Poland
Level 1 for Warsaw, Kraków, and the major cities — traditional restaurants and rural areas are a different challenge.
Rapid urban transformation — Warsaw and Kraków lead Eastern Europe for dedicated vegan infrastructure, while traditional Polish cuisine remains almost entirely built around pork, dairy, and lard.
What the rank means Poland ranks #18 globally — a strong Level 1 result driven by the rapid transformation of its major urban centres. Warsaw now ranks among Eastern Europe's most vegan-accessible capitals, with a city-level score considerably above the national figure. Kraków, Wrocław, and Gdańsk follow at a similar city-level premium. The national rank reflects the full national picture, which includes small towns and rural areas where traditional Polish cooking dominates completely.
City vs country The gap between city and country experience in Poland is one of the sharpest in the Level 1 tier. In Warsaw and Kraków you will find dedicated vegan restaurants, plant-based fast food, fully labelled supermarket ranges, and menus with explicit vegan sections. Outside the main centres the picture changes quickly — assume supermarket first, restaurant second.
Label law EU allergen labelling applies across Poland. Most packaged supermarket products clearly emphasise the 14 designated allergens — usually in bold, but sometimes by a different typographic style. This is a useful tool for supermarkets and packaged foods. It does not cover animal fat, meat stock, or restaurant cooking methods — the hidden risks that matter most in Poland. Always check labels on packaged foods and never assume a product is safe without reading them.
Practical rule Do not rely on traditional soups, bread-basket starters, or pierogi without confirming the cooking base — meat stock, smalec (lard), and dairy curd are invisible on the menu and present throughout traditional Polish restaurant and home cooking.
Say This at the Restaurant
| Jestem weganinem / weganką | Ye-stem veh-GAH-nee-nem / veh-GAN-kohI am vegan — male / female forms | I am vegan |
| Nie jem mięsa, ryb, nabiału, jajek, miodu ani żelatyny | Full wording in phrasebook →Full exclusion list | No meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey or gelatine |
| Czy zupa jest na bulionie mięsnym? | Chi ZOO-pah yest nah boo-LYO-nyeh MYEYN-snim?Is this soup made with meat stock? | Meat stock in the soup? |
| Czy jest tutaj smalec lub tłuszcz zwierzęcy? | Chi yest TOO-tie SMAH-lets loob TWOOSHCH zvye-ZHEH-tsi?Is there lard or animal fat? | Lard or animal fat? |
| Czy zawiera masło lub śmietanę? | Chi zah-VYE-rah MAH-swoh loob shmye-TAH-neh?Does it contain butter or sour cream? | Butter or sour cream? |
| Czy ciasto zawiera jajka? | Chi CHAH-stoh zah-VYE-rah YAHY-kah?Does the dough / pastry contain eggs? | Eggs in the dough? |
| Czy farsz zawiera twaróg lub ser? | Chi farsh zah-VYE-rah TVAH-roog loob sehr?Is there curd cheese in the filling? | Dairy curd in the filling? |
| Proszę bez masła, śmietany i nabiału | PROH-sheh bez MAH-swah, shmye-TAH-ny ee nah-BYAH-wooPlease, without butter, sour cream, and dairy | No butter, cream, or dairy |
| Czy to danie jest w pełni roślinne? | Chi toh DAH-nyeh yest v PEW-nee rohsh-LEEN-neh?Is this dish completely plant-based? | Fully plant-based? |
| Jeśli to ważne: czy smażone na tej samej patelni co mięso? | Full wording in phrasebook →If this matters to you: shared pan with meat? | Shared pan with meat? |
What Actually Works
Lean on the supermarkets
Biedronka, Lidl, and Kaufland are present nationwide and carry growing vegan-labelled ranges — plant milks, meat alternatives, tofu, hummus, and packaged meals. Larger city branches in Warsaw and Kraków stock extensive dedicated sections. For self-catering or a reliable fallback outside restaurant zones, the supermarket is consistently your safest option anywhere in Poland. Allergen labelling on packaged goods is reliable; always read labels before buying.
01Use dedicated vegan restaurants
Warsaw has a large concentration of fully vegan restaurants, including Polish-inspired takes on pierogi, żurek, and bigos that remove all guesswork. Look for venues labelled wegańskie (vegan) rather than wegetariańskie (vegetarian) — the distinction matters significantly in Poland, where vegetarian cooking routinely includes dairy, eggs, and occasionally fish stock. Kraków, Wrocław, and Gdańsk have strong dedicated scenes worth seeking out before arrival.
02Learn the key word: wegański
The Polish word for vegan is wegański (adjective, masculine) / wegańskie (neuter/plural). It looks superficially similar to wegetariański (vegetarian), but Polish restaurant staff understand the difference clearly. Knowing this single word transforms your ability to navigate menus, packaging, and kitchen conversations. Open every ordering exchange with "Jestem weganinem" (male) or "Jestem weganką" (female) before scanning the menu or asking questions.
03Search HappyCow before you arrive
Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, and Gdańsk all have strong HappyCow listings. Filter specifically for "vegan" rather than "vegetarian-friendly" — the latter in Poland often indicates a kitchen that can accommodate requests, not a menu built with vegans in mind. For smaller cities and towns, identify your nearest supermarket before arrival rather than relying on restaurant options that may not exist. The further from a university city, the less reliable restaurant-based options become.
04Where It Gets Harder
Poland's vegan landscape is urban-first and improving rapidly — but the gap between Warsaw and a rural village is genuinely steep, and iconic Polish dishes contain traps that catch even experienced vegan travellers who assume the simpler-looking options are safe.
Small towns, village restaurants, and agritourism venues operate within a food culture centred entirely on pork, dairy, and poultry. Dedicated vegan options rarely exist and staff may have limited experience with the concept beyond "no meat." Outside the main centres: assume supermarket first, restaurant second. Biedronka is present even in small towns and is consistently your safest fallback.
Bigos — Poland's national stew of sauerkraut and mushrooms — is sometimes listed as a "vegetarian" option when mushroom-heavy, but virtually never vegan: it includes pork stock, bacon, or sausage at some stage of preparation. Cabbage rolls (gołąbki) and stuffed cabbage are often assumed plant-based but routinely contain meat or dairy in the filling and sauce. Always name the dish and ask directly rather than interpreting descriptions.
Polish hotel breakfast buffets typically feature cold meats, cheese, eggs, and dairy-heavy hot dishes. Vegan-specific items are rarely labelled separately and butter is placed on every table as standard. Bread, fruit, and some vegetables are generally present, but confirm with the kitchen what is available without butter, eggs, or dairy rather than assessing the buffet visually. City hotels with international clientele are more likely to have clearly labelled options.
Pierogi are the dish international visitors most want to try — and the one most likely to disappoint without advance preparation. Even fruit-filled pierogi (z owocami) typically use egg-enriched dough at traditional restaurants. Mushroom-and-sauerkraut fillings (z kapustą i grzybami) are closest to vegan but the dough question remains. In Warsaw and Kraków, dedicated vegan pierogi now exist at specialist venues — seek these out rather than relying on traditional restaurants to adapt.