The popular Paletta bistro is setting up on the south shore. After success in Balatonboglár and Fonyód, this traditional yet new-wave restaurant is now opening an outlet in Siófok. We talked to Dani Bezerics, the man behind it all, about the reasons behind the closure of the former venue in Keszthely, and details of the new spot in Siófok.
In a short Facebook post, Paletta Keszthely has announced that instead of its usual spot at the Keszthely Yacht Marina, it will reopen in Siófok for the upcoming season. The new Paletta will start operating from the end of April where Aranypart Camping and the Siófok Golden Coast Public Beach intersect. It will then remain open until the end of September.
This means that this experimental brand that sources its ingredients locally will be focused on the south shore of the lake, as now guests can try pulled carp – the dish that won the Beach Food of the Year Award in 2017 – not only at Paletta in Balatonboglár and Pavilon in Fonyód, but also in Siófok. After announcement of the surprise move, venue manager Dani Bezerics talked about the reasons behind this change:
“Of course I’m sad to leave Keszthely,” said Bezerics, who recently exported Paletta, and the quality Balaton concept with it, to Budapest. “But this doesn’t change my Balaton identity, as I always thought of Balaton as a single entity. Now my journey along the south shore will take a little longer.”
Paletta had operated at the marina in Keszthely for two years but, according to Bezerics, they had to acknowledge their limitations, which is why they decided to open the Siófok outlet that requires a smaller workforce.
“We got into a situation where we had to make this decision. The type of hospitality that we believe in requires more work, more people, and more expensive ingredients. The Keszthely outlet demanded a lot of work, and, as it turned out, there were more mistakes when we weren’t around than we would have liked. Meanwhile, the owners of the marina had expectations where we were concerned, and with our ideas and expenses, we couldn’t find common ground. We had to decide in all honesty what were the expectations that we could handle,” said Bezerics, who wants to create a community in Siófok that is similar to the one they generated in Keszthely.
The idea of an outlet in Siófok came up half a year ago. The new Paletta is on the grounds of a campsite, but it would also have a terrace that opens to the public beach. “We would like to create our customer base from residents, holidaygoers, guests of the nearby marina, and those who go in for sports here. And let's not forget that Siófok has the most beautiful sunset on Lake Balaton – it's a pure Café del Mar experience.”
