With summer temperatures rising in Krakow, many visitors and locals like to take a break and enjoy a refreshing scoop of ice cream. The city offers a surprising variety of options from traditional Polish ice cream to exotic gelato produced by expats. Visit one of the following gelaterias and have a scoop – if you can stop at just one.
Katane
Szpitalna 40, Sławkowska 19, Sienna 17, Podgórska 34, Na Błonie 17C
Founded in 2011 by two Sicilian acquaintances, Katane is a gelateria that offers authentic Italian ice cream. It has grown into a local chain of five coffee shops located within and outside the Old Town centre. Apart from ice cream, Katane serves a variety of savoury and sweet Sicilian pastries, and each location features an indoor seating area where patrons can enjoy their order.
Good Lood
This popular chain is present in almost every one of Kraków’s neighbourhoods. They serve a diverse range of flavours from Strawberry Basil to Nutella Pretzel and their ice cream is made from local dairy products, fresh fruit and natural ingredients. They even offer a delivery option on their website as well as an app allowing their loyal fans to track the locations of different flavours.
Lody na Starowiślnej
ul. Starowiślna 83/6
This no-frills ice cream kiosk is included here because of the absurdly long queues of waiting customers that form on ul. Starowiślna during the warmer months. Founded during the Communist era, the business has operated continuously for almost 40 years, earning it the reputation of being Krakow’s oldest ice cream parlour. While offering only a few simple flavours and perhaps not as gourmet or innovative as some of the newer places on this list, this traditional outlet continues to remain popular with Krakow locals and visitors due to its reputation. Expect to wait in line for up to 20-30 minutes during peak times.
