In general, Łódź is a bit too young and postindustrial to ever be considered an 'attractive' destination in the classic European mould of cobbled streets and ornamental architecture (Kraków it is not). It does, however, have the potential to be a popular 'alternative' destination some day soon, and in the midst of massive changes and ongoing construction, you can catch early glimpses of this unfinished city’s enormous potential. And there’s no better place to see the past, present and future converge than in the stream of the city's long pedestrian thoroughfare - Piotrkowska Street. This engaging five kilometre catwalk is Łódź's primary playground, and personifies everything this city is attempting to achieve in the coming years. It's with good reason that visitors will spend a significant amount of time on this street and its capillaries: the quality of the dining and nightlife options here on Łódź's high street is steadily improving, and its sustained straight-as-an-arrow span make food tasting, pub crawling and club hopping a seamless, and seemingly endless, endeavour. Follow IYP as we give you a personal tour of some of the highlights of Piotrkowska - the lauded central artery at the very heart of Łódź (and Poland itself, for that matter).
Though beginning a journey down Piotrkowska at the north end (just south of Plac Wolności, C-2) is perhaps a rarity for locals, let's just do that. While walking south, keep in mind that odd-numbered addresses are on the right, and even-numbers are on the left.
To get started, there’s a neat little surprise through the courtyard of Piotrkowska 3 - Róża's Passage - a mirror mosaic pressed into the wall of an abandoned 20th century hotel. It’s a great Instagram opportunity if you’re into that kind of thing. Back on the street, keep walking...and walking, past the knock off KFC, and stop at the crossing. Hot tip: people in Łódź wait at pedestrian crossings because it’s very common to be fined for jaywalking.
Niebostan at Piotrkowska 17 is worth a gander. Go in the courtyard and up the unsuspecting staircase in the middle. Come nighttime it’s packed full of hipsters wishing to escape the more ‘mainstream’ Off Piotrkowska - and a solid beer selection however don’t get fancy with your cocktails. Right, now you’re going to keep walking past the pizza belt - Presto will give you a very ‘Dolmio Day’ and Biesiadowo Pizza is very much to be judged by its cover. Pizza is popular in Łódź. Why? Because it’s relatively cheap, filling and very student-y.
From now till number 52 you can look around and gaze though it isn’t pretty, yet. When you arrive at 52 you’ll have to try Zapiekarnia & Plackolandia - this typical late night eatery is full anytime of day. Partially due to the great zapiekankas (grilled open sandwiches) and the slow service; it's worth the wait though. Notice I’m not mentioning any ‘Kebab’ places - that’s on purpose. We’re starting to get into central territory. Czekolada at Piotrkowska 55 (down the alley), is part of a Polish chain of nightclubs that spans across major cities. It’s known for its Wednesday Ladies Nights and the beautiful people that it attracts (around 12am is best). There’s hope for things to come around this area as there’s a few vacant lots ready for the next restaurant or club to make their mark.
The next cut off point is one of the prettiest, it’s on the corner where you see a wooden Polish restaurant called Chłopska Izba. Along that courtyard are two polar opposites: Ato Sushi has earned itself the spot of being ‘Łódź’s best Sushi’. It’s a high-end, take a date, dress nice kind of place. Service is a bit slow but grab a pot of cherry green-tea and sip away for a bit whilst waiting & watching people walk by. On the other end of the spectrum you have Manekin; no matter what time of day, it will be full and probably have a line out the door. It’s affordability for the masses to eat is the key to its success, the product is average and the service is very impersonal: but whatever they’re putting in their pancakes is what the majority of Łódź is eating.
Somewhere else the regulars hit up is Bistro. This midday till late, semi-dive-bar with its pink neon and mannequin strippers is a famous watering hole in Łódź for the pre-gamers. It’s popular with students and everyone else. The usual journey for post-Bistro is to head on over to Kokoo. You’ll either see the sign or see the line but it’s one of Łódź’s most popular clubs. Come Friday and Saturday it will be full. Upstairs is for the more ‘house’ appreciative clientele whilst downstairs is usually in full R&B/Rap/Twerk mode. I’ll be honest here - you’ll read about Bedroom which is just around the corner from Kokoo. It’s dead. Unless they have a huge headliner, it’s not worth the visit.
