Someplace Else
An expat lifeline. An impressive stock of world beer, plasma screens relaying sports events and the best Tex-Mex food in the city are set to make Someplace Else a surefire hit. In the evenings live bands take to the stage while off-duty business sorts smoke cigars amid Route 66 signs and photos of rock'n'roll icons.
Someplace Else - Krakow, ul. Powisle 7 (Sheraton)
tel: +48 12 662 10 00
www.sheraton.com/krakow

Bagelmama
A kitchen-cum-café with an informal atmosphere, and a smattering of tables. Nava, the owner, simultaneously cooks up a host of treats while chatting with customers from across the open kitchen. You have several reasons to visit Kazimierz, and Bagelmama is one of them. If there are better bagels in Poland, we have yet to find them. Choose from several different flavours (cinnamon, poppy, garlic etc), and a range of toppings that run from the standard (cream cheese) to the exotic (curry chicken).
Bagelmama - Krakow, ul. Podbrzezie 2
tel: +48 12 431 19 42
www.bagelmama.com

Ipamena
A wide range of original Brazilian recipes made palatable to the locals with the customary addition of cabbage. Tender cuts of prime Argentinean beef are the biggest boon here, while the Afro-Brazilian menu offers an equally high standard. Fishing nets and antique maps provide subtle colour to this excellent little restaurant.
Ipamena - Krakow, ul. sw. Tomasza 28
tel: +48 12 422 53 23
www.ipanema.com.pl

Brasserie
An old tram garage might sound like a romantic, artsy venue for a restaurant but this isn't. Expect a cheap and gloomy interior with the occasional spider dangling from the ceiling. Fortunately the chef rides to the rescue, delivering good if uncomplicated meals.
Brasserie - Krakow, ul. Gazowa 4
tel: +48 12 292 19 98

Balaton
A dismally furnished and slightly seedy restaurant. The good news is that the service is excellent, you can smoke in the non-smoking section, and the food is good, straight-forward meat and potatoes school of cooking. Wash it all down with the Puszta wine - give the vile Unicum liquor a miss.
Balaton - Krakow, ul. Grodzka37
tel: +48 12 422 04 69
www.balaton.krakow.pl

Metropolitan
Traditionally this is the spot where expats convene for the best breakfasts in Kraków: choose between British fry-ups, American-style breakfast or a pancake menu. But there's more to Metropolitan than dawn dining, by night it fills with an urbane crowd enjoying pseudo-fusion dishes like duck breast with pomegranate sauce amid a cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Metropolitan - Krakow, ul. Sławkowska 3
tel: +48 12 421 98 03

Pod Roza
Excellent Polish and European cuisine served under a glass-covered atrium in the Pod Róza hotel. A piano sits on a raised platform, and higher up there's a balcony with tables overlooking the main floor. The menu features a veritable list of birds and forest animals: pheasant, venison and rabbit are a few of the options on offer. Prices are high for Poland, but so are the standards.
Pod Roza- Krakow, ul. Florianska 14
tel: +48 12 424 33 81
www.hotel.com.pl

Cherubino
Antique carriages and bluish lights fill this large venue, while the chef cooks simple recipes well. Choose between standard Polish and Tuscan dishes.
Cherubino - Krakow, ul. Tomasza 15
tel: +48 12 429 40 07
www.cherubino.pl

Sushi Bar
Dine under bamboo parasols inside Kraków's original sushi bar. While the standards are unlikely to satisfy a Californian sushi aficionado the quality is pretty good, and there's a marvellous ceramic kitten that salutes you on entry.
Sushi Bar - Krakow, Rynek Główny 19
tel: +48 12 429 52 99

Wierzynek
The wooden stairs lead up to a series of imposing rooms decked out with tapestries and plant pots. It's here where big shots like Castro, De Gaulle, Spielberg and Daddy Bush enjoyed the good life. Numerous offerings include pike, deer and lamb. A perfect introduction to Kraków dining.
Wierzynek - Krakow, ul. Rynek Główny 15
tel: +48 12 424 96 00
www.wierzynek.pl