Beeswax Martini and Benedictine Waffles: A Foodie Guide To Gdansk

Walking along the Gdansk waterfront, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that you’re in Poland. There’s a certain charm and resemblance that’s shared  between the historic dock and Copenhagen’s Nyhavn port. Like the droves of other tourists, I wanted to experience one of Poland’s top destinations for myself – and in the process, continue my Polish culinary adventure.

I’ll quote the prices in PLN, but for reference I’m using an exchange rate of 1 USD = 4 PLN as of May 2024.

Where To Eat In Gdansk

Gdansk’s popularity, is a double-edged sword when it comes to the culinary scene. While there’s a plethora of restaurants to cater to the 3 million annual visitors, many of the good ones are lost among the tourist traps. I don’t mind paying more to sit and people watch, but when it comes to eating, food is more important than location.

I had to be choosier than in other Polish cities, but I came away with a good weekend of eating. Let’s start with an overview.

If you want to have fun, head over to the stalls by the AmberSky ferris wheel, especially in the evenings. I don’t name any places specifically, but just follow your nose and eyes and grab a few different things to share.

For people watching and a spectacular view, go and eat along the waterfront promenade if you want to enjoy the people watching and the view.

Finally, the historic old town can be crowded, but there are some nice cafes and restaurants tucked into smaller streets and corners.

Now, below my recommendations from the restaurants we ate at. I’d say we chose well 9/10 of the time, so hardly a meal was wasted during our few days in Gdansk.

Top Restaurants To Try In Gdansk

Chleb I Wino

There’s always, always a line whenever I walked by Chleb I Wino and I was curious.

Dinner time reservations are highly recommended restaurants on the main promenade. Since we didn’t have one, we opted for breakfast instead – and I understood the hype.

This was easily my favorite breakfast in Gdansk and an unbelievable deal considering the quality and location. Breakfast is served from 8:30 to 11:30 am, and for 44 PLN, you can choose from five options: The Benedictine Waffles with smoked salmon, the Chef’s Omelette, a Croque Madame, the Eggcellent Burger or Crepes and Belgian waffles. The meal comes with fresh orange juice, coffee, and homemade bread.

My recommendation is to get the Benedictine Waffles.

I had to return, this time with a reservation. For dinner, we tried a Truflowa pizza, the tuna tartare, Tagliatelle in cream truffle sauce, and the beef cheeks. Everything was so good. When you factor in the prime location, the affordable prices, and the quality, this might be my favorite restaurant in Gdnask.

Woosabi

We arrived to Gdansk starving and Woosabi was the first restaurant that caught my eye as the Bolt was approaching our hotel. There was something familiar about it that I couldn’t put my fingers out until I remembered later that I walked by a Woosabi in Wroclaw.

We arrived with just 10 minutes left for their lunch menu and went for their bao set and noodle bowl. They were both excellent choices and cost around 30 ZLT each. The lemonades were refreshing and we satiated our hunger in time to explore the town.

The tropical themed space was very green and fresh and there’s outdoor seating to0 that’s perfect for people watching.

Eliksir

Multiple recommendations from different chefs, before coming to Gdnask, was the reason I headed well out of the city center for to try Eliksir. They have an incredible looking dinner tasting menu for 355 PLN, but we came for their 79 PLN cockail tasting menu, which gives you half portions of five of their cocktails:

#4 Sweet N’ Fresh: Lillet Blanc / honey / mint / homemade tonic

#5 Overcombined Orangade: Jameson / strawberry / red pepper / celery

#7 Honeytini: Ostoya / beeswax / mead / honey bush

#9 Truffle Espresso Martini: Havana 3 / truffle oil / espresso from local roasters / roasted rice / chocolate

#10 Apple N’ Mustard: Chivas 12 / apple / Dolin Dry / mustard

I loved that the tasting menu takes you in different directions. The Sweet N’ Fresh is something I’d easy order on a hot summer day. The Truffle Espresso Martini had very distinct flavors that didn’t overpower each other. The Apple N’ Mustard was the most interesting and I was pleasantly surprised by the mustard.

We couldn’t drink on an empty stomach, so we ordered the creamy Zurek soup, the Beef Tartare (obviously), and Emmer Kashotto platter to share. All highly recommended.

Correze

I found Correze when I was looking for tasting menus in Gdansk. They had a six-course tasting menu that looked really nice for 297 PLN, which includes wine or 197 PLN without it.  Unfortunately, it was only seasonal, and wasn’t available when we were there.

Instead, we got the tenderloin tartare, a seafood soup, the sturgeon and the mussels. Everything was delicious and we really loved the space here. The location was a little removed from the main tourist area, so that was nice too.

Goldwasser Brasserie

This cozy spot in the old town side of the river feels like you are having a meal in someone’s home – someone’s aesthetic pleasing and well-decorated home. I can’t recommend Goldwater Brasserie enough if you want something that just makes you feel warm inside, figuratively and literally.

The stew was hearty and so comforting, the salmon tartare with avocado and fish row was fresh, and the duck leg just melted in my mouth. The entire menu is affordable and you really can’t go wrong with any of these traditional dishes.

Slony Spichlerz

The Slony Spichlerz food hall is an absolute must for Gdansk. It’s not one restaurant, but a collection of small street food style stalls in a very hip and trendy space. Everything from burgers, pasta, and pizza to Japanese, Mexican, Thai, Greek. The 9 restaurants and a bar will provide you plenty of choices.

We tried most of the spots over a few visits and my favorites were Pasta Miasta, Great Greek, Sexy Bull, and Gwar. Don’t skip.

Family Cafe KOS

I try to find and recommend at least one canteen style “milk bar” in each city. Though not glamorous or fancy, the milk bar is a quintessential part of the Poland dining culture, especially for university students on a budget.

I recommend the Family Cafe KOS, which serves many of the traditional Polish dishes for a very low price. Grab a tray, add the side items you want, and then choose from the main dish and sides when you get to the main counter. Pay and find a seat at one of the many outdoor tables on the busy street. You’ll love it.

Pomelo Bistro Bar

This cute little cafe was our other brunch spot. Their dishes at Pomelo Bistro Bar are so pretty and most are around 39 PLN. We ordered the Shakshouka and the Creamy Carrot with Tofu. We wanted to return for lunch, but within just 3 days in Gdansk, we wanted to try as many places as possible.

Restauracja Chmielna

For a fine dining experience right on the main promenade, check out Chmielna by Grzegorza Labudy. The menu did not excite me at first glance, but what you get are Michelin starred takes on classic dishes. I was nearly turned off by such a random set of offerings on their menu, but we were advised by the concierge at our hotel that this was a great restaurant.

My recommendations are the yellowfin tuna tartare (they had a 3 tartare set too, but we didn’t try that), fried goose liver with shallows, cherries and maple syrup for starters. For the main course, we had the rabbit leg and the Mangalica knuckle. Both are favorites of mine and this place did it justice.

Manna 68 – Vegan

Manna 68 is a no brainer if you’re looking for a vegan spot with an international take on its menu. Their breakfasts are around 28 PLN and you can get things like shakshuka with vegan eggs, waffles with cashew nut cream cheese, or a baguette with marinated jackfruits and mushrooms, red pepper hummus, and caramelized onions.

For mains, you can get everything from a pastaless bolognese lasagna, to a vegan “duck” and rice, a kimchi ramen, or a Moroccan bulgur salad.

I’m not vegan, but we were in the mood for a lot of vegetables, so it was a nice break from eating meat for a meal.

Rednek

For those craving a burger or pulled pork sandwich, Rednek is the spot. Most things on the menu are around 35 PLN and run between 31 and 45 PLN depending on how complex the burger. We shared a Klasyk with pulled pork and coleslaw and the Tlusty Papudrak Hot, which was a beast of a burger with pulled pork, jalapeño, double cheddar, bacon, and caramelized onions. Both were excellent choices and we left stuffed.

Looking for more travel inspirations? Scroll through some of the 450+ experiences on my bucket list. Maybe you’ll find your next adventure on there.

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Updated on June 22, 2024