Gdanski Bowke

Gdanski Bowke is a tavern on the Motlawa waterfront, along the Long Embankment (Dlugie Pobrzeze) in the Main Town. It serves Pomeranian classics alongside its own-label beer. The riverside position puts it among the busiest stretch of the old town quays.

The kitchen cooks Pomeranian and regional Polish dishes, the hearty tavern end of the local table. Alongside the food it pours its own-label beer, which is the reason many people cross the threshold. For the current dishes and the range on tap, check the venue's own channels rather than expecting a fixed list.

The style is a traditional tavern, with a name that nods to the old Gdansk figure of the bowke, a cheeky riverside character. Tables spill towards the water in the warmer months, when the embankment is at its liveliest. Expect a sociable, informal room rather than a quiet one.

Good for travellers who want regional food and its own-label beer in one stop, and for anyone who values a table on the river. Being on the main quay, it draws a steady crowd, so it suits sociable meals more than a quiet dinner.

It sits on the Long Embankment beside the Motlawa. The medieval crane (Zuraw) stands a short walk along the same quay, and the Long Market runs just inland. For another long-standing riverside table, see Kubicki. The Gdansk guide maps out the waterfront.

The name carries the history. A 'bowke' was a Gdansk day labourer or dockhand of the old harbour, the sort who spent his wages in waterside bars, and the interior is dressed to recall the port of more than two centuries ago.

The own-label beer is more specific than it first sounds: a natural, unpasteurised brew made exclusively for the tavern by a small regional family brewery to old Gdansk recipes. The kitchen also bakes its own bread daily and makes pierogi by hand, and among the sweeter offerings are chocolates filled with Goldwasser, the local gold-flecked liqueur. For the current dishes and what is on tap, check the venue's own channels.