Villa Aurora

Operated by the well-known Chef Beata Śniechowska, this modern bistro is one of those spots where you just know you’re going to have a good time. Closely set tables add to the intimacy and buzz of the atmosphere, while bright and friendly service quickly puts you at ease. The cooking offers reinterpreted versions of classic Polish dishes with brilliant results: the signature 'Our Pierogi' and the well-balanced 'Duck Breast with 5 Polish Flavours' are prime examples. Make sure you enhance the experience by asking the engaging, thoughtful sommelier to match a range of Polish wines to your dishes

Setting a high standard in the Poznan dining scene for many years, Muga is an elegant place with plush, understated décor and classically formal service that mirrors the surroundings. The French-based cooking shows both utmost skill and a welcome restraint; grassy white asparagus, for example, might excel in the simple company of rich pistachio and tangy bilberry. Wine plays a large role too: the list is excellent; Sommelier Łukasz is charming and generous; and their wine shop Casa de Vinos is just next door if you want to pick something up on the way home.

Situated on the edge of the Old Town, inside the Hotel Jazz, there’s a stylish, faux-industrial quality to this friendly restaurant. Exposed brickwork and concrete flooring combine with pared-back décor and varnished wooden tables for a classic bistro feel. The cooking has a similar ethos of unfussiness, with a welcome lack of over-elaboration in dishes that combine quality ingredients with precise technique – such as the array of dumplings or scorched herring with baked potato. The wine list’s hidden highlights include local Polish riesling.

The lucky locals have got the perfect neighbourhood spot in this wine bar and bistro, located a little out from the city centre. Its rustic-chic design feels perfectly of the moment, with exposed brickwork and lo-fi furnishings, while the wholesome cooking and interesting wine list are similarly on-trend. Dishes of low-fuss, big-flavour food could include the likes of minced pork cutlet with tarragon or the playful date madeleines with toffee sauce for dessert. The thoughtfully curated, lesser-known wines are the perfect accompaniment.

As enviable locations go, this is certainly up there. The smart brasserie is located inside the impressively domed Centennial Hall and overlooks the Wrocław Multimedia Fountain, where stunning illumination displays take place in the summer. The well-priced menu offers dishes that balance flavours and textures wonderfully, showcasing the technical strength and understanding of the kitchen. Intense mushroom soup with rabbit sausage and smoked sour cream is a prime example. Work up an appetite with a stroll around the nearby park or Japanese gardens.

In an expanding neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city, this white-tiled bistro is the perfect place to taste modernised, lightened versions of traditional Polish dishes that have lost none of their punchy flavour. A few prime steaks sold by weight are ideal for celebrating, but the real value is to be found in the likes of the ‘szare klunchy’ (‘grey ducks’) dumplings topped with melting beef cheek, sauerkraut and a rich demi-glace sauce thickened with bone marrow. Polite, helpful service is an added bonus.

A 19th-century power plant on the edge of Jana Pawla II Park is home to this faux-industrial restaurant. Sit on the terrace overlooking the row of chardonnay vines as you sample something from the exceptional wine list – which champions all things natural and biodynamic, including over 75 native wines. The menu makes a feature of house-smoked ingredients, such as fjord trout and terrific, meaty duck. The cooking comes with the added bonus of attractive pricing and generous portions.