Gwarno Restaurant & Brewery, Zakopane

Gwarno is a restaurant with its own small brewery at the foot of Gubałówka in Zakopane. It stands on Na Gubałówkę street right next to the lower station of the funicular and the famous oscypek market, so it is easy to drop in after a walk on the hill or around the bazaar. It calls itself "Restauracja & Browar", and the idea is to combine Podhale cooking with beer brewed on site in the brewery under Gubałówka. The restaurant belongs to the Polish Cableways group PKL (operated by PKL Horeca).

The name Gwarno echoes the Polish word for "bustling, lively", which suits a place next to the town's busiest station. The Gubałówka funicular has been running since 1938 and is 1,298 m long; at the top begins the Papal Trail walk to Butorowy Wierch, from where a chairlift runs down to Kościelisko.

Beer and food

The main reason to come here rather than elsewhere is the house beer and the dishes that use it. On its official website the restaurant describes its cooking as "truly Tatra cuisine": regional dishes from local produce, presented in a modern way. Signature items listed by the restaurant itself include:

• moskole — traditional highland potato flatbreads — with smoked trout, sour cream and portobello mushroom;
• kwaśnica — sour cabbage soup with ribs and local potatoes, which the restaurant calls a must;
• pork knuckle stewed in beer from the Gwarno brewery;
• trout "straight from Kuźnice" with subtle smoky notes.

If you are new to Podhale, the cable-car operator PKL recommends trying the local dishes: bryjki, hałuski and moskole, as well as shepherds' products — żentyca, bundz and oscypki. Some of these can be ordered here, and the cheeses can be bought at the market a few steps from the door.

The menu changes with the seasons, so check the current list of beers and dishes on the restaurant's website. The brewery's website is for adults only — in Poland alcohol may be sold only to people aged 18 and over.

Practical information

Address: ul. Na Gubałówkę 7, Zakopane. From Krupówki it is a few minutes' walk through the market under Gubałówka. Restaurant guests can park free of charge right by the funicular — 180 minutes after registering on the tablet at the entrance. Table bookings for individual guests: +48 691 691 185; for groups, celebrations and corporate events: +48 691 692 227 or by e-mail. According to OpenStreetMap, the restaurant is open Monday to Saturday 10:00–23:00 and Sunday 10:00–21:00; opening hours are not published on the official website, so it is best to call before visiting. There is an outdoor terrace. The restaurant holds themed evenings with live music and, in winter, an après-ski New Year's Eve party.

Tip: at peak times in season (lunch and dinner in July–August and during the winter holidays) the area around the funicular is very busy, so it is worth booking a table in advance.

Nearby

Next door are the market under Gubałówka with oscypek and woollens and the funicular up Gubałówka. A few minutes on foot and you are on Krupówki or at the old Pęksowy Brzyzek cemetery.

Official website: restauracjagwarno.pl

Photos: restauracjagwarno.pl.