Zánka has always been a little shrine to Lake Balaton for me. It’s not flashy, it’s not flashy, but somehow you can feel the summer in it. The beach, for example, is really spacious, there’s none of that typical “oh, where do I put the towel” feeling. There’s plenty of greenery, you can fit in the shade trees, you don’t have to arrive hours early. And even cooler: the water is clean. And somehow it smells different to other places – it really is like getting back an old summer in Lake Balaton, only now as an adult, with a splash.
On the beach there’s a long pier where people sit out in the afternoons, with a book, wine or just with their eyes closed. No music, no pressure, just that “finally I don’t have to do anything” feeling. I’m always quiet here first. Then, when I’ve shaken off the stress of the city, I slip over to a place called I Cooked For You.
This place… seriously, it’s like someone dropped a gourmet kitchen on the shores of Lake Balaton. The menu is simple, but they cook with ingredients that you can’t help but get excited about. The flavours put you right. And the whole space feels like a chill zone – long benches, leanders, quiet conversation and everyone smiling. The girl at the bar comments on the wine you ordered yesterday. No crowds here, just attention. And that’s a big word these days.
