogies since they are being made as you ask for them, but it is worth the wait. While waiting we had some soup, Paula got potato soup while Xavi had Zurek.
Here, we tried the warm lemonade which is also typical from Poland. At the beginning we didn’t have a lot of emotion but the waitress told us to give it a chance so we did and trust us, it was delicious.
As illustrated in the above photo elucidating what pierogies are, we indulged in two distinct types, encapsulating the essence of traditional Polish dishes. Recommended by the waitress, we savored the classic hand-minced beef and pork pierogies topped with white onion and fried bacon, a staple in Polish homes. Venturing further, we also enjoyed a contemporary take with a filling of chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese, adorned with a pepper olive sauce and chopped parsley. Both versions were exquisite, accompanied by a dipping sauce. Though intrigued by sweet pierogies, our satisfied appetites beckoned a halt, leaving them for the next Polish dishes adventure.
Street Market
Before going to the hotel, we visited the Christmas Market and decided that instead of going to a restaurant we were going to eat something there. We saw a lot of people eating some kind of chicken nuggets so we went to buy them. They were a box full of different fried things such as chicken and cheese with some species that made them taste especially good.
Qubus Hotel Gdansk
That morning we had breakfast at the hotel in Gdansk (which we recommend a lot since it was one of the most stunning hotel breakfasts we ever had) and then took the train to Poznan.
Where to eat in Poznan
Wiejskie Jadło
In Poznan we decided to eat at Wiejskie Jadlo, a typical Polish restaurant inside a Polish house. It was just 1 minute from the market square so it is perfect when you are doing some tourism. The house is all made of wood and the tables and chairs are like from a tavern. It is quite a little better if you go with time and early.
Amidst our indecisiveness, the waitress suggested a Polish degustation dish, embodying a medley of typical Polish dishes. Though designed for three, we, a duo, dived into the culinary showcase. Despite leaving some remnants, we ventured through each flavor. As outlined earlier, certain Polish dishes are quintessential experiences, and many were encapsulated in this gastronomic assortment, offering us a broad spectrum of the Polish culinary narrative.
Pyra Bar
At night, as explained in our post “Poland in 7 days”, we were very tired and still full from our lunch so we decided to go to Pyra Bar, which translates as potato bar. It is a normal bar but where everything is made out of potato, not only the food but also the drinks. We both had a vodka cocktail and they were very nice. To eat we had some sliced fried potatoes and Placki Ziemmiaczane. It was very good, not only the food but the environment that we enjoyed there.
Where to eat in Wroclaw
Konspira
Wroclaw was just a one day visit for us, we didn’t even sleep there but we got to see all the most important parts as you can see in our 7 days itinerary. One thing we clearly wanted to do was to eat in Konspira. It is not only for its food, which was amazing, but also for its history.
Using Soviet newspapers, political cartoons, banners, and other artifacts from the 1980s, Konspira proclaims itself a “Centre for Historical Education” that sheds light on Wroclaw’s part in the Solidarity movement as Polish “hits” play over the speakers. This amazing place has a huge garden filled with lovely trees and a historical display. Don’t forget to check out the “hidden chamber,” which is a creative replica of what a Polish apartment could have looked like in the mid-80s, accessible through a closet. Utterly distinctive and worthy of consideration.
McDonalds
As previously mentioned, exploring regional twists in global fast food chains intrigues us. Our visit to KFC near Wroclaw Glowny station was more of a necessity this time, given the limited nearby options. Hunger led us to McDonald’s, where we aimed to try items unique to Poland. To our delight, we discovered several distinctive selections that were quite delectable, adding a fun twist to our quest for Polish dishes even in the most mainstream eateries.
Where to eat in Krakow
Costa Coffee
It was in Krakow where we stayed the most so we could try more restaurants than in other cities. Our first day here we had breakfast at Costa Coffee since we couldn’t find any other place to eat something good in the old town.
Bar Mleczny
For lunch, the first day we wanted to try the most famous Milky Bar in Poland, the Bar Mleczny.
Polish milk bars, or bar mleczny, are nostalgic eateries rooted in Poland’s communist past, with governmental backing. Originating in 1896, these establishments saw a surge in popularity during World War I, standing as modest venues where one can explore a variety of Polish dishes. Through the veil of time, they continue to serve as humble gateways to the rich tapestry of Polish culinary heritage, offering a taste of traditional Polish dishes amidst a historical ambiance.
Many Polish were struggling to make ends meet after the war, and milk bars were an affordable option for a filling lunch. Polish milk bars were particularly well-liked by employees whose employers didn’t provide a cafeteria. Meals at milk bars were frequently included in the worker’s wages.
Polish classics including pierogi, potato pancakes, soups, and bigos are common at milk bars. Because meat was rationed after the war, the majority of the cuisine on the menu in the past was dairy-based, hence the name.
In Poland, there used to be 40,000 milk bars, but currently there are just about 150. Not much has changed since the post-war era, and the government continues to support the eateries.
Polish milk bars in Krakow transport you back in time, whether you’re a luxury or budget tourist, and a visit is more about the experience than the cuisine. We liked it so much that at night we came back to eat some soup before going to bed.
U Babci Maliny
The second day at Krakow we had the Auschwitz and Salt Mines tour as you can read in our post “Poland, 7 days itinerary” and they left us 2 hours to eat something between one tour and the other. We asked our guide for a good place to eat not so far from the city center and he recommended this restaurant, the U Babci Maliny, a polish restaurant with a lot of charm.
It was so good that we came again at night to eat some soup and a dessert (the one that you can see in the number 10 above) before going to bed. We ate tons of food for such a cheap price that we wanted to stay here forever. It was a magical place since you have to ask for your food on the first floor and the tables are upstairs.
Upstairs looks like a wooden cabin with tons of rugs, musical instruments and polish decoration. When your food is ready you will see your number on an antique television and you have to go downstairs to get it. During the whole meal there was an artist playing the piano downstairs, at the -1 floor where there is another restaurant, well, it is actually the same but quite more expensive since a waitress brings the food to your table.
Where to eat in Zakopane
Gazlowe Kuznia
During our escapade to the Polish Tatra Mountains, we delved into regional Polish dishes. As described earlier, we sampled the iconic cheese and dined at a quintessential Polish restaurant. We opted for a medley of Polish appetizers, followed by individual main courses. While perhaps the priciest dining spot we encountered in Poland, the cost was modest.
Zakopane, with its tourist influx, hosts eateries with elevated prices, yet the value in terms of quality and quantity remained outstanding. We highly endorse this locale, not only for the authentic Polish dishes but also for its picturesque vistas.
Conclusion
Our expedition through the diverse landscape of Polish dishes has been a culinary revelation. Each dish narrates a tale of Poland’s rich heritage, offering a taste of tradition. We hope our guide aids your quest to delve into Polish flavors and entices you to explore the mentioned eateries.
Now, we’re turning the table towards you. Have you embarked on a Polish food adventure? Did our list resonate with your tastes or did you stumble upon other delightful eateries? Share your where to eat in Poland experiences and favorite Polish dishes in the comments below. Your culinary tales will surely enrich the gastronomic community we’re nurturing here.
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