Address: Laurinská 17
Tel.: 536-1114
Hours: Daily, 10:30 - 24:00
Cuisine:European
Prices: Sk Sk
Reservations:Accepted
English menu: Yes (German)
Credit Cards: All credit cards accepted
Recommended: Highly
The Europa Restaurant is easy to miss but not because of its extensive menu. Located on Laurinská ulica, directly across from P.O. Hviezdoslovovo theater you might have passed it by on your way toward K-Mart (now Tesco). Once you spot it though go through the downstairs courtyard, up the stairs (don't be fooled by the extensive graffiti lining the way) and through the blue doors. Julio Igleseas croons to the diners but it's not too intrusive. The walls contain many scenes typical of Europe using sand as a medium. Choosing a seat next to the window allows one to gaze upon the stained glass window from the theater, while watching the passers-by. The great thing about this restaurant is the menu which contains a taste of Europe, as the name says.
Our meal began by choosing from six soups. The winners were the garlic soup with crunchy croutons (which were buttery-rich) and the potato-mushroom soup. If there are any more cold nights, try the borscht. Europa also offers a special hours d' oeuvres of the day. A salad bar exists in theory, although when we were there, its offerings were sparse. There are an array of entrees including poultry, eggs, six venison dishes, and some surprises like chateaubriand, salmon and shark.
Turning the menu pages further reveals that the best is yet to come with other main dishes grouped by countries: Russia, Hungary, Slovakia, The Balkans, France, Spain, and vegetable (well, not yet a country although many would like it to be). After some thought, we tried the leg of fried chicken from Spain (Polo Frito a la Extreme) and the "Salonis" fish filet from Serbia. Polo Frito is the first time I have seen real fried chicken since my last Labor Day picnic in the US - perfectly fried, not heavy, and served with a Slovak touch on a bed of sausage. The "Salonis" was a real treat; tender, hard to keep on your fork, and served with a light paprika sauce, with diced green peppers. Skip the rice and potatoes side dishes - they were both disappointing like they had been sitting under the heat lamps all day.
Dessert lovers will have lots of goodies to satisfy the sweet tooth - 3 sundaes (though ice cream being available is not a certainty), 5 palacinky (crepes), fresh with stewed fruits. I tried the palacinky orechvy (crepe with nuts), it was piping hot with real whipped cream and laden with chocolate. Don't miss it!
The service was pleasant, and you get the feeling there is a real team effort among the staff. Europa uses an imaginative approach to their food that is a refreshing change from normal fare offered at so many other restaurants.
Dinner for two, including a bottle of Vel'ky Krtíš red wine came to 581 Sk before tip, including a vexing cover charge of 5 Sk per person. This seems to be a typical price. Chateaubriand for two was the most expensive, and the venison dishes will also up the cost.
Our guest reviewers are Michel Litt and Graham Wood. Though each have their own prejudices - one won''t eat animal meat, the other won't touch anything containing refined sugar - they are well equipped to be judges, having dined at many restaurants for over a year.
Author: Michel Litt, Graham Wood
