Growing up with a Polish grandmother, I remember meat-laden Polish dishes like pigs in the blanket, Polish sausage, and Klopsy (meatloaf stuffed with eggs). Accordingly, I did not expect to find many veggie options on my recent trip to Krakow. To my surprise, Krakow’s old town boasts many international and specialty restaurants, including three purely vegetarian restaurants and many others with veggie options.

Getting Around Krakow as a Veggiehead

Most visitors to Krakow arrive at the train station, Krakow Glowny. Hungry tourists leaving the station are likely to chance the strange pastries and snacks available at the many street-side stands. Yet, these snacks are extremely questionable in that many contain animal fat or gelatin. Also, they are often several days old. There are much better options for the weary traveler. Walking from the train station toward old town, there are many fruit vendors. Within old town, there are also hundreds of “pretzel” vendors, selling bread rings with poppy seed, salt or other toppings for only .50 zloty ($.15). These are a wonderful and fully vegetarian option for the new arrival. They are also a filling, affordable snack while sightseeing in the city-center.

Grocery stores, as Americans are used to, are difficult to come by in Krakow. The old town square, Rynek Glowny, has a few Polish-style groceries. Everything in these stores is behind the counter, requiring a store attendant to help with every item. These stores are conveniently located, but over-priced because they cater to tourists. In most cases, it is actually more cost-effective (and certainly more exciting) to eat out.

In Polish, wegetaria and wegetarianin mean vegetarian, although there are some variations. On Polish menus, watch for kielbasiany (sausage), miesny (meat), and serowy (cheese).

Finally, don’t forget to buy bottled water. Most travel guides to Poland still suggest not drinking the water, not because of bacteria but because of chemical and pesticide contamination. That means that, if you have to, you can brush your teeth with the local water. Still, try keeping tap-water intake to a minimum.

Restaurants to Check Out

Most of the restaurants with vegetarian offerings are counter/take-away food, which is one reason they are so cheap. If you are looking for a nice sit-down meal, Vega has wonderful ambiance even with the counter service, and La Strada has traditional waiters. All of these restaurants are easy to walk to from the old town area, and most have menus in English.

Vega, sw. Gertrudy 7. Open 9am-9pm. On Gertrudy, right across from the park that surrounds the old town center, there is a beautiful little restaurant named Vega. Open from 9am-9pm, I was able to try breakfast, lunch and dinner options. I was impressed with all three. The restaurant is completely vegetarian, and offers many options for vegans. Options are the best part of eating here; the menu is almost entirely ala carte. And, because individual items are so cheap, a meal for two, including drinks, is only 20-25 zloty ($5-6US). When you first walk in, you will notice the large selection of salads, including sweet-potato salad, bulgur and vegetable, gourmet coleslaw, and about 10 others. You can buy a plate with 3-5 of these different salads for under $3 US. Breakfast possibilities include scrambled eggs or tofu, boiled potatoes with thyme, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Remarkably, the eggs with tofu taste a lot like ham. The coffee is also excellent, especially compared to much of the coffee you will find in other restaurants in the area. The soy cutlets with a side of mashed potatoes, or the vegetable-potato pierogies make wonderful dinner options. By far, Vega had the best vegetarian options in town.

Nalesniki, Mariacki 2. Open 9:30am-8pm. Just off Rynek Glowny, there is a wonderful crepe cafe called Nalesniki. While it is not fully vegetarian (and has no vegan options), it offers many lunch and dessert crepes that are worth a stop. The Polish Crepe is stuffed with cabbage and mushrooms. Other options include cottage cheese and apple, cheese and mushroom, and cheese and apple. For dessert, a simple crepe with chocolate sauce and whipped cream was more than enough, for just 3 zloty ($.75). The hot chocolate here is excellent, as well.

Momo, Dietla 49. Open 11am-8pm. Momo is a vegetarian organic bar with the healthiest options in Krakow. Most of the menu is also vegan. While some items, like the Tibetan Dumplings, and whole-grain pancakes, are excellent (and under $3US), some dishes were, well, maybe too healthy. For example, the curried spinach that I tried was not something I would go back for. To its credit, Momo is committed to cooking without microwaves, without preserved or canned food, and with no eggs or meat products.

Green Way, Mikolajska 14. Open 10am-10pm weekdays, 11am-9pm weekends.

Green Way is a fully vegetarian, cafeteria-style lunch spot. The specials on the board change daily, but certain items, like the tasty enchiladas, have repeat showings. Lunches run about 11-15 zloty ($3-4US) without a drink. Its location off Rynek Glowny makes it a good lunch spot.

Pierogarnia, Slawkowska 32. If being in Poland brings on a desire for some traditional Polish food, check out Pierogarnia. While the soups and other dishes have meat in them, there are at least 3 vegetarian pierogi options, made fresh right in front of you. The aptly named “vegetarian pierogie” is filled with potato, corn and other vegetables. Traditional potato and cheese, and cabbage and mushroom are also available. For under $2 US, you get a whole plate. Unless you speak Polish, though, it is hard not to have your pierogies covered in melted butter. English website: http://www.hawelka.pl/?a=page&id=33

Navara, Podbrzezie 2. Open 10am-6pm. If you overdo it with the pierogies, an American Bagel shop is not too far away. Navara has excellent, if not pricey (for Krakow) bagels and warm bagel-sandwiches. Try the hummus and black olive, or the tomato, basil and mozzarella. Sandwiches are around $3US.

La Strada, Stradomska 13. Open 12-10pm. Finally, if you are craving familiar dinner food, try La Strada for pasta, pizza, and a superb Tiramisu. Prices are a little higher because you order from the table, but the pizza is still an excellent value. They have many vegetarian pizza options, including a few with no cheese. Pizzas will accommodate two diners for 15-25 zloty ($4-7US).

For more information on visiting Krakow & Poland, check out the following websites:

·        http://www.inyourpocket.com/poland/krakow/en/

·        http://www.visit.pl/

·        http://www.staypoland.com

Melody Sherosky is a freelance writer and the editor of The Blind Man’s Rainbow, a poetry & art publication. She has been a vegetarian for 24 years.

Copyright 2005 Melody Sherosky

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