Tasty weekend in Bratislava (2024)

No travel is complete without trying some new foods and eating out. After deciding on the destination I almost immediately start googling all the traditional foods and all the best restaurants, which turns out is a great thing, because sometimes when you are really hungry you don’t want to wander around searching for a place that serves good food and doesn’t charge way over your budget for it. I pin all the places on my Google maps and then just see where we are at the moment and go to the nearest place I found weeks before. Having this kind of food safety net has proven really useful to us, while still having an opportunity to find or check out some other places when we come across it. With only 2 full days (check: Mini guide: 48 hours in Bratislava)we had in Bratislava we of course couldn’t try everything I wanted to, but what we did try was very tasty, so lets just see where and what we ate in this mini food guide to Bratislava.

TRADITIONAL FOOD

From what I read about Slovak traditional food and then tried I would describe it as heart-warming food. It fitted so perfectly into autumn time, with lots of soups and heavier dishes that feel cozy and warm you up. Of course Slovak cuisine varies from region to region and I am sure that there are dishes that are only done in one small part of Slovakia and nowhere else. Slovak cuisine is also strongly influenced by other cuisines in Central and Eastern Europe. You fill find goulash here, which is also very widely spread around Hungary, Bryndzové pirohy(cheese-filled dumplings) that are Slovakian version of Polish pierogi, and known in other varieties among most otherCentral and Eastern European countries, even in Slovenia we have a similar dish (ajdovi krapi), trdelnikthat you will find also in Czech Republic and as kurtos kalacs in Hungary and so many other dishes that are widely spread all over this region of Europe.

Slovakia also has a long and rich beer history. Historians agree that the beer consumption in Slovakia started even before Slavic tribes arrived here. Along with beer you will also notice that Slovakia produces wines, and right around Bratislava are many vineyards, for example Devin is known for their black currant wine.

MEŠTIANSKY PIVOVAR

We had our first dinner at Meštiansky Pivovarand it was really yummy. We started with fried spicy sausage with mustard and creamy horseradish, that went to well together. For main we had goulashthat had such tender meat and so much flavour and bryndzové halušky with crispy bacon, which are like little gnocchi with sheep-cheese sauce. We also tried their beer, because they brew their own and I had Palava wine which is originally Czech wine but also produced at some places in Slovakia. I don’t know much about wine, but loved this one, because it is a little bit on a sweeter side. Couldn’t finish our dinner without dessert so we ordered apple strudel that came with hot cherries, ice cream and whipped cream. So yummy.

There are actually two Meštiansky Pivovar restaurants in Bratislava. We visited the one on Dreveney street, and the other one is on Dunajskej street.

U SEDLIAKA

U Sedlika is one of the oldest wine taverns in Bratislava and it was just a few meters away from our hostel. They serve traditional Slovak dishes that go well with wine and beer. We ordered potato pancake filled with chicken and mushrooms, ciganska pečienka, which is grilled pork meat with a side of creamy horseradish, mustard, pickles and baked potatoes.

BISTROS & CAFÉS

SOUPA

Lovely little place perfect for lunch spot as it is tasty and cheap. Soupa is known for their daily homemade soups, as its name suggests, but you will also find other dishes and desserts. Open only on weekdays.

FACH

When in Old Town you won’t be able to miss this place. FACHhas something for you no matter what you look for. It is a place to eat, enjoy coffee with some of their cakes or pastries or grab one of their yummy juices to go. I would strongly recommend to have a seat and also enjoy the beautiful and calming ambiance it offers. We went there for dessert and got chocolate pie with salted caramel and walnuts, I got the most adorable looking chai latte with the coffee-art-thing, which I was extremely happy about, because when you don’t drink coffee you never get those and one of their green juices. If we stayed in Bratislava for longer I would definitely came back to this place for more.

URBAN HOUSE

Urban House is one of those hip trendy places that also turn out to have an amazing service. We loved the vibe, music, drink menu was excellent and the food is there to compliment those drinks. It was full of people and the design made you feel like you are at someone’s home, with comfy sofas, different chairs, book shelves and lots of plants and lights. It felt cozy and we loved their pizza, it was a great last night in Bratislava.

OLD MARKET

On Saturday morning we visited the Old Market and were surprised by all the pastries, bread and cakes that were just calling my name especially. We decided to take 2 of these plum cakes which were really tasty and made for a lovely little snack once we reached Devin Castle. Save some place in your belly when you visit the Old Market, because you would want to try as much as possible.

OTHER PLACES ON OUR LIST:

• 1. Slovak pub: this place is probably in every single Bratislava food guide, which makes it super popular and very crowded. We tried two times to get a place there and it was always so crowded we just went somewhere else. They serve traditional Slovak food.
• Urban Bistro: hip and cozy bistro/bar in the Old Town with great design and ambiance.
• Škodovka: coffee place that will take you back in time, specifically to Czechoslovakia in 70’s and 80’s.
• Bistro St. Germain: I found out about this place on Instagram and it looked like a perfect place to have a drink and something to bite.
• Štúr Café: my friend recommended this place for breakfast or just a sweet treat.

Have you tried Slovak food? What was your favourite dish? Do you have some other places you would like to recommend other travelerswho go to Bratislava?

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PublishedOctober 21, 2019November 4, 2019