Mistrzowie Smaku 2026 voting begins: customers pick Poland's top chefs, waiters, and venues ahead of Poznań gala
Customers across Poland are voting for their favourite chefs, waiters, and eateries in the Mistrzowie Smaku 2026 plebiscite, with a gala finale set for 23 September at the POLAGRA trade fair in Poznań.
Public voting kicks off
Readers of regional newspapers and the naszemiasto.pl portal are casting votes to decide the best in Polish gastronomy. The Mistrzowie Smaku plebiscite returns for another edition, handing the power to diners rather than critics. Anyone can nominate and support their favourite chef, waiter, bartender, or venue in a dozen categories.
We want to create a unique guide. To show who deserves the title of master and where it's worth dropping in, whether you're on the go, on holiday, or out for a quick lunch. We're looking for places where taste absolutely takes centre stage.
Twelve categories, from chef to kebab
The competition awards individual titles: Chef of the Year, Waiter of the Year, Bartender/Barista of the Year, Sweet Master of the Year, and Gastronomy Manager of the Year. Venue categories include Restaurant of the Year, Bar/Bistro/Canteen of the Year, Café/Pastry Shop of the Year, Pizza of the Year, Ice Cream of the Year, Burger of the Year, and Kebab of the Year. Local winners in cities and counties advance to provincial finals, and the best from each province move on to the national stage.
Regional roots, national reach
The plebiscite is run by a network of regional dailies: Nowiny, Gazeta Współczesna, and Nowa Trybuna Opolska, all partnering with naszemiasto.pl. Daria Jankiewicz-Kaczmarek coordinates the campaign across Poland. The organisers frame the contest as a crowd-sourced culinary guide, built from genuine guest experiences rather than professional reviews.
Gala finale at POLAGRA
The campaign will conclude with the grand Mistrzowie Smaku Gala on 23 September in Poznań, held during the POLAGRA trade fair, one of the largest gastronomy industry events in the country. All provincial winners from every category and every voivodeship will be invited to the stage to receive statuettes and prizes. Several national winners will also receive cash awards of 20,000 PLN. A video report and photo gallery from the ceremony will be published across the websites of regional dailies nationwide.
What happens next
Voting remains open, and the organisers encourage diners to back their local favourites. The gala in Poznań will mark the culmination of months of public voting, turning customer loyalty into tangible recognition for Poland's hospitality workers and eateries.
