I recently had the opportunity to visit an old friend in Kraków. After a year of budget living while hitchhiking, cycling across Europe, and building a homemade raft to sail the Danube, I was relieved to sit down and eat in a restaurant.  Although I’d been to Kraków before, I’d never heard about this place.  A friend of a friend recommended it to us and, after skimming the menu, we decided to check it out.

Located just north of the main square (Rynek Główny) in the Old Town, Bar Glonojad is a vegetarian restaurant with a healthy and creative menu; it also helps that everything is extremely affordable.  It has a cafe feel to it with a laid back atmosphere.  The simple yet flavorful raw salads are displayed in a glass case and, after deciding on your meal, you place your order at the bar.

The diverse menu includes a variety of both hot and cold breakfast, lunch, and dinner options (including appetizers and a soup of the day), and is printed in Polish and English.  One of the most traditional Polishes dishes, pierogies, is also featured on the menu.  Small snacks cost around $1.50, while bigger meals, which usually include a salad, range from $2.00-$3.00- outrageously cheap for the amount and quality of the food.  Catering to many diets, Bar Glonojad offers vegan and gluten-free meals, and also indicates when a dish can be altered to become vegan.  They serve a wide range of beverages, from exotic teas and coffees (about $2.00) to ice-cold Polish beer ($2.25 for 0.5 L), fresh smoothies and juices ($2.88), and wine ($9.61 per 0.75 L bottle).

The staff (who speak English) are exceptionally welcoming and friendly: my friends and I were enjoying our meal so much that we didn’t realize they had been closed for quite some time.  Instead of rushing us out- we were the only ones left in the restaurant- the staff sat, had a drink, and waited for us to finish on our own time.  Although I don’t know your name, Ms. Friendly Server, I’d like to say a big, “Thanks!” for your awesome hospitality.

Although everything- literally EVERYTHING- on the menu sounded tasty, these are what my friends and I decided to go for:

Spicy tofu chili with buckwheat and a salad of white celery, pine nuts, and a sweet honey vinaigrette

Chili enchiladas with cheese and tofu, accompanied with a salad of shredded carrot, pine nuts, raisins, and a sweet honey vinaigrette dressing (potentially-vegan dish)

Quesadilla made with olives, jalepenos, peppers, Gouda, mozzarella, blue cheese, and tomato salsa 

For menu, location, and contact information, visit their site directly at http://www.glonojad.com/ .  Enjoy your meal!