TEMPLARS provides a calm environment and good food.photo: Ján Svrček
Templars
Where: Panská 18
Tel: 0903/259-922
Open: Mon-Fri 10:00-24:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-24:00
English menu: Yes
Reservations: Yes
Rating: 8 out of 10
TEMPLARS is one of the few Bratislava restaurants that, rather than specialising in a national cuisine, bases its menu and decoration on a specific theme. Located in a downtown cellar, the owners have created a medieval atmosphere reminiscent of a castle.
The walls are embellished with knightly tunics, swords and replicas of torches instead of lamps. The menu is written in a style that resembles old Slovak, with archaic words and amusing phrases, which unfortunately do not translate well into English. The menu is very simple, offering a daily set menu for Sk99 and a reasonable selection of meat dishes with a few vegetarian options. The prices are similar to those found in other city-centre restaurants, with main dishes from Sk150 to Sk200.
The fried zander I had is referred to on the menu as "a generous haul" and the portion of fried potatoes, vegetable garnish, steamed broccoli and tender fish filet would indeed fill the stomach of a very hungry knight. The same can be said of the sautéed chicken in a chilli-tomato sauce, which was regarded as "delicious" by our photographer.
The deserts were tempting and even though we were quite full after the soup and the main dish, we could not resist having an apple strudel and hot raspberries. Let me just point out that the deserts are not suitable for people who are dieting. Both came with a large portion of vanilla ice cream and cream, and tasted as yummy as they looked. The apple dish was more like a pie than a strudel, but who cares about definitions when the food is satisfying, right?
If you are wondering who the Templars were, here is a brief description: The Knights Templar were established in 1118 as a religious and military order for the protection of pilgrims to the Holy Land.
The Templar order became powerful and wealthy, but members' arrogance towards their rulers led to their downfall in 1312.
The Templars restaurant has only been open for six months but its friendly service, unpretentious atmosphere and tasty dishes make it worth recommending. Hopefully, Templars will continue to treat customers well and see a growing pilgrimage to its doors. It would be a pity if it suffered the same fate as the Knights Templar.
