Košice - Restaurant Suggestions
Favourites
There are a lot of restaurants in Košice that we love, many of them on Hlavná. There won't be time to try them all, unfortunately, but we'll do the best we can!
Márai Bistro I'm going to have to insist that you have a meal here at some point. Their menu is mainly Hungarian-based, but they also have halušky and beef bourguignon. Everything is heavenly. Highlights include the duck breast, chicken paprikaš, and the antipasti plate. Their cocktails are also fantastic!
Pizza Café Napoli This is often our fist stop in town. The pizza is delicious, as are their pastas and salads.
Karczma Mlyn Super rustic atmosphere, good hearty food, especially the fried cheese!
Villa Regia A newly discovered favourite! The entrance is in the square next to the Dominican church and the farmer's market. It's inside an inn; you have to go well into the building and up a flight of stairs to find it. The duck paprikaš stew and the pork tenderloin in dill sauce were both wonderful.
Clematis Coffee & Tea Shop It’s little, but it has the largest selection of coffees and teas I have ever seen. You can choose a coffee from their list of available beans, and then ask for it to be prepared however you like coffee.
Pronto Coffee Even smaller than Clematis, serves baked goods and pastries, and outrageous sandwiches. Good coffee, too!
Saint Coffee Nice big cappuccinos, and good croissants, plain or with choices of filling. Also serves huge, fluffy cinnamon rolls with a variety of toppings. Great location (next tot he cathedral) and very reasonable prices.
Burekas A little underground spot for the most amazing falafel. We used to eat here every Thursday after school and got to know the owners fairly well. Get the falafel in pita, and/or one of their burekas. They also have things like chicken soup and fried cheese.
Arthur Delicious, creamy ice cream served in a pretty shop with friendly staff. Flavour selection changes daily.
                    
                    
                    U Kohúta A couple of blocks east of Hlavná, in the little picturesque Hrnčiarska Street, you can find this pub in a hidden garden. They have a great menu, but I recommend going with at least two or three people and ordering a some dishes for the table. Their roasted pork knuckle takes 90 minutes to prepare, but you can order and pay ahead and plan to arrive just before it's ready. Get that with their halušky and a salad or some grilled vegetables and you'll have a full meal you can share. Don't forget beer, of course.
Republika Východu Lots of hearty breakfast options, as well as halušky, perogies, and dinner. Their dessert pancakes (palačinka) can’t be missed, and it’s lovely to get a table on the street, if you can, to sit right at the foot of St Elisabeth’s Cathedral.
Folks Pizza Delicious and rustic pizzas you have to cut with scissors!
Camelot Pub a couple of blocks off Hlavná. Mostly Slovak food.
Slávia Excellent Slovak food and atmosphere, right next to the State Theatre. Slightly upscale (and pricey).
Enoteca Centro Lovely little wine bar in an alley behind Hlavná.
The Grapes Lively bar in Hlavná with some talented bartenders! Sit at the bar and stay a while for the best experience.
Bonbónik Mostly chocolate! Truffles and barks, as well as cups of warm chocolate for drinking. Coffee, too, I think.
More
All these and more:
Public Transportation
The public transportation system in Košice is not as easy to navigate as in Vienna and Budapest, but we won't need it nearly as often, as most of the city's attractions are right in the centre. If you need it, use their journey planner; Google map results are not accurate enough to be reliable. Also, stops for buses or trams going in opposite directions may not be directly across the street from each other, and may not be where Google Maps say they are.
The good news is that tickets are only 1€ and are easy to buy from the machine at one main stop in the centre, near the Aupark shopping mall. It is advisable to buy your return ticket at the same time; not all stops have ticket machines. Another option is an electronic ticket, which is even cheaper.
Optional Extras
The daily plans for Košice include many stops and attractions, but each itinerary will be finished by about 3:00 p.m. If you'd like more to do, here are a couple of suggestions:
Victims of Communism Museum Provides information and stories of people persecuted under two periods of communist rule, from 1945-1968, and 1969-1989. If you visited the House of Terror in Budapest, you might feel like skipping this one. Entry $8; open Friday 10:00-3:00, closed Saturday and Sunday.
Golden Royal Hotel Spa This hidden-away hotel has a beautiful spa tucked inside. Pool, sauna, and steam room time is included when you book a massage or treatment package, but is not available for use on its own. Prices for treatments are comparable to or lower than you would expect to pay in Canada.
Shopping Besides the shops you can find on or near Hlavná, there is a shopping centre called Aupark nearby. You'll find a large grocery store inside (Billa) for anything you would like to have available in the apartment. If you want a bigger mall experience, you can take any of four buses to Optima.
Slovak Phrases
| Hello | Ahoj (AH-hoy) | 
| Good morning | Dobré ráno (DOH-bray RAH-no) | 
| Goodbye | Dovidenia (DOH-vee-den-ya) | 
| Please/You're welcome | Prosím (PRO-seem) | 
| Thank you | Dakujem (DAH-koo-yem) | 
| Excuse me | Prepáčte (preh-PACH-teh) | 
| I speak English | Hovorím po anglicky (HOH-voh-reem poh ang-GLITZ-kee) | 
| How are you? | Ako sa máš? (ah-KOH sah MAHSH) | 
| I am well | Mám sa dobre (MAHM sah DOB-reh) | 
| Can you help me? | Môžete mi pomôcť? (MOH-zhe-teh mee POH-mocht) | 
| Where is... | Kde je (g'DAY yeh) | 
| Restaurant | Reštaurácia (resh-tow-RAT-see-ah | 
| Breakfast/Lunch | Raňajky/Obed (RAHnyah-kee/OH-bet) | 
| I would like a... | Môžem mať (MOH-zhem MATy) | 
| Coffee/Tea | Káva/Čaj (KAH-vah/CHAI) | 
| Water/Beer/Wine | Voda/Pivo/Víno (VOH-dah/PEE-voh/VEE-noh) | 
| Doctor | Doktor (DOCK-tore) | 
| I am sick | Som chorý (som hohr-EE) | 
| Can you help me? | Môžete mi pomôcť? (MOH-zhe-teh mee poh-MOTST) | 
In Case of Emergency
112 - General emergencies
158 - Police
155 - Ambulance
Embassy of Canada in Bratislava
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