Hamsa Hummus & Happiness

Hamsa Hummus & Happiness is an Israeli and Middle Eastern restaurant at ul. Szeroka 2 in Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter of Kraków, on the wide historic Szeroka Street. The kitchen is built around hummus, served warm with pita and a choice of toppings, along with shakshuka, falafel and a range of mezze-style sharing plates. The menu is friendly to vegetarians and vegans, since much of it is plant-based, and portions are designed for sharing. The cuisine is casual and home-style, without a Michelin listing or celebrated chef behind it, and the focus is on fresh ingredients, tahini, herbs and spices. The interior is bright and informal, with warm colours and decorative touches, and the street-facing tables allow diners to look out over the open space of Szeroka and the Old Synagogue area. The mood is relaxed, social and moderately noisy at busy times, and there is no dress code. Drinks include mint tea, coffee, lemonades, beer and wine, and Israeli wines are sometimes on the list. Prices are moderate, roughly 40-80 PLN per person, and a shared set of plates can cost less than a main course at a traditional Polish restaurant. The hours run from morning to late evening, so the venue works for breakfast shakshuka, a midday falafel or a late dinner. Walk-ins are usually accepted, but groups should reserve for dinner, particularly on summer weekends when Kazimierz is crowded. A booking a day ahead is normally enough. The location puts the restaurant among the synagogues, cafés and galleries of Kazimierz, so it fits naturally into a walk through the district. For visitors to Kraków in Lesser Poland, it provides a lighter, Mediterranean-style alternative to the heavier traditional Polish menus.