100cznia, along with the nearby Elektryków Street are quite extraordinary places on the map of Gdańsk. The former shipyard premises are now full of bars, bistros serving street food, concert venues, small shops, there is also a street art gallery and a chill-out zone. The whole complex hosts a wide and varied range of entertainment and cultural events.
100cznia and Elektryków Street are places that can successfully compete with the Tricity beaches. The industrial vibe of these places creates the unique ambience and what the gastronomy zone has to offer is way better than what you can get at the beach bars of Tricity. There is more: 100cznia has its own beach space, so – now you can stop wondering if it’s worth visiting – just come and check it out!
Before we dive into the food court of 100cznia and Elektryków Street, let us take a closer look at the place where we are going to chill out. The premises of the former shipyard are full of cool spots, one of them is the aforementioned beach, then there is a chill-out zone with hammocks and tables placed on upcycled industrial containers (they are great observation posts). There is something for everyone: a playground for the kids, a city garden and the tables inside the ivy-overgrown container for the nature lovers and a former shipyard hall in The Elektryków Street for the fans of industrial design. Each corner of this area is one of a kind, instagram-worthy sight, with the cherry on top: the shipyard cranes, towering over the whole neighbourhood. The large space makes finding a comfortable place easy, without the overwhelming crowd effect (which is a recurring issue when following the main routes throughout the Tricity.)
It is worth mentioning that 100cznia and Elektryków Street are places of a genuinely egalitarian background. Kids, teens, families, old and young, dog owners (yes, it’s a pet-friendly zone, so you can bring your dog here), party-goers, dinner-lovers, hammock fans or even electronic music enthusiasts. In the afternoon, the visitors are mainly families, and in the evening, the picnic vibes fluidly change into party vibes.
But now let’s focus on the top-priority stuff, that is: foodstuffs! If you’re a serious foodie, then when in Gdańsk you absolutely have to make time for a feast-walk through 100cznia and Elektryków Street. It is a great place if it comes to ‘tasting’ the Tricity, as a lot of popular places from the city’s culinary map have their food-trucks or other mini-counterparts here.
It is crucial to arrive with the right attitude – hungry and with a large appetite. We start off in Kashubian style – dessert first. Here, next to the 100cznia beach, you can find the sweet Fu.king Donut container – Fukafe Wrzeszcz café’s little brother. They have vegan doughnuts in dozens of flavours and colours. The selection is astounding – starting with strawberry, cherry and gooseberry flavours through classic ones like salted caramel (one of the guests’ favourites) to some crazy, bubblegum-flavored concoctions. All doughnuts are vegan, and the refined recipe makes the dough soft and light like a cloud, whereas the generous cream and sugar coating packs a powerful, sweet punch. They taste best with a cup of coffee which is good for balancing the sweetness of the cake. We had the pleasure not only to get a taste of a pink, strawberry-flavored one, but also indulge ourselves in wonderful jagodzianka (blueberry-filled bun, a symbol of summertime in Poland), topped with lovely crumble.
Moving on! After a short stop in one of the bars, drink in hand, we move on to the Soul Food food-truck, where the Italian-style panini is served, a kind of grilled sandwich with various fillings. We choose two items from the menu: the first is “Na bogato” – with spicy salami, dried tomatoes, cheddar, onion and truffle aioli, the second: “Trochę PRL” – Italian mortadella sausage, mozarella, cheddar, kohlrabi and onion aioli. Tempted by “Fryty na wypasie” – fully loaded fries with generous topping of Bursztyn cheese, jalapeno, aioli, parsley and red onion – we order them as a side dish. We enjoy the succulent Soul Food snacks while sitting on the deckchairs in those pleasant surroundings. The spicy salami panini is our favourite, it’s delicious!
There are several ‘feast-posts’ at 100cznia – a pizza place, a Greek bistro, the spots serving Indian, Italian, Mexican and Middle-Eastern dishes. The number of options available is mind-blowing, therefore one visit to 100cznia won’t suffice if you want to try it all. In Mecyje, you can snack on some excellent savoury waffles (we especially recommend “Koza”: with goat cheese, grilled zucchini, eggplant & onion confit), in Hummusland you can taste some Middle-Eastern classics (try sabich – pita bread with grilled eggplant, hard-boiled egg, tahini sauce and Israeli salad), while the carnivores will appreciate Pan Baleron, where they can satisfy their taste buds with a solid chunk of meat (for instance Rib Eye Steak or pulled beef) served in a wheat bun and with an abundance of tasty add-ons.
Now, how about we take a walk to the nearby Elektryków Street and see what the entire complex has to offer? In the impressive interiors of the former shipyard hall, the W4 Food Squat with numerous “food-stops” can be found. Nie/mięsny, Łąka Bar or Carmnik are some of the most famous Tricity restaurants which have their own food trucks here. You should definitely try out the Carmnik burger with a soft butter bun, amazing falafel from Nie/mięsny,, or the crazy fries from Łąbus. For those “Orient-oriented” – there is ALGA Street Food, pizza-fans will enjoy the menu of Ogniem i Piecem, while Pancho will take you on a culinary trip to Mexico.
On the ground floor you can find Moja Wina, a place packed with organic, bio-dynamic and eco-friendly wines. This year, the 2nd floor of the W4 has opened up and became a place of themed, culinary pop-ups. It is where you will find Tequila Bar, serving great coctails to be sipped while resting on one of the hammocks.
Former shipyard grounds are a culinary and musical paradise. The multitude of periodically organized events, like vintage markets, yoga sessions or gardening and culinary workshops are the reason why you should like and follow 100cznia, Elektryków Street and W4 Food on social media to stay in touch and get all the updates. That includes the opening hours, as they vary, depending on the day/week. So hurry up – come autumn, 100cznia shuts down only to re-open next summer. Fortunately, there’s still a lot of sunny days ahead this year, perfect for going on food trips.
