Ziyad

The story

Ziyad Restaurant Kraków: Kurdish-Inspired Dining in Zinar Castle

The Kitchen and Its Origins

Ziyad brings a thirty-five-year culinary lineage to Zinar Castle in Kraków, where European techniques meet Kurdish spice traditions. The kitchen builds its menus around premium regional proteins like Polish beef and local lamb, paired with aromatic herbs and slow-roasted vegetables. This enduring approach to Kurdish-inspired cooking avoids fleeting trends in favor of consistent, ingredient-driven plates. Guests encounter a straightforward yet refined dining philosophy that prioritizes quality sourcing over theatrical presentation.

Dishes That Define the Menu

Signature preparations highlight this cross-cultural dialogue without relying on heavy sauces. The beef tartare combines Polish wasabi, dill mayonnaise, and confit egg yolk to cut through the richness. Roasted lamb kebabs rest alongside charred tomatoes and warm flatbread, offering a familiar street-food comfort elevated by precise butchery. Seasonal produce frequently appears as lighter starters, including wild garlic pesto over fresh burrata or chanterelles paired with legumes and mushroom ice cream.

Views and Shared Plates

Dining occurs within historic stone walls that frame sweeping sightlines toward the Vistula River bend. Floor-to-ceiling arches flood the room with natural light while preserving the quiet elegance noted by Gault&Millau’s 11.5 point assessment. Summer service extends onto an outdoor terrace where guests often spot distant mountain silhouettes under clear skies. The space encourages leisurely pacing, making it ideal for sharing Spanish cheese boards, Mediterranean cured meats, or violet meringue layered with rhubarb cream.