Tłusty czwartek is the last Thursday before Lent, and Poland takes it seriously. Bakery queues run down the pavement from early morning, offices fill with boxes of pączki, and by the end of the day the national appetite for sugar has been thoroughly tested. It is a holiday about giving in rather than holding back.
It would be strange for a club called White Chocolate not to enjoy this one. The evening of Fat Thursday is a natural extension of the day: a warm cellar, low gold light, and a bar that has always leaned toward the sweeter end of the cocktail spectrum. If you have spent the day eating doughnuts, spending the night here has a certain logic to it.
The Sweet Side of the Bar
Our bar has a long-standing weakness for chocolate. It runs through the signature drinks, the white and gold of the room, and the name over the door. On Fat Thursday that house preference stops being a quirk and becomes the entire point of the evening.
There is a full bar besides, of course, and plenty of guests spend Fat Thursday with something dry in hand. But if you want to keep the theme running from morning pączki through to the small hours, the option is very much there.
A Thursday That Behaves Like a Friday
Fat Thursday reliably turns into a proper night out. It lands midweek, which normally caps an evening, but the occasion overrides that and the city stays up. Our Thursday hours run to 04:00, which gives the night considerably more room than a standard midweek evening would.
Where to Put a Group
This is a popular night for office groups and circles of friends who have already spent the day sharing a box of doughnuts. Six private salons means a group can claim its own corner rather than negotiating for space at the bar.
Call ahead if there are more than a few of you. Fat Thursday is not usually as heavily booked as Andrzejki or New Year, but it is busier than an ordinary Thursday and the better salons go first.
Frequently asked questions
When is Fat Thursday?
The last Thursday before Lent, which moves each year with Easter. It usually falls in February. In Poland it is the traditional day for eating pączki, and the celebration typically carries on into the evening.
Do you serve pączki?
We are a club rather than a bakery, so the doughnuts are best handled during the day. What we do offer is a bar with a genuine fondness for chocolate, which keeps the spirit of the day going after dark.
How late are you open on a Thursday?
Thursdays we run from 20:00 to 04:00, an hour later than our standard midweek closing. Fat Thursday reliably uses that extra hour.
Is it worth booking for a small group?
It is worth calling either way. Even for four or six people, a quick phone call means we can seat you properly rather than fitting you in, and Fat Thursday is busier than a normal midweek night.
Where are you located?
ul. Św. Tomasza 16, 31-183 Kraków, in the Old Town near the Main Market Square. Down the stone stairs, through the discreet entrance. Guests must be 18 or over.