The Best Bars in Lublin, Poland

Get beer direct from the brewery at the famous Perłowa Pijalnia Piwa – a bar attached to the impressive Perła brewery. It’s a must-visit for any beer fan who visits Lublin. Try the special four-beer sample board, which includes a lager, a wheat beer, and ale or IPA and a stout. To accompany your Polish piwo (beer), try the excellent tatar (raw beef with vegetables, raw egg and bread).

One of the real treats in Lublin is the quirkily named Czarna Owca Gastro Pub (Black Sheep). It’s a gastro pub with some special cocktails, including the Pornstar Martini and the Gin Basil. Wine-wise, try the aptly named Black Sheep (available in red or white, ironically) and for beers on draught, go simple with the Żywiec. You won’t go hungry with the vast food menu ranging from barbecued ribs to chicken in crushed corn flakes to the blue cheese burger.

Dziki Wschód Pub & Restauracja translates as the Wild East Pub and Restaurant. It’s a cool and cosy bar with free Wi-Fi, happy staff, cold beer and good pizza. These are things upon which Dziki Wschód has built its market and niche, and it works to perfection.

Blues Brothers is a trendy pub with live music, board games and good shots. It attracts a young crowd, has some cool craft beers in bottles and organises themed nights such as Halloween. It’s on a side street away from the popular Old Town, so a good place to escape the crowds and still enjoy a lively atmosphere. It stays open until 4 am, too, so it is a good late-night choice.

In the heart of Lublin’s beautiful Old Town Square, and facing the main Town Hall is this cosy little bar known as Starówka, which kind of translates as simply The Little Old Town. It’s great for those looking to eat in the main square but also hang around afterwards for a few drinks. Drink specialities include cocktails and fruit juices, while local beers are available on tap and in bottles. Try some Polish food here, too – the chłodnik (beetroot soup) is excellent and the pierogi (Polish dumplings) simply superb.

Padbar in Lublin is a truly special place. Here, you can play computer games while sipping a cocktail. Here, you can eat fruity desserts with a range of teas. Here, you can drink multi-coloured vodka shots. It’s a trendy and modern venue for a few drinks in the heart of Lublin’s Old Town. It’s on Grodzka Street, so very easy to find.

Also situated on the popular Grodzka Street is yet another fine bar selling locally brewed beer. Browar Restauracja Grodzka serves its own truly excellent home-brewed beer. The beer menu normally includes a dunkel, a pilsner, at least one dark beer and a seasonal beer (which is always changing). The bar food is both Polish and continental with good zurek soup available, plus huge burgers.

It seems odd that Irish Pubs in this city have avoided the obvious spelling similarity that Lublin shares with the Republic of Ireland capital, Dublin! In fact, there is even a beer called Dublin to Lublin. It does, however, have the trendy Irish Pub U Szewca, which is the perfect spot for a pint of Guinness, a green festival on St. Patrick’s Day and some good old Irish music. It has a nice wooden interior and specially branded cups for tea and hot wine (grzane wino).

Last on the list but definitely not least is the ever-popular Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa. It’s basically a chain of no-frills Polish bars that are in most cities around the country. What you can expect is consistency. All the venues have an old school interior – newspapers on the walls and a style that is akin to a Polish take on an American diner. The best thing of all is the value for money. Beers, wines, vodka and coffee start at 4 złotych (1 euro), with bar snacks (such as toast, herring or sausages) starting at 8 złotych (2 euros). It’s the cheapest venue in town and gets crowded. Opening hours are long, with the venue only ever closing for three hours per day, except for national holidays.