30. Apr 2024 at 21:13
I
Twenty-five years after I first ate there, Restaurant Shanghai is still in the same place.
I first visited Bratislava in 1999. Yes that means I am getting old. My girlfriend and I arrived in a taxi at a very square and entirely grey hotel, on a dark and drizzly evening. For reasons of simplicity, and because it was late, we did not go out anywhere else for dinner, but walked into the restaurant on the ground floor of that hotel. And by that chance rather than choice, my first ever meal in Slovakia was Chinese.
A lot has changed about the country in the 25 years since then, and the capital has changed fastest of all. Focusing on the food scene there is definitely a greater diversity of cuisines than we used to see, and subjectively I feel that East Asian styles have expanded more than most others. Vietnamese cafes are now surprisingly common, Chinese restaurants have continued to pop up in many larger towns. Sushi and ramen outlets continue a current trend that is popular throughout Europe. My home village only has a population of about 3,000, but there is a guy selling take-away sushi even here.
And today, 25 years after I first ate there, Restaurant Shanghai is still in the same place, and still doing good business. So on a recent trip to Bratislava I decided to try visiting here again, to see how their food compares with so many newer venues around the country.