Pino

Named after the Italian Pine, Pino Restaurant is a very welcome new addition to Krakow's already highly competitive culinary market and it takes its place right up there with the best of them. On the corner of the pleasant Szczepanski Square, the location is excellent as it's very central but it also gains the benefits from being in one of the quieter areas of the city centre.

Designed by architect Jacek Grycaj, the interior of Pino is something special. The 350m2 of space has been utilised to great effect with seating for 140 guests and a radiant atmosphere that owes much to the unique decoration as well as the friendliness of the staff. It combines a rustic and industrial style with comfortable, multi-coloured tables, chairs and leather sofas. The 19th century redbricked walls have been maintained to give the restaurant a timeless character. It has one of the largest open kitchens in Poland where you can watch the skilled team of chefs put their talents to work.

The menu changes regularly depending on the season. Top chefs Krzysztof Salawa and Michal Bystron combine European and Polish cuisine to create innovative dishes using the freshest of ingredients. Some of the interesting options include apple sauce with curry, gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce, fresh asparagus with fresh tomatoes, potato casserole with smoked cheese, and for dessert the rather strange sounding but tasty, parsnip cake with goat's cheese ice cream.

There are a healthy number of vegetarian options on the menu and children are also catered for with specially prepared dishes. Pino is a wonderful place to dine for any reason whether it be simply for lunch, dinner or to celebrate a special occasion.