Slovakia might not be the first country you think of when you picture your European tour–it sure wasn’t for us! But looking back on our month spent there, I have to say I was pretty impressed with the food in the city. Not only was it super affordable compared to the US, there were tons of different cuisine options available all around us, including veggie and vegan spots which can be hard to come by. Slovak food is very comfort-food-esque, so there was a lot of dumplings, meats, and just carbs all around (which I love–sue me). It was great that it was still cold out in March-April when we visited, so the warm, heavier food was very welcomed by myself.
I didn’t just stick to Slovak food, though–in fact, I feel like I was always eating something unique! From Asian to Indian, fried chicken to vegan nuggets, and so much more, Bratislava gave us endless options to choose from for a whole month. Here’s a list of 15 different spots to get great food and drinks in Slovakia!
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1. Koliba Kamzik Michalská
Our first official meal out in Bratislava was a nice quiet dinner in the Old Town. We Ubered closer to the city and then walked to the restaurant, enjoying the street lights and cobblestone roads and discovering that there were multiple PizzaMe locations around (a huge win). I ended up ordering the Slovak national dish without realizing it, and it was incredible! Bryndzové halušky is a traditional Slovak potato dumpling dish with goat cheese topped with bacon and chives. It was basically like a cheesy gnocchi with bacon–you can’t go wrong with that.
STANDOUTS:
- Bryndzové halušky
2. Luculus
In Bratislava, I definitely made up for all the gelato I didn’t eat in Italy, and my favorites by far were from Luculus! I hadn’t really ever had Biscoff cookies before (even in the UK, I know), but I tried the Lotus ice cream here and it might have been the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted. I’m usually more of a fruity ice cream girl–as shown by the photo below–but this stuff truly tasted like a scoop of caramelized cookie butter mixed with melty chocolate and it was to die for. Enough said.
STANDOUTS:
- Lotus ice cream
- Malaga ice cream
3. Stará Tržnica (Old Market Hall)
As big fans of food markets, we ventured over to the Old Market Hall a couple times during our stay in Bratislava. There was a ton of variety in foods and desserts available, and there were even mobile wine and Prosecco booths! My go-to at any food market is whatever loaded French fry option they have, and this beef poutine was incredible. Nijal got vegan bao buns that looked amazing, too, and we got some drinks, too, of course. I’m not sure how often they rotate the food trucks here, but if any of the ones mentioned below are there when you are, they’re worth a taste!
STANDOUTS:
- Beef poutine from UNAS Burger
- Tofu bao from Bao Brothers
- Any wines from Vinomobil
4. Vegan Pub
I was surprised at how easily we were able to find so many great vegan options in Bratislava, particularly as someone who rarely eats it. Traveling with vegetarians opened my eyes to some really amazing cuisines I hadn’t experienced much of (shoutout Asian & Mediterranean food), and I especially gained a new appreciation for well-executed veggie and vegan foods! We took a bike ride to this pub for lunch one day and had these awesome veggie nuggets and fries. The texture was pretty interesting, but the taste was great!
STANDOUTS:
- Vegan seitan nuggets
5. Urban House
We passed by Urban House one afternoon and it piqued our interest, but we didn’t venture back until one night when we were out looking for dinner. We didn’t realize it was essentially a club inside a restaurant, so when we went up to the doors and were met with a bouncer slash host, we were a little confused but up for the ride. We were almost turned away, but the host came back and told us he could squeeze us in, and we casually got the best seat in the house–a little table in the back corner with comfy couches, away from the dance floor but in the perfect spot for people watching. They had a really varied menu, and I opted for the birria tacos which were overpriced but decent in taste. We got cocktails and desserts too, of course, and had a great evening jamming out to 2016-era hip hop in our little corner. Great vibes, decent food!
STANDOUTS:
- Any embarrassingly-named cocktail on the menu
- Vegan Lotus cheesecake
- Pistachio cake
6. Igi & Flo
Our Airbnb in Bratislava was a little way out from the main city–it was well-connected by bus, but we were still about 15-20 minutes away from most of the action. However, we ended up really liking our area because it was quiet and residential, and had a few small cafes like this one. We stopped in for a cocktail after grocery shopping and immediately loved the casual, friendly vibe, even if no one spoke a word of English and we had to essentially mime our orders. The woman at the counter ended up making Liv and Nijal a plate of eggs and veggies because they didn't have much on the menu but she didn’t want them leaving empty handed, and it was the sweetest act of kindness on our first day in an intimidatingly new country. Plus, the Hugos were incredibly refreshing!
STANDOUTS:
- Hugo spritz
7. FOODSTOCK
Located right near the Old Market Hall, FOODSTOCK was a great little vegetarian spot where we got these awesome gyoza and homemade hummus. It’s a small restaurant but we were able to grab a table, and I believe they have a truck at the food market sometimes as well!
STANDOUTS:
- Gyoza crunchy
- Yellow hummus
8. Foxford
Foxford is a cute cafe inside a huge bookstore right next to the Old Town, but there are a few different locations around and outside the city. We went here to work a few times and I was floored by their homemade croissants with butter and jam. It felt like I was right back in the UK from the first bite I took, and I was immediately hooked. Their smoothies are great too! They have tons of seating, and we lucked out and got the comfy chairs and big table each time we went.
STANDOUTS:
- Warm croissants with jam
9. UFO
This place was a tripppp. We’d walked by the huge bridge crossing the Danube River a bunch of times since arriving in Bratislava, and there was a huge tower on the far end that we always said looked like a UFO. Turns out, it was actually a restaurant and bar called UFO. You take an elevator inside of the tower up to the top, and you can either go to the bar just for drinks, make a dinner reservation with an incredible view, or just go right to the observation deck to look out over the entire city. We initially had a dinner reservation, but realized the food was extremely expensive and didn’t have a ton of options for all of us, so we opted to just go up for the drinks and the views. It was crazy standing up in the open air so high above the city, but the scenery was beautiful. The drinks, naturally, were a little pricey for Central Europe, but it was worth it for the ambiance!
STANDOUTS:
- Bubble martini
- Negroni
10. Michalska Cocktail Room
This was probably my favorite spot in all of Bratislava! I love a good speakeasy, and this one was just divine. It took a bit to figure out where it actually was, but once we got there, the staff were so attentive and the cocktail list was huge. I loved how they paired cocktails to your zodiac sign in addition to their house menu, and we naturally all got our own zodiac cocktails for our first drinks. Mine (the Leo) was made with Havana Club rum, Mr. Black (a coffee liqueur), cherry syrup, lemon, and egg white. For a whopping 15.90€ it was pretty expensive, but the portion was huge and it was absolutely stunning in flavor, so it was totally worth it.
STANDOUTS:
- The Leo
11. The Cuba Libre
We visited this rum and cigar house one night mainly because we were cold, looking for drinks, and it was open. They did have some great drink options, though, and while I stuck with a classic G&T, Liv got a carrot cake cocktail that was delicious! It was definitely a different vibe than a lot of the places we’d been, just because the bar was pretty empty and the cigar house portion was, well, a cigar house. But it was a great stop for a quick drink while walking around the city, and who doesn’t love those?
STANDOUTS:
- Carrot cake cocktail
12. Planetka
When we weren’t dining out in the city center, we typically stayed in and cooked our own meals (or ordered takeout). We did try out a couple spots near our flat, though, and one of them was Planetka. It was a typical family-style restaurant that served a decent variety of foods, but it was pretty dead and the staff seemed annoyed with everyone there. The food was pretty good, so we just chalked it up to an off day and went on our way. It did look like it had potential to be a busy spot, though!
STANDOUTS:
- Chicken sandwich
13. ŠMAK Vegan Sushi
I’ve said it before, but I’m not the biggest sushi fan. I have to really be craving it to enjoy it, and there’s gotta be a lot of crunch to it. I just have a weird thing with mushy, fishy food. However, this vegan sushi spot was incredible! It was all gorgeous, and it was hard to believe it was all actually vegan. They even had this crazy neon soda that I watched Liv and Nijal try–not a big soda girl either, but this one was tempting. Like, it looked radioactive it was so bright.
STANDOUTS:
- Mix & match sushi platter
14. Sova Caffe
We’re always on the lookout for great little cafes to grab a coffee and get some work done while traveling, and Sova was the best spot. It was right across the park from our Airbnb, and it was one of the only places outside of Italy that I’ve actually really enjoyed a cappuccino! They always had a great selection of breads, tarts, and pastries, too. Plus, they had bookshelves and comfy chairs and big tables to work from, so it was just great vibes all around!
STANDOUTS:
- Cappuccino
- Banana bread
15. Balans Bistro
We ordered takeout from Balans a time or two before actually stopping in for lunch on our last day in the city, and it was such an awesome little vegan spot! It was very homey inside, with plants and stickers everywhere, yummy smells wafting from the kitchen and friendly people all around. I got their Cuban sandwich more than once and it was phenomenal every time. I think their fries were my favorite in Bratislava, too. Nijal got these vegan dumplings that looked heavenly, and I think I tried one but can’t remember. Just look at the picture though, and you can just tell they were good.
STANDOUTS:
- Cuban sandwich
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