Gdansk was the first (and so far the only) city I visited in Poland. I spent 4 days here and was pleasantly surprised to find many great restaurants in Gdansk that served delicious food: from traditional Polish pierogi to fresh and flavorful Middle Eastern mezze to flaky Georgian baked goods.
Most of the restaurants I tried were inside Gdansk Old Town, with a few exceptions, but even those were not too far away. This is great because you can explore the city leisurely while making stops for a meal, a pastry, or a good coffee. I would say most of my “exploring” in Gdansk consisted of slowly moving from one restaurant to another, from one meal to the next.
Pierogarnia Stari Mlyn
Let’s start with this classic Gdansk restaurant! When it comes to pierogi — traditional Polish dumplings — two places are highly recommended: Pierogarnia Stari Mlyn and Pierogarnia Mandu. I only had the time to try one, so I went with the former.
Around lunchtime, there was quite a long line of people outside the restaurant, excited to try pierogi. The wait time was 20 minutes, but the large amount of people affected the waiting time for our food too. The drinks came fast, but pierogi took about 40 minutes. There’s not much you can do about it, there’s a similar line at Mandu as well.
But the wait time was all worth it when piping hot fried pierogi arrived. We tried a variety of savory dumplings: with marinated lamb, dried cranberries, and buckwheat; with duck, apples, and fried onion; and potato pierogi. The duck was everyone’s favorite.
We also ordered a round of sweet pierogi with cherries. It’s best to get savory pierogi fried and sweet ones boiled. This was, hands down, one of the coziest, most homely and filling meals we’ve had in Gdansk!
Bonus: if you are traveling with kids, like I do, Pierogarnia Stari Mlyn offers a little playroom downstairs. We got the table right next to the toy area and it made our dinner so much more enjoyable.
Bar Mleczny at Długie Ogrody 25
Bar Mleczny is translated from Polish as “milk bar”. The main thing to understand is that Bar Mleczny is not a name, but a type of restaurant. More specifically, it’s a canteen. So you will see signs Bar Mleczny all over Poland. This is not a chain, but independent canteens where you can find traditional Polish food at affordable prices.
I tried Bar Mleczny at Długie Ogrody 25, an accidental find right near our Airbnb, a little bit outside of the Old Town. We walked in right before closing time, in search of dinner upon arrival to Poland. They only had schnitzel left, so we tried two variations: chicken and pork with a side of potatoes. The food was fresh and delicious. Mostly the dishes cost no more than 12-15 PLN (3-5 USD), so it’s an amazing option if you are traveling on a budget.
There’s another Bar Mleczny inside the Old Town, which I suspect is a lot more popular. I tried it too, but the food left a lot to be desired. I would rather venture a little bit outside of the Old Town to Bar Mleczny at Długie Ogrody 25.
Piekarnia Gruzińska Ketili Puri
Ketili Puri is a small chain of Georgian bakeries with one location in Gdansk. Don’t walk, run there! They serve freshly baked, steaming hot baked goods native to Georgia, as well as a variety of Georgian dishes like chahohbili, khinkali, and soups.
The space is small but cozy: you can see how the pastries are baked in the back of the cafe. We tried khachapuri (possibly, the most famous Georgian pastry) and samsa — both savory. But they offer a great selection of sweet pastries too, like strudel and pies.
The bakery uses traditional Georgian recipes and does not add preservatives or flavor enhancers to their products. Honestly, you can feel the freshness at first bite. You can also try Georgian wine and Georgian lemonades here.
Pomelo Bistro Bar
Pomelo Bistro Bar is open from morning till late night, so you can come for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But their breakfast menu is especially popular and the restaurant is buzzing at brunch time. It’s best to make a reservation, otherwise, you might have to wait outside. Although we managed to get a table by coming 5 minutes before their opening time.
The chef puts emphasis on using locally sourced ingredients while taking inspiration from all over the world. The menu changes several times a year to follow the seasons. They make their own baked goods, pickles, and liquors. When that’s not possible, they work with the best purveyors in the region.
The coffee is good (not your third wave kinda coffee, but decent). We tried local sausages with mustard and pickles, as well as an omelet and a shakshuka. All dishes were fresh and delicious, but the sausages were the winner for both me and the kids.
Bar Leon
Simply described, Bar Leon is all about Middle Eastern food and craft cocktails. I had my doubts about choosing a Middle Eastern place for dinner in Gdansk, but the food quite frankly blew my mind.
Bar Leon offers small plates that a group of people can share. We ordered 6 plates, including baba ghanoush with pomegranate seeds, lamb meatballs with feta, roasted potatoes with coriander salsa, and baked feta cheese in kadayif dough. Every single dish was amazing and went above and beyond our expectations.
I was a bit disappointed with the service: our waiter was not particularly attentive throughout the dinner and outright rude by the end of it. But I hope that was an exception, rather than the rule. Because the food is way too good to miss out.
Łąka Bar
I kept saying we were going for breakfast to Łąka (“luh-kuh”) Bar until my brother, who lives in Poland, corrected me. The name is actually pronounced “won-ka” (as in Willy Wonka). The place is located a bit outside of the Old Town, about 10 minutes away, but the food and ambiance are well worth the walk.
Łąka Bar is one of several restaurants that found home in an old industrial building. Think: brick walls covered in creeping vines outside; concrete floors and walls with exposed bricks here and there inside. There’s also a beautiful tiled bar counter and plenty of potted plants.
The menu is quite big: they are open all day and offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. We tried the buttermilk chicken with poached eggs and sauce hollandaise, which was amazing, as well as scrambled eggs on shokupan (Japanese milk bread) with cherry tomatoes and feta. The menu takes inspiration from many Asian cuisines, with options like breakfast udon, banh mi, and pad thai.
This place is great for families with kids and large groups. They have plenty of space, multiple baby chairs and were accommodating when it came to ordering food for the kids. There’s no kid’s menu per se, but they will modify dishes from the main menu for your child. There’s also a gaming machine and if you strategically get a table next to it, the kids will keep busy for a while while you enjoy your meal.
Doppio Club Cafe
This is your spot for third-wave coffee in Gdansk. Also, for great waffles. Located on a quiet street in the Old Town, this is a perfect place for a chill, unhurried breakfast. You can choose between savory and sweet waffles. I tried the super waffle with bacon, fried egg, and maple syrup, which was perfect fuel for the day.
You can build a sweet waffle by choosing cream (like chocolate or honey mascarpone) and adding berries. From 3 pm they also offer a few lunch items, like soups and sandwiches.
My coffee was perfect: the silkiest, creamiest cappuccino. There are a few seasonal specialties, like a strawberry ice latte in summer, for example.
When we visited, the place had just opened a few weeks prior. The owner was working at the counter, making coffee. It was not too crowded, compared to the more popular spots nearby (Pomelo Bistro Bar is just down the street), so show these guys some love when you visit Gdansk!
Balans
Right next door to Doppio Club is Balans, another good spot for breakfast. Where Doppio Club is all about coffee and waffles, Balans is about coffee and bagels. They are a lot busier, so you might have to wait a bit to get a table. They offer indoor and outdoor seating.
Because there was a long line and we were traveling with kids, I didn’t want to wait to have breakfast, but we did get their specialty coffee and a cheesecake to-go. The pistachio cheesecake was fantastic, smooth, creamy, and mildly sweet.
If you are not into bagels, they also have sandwiches and omelets on the menu. Want to start your day with something stronger than coffee? Then maybe an Aperol spritz or a glass of Prosecco will do!
Kawiarnia Publiczna
Yet another spot for specialty coffee is Publiczna Cafe. It is located in the same industrial building as Łąka Bar, a 10-minute walk outside of the Old Town. The space is rather small, but homely. You can get cozy on a windowsill or the bright orange couch. There are also a few benches outside.
Apart from high-quality coffee, Publiczna offers homemade cakes. We spent a few hours working here (there’s free WiFi) before leaving Poland.
Publiczna Pizza Napoletana and Natural Wine
This is a sister-restaurant of Publiczna Cafe and you access it by walking through the coffee shop. You can’t have coffee in the pizza joint or pizza in the coffee shop. Although connected by a little corridor, they are considered two different spaces.
Publiczna serves Neapolitan-style pizza and they do it really really well! There’s a wood-fired oven and you can watch the whole process of making pizza from scratch at the counter. The crust is tall, puffed, with burned spots, while the middle is thin, soft, and full of flavor. You can pair it with one of the natural wines on the menu. At lunch and dinnertime, the place gets quite busy and you might have to wait for a table.
Bistro Mlyn
I would recommend this place for breakfast with kids. I came across it by complete accident: the interior design looked cool, with pastel-colored tables and a stylish bar counter. So I walked in and got a coffee to-go. The coffee was mediocre at best, unfortunately.
Still, I gave them a second chance the next day and came over for breakfast with my boys (4 and 2 years old). First of all, they open at 7.30 am which is a win when you have kids who wake at dawn and are ready to start the day. Second, they have a kid’s area: a space in the back of the restaurant separated by a wall where the kids can jump around, read books, or play with a few toys on offer. We got a table right next to the kid’s area which made my life easier.
Breakfast options are inspired by different countries: you can order English, German, Turkish, French or Polish breakfast. I went with Polish, which included scrambled eggs, sausages, and fresh veggies. The coffee was still pretty bad, but the food was good and the service was fast.
For lunch and dinner, they offer pizza and burgers that look very good in pictures, but you will have to try them for yourself! Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of food, because toddlers are not particularly good at waiting till you get a good shot.
Pellowski
Pellowski is an iconic chain of bakeries in Gdansk and the region that has been in operation since before World War II. There are almost a dozen locations in Gdansk alone. This bakery comes highly recommended in every guide to the best eats in the city. We stopped by their branch in the Old Town for a sweet afternoon snack and tried a variety of buns and cookies. I also got a pack of traditional Gdansk gingerbread.
To me, the quality was, unfortunately, inconsistent. Some baked goods were genuinely good, some lacked flavor, the gingerbread tasted mostly like sugar. I would say this is one of those places you have to try because of its rich history. It’s also good if you are traveling on a budget. A cup of coffee and a pastry (or a sandwich) will make for an affordable breakfast or afternoon snack.
Location: multiple locations in Gdansk, check Google Maps.
There were quite a few more options on my list of restaurants to try in Gdansk, but I only had four days in the city, so hopefully more next time!
If you try one of these places or have a recommendation for a great restaurant in Gdansk (or cafe or a coffee shop, basically, any place to eat and drink), do leave a comment below! I would love to hear from you!
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