Walking through the streets of Bratislava, you’re bound to stumble across many hipster restaurants and food stalls. It’s the huge trend here lately: locals not only want to eat good-quality food — they want to have drool-worthy pictures of their dinners for Instagram, too. So, where should you go to eat out in Bratislava to satisfy both your belly and followers? Krasty Tasty.
Centrally located Krasty Tasty is a relatively new burger place in Bratislava, right next to the main bus station. But what makes it stand out from the crowd? It’s the two owners, who are well travelled and have a secret passion for TV cooking shows. Their inspiration to set up a burger and steak-and-cheese place came from one of the owner’s many gastronomy trips collected around the United States. But why would you make burgers in Bratislava? “Slovaks love them” says Michal, one of the founders of Krasty Tasty, with a laugh. And we can totally relate to that.
The best burger in town can be found where you find this sign | Photo by Milan Bardún
What’s the secret of Krasty Tasty? Ingredients and passion. We know it sounds kind of cliché, but it’s a proven business model. Try their buns, which are made locally by a small family business just outside Bratislava. In fact, all the ingredients they use are locally produced from Slovakia and the meat is what makes their burgers stand out from the crowd. They don’t use typical roast beef, but plank steak, bought from the best-rated local farms around Slovakia, all eco-friendly. The meat is fresh and sliced every single morning, so forget about frozen meat from yesterday.
When it comes to toppings, the favourite is their house-made, creamy Krasty dressing of turmeric and garlic. Or go for their brand-new honey mustard dressing with habaneros. Get it with an order of homemade fries. Michal says he has so many new ideas for dips, but so little time to try them all.
But where does the Krasty Tasty name come from? Nope, it’s not named after “Krusty the Clown” from The Simpsons. Krasty is a substitute for the word ‘crusty,’ because their burgers and bacon are crispy. But ‘Krasty’ looks better than ‘crusty,’ explains Michal.
If you decide to stop by, be sure to chat with both owners, who work on-site. Michal says it’s very important to be around the day-to-day operations, so that the quality of their food and service remains outstanding. He says he’s seen many good restaurants with bad service simply because the owners weren’t paying enough attention to details.
If you want to enjoy your burger at Krasty Tasty without any crowds, the best time is between 1pm and 4pm. During the lunch hour, the place is packed with employees from nearby offices.
What to order: Extra Krasty Bacon burger, which is made from 100% grass-fed beef and topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, barbecue sauce and mayo. As a side, order the fries with Krasty dressing and local beer.