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Poland may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of the best place to eat Indian food, but Kraków, one of the country’s former capital cities, has some quality establishments that bring the aromas and flavours of South Asia to this corner of Europe. The beauty is they are not all the same, nor are they all concentrated merely around the Old Town Square. Each Indian restaurant offers its own style and quirks, with some great aromas drifting out over the streets of Kraków at nightfall. Here are the best spots for Indian cuisine in Kraków.

Hot Chili

Restaurant, Indian

Planty Park, Krakow
© Pawel Pacholec/Flickr

The owner of Hot Chili has brought his authentic recipes and spices to Kraków, and there are two locations in the city. The focus at this one on Pijarska is on cuisine from the north of India, which you can enjoy from your table overlooking Kraków’s Planty Park. The menu is huge, and they do a good chole bhature, a dish of chickpeas cooked in a creamy masalasauce, served with fried bread, which is popular in India’s northwest. A huge amount of paneers and masalas are served. Service is fast and friendly at Hot Chili, and you can also choose the level of spice you want in your meal.

Hindus Indian Food

Restaurant, Indian

For a taste of India on-the-go, and the quirkiest Indian venue in the city, check out this food truck. Usually parked outside what was once Oskar Schindler’s factory, Hindus Indian Food uses only the most natural and aromatic ingredients devoid of glutamate. On the menu are classics like chicken tikka masala, vegetable curry, and chicken korma. Also offered are the lesser-known rajma masala (red kidney beans cooked in tomatoes, onions, and spices), chana masala (chickpeas in a tomato curry sauce), and chicken palak (chicken breast in spinach gravy). The mango lassi drink is also superb.

Bombaj Tandoori

Restaurant, Indian

Lassi
© Thomas Angermann/Flickr 
Bombaj Tandoori serves a wonderful range of dishes from the Indian subcontinent. The palak paneer is homemade paneer cheese fried in a spinach sauce, the baingan bharta is roasted eggplant cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and a variety of spices, and their Bombay (Mumbai) Speciality is a spicy soup made with chicken, vegetables, and cheese. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, too. Plus they serve Indian tea and do a good lassi.

Indus Tandoor

Restaurant, Indian

With traditional decorations and a culinary team from India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, Indus Tandoor was the first Indian restaurant in Kraków, opening its doors in 1998. So, not only did it kickstart the trend, but it continues to maintain a good reputation for Indian food in the city. They distinguish themselves from the younger crop by their use of a clay tandoor oven, which leaves the bread and meat cooked within it crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Their mutton tikka (chunks of lamb in a spicy marinade) is roasted in this oven, then served with fried onions and lemon.

Curry Up!

Restaurant, Indian, Fast Food, Asian, Vegetarian, Vegan

Bhel puri
© Rashmeet Kaur/WikiCommons

You can get quality Asian street food here at Curry Up! and while the hoisin beef and won tons are certainly delicious, the menu is mostly composed of dishes from India. Proprietors Raphael Arndt and Rafal Suder immersed themselves in Indian cooking culture before starting up their business. Their know-how shows in recipes like the bhel puri, a typical street food eaten in Mumbai that consists of crispy precooked rice with vegetables, coriander, a sweet chutney, and masala. As it’s an Asian restaurant, flavours of China, Thailand and Vietnam are also represented, so this fits for large groups who want to sample a range of Asian food under one roof.

Taste of India

Restaurant, Indian

With delicious dishes such as the Thali Kashmir and the Thali Karnataka, Taste of India is a good place to enjoy no frills Indian cuisine halfway between the Old Town (Stare Miasto) and Kazimierz. The venue also welcomes online orders and all dishes are cooked by native Indians. Taste of India also serves ice cold Indian Kingfisher Beers, which are not always available in Poland.

About the author

A travel writer, perpetual tourist and long term blogger, Jonny grew up in Northern Ireland but his global adventures have seen him live in Australia, Uruguay, England, Kyrgyzstan, Poland and Hong Kong. With 30 years writing experience, Jonny is a veteran writer with a taste for the unusual and quirky. Jonny's 150 country journey around the world saw him feed hyenas in Ethiopia, play football in Afghanistan, hitch-hike in Iraq and visit disputed regions unrecognised by the UN. Jonny is usually based in Poland but is never far away from another adventure and runs travel blogs in several niches.

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