Robber-style potato pancakes are one of the most recognisable dishes of highlander cuisine, crispy potato pancakes with a thick, meaty goulash. At Karczma U Wnuka in Zakopane, at 8 Kościeliska Street, about 300 metres from Krupówki, we serve them with sour cream, cheese and a pickled cucumber. It is a filling dish you reach for after a day on the trail or on the slopes, when your appetite is at its peak.
The base of the dish is potato pancakes fried from grated potatoes to a golden colour, crispy at the edges and soft inside. We pour over them a thick meat goulash, which we simmer slowly until the meat turns soft and melts in the mouth. Add sour cream, cheese and a pickled cucumber, whose sourness cuts through the richness of the whole. The name "robber-style" refers to legends of the Carpathian brigands and to hearty, strong food that was meant to give strength in the mountains.
Robber-style potato pancakes are a dish with simple, folk roots: potatoes, called grule in the highlander dialect, were for centuries one of the pillars of the Podhale diet. Today this dish has become one of the symbols of the regional cuisine and an item sought out by tourists visiting Zakopane. It is worth remembering that robber-style pancakes differ from ordinary potato pancakes served sweet or with sour cream: this is a full dinner dish, a self-contained, substantial meal. If you are wondering where to eat robber-style pancakes in Zakopane, in our inn you will find them in their classic form, a few minutes' walk from Krupówki, in the heart of Zakopane's old town.
Robber-style potato pancakes are one of those dishes that taste best in company and without haste, which is why they suit a shared lunch after a mountain hike. At the peak of the season, in winter and summer, they are among the most frequently ordered items by tourists visiting Zakopane. For those who want to try a lighter version, on the menu we also have potato pancakes with sour cream and pancakes in porcini sauce. If you are looking for a filling, regional dish in the centre of Zakopane, near Krupówki, robber-style pancakes are one of the safest and most recognisable choices of highlander cuisine.
