The Best Bars in Opole, Poland

Down in the town centre of Opole sits the popular and cheap Ministerstwo Śledzia i Wódki (Ministry of Herring and Vodka). Ministerstwo Śledzia i Wódki is part of a chain of Polish old school PRL-style bars, which offers a cosy, retro-style interior and very cheap menus. With beers, vodkas and shots from as little as 4 złotych (US$1!), and main course bar meals from 8 złotych (US$2), this is an utterly essential cheap option in the heart of Opole.

Ministerstwo Śledzia i Wódki | © Northern Irishman in Poland

More than just a perfect pre- or post-train stop for a pint, Opole Główne Bar has many selling points making it a certainty for any list of the best pubs in Opole. The venue has local craft beers, sports on TV and, of course, its location right beside the train station, meaning it is difficult to get lost here. In the summer months, there is outside seating and the pub also does some scintillating cocktails.

Rewolwer is one of the trendier and innovative bars in town and is housed downstairs with an underground bunker appeal in both secretiveness and décor. The menu’s most popular options are the “pizza and beer” combination and the extensive whiskey list. Be sure to check it out and be aware the bar is downstairs with no front window onto the street, so you could easily walk past it without knowing.

Dworek is Opole’s trendy, hip, artistic music venue. With live music happening regularly, the bar pumps out a great beat and a good vibes on a quieter street away from the main Krakowska hub. Dworek offers a few different places to enjoy your drink, including the front garden, the main bar and the back room. The food menu includes pizza, for which there are some fascinating options with amusing names including the “Zielony Jazz” and the “Disco Polo Solo.”

Biesiada Opolska sits near Opole’s Town Hall (Ratusz) and is a fantastic local bar and restaurant with a hearty Polish menu both in cuisine and the famous Polish vodka. It’s a popular venue for parties, has stylish traditional décor and serves typical Polish dishes such as pierogi, kiełbasa and bigos. In 2017, it was featured in the top 100 restaurants in Poland. At night time, once the food is finished, it’s a great place for a beer or a vodka.

Just a minute’s walk from Opole’s fantastic Stary Rynek sits a sweet little pub and café known as Kawiarnia Pod Arkadami. It is in here that you can sample a range of excellent local craft beers, as it’s a brew pub with great beers on tap. You may also enjoy a good coffee and generally just watch the world go by, either from inside the bar or from the seats on the street (summer and hot weather only).

Opole’s Old Town Square (Stary Rynek) often features in lists of the prettiest old town squares in Poland, and this is also the venue for a few of the city’s prime drinking spots. One such venue in the modern Pub Maska. It serves good craft beer, a tasty range of lunch and dinner options based on Polish and Mediterranean recipes, and the bar also runs special nights and events including a St. Patrick’s Day. To go along with this, Irish whiskeys and beer are also available here, and the front of the venue has green painted walls.