Emblem on the door of Divný Janko restaurant/inside Divný Janko (source: Facebook - Divný Janko)
After a short break, I am delighted to be back writing about restaurants — though this time with a slightly different focus. Rather than chasing the newest openings, we are looking at the style and history of some of Slovakia’s most enduring venues. I‘ve eaten plenty of ambitious “fine dining“ lately, and enjoyed it, but not every evening out needs to be a grand, expensive affair. Sometimes what you want is local cooking, served in a place with character.
Divný Janko is tucked away on Jozefská street, within the confines of The Old Town but you might still have to look carefully to find it. In a city and at a time when restaurants, like many other businesses, seem to open and close every week, Divný Janko is notable partly for its longevity. First opening in 1990, the staff I spoke to made the bold claim that they run the oldest restaurant in Bratislava. However, the story of this venue actually goes back even further; named as it is in honour of Janko Matúška, who in 1844 wrote the words to “Nad Tatrou sa blýska” (Lightning flashes over the Tatras). He originally gave his composition a different name, but in 1993 (as any reader who has applied for Slovak citizenship will know) this song became the country’s national anthem, and notwithstanding recent and controversial rearranging of the musical accompaniment, it remains so to this day.
The place itself is a long and narrow building, including a variety of different rooms. The atmosphere changes from one to the next. Part of it feels like a simple pub where you can enjoy one or two local pilsners, while other sections are much better suited to a sit-down meal. On the day when The Slovak Spectator visited, bright sunshine was making the rear garden an attractive place to be, and we noticed a number of other foreigners eating lunch there too.
The menu is firmly based upon traditional local dishes. Soups such as chicken broth (vývar) or cabbage (kapustnica) will be quite familiar to anyone who has been in the country for more than a few days. But a lot of time and labour goes into making these sort of dishes properly, so why not let the chefs show you what that effort can produce? We also tried the slightly more unusual beetroot with goats’ cheese. Although more expensive, this is a fine starter, contrasting tastes and textures that are beautifully presented, and the portion size was frankly enough for two people. A scattering of black olives bring just enough salt to balance the sweet vegetable and pungent local cheese.
