Nature

This intimate, modern restaurant blends a small open kitchen with powder blue banquettes and walls decorated with bright artwork from The Polish Poster School. The modernised versions of classic Polish dishes deliver an appealing blend of textures, alongside a careful balancing of complementary flavours. Breads are baked in-house and local ingredients are sourced from the nearby Stary Kleparz market.

In four 16th-century tenement houses in the city’s Old Town lies the luxury H15 Palace Hotel; on its ground floor sits this smart, contemporary restaurant with a glass roof, marble-topped tables and bright modern artwork. Choose from two tersely worded tasting menus that fuse Polish and Spanish flavours in colourful dishes that are presented with plenty of explanation from the team, such as 'Liquid Salad' with spring vegetables. Go for a wine pairing to add to the experience.

A pretty little restaurant in the heart of the Old Town, the dining area here is divided across three cosy rooms, each with their own character and blending original features with more modern furnishings. The simple cooking eschews fussiness in favour of reliably enjoyable dishes that allow the core flavours to shine. Seafood is the speciality, with fish arriving from France several times a week and then cooked whole over salt and herbs. Dishes to share are a feature.

In the centre of the 300 year old hotel of the same name, within a glass-covered atrium, you'll find this spacious restaurant boasting a lounge bar and a dining area overlooking the kitchen. Quality Polish ingredients power modern dishes underpinned by a strong classical base, with confident and assured presentation, bold flavours and an Italian influence. The well-chosen wine list features over 300 Italian wines.

There’s a chic, retro quality to this lively brasserie in Kraków’s Old Town, which sports several dining rooms – including one with a vaulted brick ceiling – plus an enclosed garden terrace. It's a smart place, with the menu bringing modern updates to classic Krakovian dishes, as well as those from wider Poland. This is simple, satisfying cooking with a generous touch that no doubt pleases their regulars. For dessert, the hot apple pie made with Polish Szara Reneta apples is not to be missed.

In an area of the city filled with restaurants, seek out this atmospheric spot where the menu reads like a ‘greatest hits’ of Japanese cuisine. Gyozas, nigiri, yakitori… all will be provided by the skilled kitchen team; and while the place lives up to its name with a wide sushi selection and multiple cuts of beef cooked on the robata grill, it’s worth diverting your attention to the terrific vegetable tempura. It’s all perfect for sharing, so bring some friends and sample as much as possible.

Steak lovers need look no further than this smartly dressed restaurant from the same owners as Fiorentina and Kogel Mogel. An eye-catching parrilla grill is at the heart of the operation, used with great skill on prime steaks from Poland and the US, best enjoyed with a glass of red wine from the impressive list. Don’t overlook the other dishes too, such as the beef pretzel with a deliciously piquant gherkin and caper cream. Cheery, genuine service is the perfect finishing touch.