Where to Eat and Drink in Wrocław

Wrocław (prounounced vrots-waf), Poland's fourth largest city, is situated on the banks of the Oder river in the west of the country. We called Wrocław home for a month and thoroughly enjoyed eating and drinking our way around this charming city. 

All of my recommendations are easy walking distance from the Market Square (Rynek) and the main sights of the Old Town. Sometimes the historical centres of popular cities can feel a little artificial, but Wrocław's Old Town seems to cater as much to locals as it does to tourists. The colourful Gothic and Art Nouveau townhouses are just steps away from banks, apartment blocks and university buildings. Perhaps that explains why there is such a variety of independent restaurants, cafes and bars in and around the Old Town. 

All of the places listed below have options for gluten-free travellers and many are also suitable for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Despite the fact that a lot of traditional Polish dishes contain gluten, it isn't too hard to avoid. Having said that, while I avoid gluten, I am not coeliac so I wouldn't necessarily know if I had eaten gluten by accident. If you are coeliac, you may want to stick to restaurants with menus that mark dishes as gluten-free or list allergens. We also found that restaurant staff are happy to help and almost always speak excellent English, but if in doubt, use the Polish bezglutenowe to double check if a dish is safe to eat.

In no particular order, here is a list of my favourite restaurants, bars and cafes in Wrocław...

where to eat

panczo

Mexican is mine and Richard's favourite cuisine so we were delighted to find decent Mexican food in Wrocław. We liked Panczo so much that we went three times and ordered the exact same thing every time - pulled pork tacos with guacamole, mango and marinated onions. They were consistently delicious and the price was astounding - 22 zł (£4/$5) for three tacos. That is just unheard of in the UK! What's more, thanks to the 100% corn tortillas, the tacos at Panczo are suitable for gluten-free travellers. There are also vegetarian options so everyone is catered for at this fun, fast-food style Mexican joint. 

wok in

I wish every city had a Wok In. The concept of this casual Asian cafe is that you build your own bowl in five steps, choosing everything from the sauce base, to the fresh vegetables and toppings. For those that find this much choice overwhelming, you can also order one of the tried and tested combos, such as traditional fried rice. I built my own and went for green curry sauce on jasmine rice, with chicken, carrots, courgettes, bamboo shoots and spinach, topped with roasted onions. Richard opted for the "Wok In Classic" pad thai with extra chicken. We both loved our healthy flavoursome meals and with prices starting at 20 zł (£4/$5), you really can't go wrong. 

There are loads of options for vegetarians, vegans and those avoiding gluten, including noodles made from sweet potato. If you fancy a healthy picnic at nearby Park Staromiejski, Wok In also does takeaway. 

masala

There are quite a lot of good Indian restaurants in Poland, and Masala is no exception. Thanks to the traditional tandoor ovens, the menu at Masala features a range of grilled dishes alongside the usual chicken tikka. Masala is a good option for travellers with dietary restrictions as dishes are clearly marked as gluten-free or vegan. They even have a gluten-free buckwheat naan, which I've never seen on a menu before. My favourite dish was the chicken jalfrezi - a creamy, subtly spicy and wonderfully comforting curry. Tandoor dishes start at 30 zł (£6/$8) and curries at 35 zł (£7/$9).

pinto peri-peri

I loved the friendly service, simple tasty food and modern decor at this no-frills Portuguese restaurant. I ordered the chicken skewer with rice and salad for 24.75 zł (£5/$6.50). The chicken was tender, the onions were nice and smoky and the homemade sauces (one spicy and one mild) added a punch of flavour. 

Meat and seafood feature heavily on the menu but there are a couple of options for vegetarians. Gluten-free travellers shouldn't have any issues and there's even a gluten-free dessert on the menu - chocolate mousse. Shame the Portuguese custard tarts aren't gluten-free! 

vivere italiano

Sometimes there's nothing more comforting than a big plate of pasta. This is exactly what Vivere delivers, along with pizzas, meat, and seafood dishes. Italian restaurants aren't always the best option for gluten-free travellers but Vivere offer gluten-free pasta and pizza dough, although they didn't have the pizza dough when we went. If you like spice, go for the penne all'arrabbiata which has a good kick. 

ban thai

This cute restaurant with cosy corners and two small mezzanine levels is perfect for a date or special occasion. Ban Thai doesn't just serve Thai food, there are also Japanese and Chinese dishes on the menu. Usually this would put me off but I really enjoyed my cashew nut stir fry. Richard wasn't as impressed with his sweet and sour chicken though, so it's probably best to stick to the traditional Thai dishes. Mains come with rice in Ban Thai, making it incredibly good value.   

karczma lwowska

We realised that, with all the international cuisine on offer in Wrocław, we were neglecting Polish food, so I booked a table at Karczma Lwowska to remedy this. You can make reservations online and it's probably worth it - the restaurant was busy on a Friday evening. 

The main part of the restaurant is upstairs but there is also outdoor seating. It was chilly when we went so we sat inside and warmed up amongst the rustic decor. Our waiter was really friendly and helped us choose our meals - I had the grilled chicken fillet with fried potatoes "à la shoemakers wife" (I really should have asked what that means!) and Richard had hunter's shashlik with plums and pepper. Both dishes were hearty and left us with no room for dessert.

Both our mains were 34.90 zł (£7/$9) and my side of potatoes was 9.50 zł (£2/$3). The wine was a little more expensive than other restaurants, but given Karczma Lwowska's location on the Rynek, this is hardly surprising. There was a list of allergens for all dishes at the back of the menu. It was only in Polish but if you're avoiding gluten, that's easy, as it's the same in Polish! 

where to drink

vinyl cafe

With mis-matched furniture and boxes of records, this cafe bar has a studenty vibe, but fortunately not so much so that you'll feel out of place if you're not in your early twenties. Vinyl Cafe feels like the perfect place for an in-depth discussion, so why not choose a cosy corner and ignite a heated debate over a glass or two? I also spotted a tempting-looking gluten-free cake on the counter. 

literatka

This friendly bar is a great spot for people watching in the Rynek, especially on the weekend when the buskers are out. We got here in the late afternoon and loved watching the sun go down and the ornate street lights come on.   

barbarka

What better way to start an evening out than watching the sun set from a floating bar?! That's exactly what we did at Barbarka, which is located on the Oder river and has incredible views of some of Wrocław's most beautiful buildings. 

motyla noga

This atmospheric pub is housed in a former prison (look out for the chained up dwarf in the window) and has a beautiful courtyard. We only had a couple of drinks here but they also serve food. 

where to indulge your sweet tooth

czekoladziarnia

The hot chocolate at Czekoladziarnia is basically heaven in a mug. We kept coming back and trying a different spice each time - you can choose from cinnamon, ginger, chilli or cardamom and you add the spice yourself so you can always get it how you want it. Order a double hot chocolate, sit back on one of the comfy red sofas and let yourself drift into chocolatey bliss. This hot chocolate is the stuff of dreams, I honestly don't think I'll ever forget it! 

This wasn't the first time we had incredible hot chocolate in Poland - find out where to get the best hot chocolate in Kraków here. 

vincent cafe

There are three branches of this French patisserie and bakery in Wrocław. We only popped in to the branch on Oławska street to get some macarons for our walk through Park Staromiejski, but all the pastries and desserts looked incredible (although I don't think anything was gluten-free besides the macarons). We tried three flavours of macarons - chocolate, sweet cream and raspberry. The raspberry was my favourite, closely followed by the sweet cream, but the chocolate needed a bit more flavour in my opinion. 

so! coffee

This is the only nationwide chain on this list but don't let that put you off, this was one of my favourite cafes in Wrocław. As well as the usual coffees and teas, So! Coffee also have some healthy juices to choose from. We really liked the carrot, orange, apple and turmeric juice and it made us feel better about ordering a large slice of cake each! Gluten-free travellers need not miss out on a sweet treat - the peanut and caramel gluten-free cake was delicious. 

pin it!

Share it!