Michelin-recommended restaurants in Poland rise by 40% as Wrocław added to guide

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

The number of restaurants in Poland recommended by Michelin has risen by 40% in the new version of its prestigious annual guide, which this year for the first time includes Wrocław, Poland’s third-largest city. Meanwhile, the number of restaurants awarded Michelin stars has risen from six to seven.

A total of 109 restaurants in Poland were included in Michelin’s guide, up from 78 last year. Bottiglieria 1881 in Kraków remains the only one to receive two stars, an honour it first received in 2023. Two stars are given to places that Michelin deems offer “excellent cuisine, worth a detour.”

There is also now a new restaurant with one Michelin star, hub.praga in Warsaw, which has become the city’s third and Poland’s sixth to hold that distinction.

The restaurant, located in the Praga district on the eastern bank of the Vistula River, impressed Michelin experts with its “outstanding homemade breads, the signature Polish Crayfish Royale and the butter ice cream with salted caramel”.

Witek Iwański, who leads the restaurant’s kitchen, was in 2018 awarded the title of Chef of the Year by another prestigious culinary guide, Gault&Millau. In hub.praga, he offers a contemporary take on Polish cuisine in both classic tasting menus and à la carte.

All five remaining one-star restaurants have retained their award from last year: Arco by Paco Pérez in Gdańsk, Giewont in Kościelisko, Muga in Poznań, as well as NUTA and Rozbrat 20 in Warsaw.

Meanwhile, Eliksir in Gdańsk also kept its green star from last year. The award, which was introduced in 2020, aims to recognise establishments committed to sustainable gastronomy.

A further 21 restaurants received the Bib Gourmand, which is awarded to those that offer “exceptionally good food at moderate prices”.

That was five more than in 2023, with seven on the list for the first time: NOAH in Kraków, Posto in Poznań, Wyraj in Warsaw, Stary Niedźwiedź in Zakopane, as well as three restaurants in Wrocław, BABA, IDA kuchnia i wino, and Tarasowa.

The biggest increase can be seen in restaurants that have not been awarded any Michelin stars or titles but have been judged worthy of recommendation.

There, 80 places are now mentioned, compared to 55 last year. The biggest change is the addition of 18 restaurants from Wrocław, which was not previously included in the guide.

Poland’s expanded presence in the latest guide was welcomed by Rafał Szmytke, president of the Polish Tourism Organisation (POT), who said he was “immensely proud of this achievement”, which “confirms that our country is a great travel destination”.

“Poland is famous for its hospitality and cuisine is a very important part of our national culture,” said Szmytke, quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP). “I am pleased that the high level of Polish flavours on offer has been recognised.”

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Michelin Guide (press materials)

Agata Pyka

Agata Pyka is an Assistant Editor at Notes from Poland. She specialises in Central and Eastern European affairs, cybersecurity, and investigative reporting. She holds a master’s degree in political communication from the University of Amsterdam, and her work has appeared in Euractiv, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), and The European Correspondent, among others.