Pod Wawelem

Pod Wawelem is a large Polish beer hall on Gertrudy Street, tucked against the Planty gardens just below Wawel hill. The formula is simple and popular: big portions of Polish food, house beer poured by the tankard, and a loud, communal room where long tables fill with locals and visitors together.

The kitchen leans into hearty Polish classics served in generous helpings, the sort of plates built to go with beer. The draw is the house beer alongside the food and the beer-hall setting. Expect platters made for sharing rather than fine dining. For the current menu and prices, check the venue's own channels.

The mood is noisy and social, with a warm-weather terrace and a big interior that keeps going into the evening. It is a place for groups, appetite and conversation rather than a quiet meal. Expect it to be full and lively at peak times.

Good for groups, hungry travellers and anyone who wants a relaxed Polish dinner with beer near the castle. Less suited to a romantic or quiet meal.

The location is a short walk from Wawel Castle and the southern edge of the Old Town, handy after a morning on the hill. For a folk-painted Polish dinner up on Grodzka, see Miod Malina. More food ideas and transport tips are in the Krakow guide.

The full name is Pod Wawelem Kompania Kuflowa, and the kitchen leans on Galician cooking, the multicultural food tradition of the old Krakow region. The house calls out golonka (pork knuckle) as a speciality alongside other meats, regional products and its fresh beer.

The garden is billed as the longest along Krakow's Planty gardens, and there is a multi-level children's playground plus live music, which helps explain the group and family trade. For the current menu, prices and any live-music timings, check the restaurant's own channels.