The Slovak capital of Bratislava appears to be overlooked by travellers to Central Europe, but for those looking for an exciting mix of cultural influences, wines that stand up to the Hungarians, beers that hold up to the Czechs, and a whole lot more, this is a city that is overlooked at food lovers’ peril. So, what should you be eating and drinking in Bratislava? Here’s our top picks, in no particular order.
Halušky at Modra Hviezda
In terms of location, you can’t get much better than this. This restaurant, its name meaning Blue Star, is within the majestic Bratislava Castle complex – a perfect spot to try a few Slovak classic dishes and wash it down with a glass of Slovak wine or the country’s most popular beer Zlatý Bažant (meaning Golden Pheasant). Both are of exceptional quality, with the beers generally being similar in style to Czech beers and the wines being somewhere between those of Moravia, Austria and Hungary. Try the halušky – thick noodles similar to gnocchi in a rich creamy sauce – topped with Mangalica bacon, regarded as the Kobe beef of the pork world. Try the carrot cake too. This is a great venue to try hearty Slovak classics, with warm service too.
Traditional Beer and Podplamenniky at Slovak Pub
This is not only one of the largest restaurants in the city, it’s a fantastic spot to unwind in a traditional Slovak drinking establishment while learning about the nation’s history, with each room designed thematically to reflect parts in Slovakia’s past. They also stock the largest selection of beers in the city, with all of the ones we sampled being of great quality – the best we’ve had outside of Prague. All of the food at this timber pub is proudly made using produce from their own bio farm, offering classic Slovak dishes like halušky, pierogi, soup in bread, sausage platters and podplamenniky (traditional Slovak pizza) – all at great prices.
Slovak Classics and More Beer at Flag Ship Restaurant
This colossal restaurant is a must-visit in Bratislava. Although it’s operated by the same group as Slovak Pub, this ginormous beer hall feels hugely different while remaining just as dedicated to Slovak and Bratislava tradition. It somewhat reminded us of beer halls in Prague like U Fleku. Also similar to U Fleku, the beer is produced just a matter of metres away, but in this case they offered a far wider selection, as well as a reasonably priced selection of local liquors and wines. While sampling the local tipples, also try some of their traditional Slovak food, coming from the same bio farm as the food from Slovak Pub. This was one of our favourite restaurants of 2018.
Sweet Parene Buchty at Buchtáreň
My word these are decadent. There’s nothing quite like these, save perhaps for Chinese baozi. These traditional Slovak steamed buns are absolutely delicious and Buchtáreň just outside the Old Town is a great place to try them. The come in both sweet and savoury varieties. We went for a poppy-covered chocolatey parene buchty and an apricot jam-filled one. This place is a must visit for those with a sweet tooth. Another place worth a shout for those with a sweet tooth is Twister Bakery, famous for its chimney cakes.
Wine, Cocktails and Craft Beer at Bistropub Treppe
Treppe is located just by the castle and opposite St Martin’s Cathedral, an incredibly trendy area filled with great cafes (including a cat café and VR café), bars, restaurants and more. Unsurprisingly, this is a very trendy bar with a great selection of wines and cocktails, as well as beers from the Slovak craft brewing scene. A great place to while away the evening.
Explore the City
If you’re lucky enough to visit during the Christmas Market period (normally towards the end of November until the middle of December), explore the huge selection of stands selling Slovak and Central European goodies like langos at great prices. Also pay a visit to one of the supermarkets and treat yourself to a bottle of Kofola (produced during the communist era as the Czechoslovak answer to Coca-Cola, still popular today) and a selection of Czechoslovak era chocolates like Sojove. In short, Bratislava is a brilliant destination for foodies and we were frankly surprised we hadn’t heard more about this fantastic city before our visit.
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