Cafe Szafe has been around for almost 20 years. The place was inspired by an old wardrobe collection, which set the tone for its famously quirky interior. Over the years it became so iconic, that it had a book written about it and served as a film set for one of the favorites of modern Polish cinema. It is located slightly off the beaten track, but it’s worth making a re-route when walking from old town towards Kazimierz.

During the evenings, you can count on something happening on Cafe Szafe’s stage: concerts (always top-shelf), open mics, sometimes a movie screening. Best to check out their Facebook page and see what they’ve got cooking for the day!

During the day you’ll notice students from a nearby high school hanging around and if you take a look at the entrance door, you’ll notice a poster with IDs of all the students who turned 18 at Cafe Szafe! Those aren’t the real IDs of course, but special ‘Republic of Szafe’ IDs, which is so much better. The students say, quite rightly so, that no other citizenship makes them this proud!

Cafe Szafe looks like it got stuck in time. Just for a little bit, and such a long time ago. It certainly is an atmospheric place, where you can still get that old-school, Cracovian smoke-filled room vibe. When you enter through the famous wardrobe door, you forget about your worries, you sit down and just have a beer.