Nad & Greg French Bakery

Nad & Greg French Bakery is a small patisserie on Rynek Podgórski, the market square of Podgórze across the Vistula from Kazimierz. It was founded by Nad, who is French, and Greg, who is Belgian, and it brings the traditions of French pastry-making to a part of Kraków that most visitors only pass through on their way to Schindler's Factory. That location away from the main tourist routes is part of its charm: it is a neighbourhood bakery first, and local families often call in during afternoon walks.

Everything is made by hand, and the bakery uses fresh seasonal fruit in its cakes and tarts. The range covers the French classics: buttery croissants, éclairs, cakes and macarons. The pistachio and chocolate croissant has been singled out by reviewers and is a good place to start. If you are visiting in summer or autumn, look out for the fruit pastries, which change with what is in season.

This is the kind of place to pick up something delicious rather than to settle in for hours, so treat it as a stop on a walk around Podgórze. Take a box of pastries to share, or buy a few macarons as a gift; they travel better than cream cakes. Families with children will find it an easy treat, and pastry lovers who have had their fill of Polish cakes will enjoy the change of style. Visiting the bakery is also a good excuse to see a different side of Kraków: Podgórze's market square is far quieter than the Main Market Square, and a pastry eaten outside gives a sense of everyday life in the city, away from the souvenir shops of the Old Town.

Local listings give opening hours of 7:30 to 20:00 on weekdays, with a later opening of 8:30 at weekends, which makes it useful for an early breakfast pastry before a morning visit to Schindler's Factory. Hours can change, so check before travelling across the river especially for it.

Rynek Podgórski can be reached on foot from Kazimierz across the Vistula, and Schindler's Factory and MOCAK are within walking distance. A pastry here fits neatly into a half-day exploring Podgórze's wartime history and its quieter, residential streets.