June 26, 2026
The toques have been awarded!
The verdict is in on who earned the legendary toques in Slovakia – the symbol of the prestigious French gastronomic guide Gault&Millau. On Monday, 2nd June 2025, the Slovak edition of Gault&Millau was officially launched, both in print and online. The guide celebrates the very best local restaurants and chefs, spotlighting excellence across the country’s culinary scene. The highest score in the inaugural Slovak edition was awarded to the restaurant ECK, which received four toques and 18 points. Chef of the Year award went to Daniel Tilinger, while the title of Great Chef of Tomorrow was given to Lukáš Heuser. Young Talent of the Year award was claimed by Patrik Pokrývka and the POP of the Year recognition went to Mäso od Romana.
Where to find top-quality cuisine, excellent service, and a pleasant setting? The Slovak edition of the prestigious international guide Gault&Millau offers the best recommendations.
The Slovak culinary scene officially welcomed Gault&Millau on 2nd June 2025, with a festive launch held at Bratislava’s Stará Tržnica, where the country’s top chefs and restaurants were awarded. Over the past year, Gault&Millau inspectors anonymously evaluated hundreds of culinary establishments across Slovakia. The new guide, available both in print and online at gault-millau.sk, features a total of 194 culinary establishments. Among them are 146 of the best restaurants in Slovakia (with 124 earning at least one toque), complemented by 48 popular dining spots listed in the POP category. While the latter are not rated by inspectors, the guide includes them as noteworthy and interesting places worth visiting.
"I feel immense pride and excitement about how far Slovak gastronomy has come in recent years. The arrival of an authority like Gault&Millau in Slovakia is a clear testament to that progress. The number of restaurants included and their ratings in this very first guide—based on international standards—serve as undeniable proof," says Michal Ondriš, Chief Inspector of the Slovak edition.
The only restaurant that received four toques is restaurant ECK.
Nine restaurants were awarded three toques: Gašperov Mlyn (East), ARTE Restaurant (Bratislava), Edomae Sushi Matsuki (Bratislava), Irin (Bratislava), Semillon (West), RIVERBANK Restaurant (Bratislava), ORIGIN (Central Slovakia), BISTRIC Restaurant (Bratislava) and SEVEN Restaurant Café (East).
Total number of culinary establishments in the guide for the given area:
Bratislava area 59 restaurants + 23 POPs, together 82 establishments
Western Slovakia area: 21 restaurants + 7 POPs, together 28 establishments
Central Slovakia area: 40 restaurants + 8 POPs, together 48 establishments
Eastern Slovakia area: 26 restaurants + 10 POPs, together 36 establishments
Trophies – Gault&Millau Awards 2025
Gault&Millau does not only award restaurants but also those who create delicacies within them. These are divided into the following three categories:
Chef of the Year – The title of Chef of the Year is awarded to a chef who has stood out for the originality and distinctiveness of their cuisine. The winner is selected from among chefs whose work has been closely monitored and identified as having the greatest potential in the country. The award is only given when the evaluation results are unanimous regarding outstanding quality, taking all criteria into account. This prestigious title was awarded to Daniel Tilinger from ECK restaurant. He also gained experience at Maze of Gordon Ramsey and at the acclaimed restaurant Ikarus Hangar. He is not only a chef but also the designer and creator of the entire concept of ECK as we know it today. Inspectors noted that he brought to Bratislava something that had never been seen before — pure fine dining with an emphasis on the smallest details. His cuisine is based on an unconventional, captivating, and exquisite interpretation of traditional Slovak ingredients.
Great Chef of Tomorrow – It is awarded to chefs who, based on the criteria and repeated evaluations by inspectors, are on the rise or show improvement between seasons and earn an additional toque. The Great Chef of Tomorrow title was awarded to Lukáš Heuser who impressed the inspectors with his hard work and courage. He brought top-level fine dining to the micro-region of Lučenec, an area without a gastronomic tradition, presenting it in the exceptional historic premises of the restaurant ORIGIN. People travel from all over Slovakia and abroad to experience Lukáš’s culinary art. Gault&Millau also recognized his strong emphasis on the origin and quality of ingredients, their precise preparation and presentation, as well as the bold seasoning of his dishes — all attributes that best characterize his cuisine.
Young Talent of the Year – The Young Talent of the Year award, given to a chef with a score of 11 points or more and under the age of 35, was won by Patrik Pokrývka. He gained invaluable experience at one of Norway’s top restaurants – Maaemo. Today, his dishes bear a distinctive signature, and thanks to him, Restaurant Sissi ranks among the best in the region. Gault&Millau praised the chef’s approach to modern techniques, combining Scandinavian purity with the diversity of local ingredients through the seasons. He is regarded as one of the finest chefs in the country.
POP of the Year – In addition to these three special awards, there is a fourth titled POP of the Year. This award is given to an establishment recognized by the inspectors for the creativity of its concept, the quality of its food and drinks, and its overall contribution to the region. The award was granted to Mäso od Romana, led by Roman Kóna. He was involved in the creation of several successful culinary establishments in Slovakia and is now the face of his own business focused on high-quality meat. Inspectors were impressed by the unique character of the venue as well as the friendly and hospitable approach of the owner. Highlights of the menu included premium steaks, pork belly, French fries, and bryndza (sheep cheese) dumplings with brisket.
“The awarded restaurants and chefs are proof that Slovak gastronomy has tremendous potential and many exceptional talents. We are proud that METRO, as the general partner of the Gault&Millau project in Slovakia, can support their successes and be part of a platform that highlights quality, honest craftsmanship, and innovative approaches in our gastronomy sector. For METRO, collaboration with culinary professionals is a long-term priority, and we believe this award will motivate many others to continue growing. We warmly congratulate all the awarded restaurants and their teams and wish them continued success on their culinary journey,” said Romain Vincent, CEO of METRO Slovakia.
