Restaurants

Artemis Greek Taverna (Old Market Square)

This new Greek restaurant is not that authentic (like most restaurants it has Polish influences). However, I suppose it's as close as you're going to get to Greece without leaving Toruń. The Baklava dessert comes highly recommended.

Czarna Oberża (Ul. Rabiańska)

This rustic style restaurant offers an array of Polish food at bargain prices. Served in a canteen style straight onto your tray...you won't have to wait long until you're devouring a plateful of delicious food. The interior is atmospheric with some of the tables tucked away in mock wooden huts. The portions may not be as big as they used to be...but it's still one of the cheapest places to eat in town!

JESZ ILE CHCESZ (Ul. Franciszkańska)

This brand-new eat-all-you-want restaurant is a welcome addition to Toruń. What's more is it offers an array of healthy food at a bargain price of only 16PLN. Shame about the paper plates though!

Kafeteria Dworu Artusa (Inside Dwór Artusa - Old Market Square)

This small and stylish cafe is situated inside the impressive Dwór Artusa. It's a popular spot to relax before a concert or to just escape the hustle and bustle of the Old Market Square. They currently offer cakes, light snacks and beer.

Karczma U Damroki (Just off Aleja Solidarności street)

A beautiful restaurant/pub built in an old 19th Century cottage. Set in the grounds of the ethnographical museum. Offers Polish as well as German and Bravarian dishes.

Koi Sushi (Małe Garbary)

This brand-new sushi restaurant is housed in a beautifully refurbished tenement building. It's aimed at the higher end of Toruń's society and is a great home from home for the many Japanese workers based at Sharp north of Toruń.

This is one of 2 sushi restaurants in Toruń (the other being Dom Sushi).

Kona Coast Cafe (Ul. Chełminska)

This cafe owned by an American/Polish couple is about as unique as they come. A real breath (or more like taste) of fresh air! It offers a whole variety of hot, steaming coffees, yummy sandwiches (with amazing fillings such as Jamaican Jerk Chicken!) and great salads. This is as about as non-Polish as you can get...and makes a great change to the usual Polish pizzas, kebabs and pierogis.

Check out the short film - shot in the larger of the two Kona Coast Cafes...

Film courtesy of 1FILM.pl

Manekin Union Pacific (old market square)

Manekin Union Pacific is situated on the main square of Toruń. The mushroom soup is highly recommended as it comes served in an edible bread bowl. There are 2 other Manekins in Toruń and they are always very popular!

Metropolis Pizza (Ul. Łazienna and Ul. Podmurna)

You’ve heard of American and Italian pizzas…but trust me Polish pizzas are just as good if not better! Metropolis has 2 restaurants in town. One with images from Rome (see left), the other with pictures of Paris.

A pizza costs about 17 - 22 złoty. If you like cheese, I recommend the Romano pizza with garlic sauce!!! Yum yum (or Mniam mniam as the Poles would say!)

Pasta & Basta (Old Market Square)

This pasta place is run by the same owners as Pierogarnia Stary Toruń. The pasta is just as you expect...but the real draw for this place are its unique toilets!!! The doors to each cubicle are transparent! Upon first entering the cubicle you think you're going to have to do your business in front of everyone, but with a simple turn of the lock...the glass door freezes over and you can relax in peace!!

Pierogarnia Leniwa (Ul. Ślusarska - just off the New Market Square)

This cute little sculpture adourns the entrance of the Leniwa Pierogi restaurant here in Toruń. You are probably asking yourself what on earth are "pierogi". Well they are simply the Polish word for dumplings!!! The Poles absolutely love them and they form part of their staple diet. At this restaurant you can try all different types of pierogi...be it with chicken, spinach, cottage cheese, chocolate or whatever...I am sure you too will find them delicious! As the Poles say...they are "Mniam Mniam" (Yum Yum!).

Incidentally, the word "leniwa" means "lazy" in Polish!

Pierogarnia Stary Toruń (Most. Paulinska)

A great restaurant where you can try both boiled and oven-baked pierogis (dumplings). The oven-baked ones resemble Cornish pasties (with different fillings) and come highly recommended!

It has a smaller sister restaurant in Ul. Łazienna.

Prowansja (Ul. Szewska)

Situated on a small cobbled street (popularly known as kebab alley due to its large number of cheap kebab places) one can find this small, intimate wine bar/restaurant. With its cosy atmosphere and warm colours it's about as far from the cheap kebab shops as you can get! The place offers a menu of light meals such as quiches washed down with wine. It may not be authentically French but it's pretty much as close as you're going to get to Provence here in Toruń!!

Royal India (ul. Prosta)

If you fancy a curry…then this is the place to go…though it’s not that cheap but it's good quality and the food is prepared and cooked by authentic Punjabi chefs. The restaurant was originally created by a guy from Birmingham, UK but it has since been sold to Polish owners.

Róże i Zen (Ul. Podmurna)

This small cafe is one of Toruń's best kept secrets. Located down a quiet cobbled street - just off the main thoroughfare that is Szeroka - Róże i Zen offers freshly cooked cakes, soups and light meals in an intimate atmosphere. The real draw here though in summer is its secret garden. With towering walls and flowering trees...on a warm summer's day this is the perfect place to relax and contemplate over a coffee or beer. Highly recommended!

Sioux (Old Market Square)

There are two 'steakhouses' in Toruń (the other being 'Sphinx') and this one is the better of the two. I use the term 'steakhouse' very loosely as the steaks are not the large, juicy steaks as we know and love back home! Still for an enjoyable caloric-high lunch then 'Sioux' is the place to be.

'Soviet Soup Kitchen' (Bar Miś) (Old Market Square - next to Rossmann)

For a truly different experience, there is Bar Miś located on the main square. It is actually a communist themed food bar, inspired by the 1981 Polish comedy "Miś"...which made fun of the Soviet period. If you look closely, you will notice that the bowls are chained to the table! Although, this is now just for decoration...this is something the film said existed in restaurants during the communist period. You would sit at the table and literally the soup would be poured into the chained bowl in front of you. Funny how things have changed!

Staromiejska (Ul. Szczytna)

This rustic restaurant is run by an Italian and the pizzas are authentic Italian...thin and crispy with a wide array of toppings. All the pizzas are freshly baked in the kiln. Though the smell of the kiln can sometimes be a little too overbearing...it's still one of the most popular restaurants in Toruń.

Tartufo (Małe Garbary next to Hotel Heban)

The owners of this Italian restaurant have clearly spent some time in the UK. The "Eat-all-you-want" concept is something which has been going on for years in Britain...yet virtually unknown here in Poland. For 15 złoty you can eat as much pizza, salad and pasta as you can. The salad is not Italian at all (typical Polish smothered in dressing) but the pizzas are good...and the price is cheap!!