Pod Temidą milk bar in Krakow: menu, prices, hours

Bar Mleczny Pod Temidą is a milk bar at Grodzka 43, on the street that links the Main Market Square with Wawel. It has served plain Polish home cooking in the same spot since 1992, and it is a simple place to try what Poles eat on an ordinary weekday: soup, dumplings, pancakes and a glass of fruit kompot.

What is the Pod Temidą milk bar?

A milk bar, in Polish bar mleczny, is a self-service canteen without alcohol. Polish law still defines it as a place that sells milk-based, dairy and vegetarian dishes all day. The first one opened in Warsaw in 1896. Milk bars spread fastest under communist rule, when most of them belonged to the Społem cooperative, and Stanisław Bareja's comedy Miś made fun of them with plates screwed to the tables.

Pod Temidą is a much later arrival: it opened in 1992. The bar describes its food as tasty, cheap and traditional Polish cooking without artificial additives, made with ingredients from the Małopolska region.

What to eat at the Pod Temidą milk bar

• Soup first: tomato soup with rice, żurek (sour rye soup) with sausage and potatoes, Ukrainian borscht, or red borscht with a krokiet, which is a rolled, filled and breaded pancake.
• Pierogi: pierogi ruskie (filled with potato and curd cheese) with onion, or pierogi with meat.
• Pancakes and potato dishes: naleśniki with curd cheese, plain or with strawberry or blueberry sauce, and placki ziemniaczane, potato pancakes.
• Dumplings without filling: kluski leniwe with butter, or Silesian kluski with mushroom sauce.
• A meat main: kotlet schabowy, the breaded pork cutlet, with potatoes and salads, or gołąbki, cabbage rolls with meat in mushroom sauce.
• To drink: kompot, a drink made from stewed fruit. There is no alcohol on the menu.

Pod Temidą menu prices and opening hours

The bar is open every day from 9:00 to 20:00, and it serves breakfast as well as lunch and dinner. On the current menu soups cost from 14.90 to 19.90 PLN, pierogi ruskie 31 PLN, curd cheese pancakes 28.50 PLN, potato pancakes 24 PLN and a pork cutlet with potatoes and salads 39.90 PLN; kompot is 7.50 PLN. A soup and a main course together come to roughly 45 to 60 PLN.

The bar's website does not say whether it accepts cards, so bring some cash to be safe. Groups can book ahead by phone or email. Prices and hours checked in October 2026; the full menu is on the Pod Temidą website (in Polish).

Where is the Pod Temidą milk bar?

Grodzka Street runs from the Main Market Square towards Wawel Castle, and number 43 is about seven minutes on foot from either end. That makes the bar a natural lunch stop on the classic walk between the two. If you would rather ride, our electric cart tour of the Old Town covers the same district.

How to order at the Pod Temidą milk bar

A milk bar is by definition self-service, so decide what you want from the menu before you order. For a first visit, a soup, a plate of pierogi ruskie and a kompot make a typical milk bar meal. For more places and dishes, see our guide to Polish food in Krakow and our pick of pierogi places.

Frequently asked questions

What is a milk bar in Poland?

A milk bar is a self-service canteen that serves traditional Polish dishes and no alcohol. By law it has to offer milk-based, dairy and vegetarian meals throughout the day.

How much does a meal cost at Pod Temidą?

Soups cost from 14.90 to 19.90 PLN, pierogi ruskie 31 PLN and a pork cutlet with potatoes and salads 39.90 PLN. A soup and a main course come to roughly 45 to 60 PLN (menu checked in October 2026).

What are the opening hours?

The bar is open every day from 9:00 to 20:00. Its website does not list separate hours for public holidays.

Is there anything for vegetarians?

Yes. The menu has a section of vegetarian dishes and dishes with a little meat; kluski leniwe with butter, Silesian kluski with mushroom sauce and potato pancakes are among the meat-free ones. Ask the staff about other dishes and toppings.

Where is Bar Mleczny Pod Temidą?

At ul. Grodzka 43, on the street between the Main Market Square and Wawel, about seven minutes on foot from each.