The Best Zapiekanka in Krakow: A Plac Nowy Field Guide

Quick answer: Head for the Okrąglak, the round former market hall at the centre of Plac Nowy in Kazimierz – about eight zapiekanka stalls sell out of its windows. Endzior has the longest line and the biggest reputation, Bar Okrąglak wins on crispy baguettes and fresh veg, and Zapiekanki Królewskie (yellow signage) does the wildest topping combos. Expect to pay roughly 12-20 PLN ($3-5), and most stalls serve until 2am or later.

Zapiekanka – Poland’s open-faced baguette “pizza” – has become the unofficial dish of Krakow, and there is one square where locals actually eat it. This guide comes from the team behind Like A Local Tours, who send visitors into Kazimierz on our own routes. For the rest of the city, start with our Krakow local guide.

What exactly is a zapiekanka?

It is a halved, toasted baguette piled with sautéed mushrooms, melted yellow cheese and a squeeze of ketchup or garlic sauce – dreamed up in the late 1970s, during Communist-era food shortages, as a way to stretch a loaf of bread into a meal. Today it has grown well beyond mushrooms and cheese: stalls stack on everything from feta and olives to bacon, jalapeños and even pineapple.

Where is the best zapiekanka in Krakow?

Nowhere but Plac Nowy, the market square at the heart of Kazimierz, Krakow’s old Jewish quarter. The square’s landmark is the Okrąglak – a round, 1900-built former poultry and fish market hall – and its outer windows are where Krakow’s zapiekanki trade happens, day and night. There are roughly eight walk-up stalls circling the building, each with its own regulars and its own topping list taped to the glass.

Which stall should you actually queue at?

Endzior (also signed Zapiekanki u Endziora, ul. Nowy 4B/14) is the one with the reputation and the line to match – generous portions, sharp-but-friendly counter staff, and enough topping combinations to make choosing the hard part. Bar Okrąglak, a few windows over, is the pick for a crisper base and a heavier hand with fresh vegetables. Zapiekanki Królewskie, easy to spot by its bright yellow menu board, leans playful – its Hawaiian version with pineapple is a genuine square-wide debate. The standard local move is to walk the loop once before ordering, since most stalls will happily build a custom combination.

How much does it cost, and when should you go?

A classic mushroom-and-cheese zapiekanka starts around 12-15 PLN (about $3-4), with loaded versions running closer to 20 PLN ($5). Stalls open by mid-morning and most stay open past midnight – Endzior runs until around 2am – which makes Plac Nowy the natural last stop after a night in Kazimierz’s bars, including Alchemia, just across the square. Go right at opening or well past midnight to skip the worst of the queue; the dinner-into-evening window is when the line gets long.

What else happens on Plac Nowy?

The square doubles as a market. Saturday mornings bring an antiques and junk market – old cameras, Soviet-era odds and ends, vintage jewellery – roughly 7am to early afternoon, and Sunday mornings shift to secondhand clothing on the same schedule. Either one pairs naturally with a zapiekanka breakfast, and it is the same Plac Nowy crowd, just with fewer people carrying takeaway baguettes.

Make it a full Kazimierz food crawl

Plac Nowy is easiest as one stop on a longer walk through Kazimierz – the district’s synagogues, bars and street art are all within a few minutes on foot. If you would rather have the route and the stories handled for you, browse tours and experiences in Krakow below, or start planning the rest of your trip with our Krakow guide.