Everything we ate Gluten Free in Krakow.
We found Krakow and Poland in general fantastic for gluten free option. Most restaurants have options clearly marked on the menu and all the staff we encountered were knowledgeable and helpful. In most sit down restaurants a service charge is automatically added to the bill. We found most places to be great value for money. We booked all of our evening restaurant choices in advance, usually same day, as they did seem to get pretty busy.
Fabbrica
This is an Italian chain restaurant with multiple branches in Poland. Mainly serving pizza and pasta, we were able to order the gluten free options for both. We ate here 3 times in our 7 days, mainly because we could get to it quickly and easily after long days out. The second time there were no gluten free pizza bases which was disappointing however we managed to sample a pizza on the last day. Plenty of seating and choice of indoor or outdoor. We sat outside on our lunchtime visit and had a strange woman sitting right behind us being quite intrusive. She had moved her chair there to get out the sun but there was not enough space for her and she ended up practically sat at our table uninvited! The staff were excellent and noticed without us needing to say anything, they also gave us a discount for the inconvenience.
Tandoori Flame
Good knowledge of allergies. We told our server who said we could have pretty much all of the curries, but no breads. We had onion bhajis to start which came out on a cute little cart. Curries were excellent, rice a little greasier than I am used to, but nice. They usually give a complimentary dessert however this was not gluten free so instead we were given a mango lassi which was the nicest I’ve tasted.
Cakester
I was initially a bit wary of this one as had seen a lot about it on Tik Tok and in my experience that sometimes means they don’t live up to the hype. We visited for brunch before going to Wawel Castle as it is about a 15 minute walk away through Planty Park. I had waffles and eggs. Waffles were a little dry but very generous portions. Daughter had sweet waffles with chocolate and cream and said they were excellent. We ordered at the table and then paid at the till on the way out. There is a great selection of gluten free cakes here and I was able to enjoy my first chocolate eclair in over 10 years when we returned later in the week.
Pad Baranem
Just opposite Wawel Castle. A full service traditional polish restaurant. Our server Dominic was excellent, very attentive and chatty about where we were from and what we were doing in Krakow. We came here for the gluten free pierogi which didn’t disappoint (we both had the meat version). For main we had chicken in a sage sauce with mash potatoes which was excellent. Plenty of options to order sides and all gluten free options clearly marked on the menu. Will 100% be returning on our next visit.
Pizza Loft
Another place we visited more than once as very conveniently situated for lunch. Cafe style seating, order at the till and sit where you like. Owner very welcoming and knowledgeable. Assured us about separate fryers being used. On our first visit we had a pizza, we opted for small and they were still huge! I had the Polish and my daughter had the Palma. Lovely thin and crispy base. Very filling and one of the nicest bases Ive had including all those we ate in Italy! Went back later in the week to have a burger and again excellent service and presentation. All burgers available with gluten free buns. A great selection of gluten free beers here too including an IPA.
Gate of India
Plenty of choice, most of the menu can be made gluten free. Very friendly service and nice atmostphere. The only complaint was we asked for medium spice level and I would say both curries were pretty mild. Nice enough food but nowhere near as good as Tandoori Flame in my opinion. We had a selection of onion and paneer pakora to start and the Kadhai and Butter Chicken curries.
Zapiekane
Dedicated gluten free cafe. Very small with just a couple of tables outside, and standing room inside. On busy days they operate a ticket system where you get given a numbered ticket after placing your order. On our first visit it was super busy and a very warm day so we decided to walk to Planty Park with our hot dogs and sit down in the sun. We had hot dogs both times we visited as its so rare to be able to have a one anywhere. Lovely polish sausage. We also had a pistachio cream donut, which was beautiful. Owner very knowledgable and friendly. The Zapiekanka looked amazing and I very much regret not trying one. They do pierogi too but you have to get there early as both times we visited they had already sold out.
Old Town Restaurant
You know its going to be good when they offer you gluten free bread at the start of the meal. It came with a cream cheese spread and chive spread which was gorgeous. We had the duck and the chicken, both of which came mash and vegetables. Service, presentation and quality absolutely excellent. We also shared a slice of lemon cheesecake for dessert as it was so large! Lovely homely atmosphere.
Moo Moo
Probably the most expensive place we ate during the week for the most basic food. I had a peppered steak and Sweet potato fries. The steak was cooked perfectly (I asked for medium) but the chips were quite bland. There are several different versions of this chain in Krakow so make sure that they can cater for you if Coeliac as we had read elsewhere that not all use separate fryers. We went to Moo Moo Steak and Wine just off the main square. Make sure to book ahead as all venues get extremely busy.
Energylandia
We were so excited to visit Energylandia as this park is home to coasters that are on most enthusiast’s bucket lists (Zadra and Hyperion). As always with theme parks or any other places catering for the masses we were a little worried that we wouldn’t be able to eat much in the park as we could find little information online. There was one singular review on Find Me Gluten Free that saved the day and informed us we could go upstairs in the restaurant at Formula for gluten free pasta. Luckily this was correct and we were able to choose between three different sauces. We had to wait a bit longer (around 20 minutes) which was no problem at all to us. The portion size was generous and we paid around £8 each. The taste was a little sweet, maybe like one of those packet pastas that you add water and milk to. I used to love those before I went gluten free so a blast of nostalgia for me! There are also shops everywhere to pick up drinks, crisps and other snacks. There were ice lolly stands around the park too which was lovely and refreshing on a boiling hot day.
compass and coaster 