Krakow is one the best preserved cities in Europe and major parts of the city feels ancient. The Wierzynek Restaurant likes to monetize on that with the year 1364 on its logotype. In 1364 the Polish king, Casimir (Kazimierz) the Great, held a massive feast for 22 days together with several royals from around Europe and the party took place in the house of the Cracovian rich merchant Nicholas Wierzynek. In 1945 the communist regime used the story as an excuse to confiscate a private building at one of the best locations in Krakow and set up a restaurant controlled by the authorities. And it was not even sure if the feast actually took place in the pompous house that held the Wierzynek Restaurant.

Since 2001 the Wierzynek Restaurant is owned by private financial interests and the menu is much more extensive than it was during the communist days. The restaurant is situated on several floors and eight dining rooms such as the Italianate Pompeii Rooms, the Tatra Room, The Clock Room, the Knights Room and the Chamber of Imagination. From all the windows you have perfect views of the beautiful Market Square with the Cloth Hall and Saint Mary’s Basilica.

All you will eat is inspired by traditional Polish courtly cuisine so start up with a couple of Casimir Cocktails with Casimir the Great Crown Vodka, Cointreau liqueur and topped with Absinthe de Lux. The Casimir Cocktails will certainly set your mode and when you have finished your Absinthe cocktail you are ready for some terrine of Polish Ewe’s cheese “bundz” on a bed of marinated apple with nut vinaigrette sauce.

Proceed with one of the soups such as the red cabbage cream with dried plum or the Polish mushroom cream with slices of smoked duck. None of them are any taste wonders, but they fit well in to the menu. Try the goose breast in natural sauce with plum and apple noodles and red cabbage together with a glass of Mapu Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere by B.Ph. Rothschild from Chile as the main or the pikeperch flamed in mead “Trójniak Szachecki” served with pear flakes in sour cream sauce if you prefer to have fish.

Head Chef Marcin Soltys and Restaurant Manager Wieslaw Kukula have the experience and manage well to serve the guests in all the dining rooms of the big restaurant, but the feeling and genuine flavors will never really appear and sometimes the classical luxurious dining rooms feel like a tourist trap instead of a truly great restaurant with the only ambition of serving the best food in Krakow.

Written by Andy