Gdansk – Hot Bear Hot Dogs

It’s cold in Gdansk at the moment, so the thought of a hot dog seemed a perfectly sensible one. Actually, getting out of the wind coming from the river seems an entirely good idea on its own, but the thought of a cosy little restaurant made it even more appealing. Hot Bear came well reviewed in terms of its products and customer service, and it wasn’t far of a walk from the pub that I was in.

Nice and cosy inside, there were a couple of tables taken by other customers during my visit, but it was generally quiet. That was quite handy as it’s a small venue for eating in and I can imagine getting a table isn’t something that is easily done during the summer months.

I placed my order at the counter and got the buzzer so that I could collect it when it was ready. I was made to feel welcome when ordering and although they offered me a printed menu, I had already read in advance to decide what I wanted. I can sometimes be an ideal customer in that regard, no delay, just straight to ordering.

If you’re going to call a place Hot Bear, then it’s only right to have a bear theme to the arrangements.

And this is a fun touch, the other side of the wall from the previous photo.

I saw this in the fridges and thought it looked a little different, a strawberry and pepper wheat beer. It’s not going to win any beer of the year awards perhaps, but it was suitably fruity. They’re made a bit of an effort here with the beers to have a decent selection, I was pleased with the options available given it’s a relatively small food venue.

And the main event, the spicy hot dog, the fries with spicy sauce and a bottle of coke. A generous sized meal, the bun was fresh, the sausage was decadent and meaty with the sauce being spicy. It was a very good hot dog and the fries were moreish, I could have eaten a fair number of those.

The environment was clean and there were numerous fun design options around the place. It’s understated and laid-back, an inviting atmosphere where I felt welcome. The staff speak fluent English, which is always handy as they battle valiantly against my poor Polish. Absolutely recommended and the prices are reasonable too, with the friendly farewell being called out when I left much appreciated. There were also a fair few delivery orders being collected, so it seems to have a positive reputation locally.