Indian Restaurants
[Section Currently Being Updated:
2nd June 2008]
International Restaurants
VI. Zichy Jeno utca, Tel: 302 7757, Fax: 302 7758, E-mail: csokahir@articsoka.hu, Website: www.articsoka.hu, Open: noon-midnight daily,
All major credit cards, Metro: M3 Arany János
u.
Now firmly established in district VI, Articsoka (meaning Artichoke) is a swanky affair located just a
few minutes walk away from Parliament. As you might have guessed, extended opening hours mean that
the restaurant has both breakfast and lunch menus. With dishes mainly influenced by Italian and
Mediterranean cuisine, the Articsoka is a welcome find in this part of town.
VI. Liszt Ferenc tér 4-5, Tel: 344 6303, Website: www.buena-vista.hu, Open: 11am-1am daily,
Metro: M1 Oktogon
Located in the lively nightspot of Liszt Ferenc Square, Buena Vista is a
café/brasserie which boasts a modern dining room and large open terrace.
Way back in 2001, we praised the establishment's "fine attention to
detail" with "lunches, pasta dishes and club-sandwiches that were well above the
norm". Our most recent visit, however (July 2005), was anything but rewarding, with
an end to the evening that won't see us returning any time soon...
Service, which has always been a bit ropey, is provided by young,
chiseled jaw types who, it has to be said, look the part, but fail to
deliver a competent level of service.
Having made our reservation by phone, the restaurant's maitre d'
initially had trouble finding our details, before hurriedly showing us to a table that had
still to be set for dinner. Moreover, the white furnishings in this part of the restaurant
were heavily soiled, immediately spoiling the ambience of what is, supposedly, an upmarket
dining experience.
Starters, which included tárkonyos
csirkeraguleves (tarragon/chicken soup) and füstült
pisztráng krémleves (trout fish soup), were of a good standard, although slightly
undersalted. Mains ranged from a decent salmon in mustard
sauce to a heavily overdone steak, with cognac and gorgonzola sauce. It was clear
standards had dropped a little from when we last dined here, although in Budapest, that's
often the case for a long-established eatery.
Desserts, however, were good all-round, providing a pleasant finale
to an otherwise average meal. At this point, a dining companion ordered his
last beer of the night, a Heineken which, as it turned out, failed to materialise.
Having decided, after a twenty minute wait for the lager, to
finally call it a night, we received the bill which, lo and behold, included the 720 HUF
for the beer that never came. So, after a brief debate, reflecting upon the overall quality
of our meal and standard of service, we decided to pay without complaint, instead
deducting the cost of the beer from the waiter's 10% tip. A fair response to what was,
after all, his mistake. The obligatory "köszönöm szépen" (which means
"thank you, we don't require any change"), was met by an unbelievably sulky
look from our waiter. Akin, to someone stealing a túrórudi
from a Hungarian child, multiplied by a factor of 10. Incredibly, having calculated that
he'd only be receiving something to the order of a 7% tip, our wannabe model returned to
slam down the change in a hissy fit of silent rage. Moreover, upon leaving the restaurant,
we were met by stares from not one, but three sulky looking waiters, none of whom had the
courtesy to say goodnight (despite us having spent a fair amount on a meal for four).
In summary, Buena Vista's kitchen is competent, although dishes are
variable in quality, while the pleasant dining room is marred by furnishings that need a
good clean. Service, for the above reasons, gets a big 'null point', with a word of
warning to potential customers: check your bill carefully and be prepared for a potential humiliation
by jumped up catalogue models masquerading as waiting staff.
VI. Mozsár u. 12, Tel: 331 8942, Open: 12pm-midnight daily, All major
credit cards, Metro: M1 Oktogon
Upmarket theme restaurant, where staff dress in period costume and serve dishes based on
17th-century recipes. Nicely kitted out in a downtown cellar near to Oktogon, Barokk is fun but
expensive.
VI. Dalsínház utca 8, Tel: 269 3101, Website: www.belcanto.hu, Open: 6pm-2am daily, All major
credit cards, Metro: M1 Opera, Show Map
Charming restaurant situated a few yards away from the Budapest Opera. Specializing mainly in pasta
and seafood dishes, Belcanto is best known for it's singing waiters (downstairs only), who'll take
any opportunity to form a chorus line as they emerge from the kitchen. Service swings along nicely
too. Fairly expensive, but a good time almost guaranteed.
V. Kristóf tér 7,
Tel: 266 3096, Open: 11am-2pm, 6:30pm
to 12am daily, All major credit cards, Metro: M2
Vörösmarty tér
Trendy eatery in downtown Pest, which leans heavily on French and Asian fusion cuisine for inspiration.
The elegant, although somewhat sombre interior - which boasts the chandelier used in
the Depardieu version of Cyrano de Bergerac - comes alive at night, thanks to imaginative,
pleasantly coloured lighting.
Well-prepared, imaginative starters such as wild duck salad with cranberries,
and lobster tails with melon feature. Decent poultry and game main courses too, plus
first-rate cocktails.
Dominican Restaurant (Hotel Hilton)
I. Hess András tér 1-3, Open: 7pm-12am daily, Tel: 488 6757,
Várbusz from M2 Moszkva tér
With one of the finest views of Budapest from any restaurant in the city, the Dominican serves
first-rate modern cuisine in elegant formal surroundings. Under the tutelage of Head Chef
István Juhász, beef, lamb, game and fish dishes are prepared to exacting standards,
with delicate sauces and well-combined flavours. The excellent foie gras and goose liver terrine
are dishes well-worth sampling, while our personal favourite was the exquisite baked pheasant. For
dessert, the choice proves all too difficult with a mouthwatering selection of fresh pastries and
gateaux. If you can, reserve a window table to enjoy a truly unique dining experience.
Expensive.
V. Váci u. 20, Tel: 485-3100, Open: 7pm-midnight daily, All major
credit cards, Metro: M2 Vörösmarty tér
Located in the downtown Taverna hotel, the Gambrinus is an award-winning restaurant considered to
be among the top ten in the country. With modern interpretations of classic Hungarian and
International dishes the restaurant setting is formal, although music from the excellent gypsy trio
helped lighten the atmosphere considerably. Our starters of goose liver risotto with wild mushrooms
and wild boar pancakes in cream sauce, were both well-executed and full of flavour. Main courses
consisted of borjúfilé (veal steak) with pear and grillezett szarvasérm (wild
deer). Again, each had a good combination of subtle flavours, although the deer was very slightly
overcooked. Accompanied by an excellent Villány red from an extensive wine list, we finished
our meal with two delicious - palinka laced - Kecskeméti apricot puddings. The attentive
service (from waiters wearing tail coats and white gloves) and the quality of cuisine left us
suitably impressed, although at over 8000 HUF per head an evening at the Gambrinus does not come
cheap.
XIV. Állakérti út 2, Tel: 468 4040, E-mail: info@gundel.hu, Website: www.gundel.hu, Open: midday-3pm, 7pm-11pm daily, All major credit cards, Metro:
M1 Hősök tér
Reawakened from its slumber by Hungarian-American restaurateur George Lang in 1992, the Gundel
was, up until a few months ago, considered by many to be the city's finest restaurant. With millions of dollars invested
in recreating the
original turn-of-the-20th-century atmosphere, the cuisine in this fine Art Nouveau establishment
remained faithful to the ideals of founder János Gundel.
Its purchase by Danubius Hotels has, however, done little to wow the
masses since then. In fact, recent reviews from friends and press alike have commented
that a once innovative and well-executed menu has been replaced by more mediocre
offerings.
Doubtless, Gundel will find its feet again. Until then, however, a
trip to this upmarket restaurant may disappoint, especially as prices are among the
highest anywhere in Budapest.
VI. Podmaniczky u. 14, Tel: 302 4456, E-mail: info@sirlancelot.hu, Website: www.sirlancelot.hu, Open: 12pm-1am daily, All
major credit cards, Metro: M3 Nyugati pu.
Medieval theme restaurant which clearly doesn't take itself too seriously. Food and drink are
served by 'buxom wenches' who actively encourage customers to get plastered. Entertaining,
especially if you plan on going with a small group. Not the best place for vegetarians
though...
Légradi Testvérek
V. Magyar u. 23, Tel: 318 6804, Open: Mon-Sat 6pm-midnight, All major credit
cards, Metro: M3 Kálvin tér,
Show Map
Old time restaurant in a stately drawing room setting with antique furniture and Herend porcelain.
Owned by the Légradi brothers who also run the Antique restaurant (see below).
V. Bárczy István u. 3/5, Tel: 266 4993, Open: Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm
and 7pm-midnight, Sat 7pm-midnight, All major credit cards, Metro: M1, M2,
M3 Deák tér
Hidden away behind the window display of a quaint old antique shop, the restaurant is very much a
journey back in time to a bygone era. Service and food are first-rate, with both the foie gras and
steak tartare prepared to perfection. If your budget doesn't quite stretch to the Gundel try here
instead.
Irish Restaurants
V. Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 72, Tel: 311 1033, Fax: 311 1034, Website: www.becketts.hu, Open: Mon-Thu 5.30pm-11.30pm,
Fri/Sat 5.30pm-midnight, Metro: M1 Bajcsy-Zs. Út
Disappointingly non-Irish in the menu stakes, although mains and desserts are both good value. The
lively bar atmosphere guarantees ex-pats a good night out, with Murphy's and Guinness (on tap) to
help smooth things along.
Italian Restaurants
Don Roberto Pizzeria
XIII. Róbert Károly krt. 40, Tel: 340-2598 or 350-8243,
Website: www.donroberto.hu, E-mail: donroberto@mailbox.hu,
Open daily 11am-10.30pm, Metro: M3 Arpád híd
This quaint little pizzeria, which lies just a few hundred metres from Arpád híd
metro, not only provides some of the best pizzas in town, but fine value traditional
Hungarian meals and pasta dishes too.
An extensive menu - which is accompanied by reasonably priced drinks
- includes favourites such as tárkonyos jérceraguleves (tarragon meat soup)
and Milánói sertésborda (pork cutlet with spicy tomato sauce, served
on a bed of spaghetti), plus a wide-range of 26cm or 32cm pizzas. For pudding, try the Mákos
guba (milk soaked rolls, mixed with poppy seed/sugar, served with a creamy vanilla sauce).
Although it may sound strange, it's one of the best desserts (and local restaurants) in
town. Great value, recommended.
VII. Dohány u. 5, Tel: 322 7806, Website: www.fausto.hu, Open: 12pm-3pm, 7pm to 11pm daily, All major credit cards,
Metro: M2 Astoria
Although the kitsch Venetian décor isn't to everyone's liking, Fausto's is undoubtedly one
of the best restaurants in town. Expensive but unpretentious, it's frequented by the type of
people 'who live to eat', rather than 'eat to live'. With fresh pasta and daily specials to rave
about, we like this place a lot.
XIII. Szent István körút 20, Tel: 322 6960, Website: www.okayitalia.hu, Open: midday-1am daily, No
credit cards, Metro: M3 Nyugati pu.,
Show Map
Disappointingly for us, Okay Italia did little more than live up to it's name. Although the early
90s saw it set the pace for good, inexpensive pasta and pizza in Budapest, nowadays with a larger
number of Italian restaurants around, it doesn't quite deliver. Apart from the excellent tiramisu
dessert, our main courses of cannelloni and lasagne were distinctly average.
VI. Mozsár u. 12, Tel: 331 8711, Open: 12pm-3pm, 6pm-12am daily, Metro:
M1 Opera/M1 Oktogon,
Show Map
Having read some complimentary reviews about the (then newly opened) Krizia, we expected the
restaurant to be fairly full on the Tuesday lunchtime that we visited. However, it seems Budapest's
populous have yet to take the plunge and we were greeted instead by the sight of a completely empty
restaurant. So, with the place to ourselves, we set about choosing from the many home made
pastas and daily specials on offer. And delicious they were too! Our main courses of spinach and
ricotta ravioli, home made cannelloni and risotto of langoustines were all a cut above the norm.
Finishing off with equally impressive caramelized fruit pancakes and a chocolate torte, we're happy
to be among the critics who rave about this place. Recommended!
Japanese Restaurants
VI. Podmaniczky utca 21. Tel: 430 1056, Website: www.wasabi.hu, Open:
11.30am-11pm
daily, Metro: M3 Nyugati pu.
Comprising of a centrally
located (and glass enclosed) conveyor belt which constantly whisks dishes to diners, this
downtown wok and sushi eatery is a pleasant enough place in which to spend an evening with
friends.
We've eaten at Wasabi on a number of occasions and, though the
novelty of choosing your own dishes soon wears off, the quality of the cuisine served is
above average.
That said, we'd advise evening meals be taken at around 7.30pm.
Before that, the variety of freshly cooked dishes is limited (by this we mean that certain
offerings have covered a fair few miles between lunch and the start of evening service).
Desserts are a bit of a let-down too, with slices of banana in a
chocolate sauce, canned fruit in syrup and fresh grapes being typical of the fare on
offer. In this respect, a little more innovation is needed to raise Wasabi's overall
score.
Jewish Restaurants
VII. Kazinczy u. 31, Tel: 322 1834, Fax: 342 4585, Website: www.carmel.ini.hu, Open: 12pm-11pm daily, All
major credit cards, Metro: M2 Astoria
Located near to Budapest's Central Synagogue, the Carmel Pince is a non-kosher restaurant with a
solid menu of Hungarian Jewish specialities, including shalet with stuffed goose neck. A good
choice for a hearty meal in the centre of town, the restaurant is only a few minutes walk away from
Deák tér station.
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