Starka | Restaurant & Vodkas

We found this place to try traditional Polish food near the old town. It is very highly rated and the interior is quite interesting with an array of homemade flavored vodka. The servers were very nice and accommodating. I started with a yummy glass of Italian red wine and my husband had a local beer. We started with their perogies which were very delicious, very tender and yummy. I then had the beef cheeks and my husband had the chicken. Both entrees were very good. Mine was interesting as it was the first time I'd tasted beef cheeks! We skipped dessert as we were quite full. Overall a good experience!

Very good! Food came out fast and I think it was the tenderest chicken I’ve ever eaten! Beautiful presentation. And beautiful restaurant. Will try to come again! Need to try their homemade vodka… lol

Excellent Restaurant in the old part of Krakow. All the dishes had a great variety of delicate delicious flavours that we really enjoyed. Probably our best meal overall on our 3 nights stay.

This is the best meal we had in krakow. The dumplings are very well seasoned and choice of filling complement the flavor perfectly Beef cheek is so soft and tender that you can pull it off with the fork. The pork tenderloin is slightly dry but the veggie is cooked extremely well and floor is wonderful. The cocktail is decent and decor is unique. Definitely recommend.

Great dumplings, I liked the ruski dumplings in particular. We also tried the beef cheeks and pork tenderloin which were both cooked to perfection. Overall, a very satisfying meal and one of the best we have had in Krakow so far.

Great restaurant in Kazimierz! We had a good time celebrating a birthday there. The dishes were delicious. We suggest to book a table in advance, specially during high season. Staff were so friendly. Located in Kazimierz just 15-20 minutes walking from Krakow main Square. Highly recommended!!

All the dishes were excellent! I especially loved the roasted vegetables — they might be the best I’ve ever had: fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. The pork Golonka was also outstanding. The skin was incredibly crispy — you could actually hear the crunch when cutting into it. Truly amazing! They also have a live band in the evening, though unfortunately, we couldn’t stay long enough to enjoy it. Overall, I highly recommend this place!

A local guy told me to try this place as he was the cook here for 22 years. I tried the zurek and tenderloin and they were both amazing. The soup in the bread bowl has bacon, mushroom, and egg in it. It’s creamy and flavorlful with richness and great texture. The tenderloin comes with delicious sauce and beautiful potato. The meat is cooked like a ham which was a little surprising but tasty nonetheless. I was told to order the pork knuckle but unfortunately they only serve them during winter time instead of year round 3 years ago. The atmosphere was great. The staff is friendly. The restaurant has a good vibe. It can get busy quick so come early or reserve a seat!

So good!! I had a delicious lunch at Starka, Gabriel himself was our server and he makes all the vodkas! I had the horseradish vodka, it was soo delicious i bought a bottle to take home! My friend had the apple cinnamon vodka, it was also delicious. For food I had the mix pierogies which was so good. Some of my favorite pierogies in krakow. My friend had the kilbasa, pork sausage, which was OK but the mix of sauces and dips that came with it was best. The atmosphere is so cute, we just loved this place! Highly recommend! PS- book a reservation if going for dinner, they are usually booked up!

This place was packed, but they were so sweet and found us a table within a couple minutes. They make their own vodkas and we sampled many! The food was outstanding too! Service was excellent, everyone was beyond friendly. The patio is charming and the inside is very nice and clean!

A delicious spot with a welcoming team! I came here in the middle of a downpour, desperate for a spot to eat. Even though they were booked with reservations, they made room for my brother and me and brought over extra napkins for us to dry off. We ordered the roasted pork knuckle and a pierogi sampler, which came with 3 types: cheese and spinach, meat, and cheese and potato. They also gave us complimentary sourdough bread and hummus. The food was great - beautifully plated, generous serving size, and tasted wonderful. The pierogi were absolutely delicious and the skin on them was thinner than other spots, so they felt less doughy. The pork knuckle was pretty big and came with hot sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. The pork knuckle does take some time but it's worth it.

Great dinner spot. The food was really good and good prices. Also had live music at the perfect volume for dinner conversation.

The food at Starka is incredible! Fresh, creative, delicious and beautifully presented. Cannot recommend this place more highly. The staff are wonderful. Try the in house vodka and Polish wines too.

A very cute place to grab lunch/dinner. We tried: -Grilled pork sausage which was very flavorful and one of the best dishes at this restaurant -baked beetroot which was unique so of course we had to try it and it was tasty -ground cucumber tartare -mrs rysia dumplings, a traditional dumpling dish -beef tenderloin steak with the aroma of beech was my favorite. The flavor was amazing! We also tried Rowe berry, herbal with honey. Overall everything we tried tasted great.

I had a lovely meal at Starka. I made a reservation and very grateful I did because many walk in diners were turned away because they were booked all night. As a solo diner, I felt very welcome and my vegetarian options were plentiful for an amazing meal. Lovely restaurant and fabulous service.

My friend and I split a lot of different dishes, and all of them were absolutely delicious! The atmosphere was great. Gabriel was our waiter and was very kind and attentive. The hostess brought my friend's dog a bowl of water. Great service and great food! The vodka is something to try, as well. Very smooth!

Starka has translated traditional Polish cuisine into a high-end dining experience with its creative, beautifully-presented plates, served in a romantic, candle-lit dining room. To start, we were brought a plate of Polish bread with homemade cottage cheese, which had been mixed with sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and topped with sesame seeds and berries. My pick from the mains was the highly-recommended sous vide duck breast served over a celery root puree, red cabbage puree, carrot chips, baked potato, and blackberry sauce. The duck breast had been flavored with beech smoke and was brought out to us under a glass dome, which held in the smoke; the sweet and sour blackberry sauce added a nice fruity contrast to the meaty duck, and the different purees were each distinct in color and flavor. I also tried the beef cheeks, which had been stewed in a hearty "hunter's sauce" made with bacon, paprika, and mushrooms. The beef cheeks were so tender, and the sauce had a deep, savory, umami flavor--but my favorite part of this dish was actually the chewy spinach gnocchi dumplings (gnocchi) that were served on the side, which had been mixed with plenty of fresh vegetables including cabbage, zucchini, spinach, peas, and carrots! This crunchy, fresh mixture of ingredients was spring on a plate and acted as the perfect contrast to the heartiness of the stew. Overall, this was a great fine dining experience with super friendly service, a nice atmosphere, and amazing value for the quality of the dishes served!

Starka a is Polish candle lit restaurant with an extensive menu of traditional Polish fare. Start with a vodka or two to help digestion and enjoy selecting from the ample fare. I had the herring on potato salad, followed by the pork knuckle. The pork was cooked to perfection. Crispy on the outside and soft, melt in your mouth on the inside. I paired the pork with a nice glass of cab sauv and also enjoyed a couple of flavoured vodka shots, including ginger. The service was friendly and efficient. It was evident that all guests in the restaurant were enjoying the atmosphere as well as their meals. Starka is popular for good reason and so be sure to book ahead.

Absolutely delicious food, great service and great prices. The spicy goulash served in a bread is a must have, we luckily got the last two at lunchtime so it seems a popular choice. Book ahead as this place is busy, but worth it!

Walked into a half empty restaurant with family at 4:10pm and was greeted by a rude hostess/waitress who first asked if we even had a reservation (with attitude) followed by telling us we can eat there IF we hurry up and finish by 6pm. Besides the rude start and the waitress reminding us in the beginning of our ordering that we ONLY had till 6pm (there was only two other tables seated in the room), the rest of the experience was nice. It had excellent food, beautiful atmosphere and good drinks. Their apricot and pear flavored homemade vodkas were delicious and their Golonka is one of the best I've tasted. Bottom line, maybe you need to make a reservation so you're not rudely rushed at an almost empty restaurant.

There's a reason this restaurant is voted #1 in Krakow. Delicious food. Great service. Nice guitarist and singer (albeit, too "international" with singing all of Beatles' greatest hits and "Hallelujah"). I tried the beet soup and beef cheeks. Beet soup was hands-down the best borsh I have ever had. Light, flavorful, and most loved the dumplings in it. I have a feeling I will be craving it later! The beef cheeks were delicious too... Well flavored but a bit too fatty for my liking. It's my fault though - cheeks are that way. Ended the meal with a complimentary hazelnut (or walnut, not certain) vodka shot. Definitely recommend trying if you have a chance and oh ya, make a reservation! They're packed.

This place is really overrated. While the food is decent, it's nothing spectacular. The service was poor though. I understood we didn't have a reservation but since the restaurant was empty at 5:30 pm, they could take our business or not. They basically told us how much time we had for our table which was fine but they didn't have to act like we annoyed them or like they were doing us a favor. Afterall we were paid customers. I guess they have so much business from the tourists that they didn't care about service anymore. So I gave it a three stars because the food was not worth putting up with that type of attitude.

First time I went..there is no table because I don't booked. Second time I visited was I am in that area. Went there around 5.30pm....managed to get a table but have to leave in one hours or so because they are full of booking. Started we have pierogi and soup of the day...it was okay. Main dishes ..we ordered chicken and Turkey meat dishes, it look similar. Same style of cooking. It cooked with vegetables, beans and added some fruits. But it taste good tho, can't complaint at all. Decent portion of dishes and it make you feeling full easily. Homemade Lemonade drink with bloods red colour taste okay, nothing special. As we promised to leave in an hour time, we don't managed to order the dessert. It was a rush meal, but at least we have tried the restaurant after reading the reviews.

Another great find in Kraków - delicious food, service was fast friendly and efficient... love the decor so chic and the ambiance was perfect.

I read a lot of good reviews about this restaurant, and to get a table we had to book in advance due to its popularity. Needless to say, my expectations were too high, and I found Starka a bit overrated. It's basically just a regular traditional polish restaurant, which you can find all over town. Nothing less, nothing more.

My fav in Krakow. Yelp considers this tooooo short. So i have to add some text to my review. Great place, to be. Wednesday night music.

If you wanna try good, home made Polish food with a modern touch this is a good address. I really liked the beetroot soup with pierogi (stuffed dumplings). We visited this place twice and the second time the waiter still remembered our names (which we hadn't told him in the first place, LOL). Service is very kind and attentive. They also serve the perfect bison grass vodka-apple juice long drink! The restaurant is in the old Jewish quarter, south of the old town.

I want to begin this review by saying that I have been traveling through Central Europe for the last few weeks and I would say that I have received great customer service up until tonight. The food at Starva was acceptable but the customer service was horrible. We made reservations for 6:30 pm to guarantee a table. We were able to place our order in a timely manner but could not manage to get the attention of our server moving forward. it appeared as if our server wore too many hats. She was on the phone, speaking to walk ins without reservations and seating customers. Another waiter finally asked if we wanted dessert and gave us the menu. Our server never checked in or took our order. I finally asked, who I assumed was the manager/owner, for our bill since it appeared our server was too busy, tied up with other duties, to take our dessert order. Our server never came to accept payment either. We were really disappointed in our dining experience.

Came here twice in our 3 days stay at Krakow. My husband loves the Zalewajka soup, and I like sautéed wild mushrooms, yum! Order beef cheek which is very tender, and taste great.

My favourite meal of our whole trip in Kraków. The food was excellent anyway but the staff really made it - so warm and attentive and even gave me a sunflower to take home :) the wine here is lovely too! I went for the boneless ribs which came with the typical mash and cabbage and it was by far the best I'd had of either. I was just upset we didn't have time to go back again before we left!

Cake to this place twice it was so good. The first time I came with a friend and got the duck. Second time the pork. Wait staff was amazing!

My girlfriend and I were practically laughed out of there on a Monday night for thinking we could get in without a reservation. So we made a reservation for the next evening, on the condition that we be done by 8PM for another party to have our table. But the next evening, the place was not even half-full.

Arrived around 8:30 on a Thursday night without a reservation, and luckily there was only one table available for us. Began with prunes wrapped in bacon. The bacon was good, but the prunes were like jam, and overall we weren't that impressed with it. The entrees were stuffed pork loin stuffed and lamb. The lamb came with balsamic cranberry sauce, potatoes roasted with onion and bacon and warm caramelized beets. The pork loin came stuffed with plum and wrapped with bacon, served in a cognac-pepper sauce, along with sheep cheese andcranberries, baked potatoes and shredded celery salad with nuts and raisins. The pork was fantastic, the lamb dish not so much. Ended with a complimentary plum vodka shot.

Great place. It caters to locals and tourists and you will most likely need a reservation if you are coming for dinner. But overall its just well-made food and the atmosphere is top notch. Don't be deterred by all the tourists who come here, its been well reviewed by a number of websites. I usually come and order the "serving of the day" which includes a main course and a soup and its always very reasonably priced for how good it is.

Beef cheeks are amazing! If you like vodka, make sure to try the cinnamon, it's excellent!! The blueberry is pretty good too.

Food was wonderful - both the filet of beef and the stuffed pork tenderloin were delicious. Would have given 5 stars except for service was only so-so including demand for tip in cash only - really!? And the single toilet was gross, especially for women and given the fact that the staff were not busy and could have spruced it up a bit. Too busy chatting with each other!

Had the pork nuclear and 2 glasses of red wine. Great meal, the small size is plenty of food for the pork nuckle, but it is offered in a larger size.

Great service. Fantastic food. Delicious vodka. Nice crowd. Good vibe. Definitely a great foodie place w/some pretty spectacular vodka, wines and drinks. Highly recommend!

What a treat! Delicious polish cuisine for rock bottom prices (perhaps expensive for krakow standards i admit). Try the house-made vodka. I had the lard and pickle appetizer with it, and the pork as main. Large portions so no room for dessert, sadly.

My girlfriend and I were practically laughed out of there on a Monday night for thinking we could get in without a reservation. So we made a reservation for the next evening, on the condition that we be done by 8PM for another party to have our table. But the next evening, the place was not even half-full. And even then they were out of a few special items on the menu. Still, our meals were quite good. I am a little baffled by the raves about the wait staff in other reviews since it was fine, but not excellent.

It's so amazing!!My husband has sugar on its chips believing it's salt and they graciously give him chips. Thenous, the meat was delicious , exquisite wine, dessert and they also offer a delicious digestive . Sincerely , I highly recommend you!!!!

Great spot in Jewish Quarter of Krakow. A tasty starter, two excellent mains (stuffed chicken and pork roast), dessert, beers and vodka set us back less than £30. Even if you're not a vodka person (I'm not), you should still try at least one, as they distill them in house. I tried the pear vodka, which was recommended by our waitress. Very tasty, with real pear flavor. It didn't taste fake like a flavoured vodka does. I really can't say enough about this place. A great place for a really nice meal.