ZaKładka -Bistro de Cracovie

My recent visit left me underwhelmed. The food, while decent enough, certainly didn't live up to any grand expectations, settling firmly in the "good, not great" category. The restaurant's atmosphere felt strangely muted; without any background music and a notable lack of a lively crowd, it lacked the warmth and vibrancy one hopes for. Furthermore, the service was unfortunately inconsistent, oscillating between being merely adequate and, at times, surprisingly aggressive. In my opinion, this establishment is decidedly overrated.

The menu is quite deep with very creative dishes in a unique Polish-French way. The appetizer of 6 frog legs was superb, as were the steak and the chicken livers. So many choices. The liter of rose' lemonade was perfect for a warm, sunny day.

Despite all the red Michelin signs everywhere, this place didn't feel like a Michelin restaurant at all. The steak was one of the most expensive items on the menu but was barely chewable. Strangely, it came with basic french fries - not what you'd expect from a high-end place. The other dishes weren't particularly refined either. Nothing really stood out as special or well-prepared. Service was slow. We were a group of 6 and the waitress couldn't even give us a proper estimate of how long we'd be waiting. You could visit if you have plenty of time to kill, but honestly it's not worth going back. For the price and the Michelin reputation, expected much better.

For honesty's sake I am not an expert when it comes to French food because most items that are considered haute cuisine (snails, rabbit, seafood, frog legs, venison etc.) I do not eat. There were a few tempting starters but the only main dish that is edible to me on the menu is the "butcher's steak" and so I ordered it. The cut used in this dish is suitable for a goulash or a szolet but not a steak (it was rubbery). The french fries are delicious and they are plentiful. I ordered a Chlodnik soup as a starter. It came without pepper and as I carry fresh chilli with me I substituted the lack of black pepper with fresh green chilli. The soup had a healthy dose of fresh dill and parsley but it was too salty. The goat cheese (if indeed that is what it was) was also very salty. The quantity of goat cheese in the soup was double what I expected it to be so this is clearly a case of quantity over quality. I ate it because when travelling I make sure to eat healthy vegetables such as beetroot at least thrice a week but I felt the cheese was of very low quality and was over salted to conceal this fact. The French red wine was fine but the waiter did not ask me if I want it with my steak (most people, myself included drink wine with the main course). He brought the wine with the small free appetiser which along with the french fries was the highlight of the meal As it is July and I was sitting outside the red wine was inevitably warmer than optimal by the time the steak arrived. I asked to pick a dessert from the menu and the waiter brought me the main menu but not the seasonal menu which as I remember also had one dessert (alas I couldn't remember what it was so instead of asking the clearly indifferent waiter to fetch me the seasonal menu I stuck with creme brulee). The latter was tasty but this type of dessert can be found in steakhouses near petrol stations all over France (a sweet pause between changing michelin tyres maybe?).

We ordered Lobster Soup, Beef Tongue, Chicken Liver, Snail 12 pcs and Crème Brûlée. Everything comes with delicate sauce, very delicious. The Lobster soup is very rich and intense and good with the bread! Beef Tongue, tasted like slow cooked and very soft, melting in my mouth, perfect! Chicken liver, served with apple sorbet, very creamy, refreshing and delicious. It balances well with the rich sauce of the liver, make it less oily. Snail 12 pcs, fabulous, that’s the first time my sister tried it, and she is afraid of it but after she tried it, she is in love with it and finished 6 pcs on her own! Crème Brûlée, a different recipe than the usual crème brûlée, it’s the best dessert to end this wonderful dinner. Yet, I wanna give thanks to Karolina, she is always fast reaction to all our request, attentive, caring and changed few times of the plates for us to enjoy the fullness of each dish. And her smiles make us happy! Also great appreciation to the chef. It is well deserved for a Michelin award no matter for its food, place or the service.

French restaurant nicely located near Kladka Bernatka, that is why it’s called ZaKladka, meaning Behind the bridge. I’ve been there few times and enjoyed it. In summer it’s particularly enjoyable as you can seat outdoor, listen to live music of street musicians and enjoy the sun or hide under umbrella in shadow. On weekend it’s quite busy but in week day not so much. We were practically alone on Monday afternoon. Service was fast and food was good. Unfortunately they don’t really have any salads in menu, would be nice to add some. Crème Brûlée is must try. Girl told us that Chef brought the recipe from France and it’s very secret. It was really good one. This restaurant is not in Michelin list anymore so don’t expect anything extraordinary. But food and atmosphere is very good here. Definitely would recommend.

The restaurant is incredibly highly rated and is on the Michelin Guide so my expectations are quite high and you know what they say about expectations 😅. Service was good and the restaurant close to the centre of town and is easily accessible. Atmosphere was excellent. In short, I’ll be back.

Great place food is ok.Try lobster soup no lobster just creamy soup. Tuna with beans in creamy sauce was good . Not Michelin star restaurant quality. Service was not so good.