Abstain from Parlamentka or table it

If you are politicking in this town and want to see who's dining with whom, then Parlamentka is the place. If you are looking for a good meal though, go to a different restaurant. Surprisingly, Parlamentka just doesn't deliver. For starters, a restaurant located at the top of the hill between the castle and Parliament should offer a great view. Unfortunately this doesn't happen if you are sitting - you cannot see the view across the Danube unless you stand outside near the railing.
What is also funny is that the restaurant is located on the ground floor of a two-story building which also houses a disco, a coffee bar and two daily bars - clearly not ideal for diners who want to at least glance at something out there. Other than these minor things, let's talk turkey - meaning food.

Address: Mudroňova ul. (next to the Castle)
Hours:Every day, 11:00-22:30
Cuisine:Slovak
Prices:Sk Sk
Reservations:Yes
English menu: Yes
Credit Cards: Yes
Recommended:No


If you are politicking in this town and want to see who's dining with whom, then Parlamentka is the place. If you are looking for a good meal though, go to a different restaurant. Surprisingly, Parlamentka just doesn't deliver.

For starters, a restaurant located at the top of the hill between the castle and Parliament should offer a great view. Unfortunately this doesn't happen if you are sitting - you cannot see the view across the Danube unless you stand outside near the railing.

What is also funny is that the restaurant is located on the ground floor of a two-story building which also houses a disco, a coffee bar and two daily bars - clearly not ideal for diners who want to at least glance at something out there. Other than these minor things, let's talk turkey - meaning food.

While the menu is standard Slovak fare with a few goodies thrown in, the meats were inconsistent, the vegetables were frozen, the croquettes were rubbery, and oh, Parlamentka loves to nickel and dime you with items that you did not order.

The only two things which stood out were the black cherry strudel with cherry ice cream and the garlic soup. The latter, which was at best lukewarm, had an unusual taste but was still quite good.

The restaurant presents itself attractively and perhaps this is why people continue to pack the house, even on a Monday evening. Furthermore, the level of conversation among diners is intense; perhaps they haven't noticed the food.

Service was friendly and quick - our waiter apologized for a bad Wiener coffee which she offered to replace after she noticed that we hadn't touched it. It was too late by this point as our impressions had been made. So, 584 SK later (without tip), a 15 Sk cover (perhaps for some stale rolls we found on our table),wishing that we ordered one of the three Tokaj, French or Hungarian wines and skipped dinner, we were on our way.

A final note: we have had inconsistencies here in the past, and felt we needed to revisit. Parlamentka is in need of the high standards which make restaurants successful. With this kind of quality, it will have a tough time competing in the long run despite the view or the lack thereof.

Author: Michel Litt, Graham Wood

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