The milk bars (bar mleczny) of Poland are communist-era canteens that served subsidized, cheap, meatless food to the urban working class — and several in Krakow have survived into the present day, preserved partly by nostalgia and partly by the fact that the food is genuinely good. Bar Mleczny Tomasza is one of the better-known examples: a no-frills lunchroom with a counter, a handwritten menu, and a regular clientele of students, office workers, and budget travellers.
The menu is traditional Polish home cooking: barszcz (beet soup), żurek (sour rye soup with egg and sausage), kopytka (potato dumplings), bigos (hunter's stew of sauerkraut and meat), and various pierogi fillings. Nothing costs much; a full lunch is possible for less than the price of a coffee elsewhere in the Old Town. The English menu board helps, but a few words of Polish and a willingness to point goes a long way. Arrive before noon for the widest choice — by 1pm popular dishes may run out.