Łódź, as a historical working-class city, developed its own strongly regional cuisine — simple, filling and full of flavour. Below are ten must-try dishes. ## 1. Zalewajka łódzka The most iconic Łódź soup. Sour rye soup with potatoes, sausage and sour cream, often served in a bread bowl. Classic places: Restauracja Łódzka (Piotrkowska 89), Zalewajka Bar (Piotrkowska 148). ## 2. Żulik Łódź buckwheat bread. Baked in a few old-school bakeries — Piekarnia Grzybowski (Legionów 12), Piekarnia Rożek (Kilińskiego 45). Perfect with soup or with butter and chives. ## 3. Prażoki Potato dumplings — mashed potatoes with flour, formed into balls, steamed. Served with pork crackling or onion sauce. Working-class classic. Restauracja Fabryczna (Księży Młyn) serves a modernised version. ## 4. Kartoflanka na maślance Potato soup made with sour buttermilk instead of cream. Distinctive tangy note. Domowe smaki (Manufaktura), Restauracja u Chochoła. ## 5. Śledź po łódzku Herring in oil with onion, carrot and mustard, served with fresh bread. Traditional starter of Łódź milk bars (bary mleczne). Bar Mleczny Rembieliński (Piotrkowska 43) is the classic. ## 6. Łódź cheese and raisin cake Rustic yeast cake with quark cheese and sultana raisins. Baked at Piekarnia Rożek following the original 1912 recipe. ## 7. Pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms from Manufaktura Restauracja Presto in Manufaktura has been making pierogi daily for 40 years. Thin dough, strongly sour cabbage — Pomeranian tradition brought by 19th-century factory owners' families. ## 8. Kaszanka from Manufaktura Blood sausage produced locally for three generations. A rare variant with a large share of buckwheat. Firm shop at Zakłady Mięsne Łódź, Piotrkowska 122. ## 9. Rogal łódzki Not to be confused with the Poznań one. Smaller, no poppy seed, with fruit filling. Piekarnia Grzybowski makes 8 varieties: plum, cherry, apple, apricot, pineapple, poppy, cheese, plum jam. ## 10. Łomża craft beer at OFF Piotrkowska Local microbrewery Łomża has opened a tap house in Off Piotrkowska. 12 taps with seasonal craft beers. ## Where to eat authentically Piotrkowska is the culinary spine of the city — 4.5 kilometres of restaurants from milk bars to modern Polish cuisine.