History

Founded in 1895 by Jan Apolinary Michalik as Cukiernia Lwowska (Lwów Confiserie), the café acquired its distinctive name because Michalik initially occupied only a single windowless room. The name—variously translated as Michalik’s Den or Michalik’s Cave—proved apt for a space that would become a sanctuary for Kraków’s creative class.

Michalik’s strategy was ingenious: he offered free meals to students from the nearby Academy of Fine Arts in exchange for small artworks. This exchange transformed the café into an artistic meeting place, its walls gradually filling with works by young painters and sculptors. The central location and welcoming atmosphere ensured rapid popularity.

In 1905, the cabaret Zielony Balonik (Green Balloon) began staging performances at the venue. The cabaret became famous for puppet theatre productions designed by Bronisława Janowska and others—sharp, satirical works that lampooned bigotry and evaded imperial censorship through allegorical puppetry. Some puppets depicted recognizable Cracovian figures, adding to their appeal and risk.