Bar
Alchemia
A Kazimierz bar and music club on the corner of Plac Nowy, running since 1999 and known for concerts, including the Kraków Jazz Autumn festival.
Piec’Art
A jazz club and bar in a historic tenement on Szewska Street, with concerts in its medieval cellar and more than fifty whiskies served from noon.
At a glance
- Type
- Jazz club and whisky bar
- Area
- Old Town, Kraków, Poland
- Official site
- piecart.pl
Good to know
- Live jazz in a medieval cellar
- More than 50 whiskies
- Kitchen
- Online reservations
Why we recommend it
Piec'Art is one of the Old Town's established jazz venues, occupying two floors of a historic tenement house on Szewska Street, a couple of minutes' walk from the Main Market Square. While bar fashions in Kraków have come and gone, it has kept its own authentic character over the years, and it remains a place where music, conversation and a good drink take priority over noise and spectacle.
The musical heart of the club is its medieval cellar, divided into a concert hall and a bar room that together hold around a hundred people. Concerts focus on jazz, from local players to visiting international groups; a recent programme, for example, brought a Lithuanian, Armenian and Latvian progressive jazz quintet to the stage on a Saturday evening at 21:00. The club also runs an international summer jazz academy, and hosts a monthly philosophical gathering led by Professor Janusz Majcherek, a reminder that this is a cultural venue as much as a bar.
Even on nights without a concert, Piec'Art is worth a visit for its drinks. The bar serves more than fifty kinds of whisky every day from 12:00, and a kitchen means you can eat while you listen. The intimate cellar setting suits jazz well. If you are new to whisky, ask the bar staff for a suggestion and try a couple of small measures side by side rather than committing to one large glass.
The club suits jazz fans, couples looking for an evening with live music, whisky enthusiasts and solo travellers who want a relaxed place to sit with a drink. It is not a dance venue, and on concert nights it is best to arrive in time for the start and to keep conversation down during sets. Check the programme on the club's website before you go, as concerts are not held every night, and use the online reservation system to book a table for popular performances, as the cellar holds only about a hundred people.
Piec'Art is easy to combine with dinner in the Old Town. Collegium Maius is a short walk away, and Kazimierz is about fifteen to twenty minutes on foot if you want to continue the night elsewhere.
Piec’Art FAQs
Where is Piec'Art?
At ul. Szewska 12, a couple of minutes from the Main Market Square.
What kind of music does it host?
Mainly jazz, with concerts by local and international groups.
Where are the concerts held?
In the medieval cellar, which has a concert hall and bar room holding about 100 people.
Does it serve whisky?
Yes. More than fifty whiskies are served every day from 12:00.
Can I book a table?
Yes. The club has an online reservation system.
Is there food?
Yes. The club has a kitchen.
Are there concerts every night?
No. Check the programme on the website before you go.
Does Piec'Art run other events?
Yes. It organises an international summer jazz academy and a monthly philosophical gathering.