Folk show and 3-course dinner at the café
Two folk sets, a three-course dinner and the café's rooms, booked by date through GetYourGuide and cancellable free of charge a day ahead.
Why this café
Why a folk dinner belongs in this café
A pastry shop that became an artists' den
Jan Apolinary Michalik, a confectioner from Lviv, opened the café in 1895. He invited students of the Academy of Fine Arts to eat free in return for small works of art, and its windowless back room gave the place its nickname, Michalik's Den. Painters, writers and actors followed, and they drew on the walls.
The cabaret that made it famous
In the early years of the twentieth century the Green Balloon, a literary cabaret, began staging evenings here, with improvised jokes, songs and satirical puppets. It is usually called Poland's first literary cabaret. Some of its puppets still sit in glass cases in the café.
Folk music on a stage built for performance
The folk show brings Polish song and dance in regional costume to the same rooms, in two sets of 25 minutes with a three-course dinner. Guests are invited to dance along. The show is a separate production, not a revival of the cabaret, but the room suits it.
The evening, scene by scene
A folk night at Floriańska 45
A folk night here is a sequence of small moments. The organiser sets the order of sets and courses, so read this as a guide to what the evening is made of, not a minute-by-minute script.
Each date has its own start time, which you will find in the booking calendar and again in your confirmation.
- I
A name board on Floriańska Street
The street runs from the Main Square to St Florian's Gate, and the café's name board hangs over an arched doorway at number 45. Check that the option you booked names this address.
- II
Caricatures, glass and carved wood
Two main rooms hold paintings, wall decorations and stained glass made by the artists who met here, and display cases hold puppets from the Green Balloon cabaret. The room is part of the ticket.
- III
Dancers in regional costume
A folk band and dancers perform songs and dances in regional costume. The organiser lists two 25-minute shows in the evening.
- IV
Three courses at the table
A set dinner of Polish dishes comes to the table. Guests call the portions generous. Drinks are a separate bill, paid at the table by cash or card.
- V
An invitation to dance
The dancers invite guests to join in. Reviewers who came alone say a dancer asked them up and the whole room ended up dancing. You can also stay seated and watch.
- VI
Dessert, then the street
The evening ends after the meal, within the one and a half to two hours the booking page gives. When you step out, the Main Square is at one end of Floriańska and St Florian's Gate at the other.
The rooms
Two rooms, one café
Jama Michalika opened in 1895 and was fitted out around 1910 as a haunt for painters and writers. The rooms are the reason to book this folk dinner and not another.
- The older room
- Where the Green Balloon began: wall paintings, framed graphics and display cases of puppets, under a vaulted ceiling.
- The Frycz room
- Named after the painter Karol Frycz, who designed its furniture, stained glass and lamps around 1910. Benches, mirrors and a stained-glass skylight.
- A café, not a theatre
- The show happens in a working café and restaurant, so expect tables laid for dinner and a room that is part restaurant, part stage.
- Two venue options
- The booking page lists two locations, depending on the option. Pick the option that names Jama Michalika at Floriańska 45.
Before or after the show
Floriańska Street, before or after the show
The café sits on a 335-metre stretch of the Royal Road, between the Main Square and St Florian's Gate.
- Rynek
The Main Square
The street begins at the north-east corner of the Main Market Square, the largest medieval town square of any European city.
- Floriańska
The Royal Road
The coronation route of Polish kings runs along the street. The painter Jan Matejko's house stands at number 41 and the café at number 45.
- Gate
St Florian's Gate
The street ends at the gate in the former city walls. A short walk to the gate and back suits either side of dinner.
Ways to spend an evening here
Three ways to spend an evening at Jama Michalika
| Option | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Folk show and 3-course dinner at the café | Two folk sets, a three-course dinner and the café's rooms, booked by date through GetYourGuide and cancellable free of charge a day ahead. | Anyone who wants a planned, social evening with the history thrown in. |
| The second venue option | The same folk dinner at another Kraków restaurant, offered as the other location on the booking page. Check the meeting point before you pay. | Travellers who prefer that venue or find its date open. |
| Coffee and cake at the café | A walk-in visit to the same rooms on an ordinary day, with no ticket and no folk show. | Readers who mainly want to see the interiors. |
Book the folk evening
Your ticket for the folk evening
Open the card to see open dates and the venue each option names. A rail of other Kraków bookings follows it.
Other Kraków bookings
Floriańska 45, practically
Practical notes
- Where to go
- Floriańska 45, 31-019 Kraków, in the Old Town. Walk from the north-east corner of the Main Market Square along Floriańska toward St Florian's Gate.
- When to arrive
- Every date lists its own start time in the calendar. Arrive a few minutes before it and keep your confirmation handy.
- Drinks and extras
- Coffee, tea, bottled water and other drinks are not included. Guests report paying for drinks at the table, by cash or card.
- Access
- The organiser lists the ticket as wheelchair accessible but not stroller accessible. If either matters, ask through the booking page before the date.
Guides to the café and its evening
Guides to the café and its evening
The folk evening, explained Jama Michalika folk show: what to book
What the folk show and three-course dinner at Jama Michalika covers, how its two venue options work, who it suits and how to book it.
Read the guide → Finding it and planning the night Jama Michalika: how to find it, what to see
Where Jama Michalika is on Floriańska Street, how to walk there, what to look at inside and what to plan around a folk dinner evening.
Read the guide →FAQ
Questions before you book
How long is the folk show and dinner?
The booking page gives one and a half to two hours. The organiser lists two 25-minute shows, with the dinner around them, and each date has its own start time.
Is the show at Jama Michalika?
Yes, for the option that names the café. The booking page lists two venue options, so read the meeting point in the option you choose and look for Floriańska 45.
What does the ticket include?
A three-course dinner and two folk shows. The organiser lists coffee, tea and bottled water as not included, and guests report that drinks are billed separately at the table.
Do I have to dance?
No. The dancers invite guests to join in and many do, but you can stay seated and watch the show.
Can I cancel?
Yes. A GetYourGuide ticket can be cancelled free until 24 hours before the start, and the full amount is returned. Reserve now, pay later lets you hold a date without paying today.
Is this the café's own website?
No. It is a separate guide written independently of the café, its owners and the organiser, and it does not sell tickets. Booking, dates and refunds run through GetYourGuide.
Can I visit the café without the show?
Yes. Jama Michalika is a working café and restaurant, so you can walk in for coffee and cake. The folk dinner is a separate ticketed evening.
Who is the evening not for?
Anyone who wants a quiet dinner, a menu to choose from, or no audience participation. The organiser lists the venue as not stroller accessible, so check first if you have a pushchair.
A folk show and three-course dinner in the Kraków café where the Green Balloon cabaret began, free to cancel up to 24 hours ahead.
Reserve your table for the show ↗Prices are per person, and the booking page converts them into the currency you select.