Most of the restaurants and cafes in Rabka Zdroj have menus written in Polish, although one thing we have discovered is that when waitresses perceive foreigners, a menu in the appropriate language often suddenly appears. Try Blue by the railway station, Bar Mysliwski in the town square ad Siwy Dym on the edge of town for restaurants with English translations.

Polish cuisine can sometimes be described as 2001 ways of cooking pork and indeed it always features on the menu.

We like traditional Polish recipes but appreciate that for some they are an acquired taste.

You will come across bigos (sauerkraut and meat casserole) , pierogi (similar to large ravioli - try the meat or fruit ones first), golabki (cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, meat and mushrooms), kotlet schabowy (pork escalope) but you will also find salmon, trout and other fish on the menu, pizzas, hamburgers, kebabs, chicken and more familiar foods.

Foods and flavours likely to appeal to British tastes:

Polish potato pancakes are the same as rosti and commonly served up as a tasty snack - often by street vendors. Chips or frytki are everywhere if you cannot live without them.

Poles like soups - chicken soup with noodles or Rosol is a common one, also Barszcz or borsch, a beetroot soup full of healthy flavenoids.

Poles are big meat eaters and portions tend to be generous. Look out for sirloin steak with pepper sauce, pork spare ribs, kotlets or escalopes of various types, goulash, Polish kielbasa or salami.

For people with a sweet tooth make sure you try the following: apple cake or szarlotka (like an apple pie except with more fruit and less pastry) , nalesniki or pancakes, doughnuts (which are much nicer here than in the UK).

Tea is served with lemon unless milk is specified. There is always a good variety of fruit teas.

See Traditional Polish Food