Wierzynek Restaurant Krakow

Eating out in Krakow… like a king

Centuries have passed since the sumptuous medieval Wierzynek feast, and although the tale adds a certain mystique to the atmosphere, it’s current owner Elzbieta Filipiak who must be credited with what Wierzynek Restaurant has become. Not only has she renovated a Kraków landmark, restoring it to its former luxury with nine lavishly furnished rooms, but also sought out expert chefs to create a menu with authentic Polish dishes – some based on country recipes, others imbued with international nuances. Visitors may be surprised to discover that Polish food (especially dishes that originated in noble kitchens) has been influenced by French, Italian, Hungarian and Russian cooking. While incorporating local produce, herbs, spices, wild game, local fowl & lake or stream fish as well as the succulent varieties of Polish forest mushrooms, many of the meat dishes, sauces, and pastry recipes have similarities to European gourmet fare. By serving dishes comparable to what was placed on noble Polish tables, Wierzynek has created an eminent name for itself. Indeed, it’s one of the few Krakow restaurants whose guest book is signed by royalty, heads of state, Nobel prize winners, international celebrities and the who’s-who of Poland. It’s not an ancient legend that’s made Wierzynek Restaurant one of the top rated places for eating out in Krakow, it is in fact “the place” where it’s possible to eat like a king! Taste the menu to understand why.

Wierzynek Restaurant - traditional Polish food menu

Officially, the number of restaurants Krakow Poland has listed in visitor’s guides comes to over five hundred. Needless to say there’s no shortage of traditional dishes being served throughout the Old Town and the Jewish district, Kazimierz. Just within the Main Square, around the Cloth Hall, the Town Hall, the basilica and surrounding streets, there are over a hundred places to taste Polish cuisine, including savory dumplings called pierogis, the famous Jewish obwarzanki bagels, bigos (a cabbage and meat specialty), sizzling kiełbasa (a traditional sausage), and savory oszczypek smoked cheese.

The menu at Wierzynek Restaurant is a little different. For example one of the set meals, which includes everything from drinks and starters to entrees and desserts, consists of: salted herring in oil; sour rabbit soup with smoked pork ribs; roasted wild boar ham in juniper aroma with a side of potato pierogis and kapusta kiszona (sauerkraut). The meal also includes a Wierzynek specialty: Casimir the Great Crown Vodka as well as a regal dessert of apple pie with linden-blossom honey ice-cream. Another full course menu option consists of pierogis made from cottage cheese & potatoes or mushrooms with cabbage; a broth with pasta and quail’s eggs; roasted duck, apples, cranberry sauce and baked potatoes, plus a dessert of cheesecake with white chocolate, raspberry sauce and ice-cream. The final touch, not available at other Krakow restaurants, is the Mikolaj Wierzynek Śliwowica (slivovitz) that’s made in-house according to their own recipe. Warning: Slivovitz is a drink not for the fainthearted, although it’s labeled a “plum brandy”, its alcohol content is 70 – 80%! Although vodka and slivovitz aren’t compulsory, one of the items on the menu not to be missed is the royal platter that comes with deer & quail in a pinewood sauce served with a grain called kasza jaglana (millet groats), somewhat like cuscus.

Choosing where to dine in Wierzynek Restaurant

Aside from the outdoor terrace in summer, there are several dining areas to choose within the restaurant including: the stately Wierzynek Room, the Column Room, the Clock Room, the Knight’s room – with suits of armour adorning the walls, two Pompeian Rooms – with frescos, the elegant Chamber of Imagination – filled with paintings and windows facing the picturesque square, and the spacious Galician Room – with gothic-style cathedral ceilings. It’s possible to reserve a specific table in a select room if booking in advance. Wierzynek restaurant Krakow is open from 1pm – midnight, and finding it is easy. It’s situated in the Main Square, right where Grodzka Street meets Rynek Główny, at number 15. Don’t worry about getting lost. Old Town is one of the places you can wander through even without a Krakow map as a guide because it’s not a tangled maze like Kazimierz. Relax, meander like a Sambawalker explorer, and discover scrumptious treats sold by street-side Krakow food vendors as well as royal banquets following in the footsteps of Mikołaj Wierzynek’s noble dinner guests.