Food, food, food.

Aside from seeming annoying by going on about my life and my personal experience, I guess you’d be left feeling pretty disappointed if I let you think that they only eat cabbage and cauliflower.

Well no. They don’t. So you should forget that idea right now. They make delicious recipes based around vegetables, but vegetables are not all they eat. The country’s climate is not ideal for agriculture during the winter, for this reason they need to grow foods that are quick, resistant and that require few hours of sunlight.

Before I start talking about the food itself, I should warn you about something; if you’re Spanish and are thinking about living or traveling in Poland – do not despair… Waiters/chefs/secretaries/Polish people in general live life slowly and enjoy every moment of it. By this I mean that you could easily expect to wait up to 30 minutes for a bowl of soup – and no matter how much you complain, it won’t get there any faster. That, and also, there’s no bread service – obviously. (Bread? What bread? )

Anyway I am not going to talk about tinned cabbage and its derivatives, but instead I’m going to talk about the yummy stuff! Who doesn’t love delicious, cheap food? This is Poland and we’ve come here to fill our stomachs. First of all, I have to tell you that yes, Rynek is beautiful and you can eat cheaply there with regards to Spain, but, what would you say if I told you you could eat much better and for much less?

I guess that all of you will go crazy for Pierogys and I also expect that you will go to Pierogarnia on the corner of Rynek. Monumental mistake. It’s a good place for not blowing all your money, but personally, I don’t like it at all.

Ok, so I am going to introduce you to a good friend of mine “Kurna Chata” – it’s a small, super-cheap place where they serve typical Polish food. It’s suitable for big groups with a reservation and they also speak English perfectly!

Not only do they serve Pierogys, but they also are famous for their cheese soup and Zurek. The most authentic Zurek that I have ever seen; with its smoked sausage, egg and potato all served in typical bread. Very satisfying. If you go to “Kurna Chata” you won’t leave feeling hungry, I promise you that. I’ll leave the directions here for if you fancy giving it a go.

Another place that is also great for good food and that serves a large variety of soups, meat and awesome pierogys is “Kociolek”; it’s also very close to Rynek. A very cosy, welcoming place that’s a little more modern than “Kurna Chata”. Despite the fact that the service leaves much to be desired (one time they forgot about my food and seen as the waitor was tired, he decided not to serve me. He was blasé when he explained this to me too), the price and quality are excellent. The pierogys in this place are more like the pierogi – singular – because they only give you one, but it is huge! Like an Italian calzone. It’s totally delicious, though, I must say the ones at “Kurna Chata” are much more authentic. The best choices here are the meat and soups – even though they are not served in bread. You have to be careful with this place though seen as they’ve recently opened up another one nearby that only sells sandwhiches and salads-to-go – so you’ll be disappointed if you end up there instead. I’ll leave you the location of this place too.

These two places are my favourites for typical Polish food and are often left unnoticed by travelers and tourists, although I’m sure that most students who have been there already know that by now!

When summer hits, Wroclaw fills up with terraces and those high tables they put out. There’s a place close to the Odra River where they serve you real Polish food; like the kind of stuff a local family eats from day to day including pancakes and chicken for example. And no, not typical American pancakes, more like Central European potato-based pancakes. It’s not super elaborate but it is a very cheap consistent meal and totally Polish. I think I paid 12 pln and I ate really well.

Yet another place that is excellent and somewhere you can grab beers later on in the area, is right next to “Arkady Capitol” (Arkady Capiiiiiiitol, yes with its tune). If you walk towards the south of the city for about 100 metres you’ll find a little bridge with train tracks on it. It’s an area that has several restaurants serving typical Polish food, all small, cosy and welcoming. However, perhaps the only issue is that the level of English isn’t as good here as it is elsewhere. The food is good and you’re plate will be full though. The surrounding bars are usually brewerys/pubs and at night when they get busy bring a great vibe – maybe an older crowd than Alibi, Niepolda or Reset – but a vibe all the same. Many of them that serve tons of different types of beers, Polish and Czech alike in their respective glasses. Some of them are excellent.

Now, if you’re interested in eating or trying the type of food that the Polish ate during the toughest years, you’ll have to go the the “milk” bars. Ask a Polish friend to show you one because I unfortunately can’t give you any directions or names because I don’t remember where they took me! These places are also known as “Mewa Milk-Bar”.

Other food places that serve more European foods and that are not confined to only Polish food are University Cafeterias. They normally offer a huge buffet where you can pay by the weight of your plate. You can refill and refill to your desire. Even with a drink I ended up paying just 23 pln. And I was stuffed! They are pretty well stocked: there’s salads, vegetables, rice, pulses, different types of pasta, a bunch of sweet things, desserts, meat in sauce, bread, fish… basically anything you could possibly want.

As well as University Cafeterias there’s a place near to Rynek that has a similar style. There’s not as much variety but you can tell that everything is homemade and there’s a fixed price of about 11 pln if I remember correctly – I’m not sure. It definitely isn’t more than 14 pln. It’s called “Misz Masz” and is always a good option if you don’t feel like cooking and are in the area. I’ll leave the location below.

Another bar of the same kind, although it’s more of a restaurant, is “Remont” just next to Grundwalzki. It’s not particularly high quality, but if you’re in the area and you don’t feel like cooking, it’s an affordable option no matter what your financial situation is; it’ll leave you full and feeling good. The menus are nothing extraordinary – the food is very normal and the atmosphere is nice and friendly. Game days bring a bit more of a fun atmosphere and turn the place more into a must-visit as opposed to a stop-over. I’ll leave that up to you though.

Leaving aside the “normal food” now, I’m going to tell you about two places that you’re obliged to go to.

First of all, I present your future go-to for Sunday lunches: “El Madamme” – found in the very same plaza Rynek. It’s quite a modern simple place that serves crepes and pancakes of all sizes, colors and flavors – both sweet and savory. They are SPECTACULAR! You’ve basically got any ingredient imaginable at your disposal, from maple syrup to sobrasada – a type of Spanish sausage (yep! Sobrasada in Poland), from brown bread with gluten to gluten-free corn bread. Everything. Seriously – you can’t leave without trying this place! I can’t show you the exact location, but in that part of Rynek, it should be pretty easy to find.

Lastly, I can’t not mention the fast food joint that you’ll enjoy so much you’ll even end up licking the plate! It’s good to eat healthily, do exercise and all that, but who doesn’t crave a good hamburger that’s so good you almost die every time you take a bite? “Moa Burguer” is found on one of the corners in Solny and despite being small, has just as much indoor space as it does outdoor space – year round too! From veal and ox burgers to chicken and guacamole burgers to even vegetarian and vegan burgers – they have them all and they are big! So perfect for those of you with a big appetite. It is easy to tell that the burgers have been made with love and care. The goats cheese burger was without a doubt my favorite. You won’t regret trying their burgers. Although it is a bit pricier than the other places I’ve mentioned, it is completely worth it. Expect to pay around 16-24 pln, which isn’t too unreasonable. So, if you get the chance (or even if you don’t, find one) go to “Moa Burguer”.

If you have any doubts, here’s my email address so you can ask me any questions. Don’t be shy!

[email protected]

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