Elbląg is a pretty canal town in Poland that has witnessed an influx in tourists in recent years thanks to its re-built Old Town and its handy location in proximity to Malbork, Stutthof and Kaliningrad. On summer nights, you can chill out by the canal with a cold beer or immerse yourself in the peaceful vibe on the streets of the Old Town at any of these excellent little bars in one of Poland’s coolest up-and-coming cities.
Named after the beer, Specjal Pub is right down by the beautiful canals of Elbląg. This is a fine setting for this idyllic building, which has brown wooden beams decorating its white walls. By day, you can watch boats on the canals and dog walkers pass by. In the evenings, watch the sunset as day turns to night in central Elbląg. The food menu is fantastic and diverse. From bar snacks to pub grub to Polish cuisine, there’s something on the menu for everyone. You can try the juicy burgers or the tasty pierogi. The bar has themed nights, as well as Irish and German beers on tap to add to the international flavour within. In summer months, the beer garden is a great place to relax.
Despite being a city of around 120,000, popular Polish sports bar chain ‘Winners’ has opened one of their venues here. Inside, the walls are adorned with football, boxing and all sorts of sports memorabilia. Local football fans here often support Olimpia Elbląg and Legia Warszawa, when the matches are shown on the TV screens. Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga and English Premier League football are also shown, as is Formula One and boxing. Winners has a delightful bar staff who are all welcoming and ready to serve you to your heart’s content. The food menu has a lot of pub grub options ranging from burgers to hot dogs to pizza to chicken wings. Cold beer is served on tap and in bottles, and the venue also does a range of quirky shots and zesty cocktails. It is well located in the heart of Elbląg’s Old Town, in the basement of the Wiwaldi Hotel.
Restauracja Przy Bramie is a basement bar and restaurant that translates nicely as ‘Bar before the gate’ due to its location on the corner of the main street facing the famous gate entrance to Elbląg’s Old Town. Inside expect Specjal and EB beer on tap and a bigger range of bottled beer, plus lots of wines and spirits, with vodka in abundant varieties. The food menu is vast and contains both Polish and international options, including some vegetarian dishes. Live sports are shown on the television, and the décor is a traditional Polish basement bar. On the food menu, the placki ziemniaczane (potato pancakes with courgette and sour cream) and the tatar wołowy (raw steak with egg, mushrooms, onions and garlic) are well recommended, as are the Italian-style dishes such as the tagliatelle or the gnocchi.
Pub Sąsiedzi means ‘Neighbours Pub’ in English, and this is certainly a great place to mingle with friends or make new ones. It’s a lively gastropub located on the 1 Maja street near Elbląg’s Old Town. With brick walls, elegant seating and a cosy interior, this is one of the most atmospheric pubs in town. It makes a great place for a date, a night out with friends or even a birthday party. It’s a basement bar and restaurant though, so do be careful not to bump your head on the low ceilings. On the drinks menu, there are many vodkas, including Soplica and Sobieski, while the beers range from light Polish beers to imported dark beers. It’s also a live music venue with regular performances – check their website for updates.
A cocktail bar, a pub and a music venue all in one, Mjazzga is sure to provide a great night out in Elbląg. Mjazzga is an arty venue famous for its live music nights and happy vibe. The music nights are regular, and you can keep up to date with upcoming events on the venue’s Facebook page. Drinks-wise, the bar serves up a good range of Polish craft beer in bottles, stylish cocktails and Polish vodkas. Be aware that the opening hours and entry prices are dictated by which bands and acts are on, and these can vary.
Old Pub Jaszczur is everything you’d expect form an old school vintage Polish pub on the edge of Elbląg’s newly constructed ‘Old Town’. This venue is all about cheap beers on tap, locals chatting or watching sports on television and some typical Polish cuisine being served. The bar is one of a long row of bars on Wigilijna Street and is accessed via the stairs down into the basement of an old tenement building.
A Scottish-themed pub with a reputation of being one of the best night haunts in Elbląg, the Highlander Shot Bar gives you a real chance to let your hair down and join a party. Delicious cocktails are served to perfection, frothy draft beer flows all night, and colourful shots are consumed throughout the evening. The Highlander is also notorious for big parties and themed events including St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween when customers dress up. The staff are multilingual, and Scottish whisky, of course, also features on the menu. Some bar snacks are available, but generally this is a drinking den, where the party runs until 4am.
