Accidentally in Love With These 5 Pierogi Restaurants in Kraków

When in Poland, do as the Polish do and eat pierogi. Live, love, pierogi. As someone who once took down over one hundred plus dumplings with some friends at a Chinese New Year dinner, I think my “dumpling cred” is pretty tried and tested. Also, I somewhat physically resemble a pierogi thanks to my sturdy (and portly) build. 

The point is, I know my way around a pierogi or two.

As I’ve posted up in Kraków for over one month, I’ve become well acquainted with the commercial and underground pierogi scenes powering the city. And, business is booming. 

Kraków is pierogi heaven, so much so that I’ve had to whip out my old, considerably larger belt just so I don’t have so much internal pressure build-up (post-pierogi bender) that I explode and rain down pierogi remnants over unsuspecting tourists. 

Here are 5 of my top pierogi restaurants in Kraków (all perfect for different occasions). I’m throwing in 2 bonus pierogi for subscribers, so make sure to scroll to the bottom and subscribe! 

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I made a short video on 5 of the spots for those who prefer their pierogi recommendations delivered in video form!

Słowiańska Uczta | Pierogarnia - The Grandma’s Kitchen Pierogi

Website, Address, & Details: http://www.facebook.com/slowianskauczta 

• Location: Krakówska 44, 31-066 Kraków

• Price: $

I think it would only be wrong to not lead with what I consider the best pierogi I’ve ever eaten in my life. I learned of this little, traditional pierogarnia when stopping for a quick coffee at the edge of the Old Town and Kazimierz (the Jewish Quarter). I mentioned to the barista that I was in the market for quick pierogi for lunch and she looked me dead in the eye and said, “I know just the place.”

She declared that Słowiańska Uczta, located just on the edge of Kazimierz, was her favorite pierogi in the city, with emphatic parting words, “It truly makes you feel like you’re home.” I knew I had to go.  

It did not disappoint. I even knew it was going to be fantastic after entering and realizing that I was the only patron under 60 years old in there. Słowiańska Uczta specializes in one thing and one thing only - pierogi. This is home comfort and traditional cooking at its finest. It’s a cozy and intimate restaurant that feels like someone’s dining room. 

The Ruskie pierogi, a potato and quark cheese-filled dumpling, is my “control pierogi.” Sometimes, you get a bit more of a “commercial” cheese taste when biting in, made with a mild, middle-shelf cottage cheese (or other soft white cheese) that is just bland. Not here. 

It’s smooth, creamy, and slightly sour (from the quark cheese). I think Ruskie pierogi need a slight bite to them that cuts through the smoothness and sweetness of the potato filling. Check and check. 

Served piping hot and perfectly crimped and boiled, yielding a soft exterior with still a doughy mouthfeel, and I don’t think I can NOT (double negative, what?) call this my favorite pierogi in Kraków.

Pale Ale Travel Note: Keep in mind that this is the only “cash only” pierogarnia on the list so make sure to withdraw some złoty from the ATM before heading over. 

Mirror Bistro - Pierogi Bystro - The Hip Pierogi

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.mirror24.pl/ 

• Location: Brzozowa 8, 31-050 Kraków

• Price: $$

To me, Mirror Bistro is the type of spot that’s “making pierogi cool again.” It’s a young, hip spot offering up a wide range of both savory and sweet dumplings, refreshing cocktails and spritzes, and modern “cafe vibes.” However, tradition is still what drives Mirror Bistro and is at the heart of its operation. So don’t let the new-age interior throw you off! 

This is the perfect spot for those who love the intersection of the old school and new school (maybe that’s just code for millennials and Gen Z-ers who wish they were millennials). 

Served in a heart-shaped bowl, these piping hot pierogi elicit feelings of warmth and nostalgia that will have you reflect on simpler times. You know, before Elon tried to implant that chip in your brain to deliver Instagram reels and live political news feeds directly to your dome.

And you can mix and match, which is perfect for running the Polish pierogi gamut - my favorites being the ‘Cracow Style’, with kielbasa, potatoes, bacon, and onion, and the ‘Polish Christmas’, with cabbage and forest mushrooms. 

Oh, and don’t forget to pick up a bowl of their comforting, sweet, and sour borscht as well (especially in winter). 

Gościnna Chata - The Traditional Polish Experience Pierogi

Website, Address, & Details: https://goscinnachata.com/ 

• Location: Sławkowska 10, 31-014 Kraków

• Price: $$

Gościnna Chata is the place for pierogi in Kraków if you want the full Polish restaurant experience. Cream wooden tables and paneling embellished by floral centerpieces, red and white scarves hanging from the walls, and wait staff dressed in vibrant traditional garb. 

The menu emphasizes regional dishes from Lesser Poland, including the hearty favorite bigos (traditional hunter’s stew), smoked kielbasa, and mouth-watering sour soup, zurek. All pierogi staples you know and love can be found as well, including pierogi and soft cheese (Ruskie), meat-filling pierogi, and even black pudding pierogi. 

While I opted for one of my favorite dishes as my main dish, the cabbage rolls in a creamy mushroom sauce, it was the pierogi that stole the show (along with the apple pie and ice cream drizzled with a berry sauce for dessert). Well seasoned, juicy but not watery, and cooked through to a tender but firm texture. 

You actually taste the mild wheat flavor and feel a slight elastic snap when biting in, which is a requirement for a top-tier pierogi in my opinion. You shouldn’t be able to “drink” a pierogi because it’s so slippery and overcooked that it’s turned into a slimy noodle.  

Przystanek Pierogarnia - The Late-Night Pierogi

Website, Address, & Details: http://przystanek-pierogarnia.pl/ 

• Location: Szewska 25, 33-332 Kraków (Old Town Location)

• Price: $

I first became acquainted with Przystanek Pierogarnia during my time in Warsaw when I was searching for an affordable, late-night bite (this was after I went on a kebab tear and needed a break). Come to find out, it has locations scattered across Poland, with more than a handful in various pockets of Kraków. 

Przystanek Pierogarnia is a no-frills, reliable, fresh pierogi that frankly, can compete with some of the more “country” and “homestyle” pierogi joints I’ve eaten at. And, you can have it at 4 AM after a night slugging Żywiec lagers with the best of them. 

It’s also one of the few spots I depart from my traditional Ruskie pierogi “control test” and rock something different - my go-to being the ‘Studenckie’ (a bacon and potato filling). It’s salty, it’s creamy, and it’s sweet (thanks to the generous topping of caramelized onions). 

While it’s much more of a “get in, get out” (aka takeaway) spot, that doesn’t mean the quality is lacking. Plus, you’ll feel way better about yourself waking up next to an empty pierogi container rather than McDouble wrappers. 

Farsztat - The Food Truck Pierogi

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.facebook.com/Farsztat 

• Location: Ciemna 4, 31-053 Kraków

• Price: $$

Located amongst the countless other food truck legends at Plac Izaaka, Farsztat is equally delicious as it is unassuming. Its black mono color exterior and handwritten menu in both Polish and English are a testament to the simplicity and modest exterior of the pierogi. However, the taste is anything but. 

While food trucks might conjure up the idea of “fast food,” I can assure you that this is simply home cooking in a truck. Both savory and sweet pierogi are at your disposal, along with a friendly owner who is more than happy to field questions and recommend favorites. It’s also incredibly vegetarian, with the forest green spinach and feta pierogies, along with a lentil pierogi, being favorites amongst patrons. 

I’m especially a fan of it as the dough is slightly thicker and chewier, which adds some much-needed texture that I feel pierogi can sometimes lack (if done improperly). 

And, you can always bop around to other food trucks to pair something with your pierogi. Personally, I follow up Farsztat with a traditional chimney cake and coffee from Trdelnik Tradycyjna Receptura Kraków which is just a stone’s throw away. 

2 Bonus Pierogi Below!