A new family-run shop serving Czech beer is seeing “phenomenal” turnouts in Maidenhead.
ToMo Tankovna opens on Friday, February 9th, serving authentic Central European cuisine paired with authentic Czech beers and local wines.
Owners Tomas and Monika Balsam, the names behind ‘ToMo’, traveled to the Czech Republic on business for 12 years and ‘loved the atmosphere of Czech Tankovnas’.
Tomasz said that Tankovna is not exactly a restaurant or a pub, but a third social gathering place for people of all generations.
“We saw this [culture] “We were in the Czech Republic for many years, but when we came here we realized that places like this were gone,” he said.
“There was no place to serve beer to the table in the traditional way, using properly chilled glassware.
“We strive to be different. We specialize in Czech beer because we believe Czech beer is the best and Budvar is great.”
Tomasz also said that many regular customers have told him that there are no Central and Eastern European restaurants in town.
“It’s good for the Maidenhead scene. [venues] It’s not just oriented in one direction, there are places suitable for all kinds of restaurants,” he added.
Tomasz said pubs in the UK can have a “different” atmosphere, especially when there are a lot of men, but Tankovnas usually attracts a “mixed” crowd of all genders, backgrounds and age groups.
This European concept restaurant is the first venture for Tomasz and Monika, who are originally from Poland and previously ran a gardening company. They thought there was a “huge opportunity” in Maidenhead.
The couple first visited the Waterside Quarter site in February 2023 and said the venue reminded them of a “lovely” place in the Czech Republic, with high tables and wide windows.
They spent a year building the place “from the ground up” with handcrafted tables made from Polish wood and a state-of-the-art bar from the Czech Republic.
Big Mike, bar manager and British Budvar ambassador who was born and raised in the Czech Republic, is our resident beer expert and will soon be holding a masterclass on how to pour a frothy ‘hradinka’ (a regular Czech pint). .
ToMo Tankovna exclusively serves Budvar Original from a huge tank in the bar, the same way it is served in the Czech Republic. It’s served in four different ways, including a dark “dessert” lager and a non-alcoholic beer with no artificial flavors.
Although the venue is still in its “soft launch”, Tomasz said the team has been “shocked” by the reception the town has received over the past two weeks.
“We were so shocked but touched by the people who came to see us. The beer was flowing and people were saying it was the best beer in town.” he said.
“We had a lot of visitors from Czech nationalities, Slovaks, Poles, Hungarians, Dutch and Danes. The European community got involved and one of the best comments was that we had been drinking “high quality” beer for two years. It was from a gentleman who said he hadn’t been drinking but “made me feel at home.”
“It’s simple: we don’t sell beer as a drink to get drunk, we sell beer as a drink to get drunk, but to socialize with different groups, families, and friends while enjoying a good meal, and to sell beer as a way to enjoy quality food with quality food. We’re selling it to enjoy high-priced beer.”
The restaurant offers an exclusive Central and Eastern European menu made with fresh ingredients, and seasonal menus will be added in the coming months. Beer is also used as an ingredient in the kitchen, such as in goulash.
Tomasz said he had no prior customer service experience, but had been serving beer to customers over the past few days and was “very happy”.
“It’s not just the European community. Some British people who travel to Prague know what we’re up to. Some people don’t know anything, but we We educate our guests about our beer and why we do it. We are hands-on and attentive to our guests.
Tomasz added: “It’s been eight days since we opened and we’ve had great reviews on Google. It’s lovely to see. We already have repeat customers.
“The atmosphere and buzz that we and our guests create is phenomenal, especially on the weekends. The conversation blended with the background music and it was amazing.”
ToMo Tankovna, located at 2 High Street, is open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to midnight.