⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cutting edge Polish craft beer on tap with carefully curated fridge options. Limited selection of other sorts of drink.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
English Pub style with chunky seating, bookcases, wrought iron detail on the windows.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Calm and cozy during the day, Lively, sociable, convivial, sometimes excitable at night.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Limited food options, courtyard with occasional BBQ, fireplace, small TV.

⭐⭐⭐
Standard for the area and quality of produce.

Some pubs give a clue to their quality just by the sounds you can hear from outside the door. The hubbub of lively conversation, laughter and friendly voices are an encouraging invitation to join in.

In an unprepossessing courtyard outside Piwna Stopa (Beer Foot), it isn’t immediately apparent what to expect, until you approach the door when the sounds from inside start to reach you.
Walking inside swiftly confirms those sounds of encouragement were well founded, revealing a homely down to earth venue akin to an English pub in style and feel. There is a real fire near the bar, the walls are plastered in old beer labels and bar mats, and there are lots of comfortable dark wooden furniture, bookshelves and board games, and a small TV mounted near the ceiling, a slight concession to sports fans perhaps? Yes, but also as likely, for the staff to watch TV during quiet times. As with all great pubs it feels like your temporary home for the afternoon/evening.
Don’t worry about any excess of tourists, Poznan itself is not overly touristy outside of the Rynek in high season, while the venue is just far enough outside the old town, in a secluded spot to be virtually invisible to passing trade. The reason Piwna Stopa is busy and popular is all down to word of mouth –that word of mouth exists because this pub is really damn good.

The reasons already stated would be enough on their own to class it as a venue of real merit, but pleasingly enough, there are other aspects which all contribute to its special feel. The staff are friendly, enthusiastic and helpful. Indeed one staff member noticed we had returned the following day despite being two of a hundred people and they were very welcoming and pleased to meet our English selves.

With a name like ‘Beer Foot’ you wouldn’t be mistaken to think this was another pub wedded to Poland’s growing craft beer scene. The bar area manages to tread the fine line between the increasingly predictable and identikit ‘multi tap’ style and a more traditional pub. Beers are listed clearly enough on the blackboard by the bar, and were on frequent rotation. The emphasis was on strong flavourful beers of traditional styles rather than too many gimmicks (Lemon Meringue Pie &Himalayan Sea Salt Gose etc etc) and these were all good quality. The Polish craft beer scene is a little derivative of US and English styles though, and it would be nice to see and taste further resurrection of their own beer heritage, and good examples of beers from neighbouring countries (Germany and Czech Republic especially) rather than the millionth attempt at American Pale Ale.
In addition to the beer they also do some basic food, usually one-pot type cooking, the smells of which waft through the room and looked heart enough to help line your stomach for the drinking ahead. The prices in here are fair considering the higher strength and overheads associated with craft brewing, and in a wider sense, it must be conceded Poland offers some of the cheapest high quality craft beer you can buy in Europe. The Pub actively market themselves and put on events, clearly trying to foster a community spirit, which on the evidence at my disposal has been very successful.

Just think how many mediocre pubs there are that miss the tricks Piwna Stopa seems to know intrinsically and maintain. It’s constantly frustrating that because the bar is low (excuse the pub) people refuse to aim high.

This place clearly had ambitions to run a pub worthy of shouting about and I’m pleased to say their ambitions have been realised. It is a classic example of how to open and run a good pub, and if I lived in Poznan I would be found drinking in here several times a week. The only shame is I don’t, so I must leave this pleasure for your own exploration and that of the locals.