U Ziyada

U Ziyada is an elegant and panoramic restaurant perched on a steep hill within Przegorzały Castle in the Zwierzyniec district of Krakow, overlooking a sweeping Wisła River valley with views that on clear days reach all the way to the Tatra Mountains on the Slovakian border. Founded by Ziyad Raoof, a Kurdish Iraqi who has called Krakow home since the early 1990s, the restaurant blends top-quality Polish cuisine with Kurdish-influenced specialties — lamb dishes in particular stand out as a rare and memorable highlight. The wide, round lower terrace is the restaurant's centrepiece, providing a sensational outdoor setting for leisurely lunches, romantic dinners, or cocktails at the bar. With two dining rooms, a café, and capacity for 200 guests, U Ziyada is also one of the most distinguished event and wedding venues in Krakow, combining dramatic riverside views with warm, personal hospitality.