Guide · Podhale Cuisine
Where to eat in Zakopane
A comprehensive guide to Zakopane’s restaurants and taverns, ranging from authentic highlander cuisine, to venues near the Krupówki and budget bars, to international cuisine and tried-and-tested spots in the surrounding area.
Our recommendation to get you started
Start with the oldest regional inn in Zakopane
Before you move on to the full list, we’d like to recommend one place for your first, authentic taste of the region. Karczma U Wnuka is situated in one of the oldest two-storey houses in Zakopane, on the historic Kościeliska 8, about 300 metres from Krupówki. We serve traditional Podhale cuisine prepared just as the highlanders’ gaździny, the highlander housewives used to do, in a wooden interior, accompanied by highlander music.
And now, the complete guide. Zakopane is one of those places in Poland where food is part of the journey. The cuisine of the Podhale region is based on sheep’s cheese, sauerkraut, smoked meat and simple, hearty dishes that originated in highlanders’ cottages. Below, we’ve organised Zakopane’s dining scene according to what you’re really looking for: by region, near the pedestrianised high street, on a budget, for breakfast, for international cuisine or outside the town.
Quick answer
- Regional cuisine
- Karczma U Wnuka (Kościeliska 8), Gazdowo Kuźnia, Karczma Zapiecek, Bąkowo Zohylina Wyżnio, Góralska Kryjówka.
- At Krupówki
- u Fiakra, Góralska Tradycja, Karczma Kulig, La Petite Baroque, Schronisko Krupówki Bistro, Karczma Krupowa Izba.
- Cheap and home-made
- Regionalny i Tatrzański Bar Mleczny, Karczma u Starego, milk bar Nowotarska 4A, Marzanna, Rusałka.
- World cuisines
- Italian: Cristina, Kryjówka Italiano and Villa Toscana; Indian: Curry Mahal; steaks: Bifalo; Thai: Thai Spot.
- Vegetarian and vegan
- Pierogi ruskie, placki, moskole potato flatbreads and sour cabbage soup (kwaśnica), vegetarian options in taverns; plant-based dishes are marked on LAS at Orkana 1d. In other establishments, ask for meat-free options.
- For delivery
- Catering Mitek Bar, Da Adamo, Włoski Placek, Pizzeria Włoska Kryjówka.
- For breakfast
- STRH Bistro Art Cafe, buffet at Grand Podhale, Bistro Kryjówka. Karczma U Wnuka opens its kitchen at 12:00.
- In the area
- Bukowina Tatrzańska, Kościelisko, Witów, Poronin and Białka Tatrzańska.
What you absolutely must try in Zakopane
If you’re visiting Zakopane for the first time, it’s well worth trying a few of Podhale’s classic dishes. These are the dishes that keep visitors coming back, and you’ll find them in most of the region’s traditional taverns in the town.
- Kwaśnica, a highlander’s soup made with sauerkraut and smoked ribs, the region’s signature dish.
- Grilled oscypek with cranberry, smoked sheep’s cheese with a protected EU designation, served warm.
- Robbers' potato pancakes (placki po zbójnicku), crispy potato pancakes with a hearty meat stew.
- Roast lamb, meat linked to the tradition of sheep grazing in Podhale.
Regional highlander inns
This is the heart of Zakopane’s culinary scene. At the inn, you can enjoy sour cabbage soup, grilled oscypek sheep cheese, robbers' potato pancakes, roast lamb and other grilled meats, usually in a wooden-panelled setting accompanied by highlander music. Closest to the centre, about 300 metres from Krupówki, is Karczma U Wnuka at Kościeliska 8, the oldest regional inn in the town, housed in a building dating from before 1850. You can also enjoy regional cuisine at Gazdowo Kuźnia, Karczma Zapiecek, Bąkowo Zohylina Wyżnio and Góralska Kryjówka, amongst others.
Close to Krupówki and in the city centre
If you don’t want to stray too far from the main pedestrianised street, there’s plenty of choice. On Krupówki and right next to them, you can eat at, amongst others, u Fiakra, Góralska Tradycja, Karczma Kulig, La Petite Baroque, Schronisko Krupówki Bistro and Karczma Krupowa Izba. A few minutes’ walk from the pedestrianised street, on the historic Kościeliska, you’ll also find traditional regional taverns if you fancy a highlander-style meal without straying too far from the centre.
Cheap and homely: milk bars
Zakopane can be expensive, but it’s possible to eat well without breaking the bank. The best options are milk bars and places serving home-style cooking, such as Regionalny Bar Mleczny, Tatrzański Bar Mleczny, the milk bar at Nowotarska 4A, Karczma u Starego, Marzanna and Rusałka. Filling one-pot dishes are also a good budget option; for example, sour cabbage soup, which offers a really filling meal at a reasonable price after a day in the mountains.
For breakfast
For a morning meal, cafés and breakfast spots are your best bet, including STRH Bistro Art Cafe, the breakfast buffet at Grand Podhale, Rispetto, Bistro Kryjówka and Leśniczówka Resto Bar. It’s worth bearing in mind that many regional inns don’t open their kitchens until midday, so it’s better to choose a café for breakfast and return to the inn for lunch or dinner.
World cuisines
Zakopane isn’t all about highlander cuisine. For pizza and Italian dishes, you can pop into Cristina, Kryjówka Italiano and Villa Toscana, amongst others. Curry Mahal is often recommended for Indian cuisine, Bifalo Steakhouse for good steaks, and Thai Spot for Thai cuisine. It’s a good alternative when you fancy something other than oscypek sheep cheese.
Delivery and takeaway
If you don’t fancy going out or are looking for something to enjoy in your flat in the evening, there are plenty of places in Zakopane offering delivery and catering services. You can order takeaway food from, amongst others, Catering Mitek Bar, Da Adamo, Włoski Placek and Pizzeria Włoska Kryjówka. It’s a convenient option, although for a truly regional meal it’s worth popping into a local inn.
In the Zakopane area
It’s worth heading a little way out of town to escape the crowds and high prices of the city centre. At Bukowina Tatrzańska, you can eat at the scenic Szymkówka and at Skalnica. At Kościelisko, Gościniec Góralski Dwór and La Luz Corner are recommended. At Witów, you’ll find Ziębówka and Leśniczówka u Zięby; at Poronin, Bistro na Dolinie; and at Białka Tatrzańska, Restauracja Górska, Góralski Resort and Dwa Topory, which offer a ‘quality street food’ concept.
Vegetarian and vegan dining in the Tatra Mountains
Podhale cuisine is often associated with meat and smoked meats, but it also features a number of meat-free dishes that were traditionally prepared in highlanders’ cottages on a daily basis. Meat-free options include pierogi ruskie with potatoes and bryndza sheep cheese, potato pancakes, moskole, flatbreads made from grated potatoes and served with garlic butter, noodles with bryndza sheep cheese, wild mushrooms and sauerkraut dishes. The classic sour cabbage soup is traditionally cooked with smoked ribs, but in many taverns you can ask for a vegetarian version without meat. It is worth bearing in mind that sheep’s cheese, oscypek sheep cheese and bryndza sheep cheese, although meat-free, are dairy products, so they are suitable for vegetarians but not for vegans.
More and more cafés and restaurants in Zakopane are offering a separate plant-based selection on their menus, ranging from vegetarian to fully vegan dishes. A good place to visit is LAS, Jedzenie, Picie, Życie on Orkana 1d Street, where vegetarian and vegan dishes are clearly marked on the menu. In other establishments, if you’re following a plant-based diet, it’s best to ask the staff about meat- and dairy-free options, as many places will prepare them on request, even if they aren’t explicitly listed on the menu.