Krakow In Your Pocket - December 2019 - January 2020

Restaurants POD RÓŻĄ (UNDER THE ROSE) Excellent Polish cuisine served under the glass atrium of the magnificent Pod Różą Hotel. The open and elegant design features plenty of potted plants, a piano perched on a raised platform and mezzanine seating overlooking the main floor. In addition to delicious coffees, to-die-for desserts, and an extensive wine list, the menu of seasonally inspired entrees includes a menagerie of perfectly prepared poultry and large game. Prices are high, but then so are the standards.QJ‑5, ul. Floriańska 14 (Pod Różą Hotel), tel. (+48) 12 424 33 81, www.likusrestauracje.pl. Open 18:30-23:00; Sat, Sun 12:00-23:00. €€€. T­U­E POD WAWELEM Huge portions of Polish fare cascade off the steel pans and wooden boards they’re served on, while uniformed staff weave between the benches serving frothing steins of beer. Great for groups and families, kids have their own large rumpus area, while the grown-ups soak up the beer hall atmosphere shouting over energetic live folk music.

Litre beers are encouraged and half-price on Mondays, and there’s a handy ‘vomitorium’ in the men’s room - i.e, two enormous steel basins for those suffering from overconsumption. Now a second location in the Cloth Hall (Restauracja Sukiennice).QJ‑7, ul. Św. Gertrudy 26-29, tel. (+48) 12 421 23 36, www.podwawelem.eu. Open 12:00-24:00; Sun 12:00-23:00. €€. T­U­B­E QUALITA RESTAURANT In addition to an opportunistic location next door to the ICE Congress Centre, the Q Hotel’s Qualita restaurant has another ace up its sleeve - head chef Marcin Dudek, whose culinary exploits have been awarded by Gault & Millau. Though the modern interior is typical of most hotel restaurants, the mouthwatering menu of contemporary Polish and European dishes is wholly original, not to mention healthy (they have their own dietician). Changing regularly, emphasis is put on only the freshest, most high-quality local ingredients, plus Polish meads and local craft beers. Check their website to save on daily promotions, but in Qualita you can bank on a delicious meal.

QH‑9, ul. Wygrana 6 (Q Hotel Plus Kraków), tel. (+48) 12 333 40 20, www.qhotels.pl. Open 12:30-23:00. €€€. T­U SCANDALE ROYAL - RESTO & VODKA HOUSE With bow-tied waiters, a colour palette of greys and pale blues and a classy art deco design that literally evokes an antiquated vodka label, Scandale Royal captures the aesthetic and atmosphere of 1930s Poland, when socialising took place over long hours between plates of cold tapas and toasts of clear liquids. The menu revives old regional recipes, lending a modern touch to classic Polish dishes like beef tartare, sour rye soup (żurek) and pierogi, while pairing them with an expansive list of high quality distilled alcohols (they have over 80 vodkas!), plus cocktails inspired by the pre-war era. A great place for group feasts, the interior also features a unique balcony level offering great views of Plac Szczepański.QI‑5, Pl. Szczepański 2, tel. (+48) 512 30 84 93, www.scandale.pl.

Open 07:30-24:00; Fri, Sat 07:30-02:00. €€€. X­T 107