October 14, 2026
Bratislava will host the culinary event of the year – one unlike anything Slovakia has seen before. For the first time, three top chefs from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary will come together to create a unique tasting menu for just 60 guests.
This fine dining event, aptly named Dinner of the Year, will for the first time in Slovakia be organized by the international gastronomic guide Gault&Millau. It will take place on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at the Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel in Bratislava.
A multi-course tasting menu will be prepared by a trio of outstanding chefs. Two of them are holders of the highest Gault&Millau 2025 trophy – Chef of the Year: Jan Knedla in the Czech Republic (Restaurant Papilio, Vysoký Újezd) and Daniel Tilinger in Slovakia (ECK Restaurant, Devín). They will be joined by the winner of one of Hungary’s Gault&Millau trophies, to be announced at the end of September. The impressive dishes will be paired with wine and non-alcoholic pairings, accompanied by a welcome glass of Champagne.
“This is truly a unique occasion – this dinner in this form will take place only once. Given the line-up of chefs and the beautiful setting of the Carlton, guests can expect an unforgettable experience. I am particularly pleased that the menu created especially for this evening will showcase the cuisines of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, and highlight the fact that our countries belong to Europe’s culinary elite,” adds Miroslav Lekeš, CEO of Gault&Millau for the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.
“I am really looking forward to working with my colleagues and to the harmony not only between our cuisines. We will certainly focus on local ingredients and make sure to present them in the best possible light – while also surprising our guests. This menu can only be experienced once, and the three of us want it to be truly unforgettable,” reveals Daniel Tilinger.
Early Bird tickets for Dinner of the Year are already available at €290 for first 20 people. After they sell out and the name of the Hungarian chef is announced, the price will rise to €330.
Dinner of the Year is one of the first events organized by Gault&Millau since its launch in Slovakia this June. Since then, the guide has supported Slovak gastronomy with both domestic and international activities, including partnerships with Bocuse d’Or and Gastrolove. Plans for next year include publishing the next edition of the guide, organizing a major culinary event for the wider public connecting Czech and Slovak gastronomy (to be held in Brno), and the launch of a special hotel guide. Another gastronomic guidebook will also be published in spring.
Gourmets who cannot attend the Bratislava date will have the opportunity to visit the Prague edition, which will take place on October 19 at the iconic Fairmont Golden Prague Hotel, in the rooftop Zlatá Praha Restaurant. There, the best of Czech and Slovak gastronomy will be presented by Jan Knedla and Daniel Tilinger, joined by Maroš Jambor, executive chef of Zlatá Praha.
Chef Profiles
JAN KNEDLA
Jan Knedla is the chef of Restaurant Papilio in Vysoký Újezd, which under his leadership this year received 17 out of 20 points and four toques in the Gault&Millau guide. He began his career in prestigious restaurants abroad, including Hilton in Scotland, and later in Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy, the UK, and Hong Kong. He also worked under the legendary French chef Joël Robuchon, an experience that fundamentally shaped his approach to cooking. Today, in his own restaurant, he focuses on seasonal ingredients, which he processes with modern culinary techniques while respecting nature and local farmers.
DANIEL TILINGER
Daniel Tilinger is the chef and creative force behind ECK Restaurant in Devín, Bratislava, which received Slovakia’s highest rating – 18 out of 20 points and four toques. He gained experience at Kempinski in the High Tatras and Bratislava, in a five-star hotel in Bruges, at Maze by Gordon Ramsay in London, and at Austria’s acclaimed Ikarus Hangar-7. His cuisine is based on inventive, captivating, and beautifully presented interpretations of traditional Slovak ingredients. His work allows guests to discover Slovak gastronomy in a delicious, surprising, and playful form with his unmistakable signature.
The name of the Hungarian representative will be announced in early October.
About Gault&Millau
The French gastronomic guide Gault&Millau was founded in the 1960s by journalists Henri Gault and Christian Millau as a response to the rigid rules of existing guides. They created a flexible evaluation system based on awarding both chef’s toques and points, and defined the culinary principles of Nouvelle Cuisine. Their approach brought them to the cover of Time Magazine in 1980, and their system helped launch the careers of numerous talents, including Joël Robuchon. Today, the guide is active in France, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, Georgia, the UAE, Japan, and most recently in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In September it will also expand to Hungary.
About the Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel
Luxury accommodation at the city’s most prestigious address. With its impressive history, the Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel has stood as a symbol of elegance for centuries. Ideally located in the historic center of Bratislava, near the Danube embankment, it offers guests a unique experience immersed in the city’s cultural heritage.
Visitors are welcomed into a haven of luxury, where they can enjoy not only comfortable accommodation but also premium conference facilities, an excellent hotel restaurant, an experiential fusion bar, and a pleasant summer terrace. After a complete renovation and reopening in 2001, this legendary hotel has become an essential destination for discerning guests from Slovakia and abroad. For more information, visit the Radisson Blu Carlton website.
Tickets are available HERE.
The event is supported by partners Metro, Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel, Mirror Cocktail Bar, Naen, Eira, Julius Meinl a Riedel.
