Bakowo Zohylina Wyznio

Bakowo Zohylina Wyznio is a large timber karczma and one of the better known traditional venues in Zakopane. The room is decked with folk carvings, the kitchen sticks to highland classics, and there is live goral music most evenings. It is the kind of place you come to for the regional cooking and the sound of a band, not for a quick meal.

The menu runs to mountain staples. Kwasnica, the sour cabbage soup of the Podhale region, is a good place to start. Roast meats and highlander platters follow, built for sharing and for appetites earned on the trails. Oscypek, the smoked sheep cheese of the Tatras, is part of the same tradition and worth trying if it is on. The dishes change with the season, so treat the venue's own channels as the source for the current menu and prices.

The carved timber interior sets the tone, and live goral music most evenings makes this a place to settle in for a long dinner rather than pass through. It is one of the town's best known traditional venues, so expect it to be busy in the high seasons. For a similar experience run by the same name, see Bakowo Zohylina.

Groups, families and anyone who wants a proper highlander feast with music. Because the food is meat and cheese led, vegetarians should check the options first. The scale of the room means it copes well with larger tables.

The venue is at Pilsudskiego 28a, a short walk from the town centre and the main pedestrian street, Krupowki. For where to stay and how to get around, see the Zakopane guide.

The venue is the upper (Wyźnio) of two sibling karczmy run by the Gąsienica-Gładczan family, a name with deep Podhale roots; the concept came from the late Włodzimierz Gąsienica-Gładczan, known as 'Bąk'. Its counterpart, Bąkowo Zohylina Niźnio, stands nearer the centre at ul. Piłsudskiego 6, so it is worth checking which of the two you are booking.

The setting is part of the appeal. The timber house sits close to the Wielka Krokiew ski jump with views towards Giewont. Beyond the highland staples already noted, the kitchen runs to more worked regional dishes such as lamb shank on celeriac purée and lamb rump served on a hot stone. For live music times and bookings, confirm with the restaurant directly.