Who was
Ondrej Antovszký
As a little boy, he dreamed of cooking for a queen. He became the youngest head chef in Slovak history and the author of new recipes, many of which have since become part of everyday tradition. He earned the title Poet of the Cold Kitchen, and his famous canapés are known all over the world today. Culinary master Ondrej Antovszký (1941–2021) spent his childhood in Tekovské Lužany. Today you can visit his Memorial Room here, and since 2025 the Junior Awards gastronomic competition – the Ondrej Antovszký Memorial – has been held regularly in his honour.
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Ondrej Antovszký is the author of many original recipes. He gave his newly created dishes melodious, poetic names, which were reviewed by the poet Rudolf Fábry. This is how the Drotárska kapsa (Tinker’s Pouch), the Zbojnícka pochúťka (Outlaw’s Delicacy) and the Čiernohorský rezeň (Montenegrin Schnitzel) came to be. Did you know that even the classic wedding starter – Ham Roll with Horseradish Foam – is his work?
Because of his dream of becoming a cook, he secretly left his parents’ home in order to study. As a talented apprentice he completed practical training in one of the luxury hotels of what was then Czechoslovakia. Still a student, he headed the kitchens of prominent hotels, and his later professional career is admirable. He cooked not only in prominent Slovak hotels and restaurants, but also at prestigious events in Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Poland, the former USSR and Mexico. He is regarded as a master of the cold kitchen. He became the founding president of the Slovak Association of Chefs and Confectioners.
His culinary art was tasted by a host of personalities from the top of politics and culture, presidents, and even the American diplomat Madeleine Albright. A dream come true for the chef was cooking for the Danish queen. As he recalled in his memoirs, he cooked the best he could for everyone, regardless of their status.
The culinary mastery and legacy of O. Antovszký live on in his Memorial Room in Tekovské Lužany, and since 2025 a competition for students of gastronomy schools has been held – the Ondrej Antovszký Memorial, subtitled Junior Awards.
“The kitchen is a place where tradition, creativity and heart meet.”
ONDREJ ANTOVSZKÝ
The Memorial Room
of Ondrej Antovszký
Culinary master Ondrej Antovszký (1941–2021) spent his childhood in Tekovské Lužany. His Memorial Room was recently opened here, in the premises of the Reformed Church in the centre of the village. The Memorial Room offers a cross-section of the life and work of the famous chef. It documents events from his professional life, presents the books he wrote, the awards and honours he received, and photographs from the archive of the Antovszký family.
The Memorial Room is open on request. Before your visit, please contact the Municipal Office in Tekovské Lužany.
Ondrej Antovszký Memorial
Junior Awards
The exceptional master chef Ondrej Antovszký is, sadly, no longer with us, but his work and legacy have not gone unnoticed. Some time ago the idea of a competition-style memorial bearing his name was born, with the subtitle Junior Awards.
The unique competition for young culinary talents consists of preparing their own original recipes directly in front of an expert jury. The recipes must include the prescribed local ingredients and apply correct preparation techniques; the rest is up to the imagination and creativity of the students and their vocational trainers. The competition itself is also open to the public.
The competition takes place at the Drevaňa Restaurant and Wine Bar in the centre of Tekovské Lužany, the village where the renowned master chef Ondrej Antovszký spent most of his childhood.
In 2026 the Memorial was expanded to include a competition for young pastry chefs, and its first edition focused on making an original Sacher torte. The connection with its creator, Franz Sacher, is obvious in this area: the world-famous confectioner once worked as a cook for the Esterházy count family in nearby Želiezovce.
We have just had the 2nd edition of the Ondrej Antovszký Memorial behind us, and we already invite you to stop by next year for its continuation in September 2027.
