Balans Bisto can be found a short walk from Bratislava Main Railway Station. (source: Mark Taylor )
You might have heard of the idea of Veganuary, which began exactly 10 years ago. A small group of friends in the UK challenged as many of their mates as possible to go without any animal-based foods for the whole month of January. It’s become a very popular idea, and it’s estimated that over a million people took part in 2024. If you were one of them, if you are already vegetarian, or if you just fancy going out for a meal that might be a little better for your blood pressure, then you might consider Balans Bistro in Bratislava.
It’s a relatively short walk from Hlavná Stanica (main railway station) so should be accessible to many people even if you don’t live in the capital.
I should probably mention, as background information, that personally I am a reformed (or lapsed?) vegetarian. I spent about five years without eating meat, although I continued to enjoy eggs, cheese etc. in that time. I found that I never stopped craving the taste and texture of meat, and when I decided to return to being an omnivore it confirmed that I still enjoyed my food a lot more with animal protein in it. So when the day came to visit Balans Bistro, one of the first things on my mind was a suspicion that entirely vegetable-derived food would somehow be lacking; maybe in that savoury/umami flavour profile, maybe in how full and satisfied I felt as I finished a plate. To put it another way, no matter how good veggie food is, wouldn’t it always be better with some bacon on top?
Balans Bistro has a subtle, unflashy front entrance, if you were walking past you might not even notice it. But obviously plenty of people are finding the place, as my companion and I turned up without a reservation on a Friday evening and we were lucky to get the last free table.
The atmosphere inside is very much one of friendliness and inclusivity.
