Cuisine and Beverages, Bratislava

Here's a list of typical Slovak food: "halusky s bryndzou" - small gnocchi with sheep cheese and fried pieces of bacon but there are also variations with baked sausage, sauerkraut, sour cream, etc.; "kapustova polievka" or "kapustnica" - hearty thich sauerkraut soup (sour cabbage)with meat, sausage, mushrooms and potatoes (the recipe varies according to regions) usually served with bread; "bryndzova" or "oskvarkova natierka" - both are spreads that you eat with bread, the first is from sheep cheese and the latter from lard/bacon, also bread with lard and onion is a tradition at some places; "bryndzove pirohy" - small potatoe dumplings filled with sheep cheese served with sour cream and fried pieces of bacon; "zemiakova placka" - a potatoe pancake that is eaten either on its own or filled with meat and vegetables, then its called "Zbojnica pochutka" and many others :-)

In Slovakia is it very impolite to say Cheers to somebody and not look in his eyes. I noticed it is not so common in other countries, so of course you would be excused as a tourist....but here it is common to look in each others eyes while saying Cheers. (And we say Cheers a lot during wild nights out...) and just to let you know Cheers in Slovak is : Na zdravie !(On your health). So have some good slovak beer or wine and Na zdravie!!:)

In Slovak, "Zlaty Bazant" means the Golden Pheasant, but more importantly it means beer. In fact, you'll find it everywhere you go in Bratislava, so give it a try.

It's actually made by mega-beer company, Heineken and in my opinion, it is very drinkable. Fairly smooth and mild with a pleasant smell. They go down very easy, so keep track on the empties!

Slilovica is one of the most traditional / typical, Slovak Alcoholic Beverage. It is a very strong alcoholic beverage and tastes like strong vodka, yet it is a sort of a plum brandy/vodka. It is served in shot glasses and it is very good for the cold.

I found Slovak food different and interesting yet not one of my favourite, this referring to the very traditional dishes. Most of the food is fried and contains flour or consist of dumplings (which does not happen to be my favourite) otherwise who like this kind of cooking will surely like the Slovak food.

A traditional Slovak dish is the "Bryndzove Halusky" which is patatoe and flour dumplings toped with crumbled cheese and fried bacon bits.

If in Slovakia you must taste their non alcoholic wine - Vinea. It has a very good taste, similar to that of a sparkling white wine. You can drink it alone as an alcoholic beverage or accompanied by meals. Needless to say it has all of the benefits of non alcoholic beverages and yet a good taste too.

Wow, that's a lot of alcohol for a beer! You'll find beers with 10%/12% and if the bartender sees your surprised face, he will probably show you a beer with a higher percentage.

But watch it.. this has nothing to do with alcohol. That's probably just between the 4 and 5%. No, the heritage of forming a country with the Czech Republic left them knowledge of Beer. Just the like the Czech, Slovaks indicate the PERCENTAGE OF SUGAR in their beer. And yes, those come in different varieties.

In the Old Town, you'll see cafes on all the main streets, so when the weather is nice, be sure to take a break and grab a seat at one. Have a drink or something to eat and enjoy some people-watching.