This October, taste Košice at VILLA SANDY

The Taste Košice festival will turn October in Košice into a celebration of gastronomy. The richest part of the festival programme comes from the VILLA SANDY resort: six varied events, three guest chefs, including a Michelin-starred one, and a moment the Košice dining scene has never seen before. At the tasting dinner on 16 October, SEVEN Restaurant Café at VILLA SANDY will be symbolically inducted as ambassador of the world-renowned Champagne brand Billecart-Salmon.

Košice is not just a city to see, it is a city to taste. That is exactly the idea behind Taste Košice, a festival linking more than thirty gastronomic experiences across the city throughout October. The VILLA SANDY resort joins in with a varied programme, from premium tasting dinners to relaxed daytime parties. “Our long-term ambition is to take Slovak gastronomy to a higher level. At SEVEN, we work with the idea of a New Cuisine of Slovakia. With respect for tradition, a modern interpretation and attention to detail,” said Jozef Hromják, head chef of the VILLA SANDY resort.

TASTE KOŠICE programme at VILLA SANDY

Three evenings, three philosophies

The highlight of the programme is the Gourmet Wandering Fest (14 to 16 October) at SEVEN restaurant: three special evenings with three distinctive figures of gastronomy and their three original culinary signatures. The home kitchen of chef Jozef Hromják, awarded three Gault&Millau toques, will welcome three chefs, each representing a different culinary philosophy.

On Wednesday 14 October, Lukáš Heuser of ORIGIN takes the stage. The menu of the Gault&Millau Chef of Tomorrow and holder of three toques will be complemented by a non-alcoholic pairing from the VILLA SANDY bartenders.

Thursday 15 October belongs to Gabriel Kocák, laureate of the Grand Prix Gurmán Award for lifetime achievement, together with a tasting of Slovak and Hungarian Tokaj wines. On Friday 16 October, the series comes to a close with Matteo De Carli, whose family restaurant CASA DE CARLI in Prague holds a Michelin star.

A great honour for Košice

Beyond Michelin-level cooking, Friday evening will carry one more exceptional dimension. The tasting dinner with Matteo De Carli will include the symbolic induction of SEVEN Restaurant Café as ambassador of the Champagne house Billecart-Salmon. “It is a great honour for us that one of the most respected Champagne houses has found its Slovak home right here in Košice. Our role as ambassador, as well as the repeated personal visit of representatives of the Billecart-Salmon house, is a sign of a world brand’s trust in the quality we provide, and we value that greatly,” said Branislav Kováč, the resort’s general manager.

Gastronomy for the whole city

The VILLA SANDY programme, however, is not only about premium evenings. It opens with the Marathon Brunch at SEVEN (4 October), also suited to visitors of the International Peace Marathon. It continues with the Half-Day Breakfast DJ Party at the EMOTI tavern (10 October) and the VILLA SANDY Liberté Run with refreshments at the POINT park food kiosk (11 October), and the festival month wraps up with the family Halloween EMOTI MOMENTS Party (31 October).

“Putting Košice on the map of gastronomic destinations is our natural mission, and one we are glad to fulfil. That is why we appreciate that Visit Košice, with the support of the City of Košice and Creative Industry Košice, has created the space for the local food scene to join forces towards this goal. Taste of Košice is not just a food festival, it is an opportunity for many people to truly taste our city. That is exactly why the VILLA SANDY resort is taking part with a wide range of experiences, so everyone can find something for themselves,” concluded Branislav Kováč, general manager of VILLA SANDY.