Behind every meal, every service, and every guest's smile lies a great deal of work, preparation, and people who give their all every single day. That is why we deeply appreciate the successes we have achieved recently. They are not only a great joy to us but also confirmation that what we do at the Grand Restaurant RESIDENCE HOTEL**** Donovaly is meaningful.
The past few weeks have been exceptional for our culinary team. The Gault&Millau Slovakia Gala Evening brought together chefs, restaurants, and leading figures in Slovak gastronomy. Gault&Millau is one of the most respected culinary guides in the world and evaluates restaurants anonymously based on the quality of the food, technique, creativity, and the overall dining experience. We appreciate all the more that our restaurant received a rating of 13 points and two toques. For us, this is a great recognition of the entire team's work and, at the same time, motivation to keep going.
Another significant piece of news was the latest rating from Falstaff Slovakia, a prestigious gastronomic and travel magazine that evaluates restaurants, hotels, wineries, and gastronomic concepts across Europe. Thanks to the Falstaff Slovakia rating, we have ranked among the best restaurants in the Banská Bystrica region and currently hold a wonderful 2nd place. At the same time, we earned an additional fork, and today we hold the Falstaff Slovakia three-fork award.
However, these awards are not the result of a single evening or the work of a single person. They are the result of daily work that begins long before guests take their seats at the table. It involves hours of planning new menus, testing flavors, selecting high-quality ingredients, and constantly fine-tuning the details. Gastronomy is a team effort, and that is precisely where its strength lies.
Our wonderful head chef, Andrej Roth, plays a major role in shaping the direction of our kitchen, bringing creativity, experience, and a flair for modern gastronomy to every menu. His approach is rooted in respect for ingredients, seasonality, and clean flavors. Together with the culinary team, they create dishes that are not only visually appealing but, above all, well-thought-out, seasonal, and flavor-balanced.
Preparing tasting dinners or new seasonal menus is often a lengthy process. Some combinations arise spontaneously, while others are fine-tuned over several days. Every detail matters-from ingredient selection and preparation techniques to the final plating. It is precisely these behind-the-scenes moments that guests often don't see, yet they are an integral part of every gastronomic experience.
Our guests are also an important part of what we do. We truly appreciate that they return to us, recommend us to others, and become part of the story of our culinary experience. Many come to us specifically for the tasting menu, while others want to enjoy dinner with a view of the Donovaly countryside or enhance their stay with fine dining. We are all the more pleased that we are able to blend the experience of the accommodations, the hotel's atmosphere, and the cuisine into a single cohesive whole.
Awards from Gault&Millau and Falstaff are a great motivation for us to keep going. We don't see them as a goal, but as a commitment to constantly improve, bring new ideas, and maintain the quality our guests expect from us.
However, what brings us the greatest joy are the moments when the whole team stands together-after a demanding shift, after a successful event, or during moments like those captured in the photos with awards in hand. Because success in gastronomy is never about an individual, but about the people who create one shared story every day.