Restaurant Review: Bratislava, Slovakia

During our trip to Vienna we decided to go to Bratislava for the day. I liked the idea of visiting another country and hearing a different language, and I had read that it was only an hour from Vienna by train. We had wanted to go to Bratislava by hovercraft on the Danube, but we were there in November when the boat trips were no longer running.

The train was very easy and pleasant, and only cost 15 euros each return - about £10. Fantastic!

The weather wasn't great but nonetheless we enjoyed ourselves wandering around the old town. When it came to lunch, my ever-so-fussy boyfriend didn't fancy any of the traditional Slovakian restaurants - and in any case we couldn't see any menus outside. Instead there were huge laminate pictures of the food, which I suppose works across any language, but didn't really help when we couldn't tell what most of the pictures were!

We didn't want to eat in a Mexican restaurant or Scottish pub in Slovakia - we were starting to notice the extent to which the town centre is geared up to catering for stag groups. Instead we noticed a sign advertising Minerva restaurant through an archway into a courtyard, which we thought looked really pretty, and from the sign the restaurant looked quite upmarket.

That wasn't actually the case at all. In the courtyard we found we had to go down some stairs, along a corridor and push a door marked 'welcome'; through the door the first thing we saw were the toilets. It was as if we had come in the back way, but I think this was the only entrance. The restaurant had large tables and benches with plastic-looking tablecloths - so not actually upmarket at all. But we were served quickly, and my boyfriend could have a burger which is what he wanted, and I could try some Slovakian food.

I can't remember the name of what I ordered but it was basically gnocchi in a sauce made of goat's cheese (so tasty, but a little salty) with two sausages on top. It was hearty food and very good value, and my boyfriend only paid about £5 or £6 for his burger so he was happy.

After that it was a quick stop to buy a fridge magnet (I collet them from each country I visit), a few more photographs and a taxi to the station to get the train home. I think we were ripped off by the taxi driver though as we were charged 20 euros for a ten minute ride when we had only paid 15 euros each for a train journey from another country!