Archives for “local” tag

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”.

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.

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.

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”.

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.