First it was cafes, then it was Wi-Fi cafes, now every cafe is doing all it can to be quirky, different and stand out from the crowd in an ever-competitive market. Cat cafes are not just a fad, they are quickly becoming one of the most special experiences for pet-loving, coffee drinkers. Poland has gotten in on the act with this superb range of venues, where you can sip frothy lattes or creamy cappuccinos with your feline friends.
Cat lovers and those with a taste for the absurd should head to Gdynia’s very special ‘Cat Café’. Known as Biały Kot Kocia Kawiarnia (The White Cat Café), this is the first of its kind in the city and has received visitors and acclaim from far and wide. It has great coffee, Wi-Fi, a selection of tasty pastries, and, of course, many beautiful cats! If you only have the chance to order one cup of coffee in Gdynia, this is the place. The interior is memorable and has a reputation for being a great experience on a low budget (coffee starts at six złotych).
The inventively named Miau Cafe is one of Warsaw’s quirkiest new cafes on the block. Yes, it is named after the way many of us think a cat sounds! It’s not often you can escape the busy streets of the Polish capital to sip coffee in the company of cats, so this is a rarity indeed. This cafe is located just a few minutes from the Wierzbno metro station. You can order large lattes topped with marshmallows and sit with several feline friends in a cosy atmosphere. Not many cafes can match this level of feline fun.
The seaside city of Gdańsk had its first cat cafe open in 2017, and it immediately became a huge hit with cat lovers. The simply titled Kotka Cafe is in the city’s trendy Oliwa district. As well as cats and coffee, there’s another great selling point here: delicious fruit smoothies. Kotka Cafe has very cool and cute cat photos on its Instagram and Facebook pages, in case you want to scope the place out before you visit.
On the longest shopping street in Europe, Ulica Piotrkowska, sits a little tea and coffee house known as Herbaciarnia Kocie Oczy. It is here, in a casual and well decorated setting, that you can sip some of the finest teas and coffees in Łódź surrounded by cats! This is a definite treat for cat lovers. There is a bookshelf full of books, many of them cat related. There are cat ornaments and pictures, as well as real resident cats roaming around. Indulge in tasty cakes while taking in the decor that reflects a vintage family home, old sewing machines and wooden wardrobes included. On top of all that, Herbaciarnia Kocie Oczy serves a great drop of tea or coffee.
The first of Kraków’s cat cafes (because you know there’s bound to be more opening soon) was Kocia Kawiarnia Kociarnia. What was once a small cafe has grown into two venues – the one on Krowoderska is open on the weekends only and the one on Lubicz is open every day. Both offer the chance to sip frothy cappuccinos and strong French presses in the company of furry friends. The interior is simple, with the main focus on the cats, who purr from their perches and scratch at their posts as you enjoy your brew. It’s a pretty unusual place amidst the city’s other beer bars and vodka joints.
