The restaurant biz in Krakow is apparently doing so well getting a table isn’t as easy as it would seem.

For a hearty, well-deserved lunch following a trip to Wawel Hill, the goal was a nearby restaurant with the rhymic name Kogel Mogel, with its accessible location and highly-regarded reputation. Walking through their doors with nothing booked, we luckily got seated indoors but after some persistence and sweet-talking, which probably weren’t necessary, we were able to sit ourselves in the more relaxed, light-filled terrace. Wondering a bit why they initially said there wasn’t room outdoors for our party of five – we were the only occupied table for most of the time we were there – I imagined they couldn’t handle the fact that the tables were all in pairs and an odd-numbered table would screw up their system. The entire staff were very nice and accommodating for a majority of the time so it wasn’t anything that affected my perception. If anything the gin tonic made sure of that.

We made it a point to order different items on the menu and each one – from the duck, guinea fowl, zander, beef cheeks, and schnitzel – was outstanding and lived up to all expectations. The fact we all shared dishes Asian-style probably didn’t go unnoticed though I hope it gave the chef some ideas on the concept of family dining, rather than a hearty laugh at the dining habits of other cultures. Kogel Mogel was a great stop and worthy of a second try should Krakow appear in my radar again. With how it’s going now the chances of that I’d say are quite good.