Dining has changed in Poland. In my own lifetime, we’ve gone from communist ration books to our first two Michelin star restaurant (and we would have gone there, too, if it wasn’t for easyJet 🙄). But Polish hospitality is the same as ever. It’s about getting together with those we care about and sharing all we have, it’s just that now we have more. It’s about generosity. It’s about… Pork. And vodka. If you’re lucky, both at once 😉.
First Night — Morskie Oko
Our chef friends were coming to town, and we decided supper number one should be rustic. This restaurant’s basement dining room and old-fashioned music transport you to a mountain cabin somewhere. We tried Żurek (sour soup served out of hollowed bread), goulash, herring in cream sauce, grilled sheep’s cheese, potato pancakes, pierogi, pork knuckle, sernik (cheese cake), szarlotka (apple cake). A proper feast, with strong spirits and many toasts to life — na zdrowie!
Lunch in Kazimierz
Kraków’s Jewish community gave the world the bagel, but the world let them keep stuffed goose necks. A bit like a crispy haggis, in a way. Surprisingly good!
Second Night — Fiorentina
For our second supper we went to Fiorentina — considered one of the best restaurants in Poland. It’s known for its local beef, which is historically less common, so, among other things, we ordered the porterhouse. We also got a chance to compare the new-school sernik (superb), szarlotka (it looked pretty, but was overcomplicated) and some very posh vodka to Morskie’s.
Luckily, Polish food is very light 🙃, and the evening didn’t end with cake…
We found Kraków’s most legendary street food — Blue Nyska, a Soviet-era truck serving homemade sausages grilled over wood. This man has been at it for decades, and the locals still line up every night.
By then, the weekend had nearly killed us. But we were happy.