A royal feast - in "Wierzynek" restaurant

Sometimes we need to experience and adventure... in some places the atmosphere itself takes us to a fantastic world. In the very heart of the Krakow Old Town, inside a historical tenement house – you can travel for a moment to a completely different time period.

A royal feast – it sounds encouraging, doesn’t it?

650 years ago, Mikołaj Wierzynek, a merchant from Kraków, threw a feast which then chroniclers found difficult to describe. To celebrate the wedding of Casimir III the Great’s granddaughter with Kaiser Charles IV, the most prominent personalities of the medieval world came to Kraków. Tables were full of fancy dishes, the abundance of food, generosity and hospitality impressed the guests.

Thanks to combining tradition with modern approach towards the art of cooking, today the restaurant Wierzynek offers exceptional culinary experience in a truly historical interior. There are amazing frescos on the ceiling, while the walls are decorated with paintings, including a reproduction of the 19th century masterpiece by Bronisław Abramowicz: “A feast at Wierzynek’s”. While sitting at the table, you can admire a beautiful sight through the window or original cordovans – wall decorations characterised by an amazing attention to detail. They are hand-made of beef leather, using 17th and 18th century techniques, and covered with silver petals as well as numerous golden elements. Such carefully finished details, candelabrums, furniture and paintings will make you feel like a part of an amazing story. Every available room is characterised by a slightly different atmosphere and equipment. The Knight's Room contains weapons, while in the Renaissance Room you will find delicate classic decorations in warm colours as well as shining brass lamp brackets. Furthermore, Chopin concerts are frequently held in the latter.

Not only the events here are exceptional, the guests of the restaurant are also worth mentioning. Every visitor of Wierzynek can expect special treatment – that probably explains the reason for an extensive list of more or less famous guests. The restaurant has been visited by Presidents of the United States John F. Kennedy and George Bush Senior, the President of France Charles de Gaulle, the President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel, Polish Heads of State Lech Wałęsa and Bronisław Komorowski as well as Wisława Szymborska, Czesław Miłosz, Krzysztof Penderecki, Tadeusz Kantor, Jim Carey, Robert de Niro, Steven Spielberg.

Once you choose one of the atmospheric rooms, it is time to enjoy royal service and celebrate food. Last year, the restaurant was awarded a certificate by the organisation Slow Food Polska. This means that it offers dishes prepared with amazing attention to detail using carefully selected natural ingredients. Going through the menu stimulates imagination, while the dishes themselves are a true feast for the senses. “Oscypek cake – goat cheese mousse, cranberry jelly, compressed green apple, beetroot caviar, balsamic vinaigrette”; “Atrakhan Caviar with champagne sorbet, “Beetroot Assiette – pickled chard – roasted beetroot mousse – red beet powder – beetroot chips – marinated beetroot – beet ice cream – goat cheese”... such dishes turn eating not only into a feast but also an adventure. To finish feasting on a high note how about some caramelized in honey porcini mushroom ice cream served on chocolate- nut „ground” with black currant sauce?

You can also order some carefully selected alcohol with your dishes. The menu contains wine from all over the world as well as other liquor of the highest quality. There is also a sweet buffet with hand-made sweets prepared by confectionery masters. ​ The greatness of Wierzynek is confirmed by the fact that the restaurant has been nominated for the World Luxury Restaurant Awards 2017. This place will guarantee a true culinary and cultural feast. ​