Zakopane. For years we’ve been coming here at least 2-3 times a year. Sometimes it’s an unhealthy fascination since Zakopane can be irritating – with poor gastronomy, omnipresent stands with Chinese rubbish, huge banners on ul. Krupówki, food sold ‘PLN 3.5 for 100 grams’. Despite that, we come back because we like moving away from the most popular paths and walking in the neighbourhood. Walking the valleys and seeing the nearby villages. It’s a completely different face of Zakopane. Even during the peak of the season, when it’s hard to move around Krupówki because of the crowds, you can find peace in such places. We also love oscypek cheese and local cuisine if only it’s served right and in a nice place.

 

In May we discovered Zakopiańska on ul. Jagiellońska 18 and thought that there may be hope! It is indeed possible to eat something proper in Zakopane and not get the feeling that you’re in a fast food bar where the waiter only waits for you to finish and make room for the next one in the queue while being in a restaurant. It’s possible! This time we realised that Zakopane can do even better… High end cuisine, perfect service and an impressive interior which combines highland tradition and elegance in the best possible way. A place you want to go back to! With a kids’ corner too!

 

Góralska Tradycja, Zakopane, where to eat in Zakopane, best restaurants in Zakopane

Góralska Tradycja – amazing interior

Góralska Tradycja, Zakopane, where to eat in Zakopane, best restaurants in Zakopane

perfect mix of tradition and pleasant elegance

Góralska Tradycja, Zakopane, where to eat in Zakopane, best restaurants in Zakopane

Maks approves!

 

Góralska Tradycja can be found near ul. Krupówki but at the same time it’s not too close. It’s close bacause you just need to go through a moderately new shopping passage on ul. Krupówki 29 and at the end of it you will find the restaurant. It’s far because even if Krupówki is crowded as hell, you will find peace and quiet in the restaurant. During our short stay in Zakopane, we went there twice: for lunch and dinner on Friday. In the evening it’s nice to sit in the beautiful interior while during day you can relax on the terrace far from crowds and loud tourists.

 

The menu is traditional with Polish and highland classics plus several more original shots. The starters obviously include a few takes on oscypek, a steak tartare, a trout tartare, herrings or saffron milk cups – a typical meal on Podhale. There’s also an interesting sounding bryndza baked in speck with figs and honey (PLN 25), however it doesn’t taste as good as it sounds – we expected something more. On the other hand, grilled oscypek with bacon and cranberries (PLN 21) works great – a basic meal, but not everybody can do it right. The cheese tends to be cold or stiff while the bacon is rough. Here, oscypek is perfectly melty, while the slices of bacon are thin and crispy. A perfect starter in Zakopane – I eat it twice! As for the more unusual things, Łukasz gets cod knodel with chantarelle (PLN 28) which are good and tasty.

 

As we wait for our starters, we get a pre-starter – i.e. a warm bun with homemade pate and cranberry sauce. It works great, especially on Friday when we get to Góralska Tradycja hungry and tired after a long trip!

 

Góralska Tradycja, Zakopane, what to eat in Zakopane, best restaurants in Zakopane

a pre-starter

Góralska Tradycja, Zakopane, where to eat in Zakopane, best restaurants in Zakopane, grilled oscypek, oscypek with cranberry

grilled oscypek with bacon and cranberry – PLN 21

cod knodel, chantarelle, Góralska Tradycja, best restaurants in Zakopane, where to eat in Zakopane, Zakopane

cod knodel with chantarelle – PLN 28

 

We order 3 main courses. On Friday I enjoy an Old-Polish style duck with cranberry, apple and knodel (PLN 54). Perfectly prepared, classic Polish meal. Soft meat, crispy skin, apple generously stuffed with cranberry and delicious tender knodel! But beware, the portion is really big! Good if you’re really hungry. Łukasz must have fallen in love with lamb cutlets in pistachio and corn batter served on couscous with grilled vegetables and mint sauce (PLN 79). It’s really rare for him to order the same meal one day after another (unless it’s a pho soup or a pad thai;))! It’s usually me who gets obsessed with something. Łukasz likes to test and try new things. Here however, the cutlets are the absolute winner! Perfectly prepared meat, loose couscous, delicious grilled vegetables. This must be a thing about Góralska Tradycja and their meals. They may not be too innovative or unusual but are of refined quality with every element tasting equally good.

 

lamb cutlets, Góralska Tradycja, Zakopane, where to eat in Zakopane, best restaurants in Zakopane

lamb cutlets with couscous and grilled vegetables – PLN 79

 

When it comes to meat dishes, you can get a pork knuckle, a lamb shank, sirloin and spare ribs. Fish meals include a salmon, a trout, a perch-pike or a halibut. However on Saturday I wasn’t feeling like eating meat or fish. There is no vegetarian category, but there are ‘floury dishes’ with buckwheat noodles with smoked trout, chili and basil, a mix of pierogi and the most tempting option for me – courgette tart with goat’s cheese and caramelised pear (PLN 28). It makes me a bit worried though – Polish classics, lots of meat dishes, some highland meals and suddenly a courgette tart with goat’s cheese. Turns out it works well – the tart is tasty, goat’s cheese tastes perfect and I want to devour the caramelised pear! A great alternative if you’re not into meat at the moment.

 

courgette tart, Góralka Tradycja, Zakopane, where to eat in Zakopane, best restaurants in Zakopane

courgette tart with goat’s cheese and caramelised pear – PLN 28

 

As we go through the menu, the dessert section seems to be least interesting. A chocolate soufflé and ice cream with hot raspberries seem quite common. A caramelised pineapple with vanilla ice cream is not that tempting so we go for a coconut cake with vanilla ice cream and chocolate (PLN 18). It looks beautiful and tempting but doesn’t taste so and becomes the least attractive proposition from our two visits. The idea of a coconut cake and liquid chocolate is great but the execution isn’t. The dough is too filling, the coconut layer not fragrant enough and the chocolate topping of poor quality. A pity because it could’ve been an amazing dessert! Oh, and just as I’m writing it I notice that there were supposed to be vanilla ice cream with it… must have gone missing on the way 😉

 

 

Góralska Tradycja, Zakopane, where to eat in Zakopane, best restaurants in Zakopane

coconut cake with chocolate – PLN 18

 

Despite the disappointing dessert, Góralska Tradycja is a place we will recommend to anybody who goes to Zakopane. A beautiful place with amazing interior design and service quality. A place where you can truly enjoy eating. A place that won’t disappoint you and will maintain the high level regardless of the meal. If you’re familiar with Różana in Warsaw then consider this a Różana in Zakopane. With food that may not be mind-blowing but still very good and reliable. And if you compare Góralska Tradycja with the standards of other restaurants in the centre of Zakopane you’ll get an oasis of great food and high quality service. I won’t fool you, it’s expensive. But still WORTH IT!

 

PRACTICAL INFORMATION:

Góralska Tradycja

Krupówki 29,

34-500 Zakopane

tel. 00 48 12 200 03 74

tel. 608 668 118

email: gt@bachleda.pl

 

opening hours:

daily 13-22.00

 

a large lunch with a dessert for two adults and a child