Klub pod Jaszczurami

This is the oldest student club in Krakow since 1960, but it's not just students that go there. I've been here twice. We went to Klub Pod Jaszczurami for drinks and they were having a karaoke night so we stayed there for awhile. The drinks are good and it was a nice experience. The next day, we went around looking for a good club but ended back at Klub Pod Jaszczurami. It was an actual club scene that night and the vibe was really fun.

Pod Jaszczurami is a legendary club in Krakow. It existed back in the days of communism. Fidel Castro, I've been told, once drank at this place. Things aren't the way it used to be, of course. Nowadays it's just a generic club on the Rynek, too overpriced for the student clientele of old. That's the reason behind the low ratings from Poles.

For foreign visitors looking to sit and drink a beer on the square during the day, I would say Pod Jaszczurami is probably the best spot. The location is great for people-watching. More importantly, it doesn't smell like horse urine here--unlike the establishments at the northern side of the square. Since it's on the eastern side, sunshine remains into the late afternoon. Prices are also not total rip off.

Can't speak to the jazz club aspects, but it's the best place on the Rynek (old town square) to linger over a beer and people watch. Directly behind the 11th century St. Adalbert's Church, you can also easily hear the traditional hourly trumpet call from the taller of 2 towers of St. Mary's Basilica. Daytime menu is basic -- beer, coffee, desert, and one appetizer -- the bruschetta that seems to be ubiquitous in Kraków: mushrooms, goat cheese, and ketchup topped with crispy fried onions. It's nearly the only cafe on the market square that is affordable, and the first where you'll see lots of folks simply hanging out, drinking beer (and smoking, which is pretty commonplace in Poland.) Two half liter Zyviec (beer) and bruschetta will set you back about Zł 30 - less than $7 USD. A few of the staff speak English, and you can stay as long as you want, quite a pleasure on a sunny afternoon.