Yet another spot for those interested in experiencing – literally – Krakow’s underground. Re is a bar near the Main Square, located in a basement, which continues to be very popular among people in their twenties or thirties. There, as it’s rather spacious -it’s divided in 4 rooms – you can almost always find a seat and enjoy the evening over a drink.

Its biggest asset is the huge garden, which unfortunately is not available in the winter. However now in the summer, when it’s open, it’s also not that accessible – there’s hardly ever any place. No wonder – nicely designed, a large open space with a large tree in its middle. On the branches several lanterns are suspended, which give a rather subtle, dim light when it gets dark in the summer.

The interior is also well done and welcoming (Krakow’s classic wooden tables with candles) – you can easily make yourself comfortable and chat, as the music is not too loud and the tables rather quite distant from one another.

Very popular and lively, where you almost always bump into someone you know (useful when looking for a table), Re is a place where you definitely feel “local”.

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Re | Bars | 0.5L beer PLN 7
ul. św. Krzyża 4 | +48124310881
12:00 – 02:00 daily

Kawałek po kawałku is a rather special place in the middle of Salwator district. It’s not really far from the centre of town – just on the opposite side of Aleje, between Wisła and Błonia. The area is quite lovely, with old buildings, almost no public transport and no crowd you have to fight through, within a walking distance (15 min) from the city centre. A rather nice place to live.

It has one disadvantage – it’s over-crowded, but not in the sense of people rushing in every direction. The streets are quite narrow and cars parked in every possible spot. In this neighborhood such a place as Kawałek po kawałku fits perfectly.

It’s absolutely tiny, located “in the corner” – when you see it, you’ll know what I mean – of an old tenant building. Inside you’ll find 4 tables with a few chairs, some piles of newspapers and a board on which today’s menu is displayed.

By displayed I mean “written” – it changes quite often (even weekly/daily), respecting the seasons. You can order different types of sandwiches on different types of bread (freshly made after you order!), quiches, soups, cakes, cocktails, of course – coffees… An breakfasts on saturdays. Of course, I never it all, but what I tried was great, and the rest looked pretty delicious.

Kawałek po kawałku gets a huge plus for their unrushed, home feel, for some imaginative flavor combinations and a friendly atmosphere. If you are in the neighborhood, you should definitely give them a try.

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Kawałek po kawałku | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Sandwich from PLN 5
Kraszewskiego 16 | +48533269995
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 16:00, Sat – Sun 09:30 – 14:30

I know Chimera as a place to eat has already been mentioned (and that’s excellent, as the place is definitely worth recommending), however something new has sprouted from this business, which also deserves attention.

On the corner when entering the passageway to Chimera’s garden/courtyard, a small shop has been opened. There you can get Chimera’s tarts, including the most beloved broccoli and spinach (having worked there a few years ago, I discovered they’re much more popular than I thought), as well as other types. You can get different sweet or savory pies and tarts, sandwiches, traditional Polish barszcz… The list of products is quite long, however, those I tried didn’t let me down.

This spot is perfect for people who are in a hurry, like Chimera’s food and want to enjoy it at home or as lunch. It also allowed the owner to widen the selection of sold foods – now you can get cabbage & mushroom pies in many sizes, or try various sweet tarts (usually one or two were available on the counter). The service is really nice, the selection rather wide so, being a loyal Chimera fan, I consider this a very important spot on my city map.

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Chimera – Sklepik | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Tart slice PLN 5
ul. Św. Anny 3 | +48122921212
09:00 – 19:00 daily

This is one of the places not all the people from Krakow know or visit, probably because of its location. If you’re familiar with Stary Kleparz, this is its equivalent, but in a different part of town. It is a food (but not exclusively) market, located in the northern part of Krakow. Much larger, less crowded and equally well supplied, it provides people who live in the neighborhood with local produce.

The selection of what you can get there is quite large. Fresh traditional cheeses (bundz, bryndza – you can’t get them in their “pure” all year, but even when they’re not 100% from sheep milk, they’re still very good), various types of vegetables and fruit, fresh herbs, bread, meat, free-range eggs are all available, and in good quality. Although in the winter the choice is slightly limited, there’s still plenty.

The major advantage of such a market is the possibility to choose what you most like – in supermarkets if they sell quite bruised apples or unripe tomatoes, that’s what you’re stuck with. On the market not only can you pick these things to your liking, but also taste to check if they suit your fancy. You can also make friends with the salesmen which will allow you to discover a whole new meaning of “customer service”.

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Plac Imbramowski | Shopping | Basil PLN 3
ul. Opolska/ ul. Grażyny
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 22:00, Sun 11:00 – 22:00

Not that I don’t like the unstable wooden chairs and tables – they’re fantastic, and truly characteristic for this city. In fact, before I went out for drinks anywhere outside Krakow, I was sure that’s how it always is in bars and cafes.However, it’s good to have something else in town. Bomba is wonderful because it’s a compromise between the old and the modern. Its interior is not “wobbly” or a yet another antique store look-alike, but also, it’s far from the cold design which can be seen in other places, which just want to be modern and chic.

In Bomba you can sit during the day (plus, there are a few tables outside) as well as spend long evenings and nights. Beer doesn’t cost more than usual (8 zl), but there are obviously other alcohols and soft drinks to choose from. Sometimes, in the evenings there are also concerts on the ground floor (didn’t I mention this? Being quite spacious, it has a sort of an entresol). It’s not overly crowded, nor is it empty, it can be good for studying, but in the evenings it can change into a more party place. Visited by mostly young people, it is, at least for me, a modern version of old Krakow cafes.

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Bomba | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks | Beer PLN 8
pl. Szczepański 2/1
10:00 – 02:00 daily

You would think that you can’t eat cheap and well in the city centre. Actually, it’s quite hard to do either. There is however a brilliant exception to this theory – Koko. In the middle of Gołębia street, about 2 minutes on foot from the Market Square, open till 03:00, it is a perfect solution for all those who want to eat something really “homey”, quick and for an extremely attractive price.

Koko consists of two separate rooms, a garden and a basement, merged with the pub “Still” – there you get food and different alcohols. Gospoda Koko is wonderfully casual – loads of people, mostly but not exclusively students, who come by to have a hearty meal, which tastes just like the food you get at a Polish home. This means soups, pierogi, pancakes, krokiety, gołąbki, meat (here it’s mostly chicken – “koko” is the noise a hen makes), various types of typical side-salads (celeriac, cabbage, cucumber with sour cream)… The portions are unusually generous,  so if you don’t feel like feasting, you can take halves.

Sometimes there are minor food-related mistakes or disappointments. The menu is so large and the amount of people great, so it’s to be expected that the level of “deliciousness” may vary. For me this still remains a brilliant opportunity to eat something typically Polish, served without much fuss, like it would be at home, for a very reasonable price. Judging by how busy Koko is, I’m not alone.

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Koko | Snacks, Restaurants (Polish) | Pierogi PLN 8
Gołębia 8
08:00 – 03:00 daily

In the middle of the city, 15 minutes on foot from the so-called city centre [from Planty], you can find a quite special green space. Błonia (a plural form) is one of the largest parks of that kind in Europe – it’s literally a green space, at least when there’s no snow. It’s just a rather big plain meadow with small alleys which go along its sides.

Architecture-wise, there’s not much to say. There’s much more to elaborate on when it comes to Błonia’s history – to whom the land belonged etc. – but, however interesting, that’s not really the point of their existence. Why are they so popular? Because they’re incredibly useful in terms of recreation, and in the centre there aren’t many places like that.

Walking, jogging, rollerblading, skating (in the winter), cycling, kite flying or simply hanging out and having a picnic. Błonia are always quite busy – but not over-crowded. You can see families taking a walk, people playing with their dogs, some more hard-core as well as amateur joggers… When you join in, you feel like you’re part of the city everyday life. It doesn’t cost anything (well, skating in the winter does), and moreover, it’s there for you to enjoy.

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Błonia | Relaxing
al. Focha & al. 3 Maja
24 hours daily

In Krakow fast food isn’t really diverse – it can be brilliant, but usually the choice is limited and boring. That’s why Burrito Buffet, despite a slightly tacky design, is a wonderful surprise and a place worth supporting. If you like Mexican cuisine, you’re hungry and in a hurry then it’s a perfect solution. If you’re not in a hurry, it’s not a problem, you can come anyway.

The food is very good (approved by people who’ve been to Mexico), the portions generous and prepared in front of you. An additional asset is that you can pre-order it on the phone and when you come it’s ready. You may take it to go or stay in – the place is tiny, but inviting. During lunchtime prepare to meet loads of students as well as people working nearby. They will come to get their food, sometimes even take out larger orders – these are the hours when the place is most busy.

For me the size of burritos is more than sufficient, but it’s also worth adding that boys claim the (big) burrito makes them full. The selection of things you can get is quite large, among which I also recommend quesadillas. This kind of food is perfect for cold, rainy days and a lot of those are surely coming.

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Burrito Buffet | Snacks, Restaurants (Mexican) | Meat burrito (L) PLN 14
ul. Warszawska 20 | +48126330409
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 21:00, Sat 11:00 – 21:00, Sun 11:00 – 20:00

These names could be translated into English as “Peace” and “Quiet”. They are two spots next to each other, not necessarily visible from the main street. You need to enter the courtyard and afterwards take the stairs, located in the corner on the far left. Afterwards you either choose the door to your left or right, and there you’ll find, respectively, Peace and Quiet.

Both can be described as something between a bar and a café, mostly visited by young people (on average in their twenties), where you can study or meet with friends. The interior is quite funky and colorful, which contributes to the general positive vibe. It’s also possible to get a panini, toasts or cake – they are prepared daily and usually gone before the evening. I personally also enjoy the seriously large coffees.

What’s also worth mentioning is juices (they should be called syrups). In Poland it’s common, especially among women, to drink beer with “juice”, that is a splash of syrup. The flavors you get in bars are raspberry and ginger. However, in Spokój and Cisza you can get all sorts – I recommend elderflower, kiwi and peach. The choice is so big though that you really should not limit yourself to these three.

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Spokój & Cisza | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | 0.5L beer PLN 7
ul. Bracka 3-5 | +48501652478
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 03:00, Sat – Sun 12:00 – 03:00

Walking along Rajska street – probably hurrying to the library or parking your car to go the centre, one could notice a rather unusual building being developed. Because of its size and form, it was something that really caught your eye. Finally, not long ago, the building was declared completed.

The very recently opened Garden of Art of Lesser Poland is supposed to be a space where different kinds of art would be “cultivated” to the benefit of all age groups. Among those listed are the creation of a media library, spaces for exhibitions, concerts, auctions… In terms of administration it belongs to the Słowacki theatre, therefore one can expect that events from this field will also be organized.

Presently, the initiative is developing, therefore it is not easy to foresee how the Garden will function in a few years’ time. However, it is definitely an interesting new spot in the city. One of the most important reasons for this is its architecture. It’s really impressive – in the rather old city centre, the modern design of the Garden is original, however it’s far from being qualified as an eyesore. Not only does it fit the surroundings – it even adds value, which is rare.

It’s not far from the city centre, so if you’re walking nearby, don’t miss this original spot. By the streets benches have been installed, so you can sit down for a second and admire a well-done building, quite un-typical for this city.

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Małopolski Ogród Sztuki | Art & culture
ul. Rajska 12 | +484244525
Open depending on events