Gdańsk is the most seafood-focused of Poland’s major cities. The Motława River waterfront — a string of restored brick townhouses with restaurant terraces facing the water — is the obvious starting point, but the best eating extends beyond the postcard strip into Granary Island across the footbridge, the quiet lanes of Stare Miasto, and the neighbourhood restaurants of Wrzeszcz, a district popular with students and locals.
Waterfront and Old Town: The Motława Strip
The stretch of restaurants along Długie Pobrzeże (Long Waterfront) is the most visited — and for good reason. The setting, with merchant-house facades reflected in the Motława and boats moored alongside, is genuinely beautiful. Quality varies; skip the places with laminated menus pushed by touts and focus on the ones with shorter, seasonally adjusted dishes.
OSTRO Pizza Napoletana occupies a prime ground-floor position facing the river. It sounds incongruous for a Baltic city, but the wood-fired Neapolitan base is correct, toppings are restrained, and the price — approximately PLN 45–70 per pizza as of 2026 — is fair for the location. Tables outside are perpetually full in summer; arrive early or book.
Restauracja Targ Rybny (Fish Market Restaurant) takes the seafood angle seriously. The menu runs to Baltic herring five ways, fried plaice, smoked eel with horseradish, and a good fish soup with cream and dill. Mains average PLN 65–95. It is not the cheapest option on the waterfront, but the sourcing is noticeably fresher than neighbours.
Goldwasser, named for the city’s historic gold-fleck liqueur, occupies a multi-level townhouse on Długie Pobrzeże with views from upper floors. The menu leans Polish-European — duck breast, venison stew, żurek in a bread bowl — with prices at the upper end: PLN 85–140 for mains. The interior, all dark timber and amber lighting, is worth seeing even if you only stop for a Goldwasser aperitif.
Budget: Milk Bars and Market Stalls
Bar Mleczny Neptune on Długa Street is one of the better surviving milk bars in the city. Żurek, bigos, kotlet schabowy (breaded pork cutlet), and pierogi are all priced PLN 12–25 per portion. It is canteen-style with trays, cash-preferred, and no frills — exactly what it should be. Open from early morning through afternoon.
Hala Targowa, Gdańsk’s covered market on Pańska Street, sells fresh local produce and has a handful of stalls serving prepared food: smoked fish by the piece (approximately PLN 8–15), open sandwiches, and seasonal vegetables. Best visited on weekday mornings when it is busiest.
Granary Island (Wyspa Spichrzów)
Cross the pedestrian bridge from the waterfront and the atmosphere shifts. Wyspa Spichrzów is a more recent development — converted granaries and new buildings housing boutique hotels, bars, and restaurants. The crowd is younger and the vibe more relaxed than the tourist-heavy main strip.
Brovarnia is the island’s best-known restaurant, attached to a hotel and brewery of the same name. House-brewed lagers and ales accompany a substantial Polish menu — żeberka (ribs), pierogi with various fillings, kielbasa plates, and a good beet soup (barszcz). Mains run PLN 55–95. The outdoor terrace on the water side books out quickly in summer.
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Stary Port (Old Port) nearby concentrates more on grilled fish and seafood — useful if Targ Rybny is full. Baltic trout, salmon, and cod are regulars on the menu; expect PLN 70–110 for a fish main with sides.
Neighbourhood Eating: Wrzeszcz
The tram ride north to Wrzeszcz drops you into a district that functions as Gdańsk’s everyday restaurant strip. Grunwaldzka and the streets around the Galeria Bałtycka mall have everything from Vietnamese pho to Georgian khinkali, but the worthwhile stops are the Polish spots.
Gospoda Pod Łososiem (The Salmon Inn) is a Gdańsk institution, one of the oldest restaurants in the city, dating its recipes back centuries and specialising in Baltic fish with formal table service. It is expensive by local standards — mains PLN 95–155 — but the historic interior, the salmon dishes, and the house Goldwasser-based cocktails make it a valid special-occasion choice.
Bar Mleczny Neptun in Wrzeszcz (note: different from the Downtown Neptune) is purely local — no tourists, Polish-only menu on a chalkboard, daily soups for PLN 8–12 and hot mains under PLN 30. Exactly where Gdańsk office workers eat lunch.
What to Drink
Craft beer has grown substantially in Gdańsk. Browarnia produces its own, and Degustatornia on Chlebnicka has a rotating tap list from Polish microbreweries alongside a short food menu. For something local and historic, order Goldwasser (the original amber liqueur, approximately PLN 18–25 per glass) or a szot of Żubrówka (bison grass vodka) at any traditional bar.
Practical Notes
Most waterfront restaurants accept cards; smaller milk bars and market stalls prefer cash. Lunch service typically runs 12:00–15:00 with lower prices than dinner. In high summer (July–August), booking a waterfront table by 17:00 for dinner is advisable — walk-in availability shrinks fast. Off-season (November–March) the waterfront is quieter and prices drop at several spots.