An editorial favourite. Although changing times and increasing inflation have slowly changed Smakołyki from a bargain eatery to a midrange restaurant, the quality of the simple food keeps us coming back. Here you'll find all of the staples of Polish cuisine - pierogi, kotlety, barszcz, golanka, bigos, even oscypek and maczanka - served to a high standard, exactly as they should be. With a spacious, sunny interior overlooking Planty Park, including a massive window and mezzanine level where a pianist sometimes plays during dinner, this is a smart but casual spot ideal for tourist groups and family gatherings who are either being introduced to Polish cuisine for the first time, or already have strongly conceived notions of how it should be prepared (looking at you, Babcia). What's more, they open early to serve a wide range of breakfasts, and (should we be saying this?) it also serves as a front for Mercy Brown - a pseudo-speakeasy that opens upstairs after the restaurant closes (probably not); send the family home and step back out for a nightcap.
