Many people (Polish and non-Polish) thought Krakow would be difficult for vegans, but it is very vegan-friendly (like many other Eastern European cities). If you’re planning a trip to Krakow, this post is going to help you choose where to eat vegan food – from traditional Polish dishes to burgers.
Vegan Food in Krakow
Plac Wolnica 12. Open Monday to Saturday 12pm to 9pm, Sunday 10am to 9pm. https://www.facebook.com/novakrovakrakow/
Burgers seem to be the main item on Krakow’s vegan restaurants’ menus, and we couldn’t avoid them at all during our time in the city. The second place we went to was Mihiderka, and you can find it in the former Jewish district of Kazimierz. The place is rather small, but we were lucky and got an empty table. This time, I was the one who ordered a burger which was their classic burger. Even though they don’t have a fast food atmosphere, they operate like one in that you choose your burger and then the sauces and side dishes you want to order. My salad only consisted of carrots, but I have to say that the burger was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had so I would recommend the burgers without a doubt. My partner was slightly disappointed that he hadn’t ordered a burger as well, but he was happy with his delicious Middle Eastern bowl.
The only thing that put us off going to Mihiderka a second time was that the door was extremely noisy. It was squeaking every time somebody opened the door to the tiny place which was enough to make us not want to go back. Make sure to give Mihiderka a try though as the food was excellent.
Jozefa 22. Open Sunday to Thursday 12pm to 8pm, Friday and Saturday 12 pm to 10pm. https://www.facebook.com/mihiderka/
Ciemna 4. Open April to October Sunday to Thursday 12pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm to 11pm. http://www.frozenrolls.pl/
The next morning, our quest was to find vegan breakfast, but we soon realized that none of the vegan places opened before 11am. We went to a place close to our Airbnb called Sufeat based on the incorrect opening hours listed on HappyCow (we corrected them on the spot). You can find Sufeat in Podgorze which means it’s not on everybody’s radar, but make sure you check it out. The atmosphere is lovely with several couches, and because it’s not in the center of the city, it doesn’t get as packed as some of the other vegan places. When we inquired about their breakfast choices, they said they didn’t usually make breakfast, but they ended up making unbelievably delicious pancakes for us. From what I could make out on the blackboard, all their dishes are gluten-free as well. If that’s the case, I have to say I’m impressed because these were by far the best vegan pancakes I’ve ever had. In my opinion, Sufeat is the best vegan restaurant in Krakow, and I would recommend making the trip here for some more traditional Polish food.Długosza 2. Open Monday to Sunday 11am to 7pm. https://www.facebook.com/Sufeat-Wege-Sufit-477552685933674/
Dietla 45. Open Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am to 6pm. https://www.facebook.com/hariprasadsamosa
Ulica Wiślna 6. Open Monday to Sunday 11am to 10pm. https://www.facebook.com/veganfarmakrakow/
The next day, during the Free Jewish Tour, we were able to grab lunch at Vegab on the busy New Square in Kazimierz. This square is the center of nightlife in Kazimierz and features several fast food places for people to grab a bite before, during, or after hitting up the many bars in the area. Vegab is the only entirely vegan stall here, and they specialize in kebab-like wraps. I got the Hamster which has a peanut-coconut sauce. Perfect for me, as I love both peanut and coconut. My partner got the Greek-style Olymp and loved it so much that we came back to Vegab a second time. I wasn’t interested in their other options, so I got the Hamster again, but my partner got a hot dog the second time. We also got a bounty cake which was a bit too rich for me, but if you ask my partner, Vegab is one of the best vegan places in Krakow. It surely is your best option for a quick and cheap bite when you’re out in Kazimierz.
Plac Nowy 5/8. Open Monday to Thursday 11am to 12am, Friday and Saturday 11am to 2am, Sunday 3pm to 11pm. https://www.vegab.pl/en/
For dinner, we went for burgers which is the obvious thing to do in Krakow as a vegan. We had heard a lot about Krowarzywa which is a chain that’s also present in Warsaw but which I wasn’t able to try when I was in the capital last year. Like several other places in Krakow, Krowarzywa was a bit of a letdown. The burgers we got (chickpea and pastrami) were decent but nothing spectacular. We couldn’t even order the combo as they were out of fries (the main side dish). From the way you order to the seating and atmosphere, Krowarzywa is pretty much a fast food joint. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re in the center and hungry. It’s nice that there are vegan eateries like this as well, but of course, you can’t expect mind-blowing food at such a place.
Ulica Sławkowska 8. Open Monday to Sunday 11am to 11pm. http://krowarzywa.pl/en/
Rynek Główny 19. Open Monday to Sunday 10am to 10pm. http://slodkiwentzl.pl/
Zwierzyniecka 8. Open Monday to Friday 12pm to 7pm, Saturday 12pm to 8pm. https://www.facebook.com/VegeToTu
Finally, the day we left, we wanted to go for breakfast in Krakow one last time. As we couldn’t find a vegan place that opened early enough, we had to opt for the vegetarian Cafe Młynek. Located within mere meters from our first vegan spot in Krakow, Nova Krova, we completed the circle with some vegan pancakes. As we had already had amazing vegan pancakes at Sufeat, the ones at Cafe Młynek were a bit disappointing, but the location and friendly service made up for it. Not every place can be perfect, and it’s nice to see that more and more restaurants and cafés are adding vegan items to their menus.
Plac Wolnica 7. Open Monday to Thursday 8am to 10pm, Friday to Sunday 8am to 11pm. https://www.facebook.com/cafemlynek
Now for the ice cream lovers: There are a lot of ice cream places in Krakow, and most of them have several vegan flavors. I got two flavors (don’t remember which ones) from Lody z Lodziarni at Ulica Floriańska 6. Again, nothing mind-blowing, but a decent choice for cooling off in the summer.
Overall, I must say I was a bit disappointed with the vegan food options in Krakow. While there were many entirely vegan places, most of them focused on fast food and tasted mediocre. I had expected a bit more after my trips to other cities in Eastern Europe.
Vegan Shopping in Krakow
The best, by far, was Fairma Ethical Design, a vegan, fair trade clothing store. They don’t have all that many products in the store, but the fact alone that a physical store of this kind exists made me fall in love with them. I don’t think veganism stops with the animals. Ignoring human rights is as speciesist as eating animal products is. Finding vegan clothes that take into consideration the people making them is high on my list of priorities. We ended up getting two pairs of shoes and a wallet which I utterly love! I would have liked to buy more as the prices are quite moderate, but we were traveling with hand luggage only. The solution? Fairma has a great online store as well, and they ship abroad, so I’ll be sure to make an order in the future. Please check out this store when you’re in Krakow. We all have to realize that there is more than just not consuming animal products.
Ulica Dajwór 20. Open Monday to Saturday 11am to 6pm. https://fairma.pl/en/
The other vegan store in Krakow that we went to was Roślinny which sells food items. It’s not close to the center and honestly not worth the trip as it doesn’t offer a lot of products. You can mainly find bars made of dates, marmalades, liqueurs, as well as some plant milks and cheeses, but not many of the products I see in other vegan stores. It may be better to visit an organic store and look for vegan products there. (Close by, you will find the vegan bakery Zaczyn, but when we went, they looked empty and didn’t seem to have any of the sweets that I had seen on the pictures on HappyCow, so we didn’t manage to buy anything.)
Rynek Dębnicki 10. Open Monday to Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 2pm. https://www.facebook.com/skleproslinny
Have you been to Krakow as a vegan? Do you disagree with my sober assessment of the food in the city? Let’s discuss in the comments!
4 Comments
Raychal Asuras
February 10, 2019 at 8:31 pmThis was super helpful! I’m not vegan but I love all of these tasty choice they have in Poalnd!
Nina | Lemons and Luggage
February 11, 2019 at 11:23 pmPoland is so vegan-friendly, you wouldn’t believe it! But even as a non-vegan, you will really enjoy the dishes they have!
Kat
June 9, 2019 at 6:22 amWow! So nice to see that you enjoyed your stay in my country! Everything looks so delicious 🙂
Nina | Lemons and Luggage
June 9, 2019 at 8:00 pmYes! Poland is excellent for vegans!