No great trip is complete without a few fantastic meals. So as a follow up to my city travel guide, I’m sharing a few of my favorite Bratislava restaurants!

Everything here is my own opinion and I received no compensation for this post. It also contains affiliate links. If you have any questions about this, just click here! All content copyright Where’s Emma Now 2012-2024.

I could give you a flowery description of the restaurant scene in Brataslava, but here’s the important part: there’s a ton on offer! And because as a city it’s less touristy than many other European capitals, the prices are pretty reasonable. So let’s get to my favorite Bratislava resturants!

Mondieu

Let’s start off with a bang: Mondieu!! Mondieu has an upscale Parisian cafe vibe, with lovely patio seating outdoors and plush banquette options inside. Bonus: their Laboratorie location has a play area for kiddos. If I lived here, I’ve been all the time.

Mondieu’s specialty is chocolate. And when I say chocolate, I mean putting excellent quality chocolate in EVERYTHING. From espresso drinks to pastries to crepes to hot chocolate. When I say hot chocolate, what I mean is a cup of molten hot chocolate that is so thick and rich you eat it with a teaspoon. It has singlehandedly ruined me for those packets forever.

Not obsessed with chocolate? They have a massive brunch menu with excellent options in the sweet and savory departments. The eggs Benedict was amazing, and I couldn’t stop stealing bites of my friend Naomi’s smoothie bowl.

We went for breakfast the first morning, but it took all my self-control to not go back again the next day. They also have a ridiculous-looking dessert display, so if you find yourself at any time of day you’re sure to leave happy. With three locations in the Old Town, you can’t miss it. And trust me, you don’t want to.

Venturska Klubovna

If you want some traditional Slovak options, try Venturska Klubovna. It’s a pub vibe with an extensive menu, perfect for feeding a crowd. They have tons of traditional options, ranging from bar snacks to meals so large I don’t know how anyone finishes them.

The “flat cakes” (the english gets a little weird sometimes) were essentially flatbread pizzas cooked in a skillet and were delicious. We also tried the pickled beer cheese (nothing like the Wisconsin beer cheese, just FYI, but amazing!) and several local drinks – the cider was my favorite! Next time I want to try halušky, a sheep’s cheese gnocchi, one of the national dishes of Slovakia.

Bonus: definitely read through the English menu, especially the drinks menu. Everything is punny.

Mecheche

If you want to do something a bit upscale, try Mecheche. They serve mostly tapas style, with a few main dishes. My favorite was stepping to the bar and choosing a few of their crostini to eat – they had something like 12 kinds that rotate nightly! It’s great for a small group to get to try everything. I especially loved the shrimp dish. My only suggestion is that this isn’t the most vegetarian-friendly of places, but if you go for meat, it’s excellent!

Michalska Cocktail Room

For as small as it is, Bratislava has a suprising number of speakeasies! A friend introduced me to speakeasy culture and taught me a bit about how to find them, and I am now obsessed.

It’s exactly what it sounds like: for the Michalska Cocktail Room, we headed into a restaurant and bypassed the hostess stand to go straight up the stairs. We opened an armoire to find another door, and stepped straight into a dark 1930’s bar scene, complete with bartenders wearing sleeve garters and black and white photos on the walls.

A standard of speakeasies is high-quality cocktails, so skip your usual gin & tonic for something more creative. These bartenders aren‘t afraid of unusual combinations: we tried something combining apple juice and red wine, and the drink with peanut butter in it was shockingly good!

The other fun part of speakeasies is if you can get in the door of one, they will usually tell you where to find more. So I now have a list of every speakeasy in Bratislava! Message me if you want more details; I want to keep the mystery alive and not post it publicly.

Urban House

After a night exploring speakeasys, I suspect you’ll want brunch. Head to Urban House, pronto. A restaurant and bar by night, they’ve mastered the coffeeshop vibe during the day that I miss so much. (Italy doesn’t really do the “hang out all morning” kind of cafe.)

We had a fantastic waiter who pointed us towards (and away from, something I always appreciate) a few things, and I ended up getting avocado toast with a poached egg and pistachios. It was delicious, and surprisingly filling! This was also the first place I’ve found cold brew in Europe.

Bonus: this site might have a speakeasy connected to it too, this time featuring a 1940’s big band theme. But I’ll leave you to figure out the where and the how.

Bratislava isn’t a massive destination yet, but I predict in another 10 years it’ll be overrun. For a taste of quaint Old Town with a central Europe flair, check it out! I’ve already shared some suggestions on where to stay and what to see. And when you go, these are your best bets for Bratislava restaurants!

Want more destinations? Check out our travel page!