THE sun-drenched terrace. photo: Saša Petrášová |
Where: Kúpeľná ulica, Trenčianske Teplice,
Tel: 032/6553-744,
Open: daily 9:00-23:00,
English menu: Yes,
Reservations: Yes,
Rating: 8 out of 10
WHEN attending the Art Film festival in Trenčianske Teplice, one of the hardest tasks for a film fan is to squeeze in time for food between the screenings. The spa town has an agreeable amount of restaurants with Slovak food and pizza but only a single restaurant devoted to a different national cuisine.
The Arabic restaurant Fontána Bistro is located in the pedestrian zone and is very inviting, both with its large summer terrace and its generous selection of food. As the menu is also in Arabic, it suggests that the restaurant targets, among others, the Arabic visitors to the spa and, as a result, its recipes are authentic.
HISTORICAL buildings surround the spa. photo: Ján Svrček |
The lentil soup was very tasty, with spices used in a very moderate way, as was the case with all the other dishes. The falafel (a mixture of ground chick peas and spices formed into patties and then fried) was good but for Sk60 it was a fairly small portion, which could only serve as a starter. The cucumber salad with yoghurt, which almost has the consistency of soup, is a great accompaniment.
From among the many meat dishes, mostly grilled, we tasted the Syrian kebab, which was minced meat on a skewer in the shape of a sausage. We even got to make a doggy-bag by stuffing our food into a pitta with all the vegetables that were on the plate when we had to run to the cinema to catch another film.
If you are in a hurry, Fontána, with the waiters' siesta mentality, might not be the best place for lunch or dinner. But for a cosy afternoon finished off by a good Arabic coffee with cardamom, it is a recommendable choice.
