Polish food: what to eat in Poland
Polish food is hearty, built on dumplings, cabbage, pork, soups and rye bread, with sour and smoked flavors running through it. It changes less by region than Italy's, but the coast, the mountains and the cities each have a dish of their own. The one thing to know is to eat the soup and the main course of the day, not just the pierogi.
The short answer
- Order this first
- Pierogi, then żurek, a sour rye soup, and bigos, a slow stew of cabbage and meat.
- When people eat
- Breakfast early, the main meal in the afternoon, a lighter supper in the evening.
- Tipping
- About 10 percent in a sit-down restaurant, often by rounding up. Check the bill for a service charge.
- Where to eat well
- The milk bars (bar mleczny) for cheap home cooking, and the city food guides for named places in Kraków, Gdańsk and Warsaw.
What to eat in Poland
- PierogiDumplings filled with potato and curd cheese, cabbage and mushrooms or meat, boiled or fried. Every town has them, and sweet ones with fruit appear in summer.Nationwide
- BigosA slow stew of sauerkraut, fresh cabbage and several meats. It tastes better the longer it has cooked, and is often served with rye bread.Nationwide
- ŻurekA sour soup made from fermented rye flour, with sausage and egg, often served in a hollowed bread bowl.Nationwide
- Kotlet schabowyA breaded pork cutlet, usually served with potatoes and a cabbage salad. The Sunday lunch dish.Nationwide
- GołąbkiCabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat and rice, baked in a tomato sauce.Nationwide
- OscypekA smoked sheep's cheese from the highlands around Zakopane, grilled and served with cranberry jam.Tatra Mountains
- ZapiekankaA long baguette half, topped with mushrooms and cheese, toasted. Cheap street food that began in the 1970s.Kraków
- HerringPickled in oil, cream or onion, served as a starter with vodka. Fresh fish from the Baltic appears on coastal menus.Baltic coast and nationwide
- BarszczA clear beetroot soup, often served at Christmas with small mushroom dumplings. Everyday versions are thicker.Nationwide
- SernikA dense baked cheesecake made with curd cheese, found in nearly every cafe.Nationwide
How the food changes across Poland
The south and the mountains
Smoked cheese, mutton and potato dishes, plus dumplings and warming soups. Zakopane and Kraków are the places to find them.
The Baltic coast
Fish, herring and smoked fish, usually with potatoes. Gdańsk and the nearby seaside towns lean on seafood more than the rest of the country.
Warsaw and the center
The classics, done in every style from traditional to modern. The capital has the widest range of restaurants.
The east and the Podlasie region
Influenced by neighboring cuisines, with potato dishes, buckwheat and simple village cooking.
What to drink in Poland
- VodkaDrunk neat and cold with food, often with herring or pickles. Flavored varieties are common.
- BeerGood lagers are everywhere, and a craft beer scene has grown in the big cities.
- KompotA cold or warm drink of stewed fruit, served with lunch, especially in milk bars.
- MeadA honey wine, sold across the country and drunk in winter, sometimes warmed with spices.
- Coffee and teaStrong coffee is easy to find, and cafes in the cities are good. Tea is often served with lemon.
Where to eat in Poland, city by city
Kraków
A huge market square, a castle on a hill and a Jewish quarter full of cafes. The first stop for most visitors and the best base for Auschwitz and the salt mine.
Order Pierogi
Gdańsk
A Baltic port of tall merchant houses and canals, with beaches and the old shipyards nearby. It suits history, seafood and a slower pace.
Order Pierogi ruskie
Warsaw
The capital, rebuilt after the Second World War, with serious museums, parks and a lively restaurant scene. It suits history and a busy city break.
Order Kotlet schabowy
How Poland eats
- Meal timesLunch is the biggest meal, often between one and four in the afternoon. Dinner is usually between six and eight.
- Milk barsBar mleczny are cheap canteens with set home cooking, a legacy of communist-era Poland. You order and pay at the counter.
- ReservationsBook dinner in the big cities at weekends, especially in summer. Lunch rarely needs a reservation.
- TippingRound up or leave about 10 percent for good service. Tip in cash or on the card terminal.
Signs of a place to walk past
A menu on the pavement in five languages with photos of every dish.
A waiter on the square pulling people in off the street.
Pierogi on a menu at a price that is double the milk bars two streets away.
A tourist set menu with no soup on it.
Food in Poland: questions people ask
What food is Poland known for?
Pierogi, bigos, żurek, kotlet schabowy and smoked sausages. The soups and the dumplings are the best way in.
What is the national dish of Poland?
There isn't an official one. Pierogi and bigos are the two most often named.
What should I eat first in Poland?
Pierogi and a bowl of żurek, then bigos on a cold day. Try a milk bar for a cheap first meal.
Is Polish food vegetarian friendly?
More than expected. Pierogi with cheese or mushrooms, potato pancakes and mushroom soups are easy to find, and most cities now have vegetarian restaurants.
What is a milk bar in Poland?
A bar mleczny is a cheap canteen serving simple home cooking. It dates from before 1989, and some are still run in the old style.
What do Poles drink with dinner?
Beer, compote or water at lunch, and vodka at celebrations or with herring. Tea is common at home.
How much does a meal in Poland cost?
Less than in most of Western Europe. A milk bar lunch is the cheapest, and restaurants in Kraków and Warsaw cost more than elsewhere. Menu prices are in zł.