TriBeCa in not only a
neighbourhood in NYC, but also a chain of cafés in some of the
museums in Kraków. My favourite
TriBeCa is the one in the Szczepański Square, which has recently
become vibrant with life thanks to a new musical fountain and new
cafés (such as Charlotte).
TriBeCa u Szołayskich (meaning 'TriBeCa in the Szołayski House' in
Polish) fits perfectly in with this new, dynamic place.
I usually drop by to have a coffee with my friends or grab a quick lunch. You can
sit here either in a beer garden overlooking the
Szczepański Square and Pałac Sztuki ('Art Palace' in Polish), or
at an inner patio, or in a spacious, cool room. The room has a nice
interior, if rather minimalistic. During the day it's very peaceful
in there so it can be a good place to work or study if you don't mind
the buzz of the café.
A ladder with shelves is
loaded with books about art history (in various languages) so while
waiting for your orders, you can become an art expert. Especially
because waiting for the waiters can be really long... That's why if the waiting becomes
interminable, I simply go to the counter and order myself.
I think TriBeCa's
biggest advantage is coffee. Some flavoured coffees tend to be a tad
too much on the sweet side and that's why I usually choose classics,
such as latte (PLN 8-12) or cappuccino (PLN 8-12). But if you aren't
afraid of sugar, you should try a frozen mint coffee (PLN 12). The
sandwiches and other snacks are also very tasty. During my last visit I had there a
delicious grilled baguette with chicken, cheese and lots of veggies
(PLN 14). The desserts, however, are a
different kettle of fish. Chocolate TriBeCa cake (PLN 12) was very
good even though a bit too sweet. But the tiramisu (PLN 11) was one
of the strangest dessert I've ever eaten and I don't mean it as a
compliment...
While you're in TriBeCa,
you should visit one of the two exhibitions housed in the same
building, the Szołayski House: 'Forever Young! Poland and it's
art around 1900' and 'Szymborska’s Drawer' ('Szuflada Szymborskiej' in Polish). The latter exhibition
is not only for free, but it also has an interactive and a bit
surreal form. Wisława Szymborska was a very famous Polish poet and
the winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature. And now her belongings,
presented in drawers, create cabinet of curiosities. The Szołayski
House is a perfect place for an afternoon with art, a poetry and
coffee.
See more photos! :)
Addres: Plac Szczepański 9, Kraków
Website: Szymborska’s Drawer exhibition
