Bratislava cuisine

At Home Network, 2019. 06. 11.

Bratislava cuisine

One striking thing about Bratislava is how many places there are to eat. It's something that becomes impossible to ignore at this time of year, as the summer terraces of the restaurants and bars emerge from hibernation and spill out onto the streets of the old town.

Bratislava has perhaps only one iconic dish: the Bratislavský rožok. It's actually more of a sweet snack: a crescent-shaped pastry filled with poppyseed ('mak') or nuts ('orechy').

When it comes to meals, some restaurants specialise in Bratislava-themed dishes.

For instance, Leberfinger, on the south bank of the Danube, offers an 'Old Pressburger pan' (Pressburg is the old German name for Bratislava) consisting of beef, pork, cheese and potatoes. Otherwise, the fare is more typically Slovak than uniquely Bratislavan. So flavoursome soups and pork dishes such as schnitzel (rezeň) get a strong showing, plus salads in the summer. Slovakia's signature dish, bryndzové halušky – a sort of potato pasta similar to gnocchi topped with tangy sheep's cheese and, typically, a smattering of bacon chunks – features on many menus.

Bratislava's comparative lack of a specific local cuisine is partly down to the fact that the city is more about wine than food – and from sprin to autumn that is outdoors. If you want to be out and about, anywhere on Michalská or Ventúrska streets is a good place to start. The Slovak Food Festival is worth to see, taste and come back again, because picnic at the castle is really exceptional! This year it is held in May and in September as well. It features a display of a wide variety of various food based products including exotic soups and curries and varied selection of sushi from fresh ingredients and many more related products and services.