€€fine_dining
On the sixth floor of the historic Monopol Hotel, sits this stylishly decorated restaurant. The picturesque terrace is ideal for an aperitif, affording beautiful views over the city skyline. The cooking spotlights some lovely seasonal ingredients, such as girolles and heritage tomatoes, and as you will gather from the large bank of on-view fridges, the team here take their wine seriously – the list features some notable Italian producers in particular.
🕐 Mo-Su 18:00-22:30
€€polish, international
The late-Victorian Monopol Hotel, a Wrocław icon, is a fitting setting for this formal and attractive restaurant. There’s a certain grandeur to the place, thanks to its large arched windows and beautiful marble walls. The classically based cooking offers hearty portions and robust flavours, with refined techniques making the ingredients extra punchy. Accompany the cooking with a wine from the concise but well-chosen global selection.
🕐 Mo-Su 12:00-23:00
€€breakfast, international, fine_dining
Operating as both a coffee shop and restaurant, this is one of those appealing something-for-everyone places. Occupying part of a former 1930s department store, its modern bistro feel is infused with subtle art deco touches that tie in with the building’s history. Brunch is served in the day, before the dinner à la carte kicks in with its clean, fresh and seasonal dishes taking inspiration from around Europe. Pastries from the café are sometimes available for dessert.
€€fine_dining
Celebrity chef Beata Śniechowska's restaurant has a full name that translates as ‘Young Polish Bistro & Piano’, which feels like a pretty apt description. It’s run by a young and enthusiastic team, there's an invigorating bistro buzz to the atmosphere and there is indeed background music from the house pianist. The cooking dispenses with fuss and instead focuses on the natural flavours of quality ingredients, such as pure-white cod. A large vodka selection will please connoisseurs.
🕐 Mo-Su 12:00-24:00
€Spanish
This younger sister to Mercado Tapas Bistro sits underneath the next railway arch and is a smaller, more intimate space, boasting closely set tables and the chatter of diners blending into the rumble of trains overhead. Like its sibling, the menu has a Spanish heart but this time mixes in more globally minded small plates, such as pork ribs with miso glaze or the standout ricotta agnolotti. Spanish wines are to the fore and the service team run things smoothly.
🕐 Tu-Th 16:00-22:00, Fr-Sa 16:00-23:00, Su 14:00-20:00
€spanish, basque
This tapas bar under a red-brick railway arch brings a little slice of Spain to Lower Silesia. It’s got all the ingredients of a good night out, from the buzz of happy diners to a drinks list including Spanish wines, sherry and sangria. The cooking marries tapas staples, like croquetas and pan con tomate, with a ‘Something Different’ section incorporating well-judged international tweaks. The Basque cheesecake will provide a fitting finale to a terrific all-round experience.
🕐 Mo-Th 14:00-22:00, Fr-Sa 14:00-01:00, Su 12:00-21:00
€regional
For a taste of modern-day Poland, this buzzing bar and bistro ticks all the boxes. Tucked beneath a railway arch, it’s a relaxed, tightly packed spot humming with energy while the trains rumble overhead. Choose from a selection of brightly flavoured small plates that are mightily generous in size, from locally made black pudding to the popular ‘chunks of bread’. Adding to the appeal are the efficient service and wallet-friendly wines by the carafe or litre.
€tapas
Its name translates as ‘Lips Lips’ and you will certainly be licking yours at this loveable little spot nestled, like many Wrocław restaurants, beneath a railway arch. It’s a bustling space, with the efficient team serving a steady stream of walk-in-only tables. The cooking draws on influences from Poland and beyond, in dishes that are straightforward and robustly flavoured – such as beef broth with pork dumplings. For something simpler, they have a selection of gourmet sandwiches.
€€€€fine_dining
The basement of the Altus Palace Hotel – a beautifully restored building from the 19th century – makes a wonderful setting for this elegant restaurant with atmospheric red-brick walls and a vaulted ceiling. The well-travelled chef crafts dishes combining the classic with the subtly creative, leading to the likes of Jersualem artichoke foam with mushrooms and egg yolk or beef rib with potato and truffle. When available, the 'Duende' tasting menu provides the full experience.
€€fine_dining
With its bright décor, marble-topped tables and unusual sunken dining area, this must be one of the most strikingly designed restaurants in the city – and that’s without mentioning its fascinating location within what remains of the old Bastion Sakwowy fortification. The cooking is similarly eye-catching, with classically based dishes coming with vibrant colours and a stylish touch. The elegant, slightly formal atmosphere matches the surroundings.
🕐 Mo-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr 16:00-23:00; Sa 13:30-23:00; Su 13:30-21:30
€€fine_dining, portuguese, seafood
Taking full advantage of its location on the banks of the River Oder, Martim’s terrace and floor-to-ceiling windows help make it a lovely setting in which to enjoy the kitchen’s Portuguese-inspired dishes. Seafood plays a big role on the menu, in dishes like the rich, rustic and punchily flavoured cataplana stew. The wine list is exclusively Portuguese, with some fine Vinho Verde and, of course, a selection of top-notch and well-priced ports.
🕐 Mo-Th,Su 12:00-23:00; Fr,Sa 12:00-24:00
€€€french, fine_dining
As you arrive at this deservedly busy spot by the Oder river, you quickly get the sense that you’re going to have a great time. The smiling, attentive team give you a warm welcome, before you head through the thick velvet curtains and discover the sleek, lively brasserie waiting within. From the bustling open kitchen, expect to see some French-based dishes such as a modern take on ‘escargots’ with garlic butter – all showcasing quality produce and executed with aplomb.
🕐 Mo-Th 14:00-22:00, Fr 14:00-23:00, Sa 12:00-23:00, Su 12:00-21:00
€€fine_dining
Situated in a prime spot on the banks of the River Oder, there are few restaurants with a more enticing terrace than this. Ask for a seat here and, on a warm summer’s night, watch as darkness falls and the streetlights gleam on the river’s surface. The setting is matched by cooking that puts an emphasis on top-quality local meats – for dessert, look out for the chocolate fondant with a fruity punch. Let the knowledgeable staff guide you in picking complementary wines.
€€€Seafood
Don't be fooled by the name – whilst they undoubtedly have one of the best wine lists in the city, this very much feels like a restaurant. There’s a subtle nautical look to the interiors, chiming with the location overlooking a small marina on the River Oder. The seafood-focused menu has a Mediterranean feel, in dishes like salt-crusted sea bream with a citrus sauce. The in-house wine shop allows you to take home a bottle or two from the globetrotting selection.
€€seafood, mediterranean, fine_dining
In the summer, head straight for the terrace at this large modern brasserie. Situated on Kępa Mieszczańska – an island in the middle of the River Oder, yet still part of the city centre – it offers waterside views to accompany the kitchen’s colourful cooking. Local produce is often to the fore in dishes that look to the Mediterranean for inspiration, be it bouillabaisse with zander or tiramisu for dessert. The friendly service adds to the appeal.
🕐 Mo-Fr 09:00-23:00, Sa 10:00-23:00, Su 11:00-23:00
€€€international, steak_house
There’s a real comforting quality to the cooking at this smart modern brasserie in the heart of the city. Share a couple of small plates to start, before moving on to the main event: steaks. A variety of cuts of top-quality Argentinian beef are cooked over charcoal in the Josper oven, then served with traditional adornments like chips and béarnaise sauce. The desserts have a similarly classic approach, with satisfying options like chocolate fondant with Chantilly cream.
🕐 Mo-Th 12:00-22:00, Fr-Sa 12:00-23:00, Su 12:00-21:00
€€polish
There is so much beauty to admire when you visit this restaurant in Ostrów Tumski, Wrocław’s oldest district and without doubt one of its most attractive. If you dine inside, marvel at the red-brick vaulted ceiling of the atmospheric medieval mansion; alternatively, sit on the pavement terrace in the shadow of the stunning St. John the Baptist Archcathedral. The kitchen does a good job of living up to the setting, with dishes such as precisely made venison pierogi.
🕐 Mo-Su 12:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 12:00-22:00
€€international
A former car wash and workshop has been transformed into this welcoming bistro that lives up to the ‘Garden’ part of its name. Promoting a local and seasonal ethos, the chefs utilise home-grown produce, while the sprawling terrace includes an outdoor kitchen and BBQ area. The concise menu is supplemented by blackboard specials, each dish coming with an appealing price tag and extracting bags of flavour from the ingredients. The same team run the Piekarnia bakery next door, which provides bread, cakes and pastries to bookend your meal.
🕐 Tu-Su 12:00-22:00
€international
Away from the city centre, Milo has the relaxed, welcoming feel of a neighbourhood bistro that you could come back to again and again. Run by friendly young owners, it’s a simple little spot with a small on-view kitchen, where the team craft largely traditional dishes such as pork schnitzel or chocolate fondant. An occasional creative streak shines through too, as in the unusual combination of ricotta ravioli and roasted white chocolate.
€€fine_dining
Few restaurants can claim a location quite like Arche Klasztor, which sits within a large red-brick property that has had past lives as a monastery, hospital and school – in fact, one wing is still used as a monastery inhabited by the Franciscan Sisters. History seeps its way into the cooking too, which modernises traditional Polish recipes such as potato pancakes with sour cream. Some of the dishes are even said to be based on the nuns’ original recipes.
🕐 Mo-Su 17:00-22:00
€€fine_dining
Dining at this former coffin-making factory in an old industrial district feels like you’ve stumbled upon a secret little hideaway. The atmospheric bistro is spread across two rooms: the first has a red-brick, vintage feel with an open kitchen; the other is a winter garden room with a tree growing out of it and a bohemian atmosphere. In either, you’ll enjoy rustic, full-flavoured dishes with a hint of the Mediterranean. Friendly service helps maintain the relaxed atmosphere.
🕐 Mo-Fr 16:00-23:00, Sa-Su 14:00-23:00
€€€Korean
Fun, friendly and full of atmosphere, this is Wrocław’s go-to destination for Korean BBQ. Inside the on-trend, industrial-chic dining room, each table is topped with its own gas grill – over which you can cook a range of high-quality meat and seafood exactly to your liking. Non-grill dishes are available too, like bibimbap and bulgogi, while the starters take influences from Japan with tempura and gyozas. Come with friends, order away and you’ll have a brilliant time.
€€Traditional Cuisine, Regional Cuisine
The surroundings are an event in themselves at this restaurant situated on the estate of the same name, which has a 14th-century castle at its heart and now hosts bedrooms, a spa and even a motor museum across its various buildings and parkland. Dining takes place across several castle rooms and focuses on carefully executed dishes with heart and soul, such as comforting homemade blood pudding or generous duck breast with a rich, full-flavoured sauce.