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Polish Food You’ll Crave Forever: 12 Must-Try Dishes in 2025 (And Where to Eat Them)

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Hungry for adventure? These 12 traditional Polish dishes are a must-try in 2025—from pierogi to poppy seed cake. Find out where to eat the best of each!

Polish food is comfort food turned up to eleven—hearty, nostalgic, and ridiculously tasty.

You know that feeling when you take your first bite of something so warm, so buttery, so flavor-packed that it feels like a culinary hug? That’s Polish food for you. Whether you’re strolling through Kraków’s cobbled streets or getting snowed in somewhere in Zakopane, you’ll always be just one bite away from a belly full of joy.

And in 2025, Polish cuisine isn’t just holding strong—it’s having a moment. Foodies from around the world are flocking here not just for the medieval castles or mountain hikes, but for pierogi stuffed with love and sausages that would make your grandpa cry tears of meat-fueled joy.

So, grab a fork and loosen that belt. Here are 12 must-try Polish dishes in 2025, along with exactly where to eat them for the real-deal experience.

1. Pierogi – Poland’s Iconic Dumplings

Texture & Flavor:
Delicate dough meets soft, warm fillings—savory or sweet, always dreamy.

Why You’ll Crave It:
Pierogi are the Beyonce of Polish cuisine—versatile, adored, and iconic. These half-moon dumplings can be stuffed with potatoes and cheese (pierogi ruskie), meat, mushrooms, and cabbage, or even fruits like blueberries and strawberries. Fried in butter or boiled, every version is a bite of heaven.

Where to Eat It:
👉 Pierozki u Vincenta in Kraków – artsy, quirky, and full of flavor
👉 Zapiecek in Warsaw – a chain, but a darn tasty one

2. Bigos – The Legendary Hunter’s Stew

Texture & Flavor:
Rich, chunky, and smoky—with layers of sauerkraut, meat, and sausage.

Why You’ll Crave It:
Known as hunter’s stew, bigos is a slow-cooked treasure trove of meats and fermented cabbage. The tanginess of sauerkraut balances beautifully with hearty chunks of kielbasa, pork, and even wild game. This is the kind of dish that warms you from the inside on a frosty Polish afternoon.

Where to Eat It:
👉 Restauracja Pod Baranem, Kraków – upscale comfort food done right
👉 Karczma Polska Zagroda, Zakopane – rustic, charming, and utterly Polish

3. Zapiekanka – Poland’s Answer to Fast Food

Texture & Flavor:
Crunchy baguette, gooey cheese, sautéed mushrooms, and ketchup (yes, really).

Why You’ll Crave It:
Imagine a French bread pizza that got lost on its way to an 1980s street fair. That’s zapiekanka—a beloved Polish street snack. It’s fast food with a communist-era twist, but don’t let its humble look fool you—it’s pure comfort with each bite.

Where to Eat It:
👉 Plac Nowy, Kraków (the “Okrąglak” food stalls) – the ultimate late-night zapiekanka spot
👉 Zapiekanki Królewskie, Warsaw – gourmet-style variations

4. Gołąbki – Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Texture & Flavor:
Tender cabbage leaves wrapped around juicy meat and rice, all swimming in tomato sauce.

Why You’ll Crave It:
Gołąbki (say it like “go-wump-kee”) might look like sleepy dinner food, but one taste and you’ll be hooked. This dish feels like grandma’s kitchen: hearty, unpretentious, and satisfying.

Where to Eat It:
👉 Bar Mleczny Gdański, Gdańsk – classic milk bar vibes
👉 Pod Wawelem, Kraków – large portions, old-school style

5. Żurek – Sour Rye Soup with Sausage & Egg

Texture & Flavor:
Tangy, creamy, smoky—served in a bread bowl or steaming ceramic pot.

Why You’ll Crave It:
Żurek is a sour rye soup made with fermented flour. That may sound like a dare, but trust us—it’s addictively good. The broth is tangy, filled with chunks of white sausage, potatoes, and hard-boiled egg. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it tastes like Poland in a bowl.

Where to Eat It:
👉 Chłopskie Jadło, Warsaw – rustic Polish interior and spot-on żurek
👉 U Babci Maliny, Kraków – homestyle dishes and floral wallpaper to match

6. Placki Ziemniaczane – Potato Pancakes

Texture & Flavor:
Golden and crispy outside, soft and potatoey inside. Often served with sour cream or goulash.

Why You’ll Crave It:
These are the ultimate comfort snacks. Placki ziemniaczane are fried potato pancakes that are crispy enough to crunch, but soft enough to melt. Some places serve them with mushroom sauce, others with beef stew—either way, you win.

Where to Eat It:
👉 Bar Mleczny Centralny, Warsaw – dirt cheap and delicious
👉 Karczma Po Zbóju, Zakopane – great with a side of mountain views

7. Kiełbasa – The King of Polish Sausages

Texture & Flavor:
Smoky, juicy, and sometimes spicy, with a casing that snaps when you bite it.

Why You’ll Crave It:
You haven’t had sausage until you’ve had Polish kiełbasa. Whether grilled over an open flame, sliced in soups, or eaten straight from the butcher, this meaty miracle comes in endless varieties: kiełbasa wiejska (country-style), biała kiełbasa (white sausage), and more.

Where to Eat It:
👉 Hala Mirowska, Warsaw – traditional markets with artisan sausages
👉 Plac Targowy Nowy Kleparz, Kraków – grab and grill on the go

8. Barszcz – Beetroot Soup

Texture & Flavor:
Bright, earthy, slightly sour—served hot with dumplings or chilled in summer.

Why You’ll Crave It:
This isn’t your average beet soup. Barszcz is deep red, sometimes spiked with vinegar or lemon juice, and often served with mushroom-filled dumplings (uszka). It’s vibrant, zesty, and surprisingly refreshing.

Where to Eat It:
👉 Restauracja Kuchnia Domowa, Kraków – small, homey, and full of flavor
👉 Milk Bar Tomasza, Kraków – affordable eats, amazing barszcz

9. Makowiec – Poppy Seed Cake

Texture & Flavor:
Fluffy, moist roll filled with rich, slightly nutty poppy seed paste.

Why You’ll Crave It:
This traditional holiday dessert is too good to save for Christmas. The poppy seed filling has a toasty, bittersweet flavor, and the sweet yeast dough is rolled tight like a culinary Swiss roll. One slice is never enough.

Where to Eat It:
👉 Blikle Bakery, Warsaw – an iconic pastry shop since 1869
👉 Cukiernia Sowa, all over Poland – consistently delicious cakes and pastries

10. Pączki – Poland’s Filled Donuts

Texture & Flavor:
Golden, puffy, and sugar-dusted, with sweet fillings like rose jam or custard.

Why You’ll Crave It:
Pączki (pronounced “poonch-kee”) are what donuts wish they could be when they grow up. They’re deeper fried, denser, and stuffed with flavors like plum jam, advocaat cream, or wild rose. Traditionally eaten on Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek), but available year-round for your munching pleasure.

Where to Eat It:
👉 Cukiernia Zagoździński, Warsaw – legendary for pączki
👉 Stara Pączkarnia, Gdańsk and Kraków – small, hot, fresh, and always worth the line

11. Oscypek – Smoked Mountain Cheese

Texture & Flavor:
Firm, salty, smoky, and slightly squeaky when you chew it.

Why You’ll Crave It:
Made from salted sheep’s milk and smoked over wood fires, oscypek is the taste of the Tatra Mountains. Grill it and serve with cranberry jam? Absolute magic.

Where to Eat It:
👉 Zakopane street stalls – especially Krupówki Street
👉 Oscypkarnia Bacówka, Zakopane – traditional and handmade

12. Kompot – Sweet Fruit Drink

Texture & Flavor:
Warm or cold, this non-alcoholic drink is made by simmering fruits like apples, plums, and cherries.

Why You’ll Crave It:
It’s like fruit tea, but better. A glass of homemade kompot at lunch is a Polish tradition. It’s refreshing, mildly sweet, and often made from whatever’s in season—served cold in summer or warm in winter.

Where to Drink It:
👉 Bar Mleczny Pod Temidą, Warsaw – great lunch sets with kompot
👉 Pierogarnia Stary Młyn, Wrocław – classic Polish fare with a side of kompot joy

Final Bite: Your 2025 Polish Food Bucket List

So there you have it: 12 unforgettable Polish dishes that will make your trip in 2025 not just memorable, but downright delicious. Whether you’re deep-diving into street food or dining in charming milk bars, Polish food in 2025 is a full-sensory experience—savory, sweet, smoky, sour, and always comforting.

Craving more? Consider a Kraków food tour or a Warsaw culinary crawl to taste your way through Poland’s rich flavors. Just bring stretchy pants.

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