Perk, Trnava: “Stylish, affordable, and seriously tasty” – restaurant review

I recently read in The Slovak Spectator that McDonald’s is planning a major expansion, opening lots of new restaurants in this country. You’ll forgive me if I’m not particularly excited by this news. Obviously, some people enjoy eating under the golden arches, and I don’t want to be a snob about it. But for me, the ethical and health implications of eating there are off-putting, even before I consider the taste of the food. That said, McDonald’s is undeniably good at one thing: marketing. Clowns, playpens and disposable plastic toys all help to build positive associations in young children, who then learn to enjoy the salty, fatty, sugary product too.

At the other end of the scale, Bistro Perk does not enjoy such successful marketing. Despite Trnava being my closest large town, I’ve walked within metres of this restaurant many times without ever knowing it existed. Tucked away on a side street in the northwest of the old town centre, it opens for just two dinner evenings per week, plus a couple of lunch services. It’s almost as if Perk is hiding. And that’s a pity, because the food here is stylish, good value and, most importantly, tastes really good.

Perk has a fairly minimalist menu, with only eight savoury dishes in total – these are not specifically divided into starters and mains – plus one dessert and a cheese board. So I have to hope the chefs here are focusing on quality rather than quantity. We begin to find out with the tartare of trout, which is lovely to look at as well as to eat: a perfectly round portion of fresh fish, with tarragon mayonnaise, a few blueberries and a portion of warm muffin-style bread. It’s a great way to celebrate local freshwater fish, the herbs complementing rather than competing with the soft trout.