About Pijalni — Bistro in Wrocław
Energetic wines, delicious food, and evenings that end later than you planned. Laughter, friends, full plates.
How it started
Pijalni started with wine. Dominika Szpakowska opened the first place in Nadodrze — 33 square metres, a few stools, a wine list she put together herself. The idea was simple: good natural wine, no pretension, no snobbery. A place you'd walk into after work and stay three glasses longer than planned. For many people in Wrocław, it was their first encounter with natural wine.
After two years it got too small. Wine needed food, and guests were asking for more than a cheese board. The move to Grunwald — to Wrocławczyka 42/1U, right next to the iconic Wrocław Manhattan by architect Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak — gave space for a proper kitchen and a professional bar.
The food
Chef Tomek Wencek joined the kitchen. He brought experience from Barcelona's top restaurants — including Michelin-starred Alkimia and the acclaimed Coure — and from his time as Chef de Cuisine at Dinette, Wrocław's cult bistro.
Tomek cooks seasonally, on his own terms, with local ingredients. His dishes often draw on traditional Polish cuisine, but also on French classics and Mediterranean simplicity.
The wine
Over 80 natural wine labels from small producers across France, Italy, Georgia, Austria, Spain, and a few other places. Natural means no added sulphites (or minimal), no chemicals in the vineyard, hand-harvested, spontaneous fermentation. Wines that taste like where they come from.
Thanks to Coravin, we pour wines by the glass. That means you can try a bottle of Georgian qvevri wine or a rare Jura Savagnin without committing to the whole thing. We rotate the by-the-glass selection weekly, so there's always something new.
If you're not sure what to drink, just ask. We like talking about wine. We're not precious about it.
The space
Grunwald isn't the centre — and that was the point. Pijalni is a 10-minute walk from the Old Town, right next to Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak's iconic housing project. Away from the noise, but in good company — bakery Sąsiedzi and Fandom are just around the corner.
From our windows — or from the terrace in summer — you can look out at Wrocław's Manhattan, the iconic project by the Polish architect.
The team
Small team, big opinions. Tomek in the kitchen, Dominika running the floor and the wine program, and a handful of people who care about doing this well. Nobody here fell into hospitality by accident — everyone chose it.
We speak Polish and English. If you're visiting Wroclaw and want recommendations beyond our own menu — other restaurants, wine shops, things to do — just ask. We know this city.
What we believe
Good food doesn't need to be complicated. Good wine doesn't need to be expensive. A good evening out doesn't need a dress code or a three-month waitlist. We just want people to eat well, drink something they haven't tried before, and leave a bit happier than they arrived.