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What constitutes a ‘dive bar’ is definitely a matter of debate, as proven by pretentious restaurants who offer signature co*cktails and fusion cuisine categorising themselves 'Dive Bars' on Facebook, as well as when companions of ours, incensed by such social media misnomers, tried to claim that Kraków has ‘no real dive bars.’ Well. We wholeheartedly disagree on all accounts, and we’re here to set the record straight about dive bars in Kraków.
While Kraków’s dive bars may not fit the PBR, cheap whiskey and country jukebox criteria of Americans, this city certainly has its own uniquely local incarnation of the concept. In fact, you could make a strong argument that the cheap Vodka and Herring bars (Zakąski Przekąski) that have proven so popular locally are the Polish embodiment of the dive bar (we wouldn’t disagree with that). However, taking a wider scope of the local drinking scene, we would define a ‘dive bar’ as any drinking establishment patronised in large proportion by locals, that offers cheap booze and beer, and has a generally disinterested attitude towards any or most of the following: decor, service, cleanliness, consistent opening hours and even client behaviour. Some may be dodgy, some may even be trendy, but no dive bar is devoid of locals, and no dive bar is pretentious, overpriced or particularly conceptual. It’s a cheap, casual place to drink, and little more. Our kind of place, actually, and while they don’t support what we do, or make contacting them to update our info about them particularly easy, we still list a surprisingly large list of dive bars on our website. Because if you ask us, there is no better place for a drink in a foreign city than a good dive bar.
While by no means definitive, below we offer a list of bona fide dive bars that you can still find right in the centre of Kraków.
Kraków's Best Dive Bars
ul. Św. Krzyża 4
EDITOR'S PICK/krakow/klub-re_16590v
Your standard Cracovian cellar bar in most respects, Re is a stand-out for two reasons. The first is its success in bringing touring international acts to… see more Editor's pickul. Estery 20
featured/krakow/singer_16667v
One of the first bars in Kazimierz, Singer set the table for all that was to come, essentially inventing the evocative aesthetic of cracked mirrors, dusky… see more Featuredul. Felicjanek 10
/krakow/cafe-szafe_48196v
Owned by two amiable artists, Café Szafé has a warm, inviting atmosphere unique to most Kraków bars - a trait which has endeared it to locals and expats alike.… see moreCafes
ul. Izaaka 1/1
/krakow/Kraina-Szeptow_54068v
Typically Kazimierz, this friendly, two-floor, laid-back cafe/bar is as good as any for filing away at the fiber of your youth. The nostalgic burden of the… see moreul. Sławkowska 4
/krakow/DeCafencja_33641v
Existing primarily to catch the run-off from other area clubs at about 5:00am (you can disregard the opening times we list), if you find yourself in DeCafencja… see moreul. Miodowa 20
/krakow/Propaganda_16649v
The interior is a dingy museum of curbside communist scrap, from propaganda posters and slashed portraits of Lenin to clunky cameras and chunky radios. As… see moreul. Stolarska 6
/krakow/pierwszy-lokal_16350v
Known for its labourious, unmemorisable name, this cafe/bar opens early to offer breakfast, serving sandwiches and their own hummus throughout the day. One of… see moreMały Rynek 4
/krakow/albo-tak_16337v
A charismatic upstairs hangout awkwardly accessed via a staircase in the new age bookshop on the ground floor. As such it feels a bit like an in-the-know… see morePl. Szczepański 6
/krakow/banialuka_81053v
For those nights when you simply refuse to let the party end, despite powerful objections from your liver, wallet and better sense, BaniaLuka is there for you.… see moreul. Sławkowska 16
/krakow/krakowskie-zakaski_163106v
This hole-in-the-wall dive bar features one of Kraków'slargest hidden gardens, tucked in the back of a tenement off ul. Sławkowska just minutes from the… see moreul. Szeroka 30
/krakow/ulica-krokodyli_16612v
Doing a bit of a disservice to the Schulz story it steals its name from, Ulica Krokodyli feels like a good effort gone wrong. Designed to look like the dusky… see moreul. Mikołajska 9
/krakow/awaria_55660v
This small, dodgy dive bar is known for its live blues and rock concerts (Tue-Sun), patient barmaids and plastered, hard-livin' local clientele who are never… see moreul. Estery 14
/krakow/Krolicze-Oczy_16670v
Combining that quintessential Kazimierz aesthetic of tarnished beauty with a strange sense of sinister absurdity, spending too much time in this veteran boozer… see moreRynek Główny 29
/krakow/vis-a-vis_16653v
Perhaps the only space on the Rynek to survive Kraków's tourist boom with its scummy integrity intact, Vis a Vis is a timeless local favourite happy to tell… see moreul. Straszewskiego 27 (entrance from ul. Jabłonowskich)
/krakow/stary-port_16655v
Krakow's only sailor bar could be best described in three words only: Endless drunken singalong. This candlelit ship-in-a-bottle is packed full of students and… see moreul. Szewska 25
/krakow/klub-kulturalny_16585v
One of ul. Szewska's most laid-back locales, this odd underground bar features cheap drinks and an indie student vibe. The soundtrack is heavy on rock and… see moreul. Floriańska 34
/krakow/pijalnia-wodki-i-piwa_81058v
Well-positioned on the Old Town's high street, Pijalnia’s around the clock crowds make it hard to miss. Flooded inside and out with students and street… see more