A Food & Drink Guide to Gdańsk, Poland
a curated list of the city's best bites & sips
Hello, foodie friends! I hope this finds you well! I’m here today to share my latest stomach-led post with you: A Food & Drink Guide to Gdańsk, Poland! It’s the companion piece to last week’s more generalized guide to the city — 7 Things to See in Gdańsk, Poland — and deals exclusively with all things edible and delicious! If you’re looking for a list of the city’s cultural attractions, last week’s post is the one for you. However, if you’re looking for a list of some of the best food & drink spots the city has, then you’ve come to the right place! Husband and I were very pleasantly surprised by the food & drink scene in Gdańsk, so you better believe this post is filled to the brim with mouth-watering recommendations. Shall we?
Everywhere we stopped for a bite or a beverage is listed below, and for ease I’ve divided everything into the usual categories: where we had coffee & pastries / where we ate pączki, breakfast, lunch, dinner / where we drank. Let’s get into it!
Enjoy!
where we had coffee & pastries
Kawiarnia Drukarnia // a speciality coffee spot plonked right in the middle of Mariacka Street. I went for a cappuccino and pistachio croissant, Husband went for an americano and Kinder Bueno croissant; everything was great! The coffees were strong and punchy, and the pastries were flaky, delicious, and generously filled — which I will never have a problem with, but Husband found a bit too much. The only downside to the place is that, likely because it attracts a more hipster crowd, it’s more expensive than any of the other places we stopped for a brew. Address: Mariacka 36, 80-833 Gdańsk
Józef K. // an Instagram find that actually exceeded my expectations! We stopped in on one very hot day to escape the sunshine, and the shady interior was such a welcome treat! I opted for an iced lemonade made with sparkling water, while Husband went for a black coffee. Both were delicious, but mine was obviously the superior choice; laden with homemade cordial, it was delightfully zingy and super refreshing! The space itself is also lovely, trendy without feeling overtly hipster, mismatching furniture, quirky artwork, etc. Would recommend. See also: where we drank alcohol, below. Address: Piwna 1/pok. 407, 80-831 Gdańsk
Słodko Słono // we stopped in here after an early morning stroll one day to refuel, and it was so lovely! We went for the usual coffees — cappuccino for me, americano for Husband — and shared a pistachio croissant between us. No surprise, everything was great; the coffees were brewed to perfection, and the pastry was delightfully buttery, pleasingly pistachio-y, and flaky AF. Would recommend. Address: Świętego Ducha 105/107, 80-834 Gdańsk
where we ate
pączki
Aka: Polish doughnuts — what a revelation!! I’ve never tasted anything as pillowy and light in my lifetime, and I had no idea we were in for such a life-changing culinary experience! Please follow in our footsteps and make sure you have at least one pączki a day if you are Gdańsk bound!
Dobra Pączkarnia Gdańsk // no joke: we stopped here four out of our five days in town.. And to make up for the day we missed, one day we stopped by here twice.. And on our last day we also had some packed up for the flight home. That’s how good these are!! Ridiculously pillowy, light-as-air, packed with just the right amount of filling, perfectly fried and glazed on the outside and oh-so-soft and delicious on the inside. We tried a whole host of flavours across our many visits — cherry, pistachio, raspberry, blueberry, Snickers, and Kinder Bueno — all of which were fantastic, but my favourite was the humble raspberry filled pączki; so jammy and moreish! An absolute must-visit. Address: Plac Dominikański 1, 80-844 Gdańsk
Cukiernia W-Z // more of a classic old school type place, this bakery in the centre of town was very much a locals only spot. There were two flavours to choose from — cherry or rose — so naturally we got one of each and shared. Now, don’t get me wrong; although the doughnuts were perfectly fluffy, covered in a delightfully crackle-y glaze, and generally really very tasty, they just weren’t as good as any of the pączki we ate at the above. A good second place spot to have in your back pocket, but second place nonetheless. Address: Słodowników 1, 80-823 Gdańsk
breakfast
Gdański Bowke // the only place we ate breakfast at in the city — but I somehow feel like it might be the best Gdańsk has to offer? We visited twice, and over the course of our visits, the three of us devoured: apple pancakes / breakfast skillets with roast bacon, fried eggs, and fried potatoes / breakfast butter brioche with poached eggs, cheddar, and truffle mayo / a pulled pork rib sandwich / and a side dish of fried frankfurter sausages with onions. Everything was phenomenal! The roast bacon was amazing, the pancakes were perfectly crispy yet fluffy, the frankfurters were melt-in-the-mouth, and the fried potatoes were *chef’s kiss*! Added bonus: every breakfast comes with free filter coffee refills! A must-visit. See also: where we ate dinner, below. Address: Długie Pobrzeże 11, 80-888 Gdańsk
lunch
Pierogarnia Mandu Gdańsk Śródmieście // the number one rated pierogi spot in the city — and for good reason! Located conveniently close to the train station, we stopped in here for our very first meal in the city and were pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was! I was hatching some pączki eating plans for dessert, so we decided to share one 10-piece set of pierogi filled with minced pork + beef, which came with a side of fried onions in bacon(!), and an extra side of sour cream for dipping. Friends, it was wonderful! The pierogi were handmade to order, and they were so fresh and flavourful. Pro tip: be sure to try the house lemonades if you visit! Husband tried their mango & peach mix and I went for their raspberry mix; both were delicious! A must-visit. Address: Elżbietańska 4/8, 80-894 Gdańsk
Słony Spichlerz // a wonderful food hall in the city centre! We actually enjoyed the atmosphere and offerings here so much that we came back three times, once alone and twice with my sister! Over the course of our visits, we tried a handful of different vendors: Pita Bros, Cheeky Chicken, Pasta Miasta, Neon, and Salty Bar for drinks. Honestly, everything we ate here was amazing — the standard across the board was really high! — but if I had to rate everything we ate in order (😉), here goes: 1. sesame chicken bites from CC. Juicy and tender interior, crispy exterior, and generally reminiscent of Japanese karaage. 2. classic gyros from PB with all the trimmings. Delicious, generously portioned, and there didn’t seem to be a bad sauce option — both the spicy mayo and tzatziki were stellar. 3. tomato arancini with ‘nduja mayo & garlic aioli from PM. Piping hot, fantastically fried, and pleasingly cheesy. 4. pork gyoza with sweet & sour sauce from N. Tender, juicy, and generously filled. A must-visit. Address: Chmielna 10, 80-748 Gdańsk
dinner
Gdański Bowke // this was our first dinner in Gdańsk and, let me tell you, it set the bar HIGH. We ordered two mains and one dessert, and divided everything up between us: one pork schnitzel served with fried egg, dill boiled potatoes + a yogurt cucumber salad, one beer-braised pork knuckle served with mashed potatoes, smoked white cabbage, horseradish + mustard, and one apple pie with ice-cream to round everything off. To say we died and went to food heaven would be an understatement; every single morsel of food was devoured, each more delicious than the next! The dill boiled potatoes were a particular revelation — so salty and flavoursome! who knew boiled potatoes could actually be nice?! — and the apple pie was a work of art: buttery, cinnamon-y, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Pro tip: reservations are a must here! A must-visit. See also: where we ate breakfast, above. Address: Długie Pobrzeże 11, 80-888 Gdańsk
OSTRO. Pizza Napoletana // such a great pizza place! We queued for about 20ish-minutes to get in here on a Friday evening — they don’t take reservations — and I’d say it was worth it! We ordered a portion of their homemade garlic buns with pesto for the table, and, pizza-wise, Husband and I both opted for a classic margherita, while my sister went for their aglio e olio with added ‘nduja. All of the food was amazing! The dough was super light and fresh, with a perfectly charred straight-from-the-woodfired-oven thin base with a fluffy yet airy crust. The only downside was the service; the staff weren’t the friendliest, we waited ages to order, and our food took around an hour to arrive. If you’re okay with that: would recommend. Address: Długie Pobrzeże 15, 80-888 Gdańsk
Pierogarnia Stary Młyn // the second highest rated pierogi spot in the city, somehow. Between the three of us, we ordered a starter of braided dough with parmesan, garlic and marjoram for the table, and for mains we mixed and matched basically every different type of traditional boiled pierogi they had on the menu, with my sister & I opting for 5-piece sets, and Husband going for the 9-piece set. While we all enjoyed our meals, it definitely wasn’t as good as Mandu, above, and the service was more than a little lacking, very slow, and unfriendly. Address: Świętego Ducha 64, 80-834 Gdańsk
Restauracja Dominikańska // a smaller spot just off the main tourist trail, we were left underwhelmed by our meal here. I ordered their biggos staropolski — a meat stew served with kiełbasa sausage, mashed potato & mustard — and Husband went for their pork schnitzel with roast potatoes, sauerkraut & carrots. The food was all fine, but every plate that came to our table needed extra seasoning; it almost tasted like it wasn’t seasoned at all? Overall, this was probably the most disappointing dinner of our trip — but maybe we caught them on a bad night? They normally get very good reviews online! Sad. Address: Garbary 2/4, 80-827 Gdańsk
where we drank
Flisak ‘76 // such a cool themed cocktail bar! When we visited, the theme was ‘The Greatest Show!’ and the drinks they were creating were so inventive! I had two fantastic mocktails: one ‘levitation’, which was a violet flavoured drink that literally came to the table spinning and levitating as if by magic(!), and one ‘balloon’, pictured above, which tasted like bubblegum but was a tad awks to consume in public. My alcohol consuming companion sampled one off-menu drink, a classic old-fashioned, and their ‘fortune teller’ cocktail, which was made with absinth and served in a glass orb. I mean really, how fun?! Added bonus: they keep bringing free little bowls of popcorn to your table while you’re there! A must visit. Address: Chlebnicka 9/10, 80-830 Gdańsk
Winston Bar // another quirky cocktail bar! I opted for their non-alcoholic pornstar gin martini, and Husband went for their ‘weird whiskey sour’; both were fantastic! I’ve never really been a pornstar martini gal before, but it was really very enjoyable! Similar to the above, when the waiter brought the drinks to the table, we got a full spiel about ingredients, tasting notes, and any fun presentation etc. which is a rather lovely touch. If you’re wondering who that man is clipped onto my drink above, I regret to inform you that he isn’t Gdańsk’s top pornstar, but instead a much beloved Polish singer named Krysztof Krawczyk. Would recommend. Address: Długa 70/71, 80-831 Gdańsk
La Muerte Mexican Cocktail Bar // you guessed it: another fun cocktail bar, this one with a Mexican twist! We stopped in here on our last night and went to town. I went absolutely wild and had two non-alcoholic frozen mango margaritas (🙄), Husband tried ‘Tommy's margarita’ and an ‘old Mexican’, and my sister tried the ‘muerte’ and the ‘el manbot’; everything was great! My frozen N/A margs were delightful, and the other drinks looked so good it made me semi-depressed to not be able to try any. Husband and I also shared a small plate of nachos with cheese, guacamole, and red + green salsas; which it goes without saying was obviously delicious. Would definitely recommend. Address: Mariacka 1, 80-833 Gdańsk
Józef K. // after enjoying the vibe of our midday coffee here so much, we decided to come back the next evening with my sister to see what this spot was like for drinks. Spoiler alert: it was just as great! I had a bottle of non-alcoholic Freeky APA followed by a non-alcoholic raspberry margarita, Husband had a Kozel lager followed by an old-fashioned cocktail, and my sister had an alcohol-filled margarita followed by an Italicus spritz. No surprises here: every single drink was a hit! A must visit. See also: where we had coffee, above. Address: Piwna 1/pok. 407, 80-831 Gdańsk
And there we have it: A Food & Drink Guide to Gdańsk, Poland! I hope you loved it, and I hope you found some solid foodie recs to take away with you! If you think I missed any must eat or drink spots in the city, pop them into the comment box below — I’d love to hear from you!
Hugs,
Vicki xo
*Date of trip: 27th - 31st May, 2025*
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