Before my trip, I wasn’t super familiar with Polish cuisine beyond pierogi, the country’s beloved dumplings that are often boiled and filled with mashed potatoes.
I ate plenty of them throughout my stay, and was delighted to find that most of the food I ate in Poland wasn’t as beige or basic.
In reality, the country surprised me with its wide selection of diverse and modern cuisine.
I found many high-end restaurants, some serving Polish fusion cuisine and others serving classics like pasta and steak that I’d find back home. One Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant served me dishes that looked almost too pretty to eat.
Because Poland is a relatively affordable country compared to the US, I felt like I could eat like a queen here, even though I was traveling on a budget. It was awesome to dine at Michelin-starred restaurants that I would never have been able to afford in the United States.
For example, a five-course tasting meal in Kraków’s Michelin-starred Bottiglieria 1881 starts at about 60 euros, or $68. A similar dining experience in the US can easily cost more than double that.
With the exception of one mediocre fast-food restaurant my kids insisted on trying, every meal I had in Poland was delicious.
