Visiting Poland as a vegan and don’t know what to expect?
Our article will tell you everything you need to know about vegan food in Poland. It includes information on the best vegan-friendly cities, our favorite accidentally-vegan Polish national dishes, and the top restaurants in which to try them.
Is Poland Vegan-Friendly?
Before going to Poland, I never expected it to be vegan-friendly. However, at the end of my trip, I literally said ‘I can imagine myself living in this country as a happy vegan’.
Learning a few vegan phrases would be really helpful but, the only little problem is, their language has many words with 4 or 5 consonants together. However, I would be willing to try for the sake of Poland’s tasty traditional dishes.
Which is the Best Polish City for Vegans?
I have been to three cities in Poland: Gdansk, a beautiful coastal city; Warsaw, the famous capital, and Poznan, one of the cutest historic cities. I was so happy to walk around these beautiful Polish cities and happier when I saw vegan options almost everywhere.
Even though Gdansk and Poznan offer various plant-based dishes, Warsaw has the biggest variety.
Traditional Vegan Polish Food
Among all these options, I would like to share the best 5 traditional vegan dishes of Poland. I added some of my favorite restaurants as well but I still recommend using Happy Cow to see other great vegan restaurants that will satisfy your taste buds as well as your eyes.
The plant-based food options are really too many to try in one trip. You may see the current number of vegan-friendly spots in Poland shown on Happy Cow here:
- Polish Dumplings (Pierogi)
Pierogi is one of the most famous dishes in Poland and I think it’s the best. This is because you can have different types of pierogi such as cabbage and sauerkraut; lentils; potatoes and onions; sauerkraut and mushroom.
You may even find sweet pierogi with berries and fruits that are served as a dessert in many restaurants, so you never get bored of it.
In this photo from Pierogarnia Mandu in Gdansk, you see boiled pierogi with lentils and chilly tomato sauce and fried potato pierogi with creamy garlic sauce.
- Accidentally-Vegan Borsch (Barszcz)
This is the most common traditional soup in Poland. It has this beautiful red color as it is made of fermented beetroot. They also add beans into it in some places. It is sour and fresh and I find it really comforting and heartwarming.
Having soup from a mug seemed also pretty practical and now I do it with smooth soups at home. I enjoyed this one with a mixed salad at Pod Samsonem in Warsaw.
- Polish Potato Pancakes (Placki ziemniaczane)
This is usually a vegan dish in Poland. Shredded or grated potatoes are fried and served with either sweet or savory tops. You may easily find them as street food and watch how they prepare and cook it. They are on the menu in almost every restaurant as well.
Once I tried it with apple sauce and another time with sauerkraut on the streets of Warsaw and my vote goes to the latter one.
- Vegan Cabbage Rolls (Gołąbki)
This dish isn’t originally vegan but the plant-based version is quite popular. They are stuffed with rice and mushrooms and served with tomato sauce.
It is mostly a winter dish but you can still find it in traditional restaurants. I loved the taste of gołąbki and it is really fulfilling.
- Baked apples (Pieczone jabłka)
Pieczone jabłka is Poland’s best traditional vegan dessert. It is simply apples baked with raisins, nuts and spices in the oven. It is nutritious, comforting and really tasty. In some restaurants, they are served with cream or honey so I recommend you to make sure it’s vegan while ordering it.
Non-Traditional Vegan Foods in Poland
Apart from the traditional meals, I tasted a vegan pizza in Poznan, a vegan burger in Warsaw and a vegan sandwich from Café Nero in Gdansk. There are plenty of places to find plant-based foods!
My Favorite Untraditional Vegan Restaurants in Poland
I would like to share two other places that are not traditional Polish restaurants but they are more than amazing.
Tel Aviv Urban Food – Warsaw
The first one is my favorite restaurant in Warsaw. It is called Tel Aviv Urban Food. They call themselves ‘Hummusexual’ as they have the best hummus that attracts all hummus lovers in town.
They surprise you with their new recipes of hummus such as coco curry hummus. They also serve fantastic falafels, vegan burgers and lunches from Middle Eastern cuisine together with organic vegan wines.
Krowarzywa – All Over Poland
The second one is a healthy vegan fast food place called Krowarzywa. It is probably the biggest vegan burger chain in Poland as it can be found in 10 cities. They serve heavenly tasty vegan kebabs, burgers, wraps, desserts and smoothies.
As a person from Turkey, the land of kebab, I really believe their kebab is better. I think it deserves to be a world-famous burger chain.
One Response
Come to Cracow, veg friends are more than welcome!