With the addition of the East Loop this year, Busabout has given our passengers the opportunity to explore some of the most dynamic and developing cities in Europe. Krakow is making headlines everywhere for its beautiful architecture, buzzing nightlife, and surprising food scene. It’s the kid of city where you can eat traditional Polish food right next door to a vegan burger joint. My favourite thing about this city is the abundance of great cafes and bars you can spend your days in when the weather is too unfriendly for you to think about taking on the Krawl through Krakow pub-crawl- although this is of course a rite of passage for any Busabouter! Here are a few places to keep you interested.
Fitagain
This place is great the whole day long. All day breakfast (including a vegan option), juices, smoothies, quiche, salads, cakes and coffee. Free (good) wifi, chilled ambience and friendly staff, right off the main square, this would be my pick to while away the day with your laptop or a good book.
Szczepańska 7
Wedel
The Cadbury’s of Poland is kind of how you can think of the ubiquitous E. Wedel chocolate brand- only the chocolate is actually good. While you’ll find Wedel products on supermarket shelves throughout the country, there’s nothing quite like a trip to one of the iconic chocolatiers cafes. Not only can you grab plenty of pralines and other chocolate goodies to take away, but the menu features a HUGE variety of chocolate-y drinks, from standard milkshakes and iced chocolates to very special hot chocolate where you choose your strength- milk, white or dark- as well as your flavor. Think rose, raspberry, mint- they’ve got it all! They also do a mean chocolate pierogi with ricotta filling. Just so you know.
Rynek Glowny 46
Charlotte
For a little slice of France in Krakow, head to Charlotte’s. Just inside the door is a glass case full of pastries, and if you head downstairs thee is another seating area with coffee bar. The menu features a variety of breakfasts, like omelettes or yoghurt, as well as sandwiches, quiche, and of course French pastries. The ‘Charlotte Breakfast’ comes with bread, pastries, jam, chocolate, and egg- truly a sight to behold. The tea selection is decent too; I went for Vert Provence- green tea with lavender- which was completely delicious. An extensive wine list means this place is buzzing well into the night.
Plac Szczepański 2
Wezze Krafta
If you’re more of a beer baron than a cocktail connoisseur, visit Wezze Krafta. With an outdoor sitting area surrounded by dilapidated buildings giving off that ‘repurposed warehouse in Berlin’ vibe, Wezze is the place to tap in (sorry) to the Krakow craft beer scene. There’s an extensive selection of beers on tap, both local and international. Descriptions are on the wall, and beers will cost you between €2.50-4.
Dolnych Młynów 10 Czarnowiejska
Karma
A 100% vegetarian café that not only does great coffee, but also has an excellent selection of quiches and salads. Conveniently open until 8pm, it’s a nice place to while away the late afternoon, or buy a piece of quiche to take for the next day’s breakfast! Krupnicza Street actually has a lot of other cool cafes and restaurants worth checking out too, just outside of the main old town centre.
Krupnicza 12
Bona Books & Coffee
This bookstore with a lovely café in the back is located on the gorgeous Kanonicza Street. The café has a big selection of tea and serves salads and other stuff for lunch, as well as delicious cakes (get the carrot cake). There is a good selection of English language books, with a strong focus on the history of Krakow and Poland, as well as the Second World War. With friendly staff, it’s a lovely place to take some time out from the busy city centre, and browse for some cute gifts.
Kanonicza 11
Mercy Brown
This speakeasy themed bar has some of the best cocktails in Krakow, with the added bonus of a thrilling vintage vibe. Finding it is half the fun, and when you push your way through the heavy, quilted door and step into the plush interior, where jazz-pop fusion plays in the background, and a red lipsticked waitress approaches to guide you to a seat, you feel as though you’ve truly found something special. This is the first and only bar of it’s kind in Krakow, with plenty of high quality Polish vodkas as well as house made liqueurs and vermouth. Before you dismiss it as a hipster hangout, know that the bartenders are truly passionate about great liquor, and they know their stuff. The cocktail menu is small but unique; everything is a twist on a classic cocktail. My one drink turned into two, after I tried ‘Call It Magic’, which involved elderflower liqueur, and changed colour when poured into my glass. The bartender then recommended the more refreshing Betula, consisting of more local specialty vodka with sparkling birch sap and pine cordial (yes, really). It’s definitely the kind of place where you go for a drink and end up trying the whole menu. At just €5, I think you can afford to treat yourself.
Straszewskiego 28
Check out Busabout’s Hop-on Hop-off passes that allow you to decide where to stay and for how long. Saving you time and even more money!
