Visiting Sopot for a week in late May/start of June looking for restaurants/pubs

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Mar 26, 10, 17:52 #1

Hi all

i'm visiting Sopot at the end of May for a week and looking for any advice on good restaurants both from low to high budgets, also any good pubs? we're not very club orientated, mid thirties, like cocktail bars to pubs with traditional music so any advice would be good. is there any pub/bar which is great to sit otuside and take in sopot? also a good coffee/cake shop would be a bonus.

I'm going to visit Hel for a day and Gdansk on another day too. any advice on ferries from sopot to gdandsk or from sopot to hel. is the ferry the best option or should we take the train. we were hoping to see gdansk from the sea and possibly head back on the train.

do you recommend anything in particular in gdansk to do?

we love poland and have visited warsaw, cracow and zakopane over the last 5 years.

finally, what are the best beaches t osunbathe and any good eating spots on the waterfront?

fingers crossed for good weather!!!!!!!!!
many thanks

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Mar 26, 10, 18:42 #2

If you go to Sopot I will say you should stay away from the yacht club at the end of the pir. They charged 12zł for a 0,3ltr lech. In Sopot it is pubs, bars and night clubs everywhere so they`re not hard to find.
From Sopot to Gdańsk it is better to take a car/taxi it does not cost to much, next to the yacht club there is a little ferry going to Hel, this ferry travels Gdańsk-Sopot-Hel.
There is a very good beach in Gdynia (not far from Sopot), here you are also able to buy some drinks and a little food. the beach next to the Sofitel Grand Hotel in Sopot is also a nice place.
In Gdańsk you can get a lot of food for little money I recommend the Sphinx restuarants (sort of like a polish version of Fridays) and if you like waiters with good bodies in a very tight red hotpants I would go to Roosters (this is also in Sopot as far as I remember).

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Mar 26, 10, 23:55 #3

You'll have a great time when you come to visit I'm sure.

Anywhere along the Montecasino street down to the pier will give you a great chance to sit outside and take in Sopot (not sure about "traditional" music though - not even sure what you mean by tradtional.) Look up Montecasino, Sopot on Google Maps and you'll see exactly where I mean.

I can't really help you with cakes (not my thing).

Regarding ferries, I'd suggest you take a trip to Gdansk Old Town on one of your days and head down to the old town and make your way to the Rybackie Pobrzeże (again look it up on Google Maps). There are nice ferries to Hel from here and you get the added bonus of going through the old shipyard on your way out. It's a great day out.

While your in Gdansk, go to the nowy port lighthouse and westerplatte for a bit of WWII history and definitely spend some time in the old town making sure you take in the old crane and dlugy street.

As far as beaches go if the weather's nice when you're here expect all the beaches to be busy but you should be able to find enough room to sunbathe if you don't mind being elbow to elbow with the rest of the world. If you want quiet beaches (and you have a car) head over to the beaches at Sobieszewo heading east out of Gdansk.

If you want any more info just PM me.

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Edited by: jonni Mar 27, 10, 00:06 #4

Trixity:

is there any pub/bar which is great to sit otuside and take in sopot?

Most of them - depends what you like. If you stay off the main drag (very chic but sometimes busy and always expensive) and avoid the pier (tacky and uninteresting) you'll find some nice places. Head down the boardwalk (going south) for a few hundred yards. There are some nice places on the beach.

mulsie:

on good restaurants both from low to high budgets

Visit Gdynia next to Sopot. There's Bistro Kwadrat on pl. Kosciuszki (cheap and always busy) and a lovely place in the new building by the harbour (NOT the art deco building) which has excellent food. Gdynia has good shopping too.

Avoid Sphinx at all costs. There is plenty in this forum about how bad they are. MacDonald's with bland kebabs and frozen chips. Try a Polish restaurant - there are some nice ones in Gdańsk. A menu in German isn't always a good sign, A Polish clientele usually is.

mulsie:

also a good coffee/cake shop would be a bonus.

Plenty. In Sopot at the top of the main street by the railway viaduct there's a good one. Several good ones in Gdańsk two very nice ones in the modern shopping precinct opposite the station. Avoid some of the tourist traps in the old town.

mulsie:

do you recommend anything in particular in gdansk to do?

The post above has some good ideas. Don't even think about going there without visiting the Amber Museum. It is excellent.

mulsieThreads: 3 Posts: 13 Joined: Mar 26, 10 ♂	Mar 28, 10, 13:27 #5
hi lads , cheers for all the info!!! many thanks

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Mar 28, 10, 16:40 #6

The best way to travel from Sopot to Gdańsk is by train, they are very, very punctual, about 1 every 5mins, they are quite cheap & go to the centre of gdańsk (Gdańsk główny)
I enjoy Sfinxs restaurant on długa street, & there is a also very classy restaurant called McDonalds which is tasty hehe!!
Take a tour of the Motława river which goes through the shipyards all the way to westerplatte. Go to the Amber & torture museum. Visit the solidarność museum.
As for beaches, seeing as your staying in Sopot, when you are at the pier you can go to the left of it & outside of the Grand hotel that part of the beach is quite busy & lively, if you go to the right of the pier then its a little more less busy.
If you have the money go to the new Shreidan Hotel Spa, its absoultly brilliant!!!
Also, you must visit Aqua park in Sopot.
Have fun ;)

Tomo

Mar 29, 10, 09:18 #7

Hi there!
You will definitely manage to plan your stay in 3-City ( Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia), there is time enough, but think about booking your room now, as end of May is already high season, and could be difficult. I would recommend Hotel Bonum hotelbonum dot pl- located in Gdansk Old Town, cosy small hotel, around 30 rooms, and close to main tourist attractions, or eventually Villa Aqua in Sopot ( villaaqua dot pl), next to the Aqua Park, and 5 minutes walk from the nice beach.
Have fun!

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Edited by: scottie1113 Mar 30, 10, 01:18 #8

Forget about taking a ferry to Hel. They won't be sailing when you're here, so you'll have to go by train.

In Soppt I highly recommend Bar Przystan at Wojska Polskiego 11. This restaurant serves good fish at very reasonable prices, and it's right on the beach. To get there walk down Monte Cassino toward the molo (pier) and just before you get there turn right, walk along the walkway for agout 1000 meters and you'll see it on the left.

Josef K, near the train station, is an excellent cafe.

In Gdansk visit Pikawa on ul.Piwna. Greta coffee, great pastry, nice decor, reasonable prices.

The best pub in Gdansk, if not in all Poland, is Absinthe in the Old Town. It's not a club or a disco, and sometimes the music gets a little loud after 22.00, but it's a magic place.

Pick up a copy of Gdansk in your pocket. Free at most better hotels. I get mine at Scandic (old Holiday Inn) across the street from Gdansk Glowny (main train station). It's got lots of good information about restaurants, pubs, cafes and things to do in Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia.

Sunbathing may or may not be an option when you're here. The weather in May can be unpredictable, and last year it was cool and it rained a lot. But if you go to Bar Przystan and it's a sunny day, you can eat lunch, have a beer if you're so inclined, and then step onto the beach. It's maybe 50m to the Baltic which is going to be a little cold when you're there.

Want more info? PM me. I live in Gdansk and like to help visitors when I can.

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Apr 26, 10, 17:25 #9

I am travelling to Sopot on Fri 21st May for 3 nights on a Stag weekend. We are either stopping at bayjohn or haffner. Which of these is the best i thought haffner nice swim and relax in spa to sober up on a morning before starting each day session.

What are the best clubs , dress code and is it difficult to get in with groups of lads.

If there are late bars then i would prefer that. Cant do with most clubs that are packed , expensive and full of plastic people. I liked the look of copacabana beach club can at least chill out and hear each other.

andylThreads: - Posts: 3 Joined: Apr 26, 10 ♂	Apr 27, 10, 21:50 #10
I guess nobody has ever been here before then. I better watch out for the tumbleweed blowing down the roads.

Dougpol2Threads: 1 Posts: 95 Joined: Apr 22, 10 ♂	Apr 27, 10, 22:50 #11
andyl: I guess nobody has ever been here before then. I better watch out for the tumbleweed blowing down the roads. I spent 6 weeks in hell - er, I mean Sopot - last summer Andy at the wifee's cousins' gaffe. A stuck up lot - the Sopotians - as it's the most valuble real estate in the whole of Poland. Can't see why - a pre-war rotting dump. IMO Also watch out for potential rucks.

jedski	Apr 27, 10, 22:56 #12
mulsie, Best cake shop imho is Pellowski's: Cukiernia Piekarnia Pellowski adres: 80-844 Gdańsk, Podwale Staromiejskie 82 tel: 58 301-45-20 fax: 58 301-04-24 e-mail: piekarniapellowski@wp.pl Yum - enjoy. There also used to be a tiny little place on the corner of the Grand Hotel, Sopot, right next to the casino. I don't know if that's still there.

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Apr 28, 10, 00:20 #13

I'm in Gdansk, only 20 minutes from Sopot by SKM, but I don't go there very often at night. It's a little too trendy and upscale for me, and i agree with what Doupol2 said about the people. Not everyone of course. I've met some very nice people there. And it's certainly not a rotting pre-war dump. It's beautiful.

I'll ask my Polish friends who like to go there about late night bars. I wouldn't know; they don't call me Cinderella for nothing. The dress code is casual, but you know may have trouble getting into places with a bunch of lads on a stag weekend, especially if you're drunk and rowdy, as most Brits on stag weekends tend to be. Why that's fun is beyond me.

thomas jones

Apr 28, 10, 04:25 #14

mulsie:

what are the best beaches t osunbathe and any good eating spots on the waterfront?

IMHO facing the sea at the bottom of MC turn left towards gdynia for less crowded beach and right towards gdansk for seafront eating

a beautiful pine forest borders the beach in each direction with a cycle path - its worth renting bikes and going that little bit further than you might if walking

if turning towards gdynia the path becomes a little wilder - jump down the small cliffs and you will find beautiful sandy beaches with fewer people - cycle a little further and you will come to gdynia orlowo, a charming little fishing port

turn right towards gdansk and its tourist central down to brzezno with camp sites, sailing clubs and plenty of bars and beach side fish restaurants. both brzezno and orlowo have piers and are no more than 4 ks from sopot pier

as doug says, theres plenty of pretense in sopot and many of the 'trendier' bars and clubs are full of plastic people, especially as the high season kicks in. a couple of slightly more 'real' places to chill and have a beer or listen to some music are papryka (bottom of MC turn right 100m) or sfinks (bottom of MC turn left 100m)

watching the world go by can easily be done on MC. wander down and find a free table in the sun, order beer or coffee and just chill... all day if it takes your fancy!

'good' restaurants dont exist in poland as far as i can tell, and i eat out a lot. very much hit and miss although if you can find somewhere serving traditional polish food you should eat well

there is a 'mountain man' restaurant in the forest on the sea front heading towards gdynia and another going straight up MC, over grunwaldska and up maja 1. its in the forest above sopot about 10 min walk from the centre and next to a small lake - both are ok

gdansk old town is a beautiful medieval affair that is enchanting by day or night but explore the smaller streets away from the main drag to find better bars and restaurants. scottie mentions absinthe as a favourite ( top of dluga, under the arch into a square and its in the bottom rh corner) and its a nice place to sit out and have a beer

i love the tri city in spring and summer - its magical - enjoy :)

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Apr 28, 10, 06:13 #15

thomas jones:

there is a 'mountain man' restaurant in the forest on the sea front heading towards gdynia and another going straight up MC, over grunwaldska and up maja 1. its in the forest above sopot about 10 min walk from the centre and next to a small lake - both are ok

The "mountain man" restaurant is called Harnas. It's a beeautiful mountain style restaurant built of logs and serves Polish food. I've been there twice and a really like it. You might be amused by one offering on the menu. It's a country chicken breast, and the English translation is "Highland hostess boobs". I like the golonka.

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