As promised, the closure of Balaton restaurant was merely temporary. Any day now, owners Krisztina and George Ponti will open the doors to the latest iteration of Balaton, located at the corner of Rt. 306 and E. Washington in Bainbridge. Credit: Scene Archives

As promised, the closure of Balaton restaurant was only temporary. When the restaurant closed its doors at Shaker Square earlier this year, owner Krisztina Ponti pledged to find a new home for the beloved Hungarian restaurant.

“It’s an extremely emotional time for us,” Krisztina stated. “It is not the end, but it is the end over here on Shaker Square.”

We are thrilled to report that Krisztina and George Ponti indeed have secured a new east-side location. This latest iteration will land in Bainbridge, specifically in Market Square at the corner of Rt. 306 and E. Washington. The goal is to be open sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they say.

This will be the fourth location for Balaton since Therezia Olah launched the restaurant on Buckeye Road in the early 1960s.

Since closing in January, Balaton essentially has been operating as a ghost kitchen. The dining room at Shaker Square is buttoned up tight, but the owners are still accepting take-out orders, which are picked up at the nearby Hungarian Church. Customers can order food by calling the old number (216-921-9691) between Monday and Thursday for pickup Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

We’ll announce opening day when we know it. 

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This article appears in Nov 2-15, 2022.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.