Krakow is the easiest city in Poland for a kosher trip, but it is not New York or Antwerp. There are a handful of places under rabbinic supervision, most "Jewish" restaurants in Kazimierz are not kosher, and glatt or mehadrin meals are usually ordered in advance. Families can manage with the places below and a little planning. Groups of 20 or more need a dedicated solution: catering or a koshered kitchen, at the standard set by the group's rabbi.
Kosher or "Jewish-style"? The first thing to check
Kazimierz, Krakow's historic Jewish quarter, is full of restaurants with Hebrew letters on the sign, klezmer music in the evening and dishes like cholent or gefilte fish on the menu. That is Jewish-style cooking. Without rabbinic supervision it is not kosher - Chabad Krakow says it plainly in its own guide: apart from the listed places, restaurants called Jewish are not kosher at all.
A simple rule: ask who supervises the kitchen. A kosher place will name the supervising rabbi or organization without hesitation. If the answer is "our food is traditional" or "we do not serve pork", treat it as a non-kosher restaurant.
Kosher places in Krakow (status: October 2026)
Based on the list published by Chabad Krakow and on the Jewish Community Centre. Places change, so confirm opening hours and ordering rules before you travel.
Falafel Shelanu
ul. Berka Joselewicza 9, Kazimierz
Small restaurant under the supervision of Chabad Krakow: breakfast, falafel, pizza and more. The easiest walk-in option.
Kosher Delight
ul. Jozefa 25, Kazimierz
Kosher restaurant under the supervision of a rabbi from Jerusalem. Order in advance.
Ohel Avraham
ul. Szeroka 39, Kazimierz
Kosher restaurant. Order in advance (phone calls only).
Kosher store at Chabad House
ul. Sw. Sebastiana 23
Basic kosher products, open by appointment via WhatsApp.
JCC Krakow - community kitchen
ul. Miodowa 24, Kazimierz
The Jewish Community Centre runs a kosher kitchen and hosts community Shabbat dinners; visitors and groups contact the JCC in advance.
Levels of kashrut - what is easy and what needs planning
- Kosher - available at the places above.
- Glatt kosher meat - available, but meals are mostly ordered ahead.
- Pas Yisrael - kosher bakeries rarely have this status confirmed in writing. What you can rely on is bread baked on site with a mashgiach taking part, for example challah for a group.
- Chalav Yisrael - dairy usually has to be brought in; plan it before arrival.
- Bishul Yisrael and mehadrin - realistic for groups with a mashgiach on site; for a family, ask the supervising rabbi of the place you order from.
The standard is decided by your rabbi, not by the restaurant or the organizer. If your community keeps a specific hechsher, check it before you book anything.
Families and individual travelers
- Stay within walking distance of Kazimierz if you keep Shabbat - the kosher places, the Remuh Synagogue and the community centers are there.
- Order Shabbat meals early - at least a few days ahead, more in the summer season.
- Ask the hotel for a fridge in the room and space to keep sealed food. Do not use the hotel's dishes or kitchen.
- Double-sealed meals can usually be reheated in a hotel oven if both seals stay intact - confirm the practice with your rabbi.
- Bring basics for breakfasts and day trips; outside Kazimierz there is almost nothing kosher.
Groups of 20-120 people
For a group, restaurants are not a solution - they are too small and their capacity changes week to week. Two models work:
Catering from a kosher kitchen. Meals arrive double-sealed and are served in the hotel. Good for short programs and when the venue's kitchen cannot be koshered.
A koshered kitchen on site. For camps, conferences and longer stays: the venue's kitchen is koshered under a mashgiach, the team brings its own equipment and cooks breakfast, lunch, dinner and Shabbat on site. This is the only model that comfortably delivers mehadrin and Bishul Yisrael for a large group. How it looks in practice: kosher kitchen for groups - menu and koshering.
Lead time depends on dates and size. For camps and groups of 80-120, the bottleneck is the venue: a kitchen that can be koshered and a Shabbat hall in summer are often booked a year or more ahead. Start with the venue and the kitchen together, not with the menu.
Shabbat in Krakow
Candle lighting is 18 minutes before sunset, so times change a lot over the year - from about 15:20 in December to about 20:35 in early July. Sample Shabbatot through the year (Krakow):
- 4 Dec 2026: candles 15:21, havdalah 16:35
- 5 Mar 2027: candles 17:10, havdalah 18:18
- 25 Jun 2027: candles 20:35, havdalah 22:03
- 3 Sep 2027: candles 19:02, havdalah 20:09
Between winter and summer that is more than five hours: in winter the Friday program ends in the early afternoon, in summer there is time for a full day of sightseeing. Full calendar and how a group Shabbat works: Shabbat for groups.
- Hotel choice: walking distance to the synagogue, a room for meals and prayer, a way to open doors without electronic cards, and permission for a hot water urn and a Shabbat plata switched on before Shabbat.
- Eruv: if the group needs to carry on Shabbat, ask the rabbi. For groups in a hotel or camp we set up an eruv under the supervision of the group's rabbi or ours.
- Minyan: usually possible in Krakow, but not guaranteed for every date.
Beyond Krakow
- Auschwitz-Birkenau (Oswiecim): take packed kosher meals from Krakow. The Auschwitz Jewish Center announced ready-made kosher meals in 2025 - check before relying on it.
- Warsaw: the Jewish Community of Warsaw publishes its own list of places under the supervision of the Chief Rabbi of Poland.
- Lublin, Lodz and smaller towns: practically nothing kosher on site. Groups bring catering with them or cook in a koshered kitchen.
- Pesach: a separate koshering for Pesach and imported Pesach-certified products - start planning months ahead.
Checklist for organizers
- What standard does our rabbi require (kosher, glatt, mehadrin, Chalav Yisrael, Bishul Yisrael)?
- Catering or a koshered kitchen on site? Does the venue agree to koshering and locking the kitchen?
- Who is the mashgiach, and how does he stay in contact with the rabbi?
- Shabbat: hall, timetable, urn and plata, doors, eruv, minyan.
- Day trips: packed meals, water, a place to eat with dignity.
- Special diets: allergies, vegetarians, children - written down before arrival.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a glatt kosher restaurant in Krakow?
Not as a classic open restaurant with a full menu all day. There are a few small places under rabbinic supervision (falafel and pizza, restaurants that ask you to order in advance), and glatt meals are mostly ordered ahead. Check the current list before your trip.
Are the Jewish restaurants on Szeroka Street kosher?
Mostly not. Chabad Krakow says it plainly: apart from the places on its list, restaurants called Jewish are not kosher. They serve Jewish-style food - good for atmosphere and music, not for anyone who keeps kosher.
Can I get Chalav Yisrael and Pas Yisrael in Krakow?
Yes, but plan it. Bakeries rarely confirm Pas Yisrael status in writing, so the safest option is bread baked on site with a mashgiach taking part; Chalav Yisrael dairy usually has to be brought in. For groups we source certified products from Poland, Hungary and Belgium.
How far ahead should a group arrange kosher food?
It depends on dates, group size and standard. For a short visit, a few weeks is often enough. For camps and groups of 80-120 people, the bottleneck is the venue: a kitchen that can be koshered and a Shabbat hall in summer are often booked a year or more ahead.
Can a hotel kitchen in Poland be koshered?
Yes. With the hotel's consent, a mashgiach supervises cleaning, libun and hagalah and the separation of equipment; the kitchen then works only for the group and is locked when the team is not cooking. Some equipment cannot be koshered and is replaced with our own.
Who decides what standard of kashrut a group keeps?
The group's rabbi. A good local partner delivers that standard, up to mehadrin level, and asks the rabbi or mashgiach whenever in doubt.
Does SEBIR issue kosher certificates?
No. SEBIR does not issue kosher certification and does not make religious rulings. We work under the supervision of rabbis and mashgichim and rely on their certificates and decisions.
Is there a minyan in Krakow on Shabbat?
Krakow has active synagogues, including the Remuh Synagogue and Chabad, so a minyan is usually possible, but nobody can promise it for every date. Large groups often bring their own; we help you reach the local community.
What about kosher food on a day trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau?
Most groups take packed kosher meals from Krakow. In 2025 the Auschwitz Jewish Center in Oswiecim announced the sale of ready-made, shelf-stable kosher meals - check availability before the trip rather than relying on it.
Prepared by the SEBIR team. We have been running kosher kitchens and Shabbat for Jewish groups in Poland since 2023, after more than 25 years in tourism, events and MICE. Last updated: October 2026. If something here is out of date, write to info@sebir.pl - we will check and correct it.