Marchewka z Groszkiem

Marchewka z Groszkiem, which translates as Carrots with Peas, is the kind of neighbourhood restaurant that many visitors hope to find in Kraków: an unpretentious place serving the home cooking Poles grew up with. It sits on Mostowa Street in Kazimierz, and it has been feeding locals and visitors for more than a decade.

The menu is built around home-style Polish dishes, and the restaurant stresses that everything, including the dumplings, is made on site. The dish it is proudest of is bitki wołowe, tender beef meatballs braised in their own sauce and served with Silesian dumplings and a red cabbage salad. Stuffed mushrooms and pea soup are other dishes regulars return for. There is also a lunch special that changes every day, which is a good way to try something seasonal and keep the bill modest.

The setting is casual and homely, and the atmosphere suits families, solo travellers and anyone who wants a filling meal without formality. It is a sensible choice for a first taste of Polish food if you find the menus in the Old Town's grander restaurants daunting, and for a relaxed lunch break between the synagogues and museums of Kazimierz. Couples on a budget and travellers staying several days in Kazimierz may find it becomes a regular stop, because the changing lunch dish gives a reason to come back. Vegetarians should ask staff which dishes are meat-free, since traditional Polish cooking relies heavily on meat and stock.

The restaurant opens every day from 12:00 and closes at 21:00, except on Fridays and Saturdays when it stays open until 22:00. That makes it more of a lunch and early dinner spot than a late-night option, so plan accordingly. It also takes online orders and offers delivery on weekday afternoons, and dishes can be pre-ordered for family occasions. Arriving at the start of lunch or a little before the evening rush is the easiest way to avoid a wait.

Mostowa Street is in the heart of Kazimierz, so the restaurant fits easily into a day spent exploring the district. Across the river in Podgórze, Schindler's Factory and MOCAK are within walking distance, which makes a convenient route for an afternoon of sightseeing after lunch.