Pod Aniolami

Pod Aniolami occupies a vaulted medieval cellar on Grodzka, the street that links the Main Market Square to Wawel Castle in the Krakow Old Town. The building dates back to the 13th century and once housed a goldsmiths' workshop. Over several decades the restaurant has built its name on traditional Polish and old Krakow cooking, served in a candlelit setting under brick vaults.

The kitchen is built around an open beech-wood grill, and marinated, grilled meats are the signature. Expect old-country dishes such as highland lamb, duck and house-smoked specialities, alongside classics like żurek, the sour rye soup served in a bread bowl, and pierogi. This is hearty, traditional cooking rather than a modern reinterpretation, and portions are generous. Menus and prices change, so check the current list with the restaurant.

The cellar is the main event: low brick vaulting, candlelight and a medieval-banquet feel that suits the food. There is also a roofed courtyard garden with its own grill for warmer evenings and daytime meals. The downstairs rooms fill most nights, and the setting does a lot of the work, so it reads as a special-occasion place rather than a quick lunch stop.

It is a reliable choice for a sit-down dinner in the Old Town when you want traditional Polish cooking in an atmospheric room: a first night in the city, a family meal, a celebration, or a slower evening after a day of sightseeing. As a long-standing fixture on Grodzka, it draws a mix of visitors and locals marking an occasion. Prices sit above the city average, in line with the location and the setting. If you are after light, modern or budget food, this is not the place.

The restaurant is on Grodzka in the middle of the Old Town, which is pedestrianised, so you reach it on foot. It is a few minutes' walk south of the Main Market Square, and about the same north of Wawel, which makes it easy to fold into a walk between the two.

Because it sits on the main spine of the Old Town, the central sights are all close:

• The Main Market Square and St Mary's Basilica, a short walk north.
• Wawel Castle and cathedral, a few minutes south.
• Kanonicza street, one of the oldest and quietest lanes in the city, just off the route to Wawel.

Traditional Polish and old Krakow cooking, especially marinated meats grilled over a beech-wood fire, served in a 13th-century brick cellar. Soups such as żurek and dishes like pierogi round out the menu.

It is wise to. The cellar rooms fill most evenings, so reserve ahead if you want to sit downstairs rather than in the courtyard garden, particularly at weekends and in the summer season.

On Grodzka street in the Old Town, on the pedestrian route between the Main Market Square and Wawel Castle. Both are only a few minutes' walk away.