Cavernous HEVRE flung open its doors in the 2010s to much controversy. Some said there should simply be no bar in what’s an old synagogue. Others hailed a new creative use of space in the heart of Kazimierz. The latter crew seem to have won out, since this vaulted venue of paint-peeling walls is now a mainstay on bar crawls through the city’s southern hipster district.
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What’s in this guide to Hevre Krakow?
The food and drink at HEVRE Krakow
True to its roots as one of the branches of the prolific Alchemia brand in Krakow, HEVRE serves up a menu of pretty creative dishes. It seems to change every season, which is good. Most recently we dropped in for the late-2022 a la carte of teriyaki tofu and Beyond Burgers – a pretty fantastic showing fort the veggies. We didn’t partake on the meatier half of the menu, but noticed it was a medley of tempting and creative dishes that run the gamut from roast sea trout with boiled potatoes to chili-mint duck sandwiches.
Drinks wise, HEVRE has great cocktials and the right mixologists behind them. But most people come here for the unpasteurized beer, which is bona fide Pilsner Urquell out of Czechia (AKA – fantastic stuff). It will cost you a couple of zlots more than your usually Krakow beer but it’s connoisseur stuff.
The atmosphere in HEVRE
HEVRE has perfected that uniquely Kazimierz blend of hipster cool and history. Housed in a centuries-old synagogue, the designers worked to preserve some of the murals that were emblazoned on the wall. They’re now still visible in the impressive main hall if you look up, like some long-lost piece of the past. That’s balanced out by retro 50s tables and ramshackle seating that would look at home in a schoolroom. But the real piece de resistance has to be the eye-catching bar space. We can never shake the feeling that it’s been plucked off some vintage cruise liner like the Titanic. There’s extra seating on a mezzanine upstairs, and lots outside around the edges of the building if you can’t find a good spot.
Our take on HEVRE
We look at HEVRE as a fine mid-night pitstop. There’s a steady stream of drinkers from around 6pm onwards but the trickle turns to flood at around 10pm. Get in before that to secure your place in the main drinking hall, which is worth it because it’s by far the liveliest place to imbibe. A couple of drinks here is fine foundation laying for bigger parties in Kazimierz’s nearby hipster mainstays and late-night clubs – from Singer to Piekny Pies, which are both just down the road. You’ll probably be heading to those will a whole bunch of new buddies if you did HEVRE right!
