While there’s hardly a meat that cannot be prepared Stroganoff style, have you ever tried the vegetarian version? It’s filled with loads of mushrooms and the distinctive flavours of sweet pickles, smoked paprika, and red wine. And while you’re at it, why not try adding a bit of heat?

Ingredients:

500 g mushrooms (common and brown field mushrooms, oyster mushrooms)

• 1 large onion
• 3 large pickles
• 1 bell pepper
• olive oil
• 1 dl red wine
• 1-2 chilli pepper
• salt, smoked paprika
• 1 dl vegetable broth
• 1-2 Tbsp. sour cream

Begin browning the sliced mushrooms in a small quantity of olive oil. Cut the pickles and the bell pepper into strips and add them to the mushrooms. Add the finely diced onion and the wine and allow to boil. Season with salt, add the chilli pepper, then sprinkle with the smoked paprika. Add the broth and, when it has boiled enough to blend the flavours, stir in the sour cream.

Tip: You can use heavy cream, or, where a lactose-free version is desired, even a vegetable substitute in place of the sour cream.

Pumpkin cream soup is a staple of the autumn-winter season. This special version of the dish features a spicy, distinctive flavour that is a guaranteed immediate winner!

Ingredients:

• ½ pie pumpkin
• ½ red kuri squash
• 1 onion
• 4 medium-sized potatoes
• small quantity of rapeseed oil
• 2 tsp. Thai curry paste
• 200 ml vegetable broth
• 100 ml coconut milk
• 1 pinch each ground curry powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, and smoked paprika

Peel and cube the pumpkin, squash, and potatoes. Finely chop the onion, then sautée in a little rapeseed oil. Add the pumpkin, squash, and potatoes, season with curry paste, and cover with vegetable broth. Simmer until soft, in the meantime adding the coconut milk and spices. Finally, purée with an immersion mixer. Serve with fresh coriander.

Tip: This can naturally be made with any single type of squash, or the ratio of squash/pumpkin to potatoes varied, as desired.

For cooler days, we offer you this vegetarian soup, elevated to something truly special with the addition of delicious, autumn-ripened chestnuts.

Ingredients:

• 70 g red lentils
• 50 g brown lentils
• 150 g chestnuts
• 2 lemons
• 1 onion
• 0.5 l vegetable broth
• 20 g butter
• 100 ml heavy cream
• 1 tsp. brown sugar, salt, pepper, curry powder, turmeric, Madras curry, fresh chives

Finely chop the onion, squeeze the lemon, and coarsely chop the chestnuts. Brown the onions in the butter, add the lentils, chestnuts, and spices, then cover with the broth. Cook for around 40 minutes until soft. Add the lemon juice and cream. Bring to a boil. Serve with fresh chives.

Tip: This soup can be made with fresh or frozen chestnuts. To shell fresh nuts, incise the shell of each nut, then toss into boiling water for 1-2 minutes. The shells will peel off easily.

It wouldn’t be a traditional Hungarian Christmas without bejgli! The delicious pastry log is a favourite with everyone – especially when the filling is generous and the pastry thin.  If the wish is to pamper your guests with something other than the usual poppy seed or walnut varieties, this chestnut – dried fruit version will not disappoint!

Ingredients:

Pastry:  (2 logs)

• 300 g flour
• 3 g salt
• 30 g powdered sugar
• 120 g butter
• 90 g milk
• 6 g yeast
• 1 egg yolk

Filling:

• 400 g chestnut paste (flavoured with rum and powdered sugar to taste)
• 160 g finely chopped dried fruit

Combine the ingredients for the pastry thoroughly, then place the dough on a board in two identical mounds.  Wrap in plastic foil and allow to rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.  In the meantime, prepare the filling, removing the pastry dough from the refrigerator one half hour before use.  Combine the chestnut paste with a small quantity of rum and powdered sugar, as desired.  Finely chop the dried fruit.

Roll out the pastry dough into two rectangles.  Spread the chestnut filling over the dough and sprinkle with the dried fruit pieces.  Folding the edges of the dough up carefully, roll the bejgli into two logs.  Brush with egg yolk and allow to rest, then brush with egg white.  Once the egg is dry, bake for 35 minutes at 180 degrees.

Tip:
Bejgli should always be made with clean hands and the resting time for the dough copiously respected!  To give the surface that shiny, marbled look, brush first with egg yolk, allow to dry, then brush with egg white, placing the pastry in the oven only when the glaze has dried completely.

A delicious, juicy duck breast is truly worth the time it takes to prepare! Don’t be intimidated by the trendy-sounding name: the word “confit” refers to a time-honoured food preservation technique in which meat is cooked at length in fat, a process that helps preserve the meat’s original flavour, while leaving it perfectly tender and juicy. And don’t worry: though the fat prevents the meat from becoming too dry, the dish itself is not actually fatty!

Ingredients:

• 400 g duck breast
• 1 kg duck fat
• salt, pepperIf possible, the breast’s own fat should be used. Season the meat with salt and pepper, then place it in a pan and cover the meat in fat. Allow to cook slowly at constant temperature (about 70 degrees) for three hours. Remove, place in a frying pan with a small amount of the grease, and brown on both sides. Serve with spaghetti and vegetables, braised cabbage, braised fruit, pumpkin purée, or beets.
  Tip: The same process can be used to prepare duck leg, goose, or even pork.

Bar cakes can be made with almost anything: apples, cherries, plums, or even fresh cheese. Why not try this version with flavourful pumpkin? Just make sure you have enough filling left for the cake, as most people cannot resist snacking on the honey-sweetened purée as they go…

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 250 g butter or margarine
• 300 g flour
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 3 eggs
• salt

Filling:

• ½ kg pumpkin
• 150 g honey
• 2-3 pieces star anise
• salt

First, prepare the pumpkin filling. Warm the honey and add the star anise and finely cubed pumpkin. Salt lightly, then bake until soft. Make the dough: knead together the flour, powdered sugar, eggs, softened butter, and a little salt. Divide the dough in two. Roll into two circles. Place one of the circles over the bottom of a round spring-form or pie pan and bake for a few minutes. To prevent the dough from rising too much, cover with a piece of baking paper and weigh down with ceramic baking beads. When it is clear that the crust has dried somewhat, remove from the oven, remove the weights, fill with pumpkin, and cover with the other dough circle. Trim the edges, puncture the dough with a fork, and brush with beaten egg. Drizzle the top with a small quantity of honey, place in an oven pre-heated to 150 degrees, and bake 20 minutes until done.

Tip: If you don’t have ceramic baking weights available, dried beans work just as well!

Tender, juicy lamb ribs flavoured with herbs and spices are a culinary experience any day of the week. Make this classic dish seasoned with rosemary on a bed of light, colourful vegetables for your holiday meal and bask in the praise!

Ingredients:

• 50 dkg lamb ribs, sliced
• fresh rosemary
• fresh parsley, chopped fine
• garlic
• salt and pepper
• vegetables, as desired, cut into pieces: baby carrots, zucchini, shallots, fennel, tender pea pods, bell peppers
• 1 dl water

Season the ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. Rub with fresh rosemary and olive oil and allow to marinate for a few hours. In a frying pan with a little oil, sear the ribs thoroughly on both sides until the meat is cooked through. Remove the meat when completely done. In the remaining fat, brown the chopped garlic. Add fresh rosemary, parsley, water, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer until flavours combine. Braise the tender, chopped vegetables in a little oil, flavoured with salt and wine.

Tipp: Sage is another herb that complements the distinctive flavour of lamb.

Rich soups are always in season. 

Ingredients:

• 40 dkg lamb (shoulder) cubed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 10 dkg each carrots, parsley root, celeriac, and zucchini
• 1 bulb garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 dl olive oil
• 3 dl heavy cream
• salt, pepper, tarragon, parsley
• tarragon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon wheat or rice flour (gluten-free)

Cut the vegetables and meat into cubes of equal size. In a little oil, brown the chopped onion, adding the garlic at the end. Season with salt and pepper before adding the bay leaves and cubed lamb.  Allow to become slightly browned, then add vegetables and water to cover. Thicken with flour mixed with cream and cold water. Sour with tarragon and tarragon vinegar. Add fresh parsley for that final touch before serving.

Tip: The broth left after boiling a smoked ham can be substituted for the water, but in that case, go easy on the salt!

Most people eat crêpes with jam, cocoa, or sweetened cheese curd, but have you ever tried them with mascarpone? Fresh fruit and a delicious creamy filling transforms these crêpes into a dish fit for a king… A dessert of Royal proportions! 

Ingredients:

• Crêpes
• Mascarpone
• Mint
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla
• Lime juice and grated lime peel
• Orange peel
• Strawberries

For the filling, mix the mascarpone with the vanilla, fresh mint, brown sugar, grated lime and orange peels, and lime juice. Spread filling over each crêpe and fold into a triangle. Serve with caramel sauce and strawberries.

Tip: Basic crêpes recipe:  beat 2 eggs, 35 dkg flour, a pinch of salt, 1-2 tablespoons of sugar, ½ litre of milk, and 2 dl carbonated mineral water until smooth. Allow to stand a few minutes, then fry in a lightly oiled, hot crêpe pan on both sides until golden brown.

This delicious dessert is prepared differently from household to household. We think our fruit-enriched variation will quickly became a favourite of yours, or even an idea for rejuvenating your grandmother’s own recipe.

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 15 dkg sugar
• pinch of salt
• 40 dkg rice cooked in milk, cold
• the scraped out interior of 1 vanilla bean
• 25 dkg fresh strawberries, chopped
• butter, breadcrumbs

Separate the eggs, beating the yolks with half the sugar until frothy. Beat the whites with the other half of the sugar until stiff.  Flavour the rice, previously cooked and cooled, with vanilla. Carefully add the egg yolk mixture, folding in the fruit, followed by the stiffened egg whites. Pour into a buttered baking mould sprinkled with bread crumbs. Bake at 160 degrees for 50 minutes or until golden brown.  Check for doneness with a toothpick. Serve with raspberry sauce and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Tip: Raspberries, blackberries, or whortleberries may be used in place of the strawberries. Where a softer soufflé is preferred, add 5-6 dkg of butter to the egg yolks.

Don’t let spring get by you without serving some fresh asparagus!  Though this vegetable has near-zero calories (only 17 kcal/ 100 g), its nutritional value is in the clouds. Asparagus contains vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C, as well as calcium, phosphorous, iron, sodium, potassium and beta carotene.

Ingredients:

• 50 kg green asparagus
• 4 dl water
• 5 dl heavy cream
• salt
• nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon rice flour
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• sesame seeds

Finely chop the asparagus. Brown in a little oil with added salt. Add water and cream and simmer thoroughly until soft, about 15 minutes.  Flavour with a little balsamic vinegar and ground nutmeg and thicken with rice flour. When ready, purée using an immersion mixer. Garnish with drops of balsamic vinegar and sesame seeds.

Tip:  Use green asparagus, which is thinner and tenderer and will not require peeling. When selecting, make sure the tips are closed, the stalks are rigid (not rubbery) and of uniform thickness (if they are too thick, the texture may be woody), and the cut ends are not inordinately dry.

The traditional Hungarian boiled smoked ham is prepared for Easter in a variety of ways.  These ham slices tenderised with special spices and baked with a piquant glaze are delicious hot or cold.

Ingredients:

• 1 smoked boneless ham
• 1 orange peel
• 4 slices ginger
• 1 large onion
• several cloves, star anise, whole peppercorns, bay leaves
• 5 dl cider

For the honey-mustard glaze:

• 2 T honey
• 2 T mustard
• 2 T cider

Retie the ham, then place in pot with cold water.  Bring to a boil, then add the spices.  Simmer for approximately 3 hours until soft.  Remove from the water and while still hot, remove the string.  For the glaze, combine the honey, mustard, and cider.  Place the ham in a baking pan and pour the glaze over the top.  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180˚C (with convection ovens 160˚C) for 30 minutes

Tip:  The ham will be more flavourful if you cook it in a pot, rather than a pressure cooker.  It is important that the water covers the ham completely and that it cooks slowly at a simmer, not a boil.

After all those heavy winter dishes, a little crisp-baked fish with vegetables makes the body feel good.

Ingredients:

• 1 piece filleted pike-perch per person
• shallots
• asparagus
• pea pods
• bell peppers
• whole chilies
• fresh parsley
• olive oil
• salt, pepper

Season each piece of fish with salt and pepper, then pan-sear the slices in the oil, turning several times.  Remove the fish, and add the vegetables.  Brown until crisp, seasoning with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.

Tip:  Excellent when accompanied by new potatoes with parsley!

This undeniably iconic Hungarian dish has been around since at least the late 19th century, when it inspired writers and poets with its heartiness, fragrance and flavour.  With a little patience, it can be made with ease even at home.

Ingredients:

• Half a hen
• 200 g carrots
• 200 g parsley root
• 200 g celeriac
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ bunch parsley
• 6 button mushrooms
• 30 g peppercorns
• a pinch of saffron
• salt

Thoroughly clean and dress the hen.  Peel the vegetables and cut into largish pieces.  Fill a large soup pot with cold water, add all the ingredients, including the spices, and bring to a boil.  Once the soup has begun to cook, skim the foam from the surface, then reduce the heat and simmer until done.  Allow to stand a little, then strain.  Cut the meat and vegetables into strips.  When serving, enrich with boiled peas and vermicelli.

Tip:
This soup cannot be prepared quickly.  Give it time to achieve that golden colour and perfect flavour.  If making it with a whole hen, first put the hen on to simmer, adding the vegetables only later to prevent them from becoming mushy.

This dessert is a favourite with Hungarian children.  In some families, its enjoyment is restricted to the winter holidays, while in others it is happily consumed almost every week.  There are many variations, but when made correctly, it is always soft, sweet, creamy, and packed with poppy seed flavour.

Ingredients:

• 10 crescent rolls
• 200 g ground poppy seeds
• 200 g powdered sugar
• vanilla-flavoured sugar
• lemon rind
• a pinch of salt
• 1 l milk
• 4 egg yolks

For the vanilla custard:

• 2 egg yolks
• 20 g vanilla pudding mix
• 50 g powdered sugar
• half a vanilla bean
• ½ l milk, scalded and still hot
• 2 egg whites
• 50 g sugar

Combine the dry ingredients.  Scald the milk with the egg yolks, add to the dry ingredients, and mix well. To make the custard, first, scald the milk.  Beat the egg whites with the sugar until stiff.  Combine the egg yolks with the powdered sugar, the vanilla pudding mix, and the scraped out flesh of the vanilla bean.  Carefully add the hot milk to the pudding, bring to a boil, and then fold into the egg whites.

Tip:
Use drier rolls to better absorb the milk.  If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding ground walnuts to the poppy seeds.

Variations on strudel can be sweet or savoury, and may even feature ingredients like cheese and bacon.  This tasty variety is rich enough to be served as a separate course.

Ingredients:

• 1 package strudel dough
• 1 leek
• 1 package bacon
• olive oil

For the filling:

• 1 package cow’s milk curd
• 1 package soft goat cheese
• 1 egg
• 2-3 T sour cream
• 1 grated lemon peel
• 1 grated lime peel
• salt, pepper

Cut the bacon into strips and brown.  Mix the ingredients for the filling, adding one third of the bacon.  Lay a sheet of strudel dough out on a damp kitchen towel and sprinkle with oil.  Spread the filling over the dough, sprinkle with finely chopped leek and bacon, then repeat the process to form a second layer before rolling into a log.  Bake at 180˚C for 30 minutes or until crispy.

Hungarians would tell you that there are only 3 essential styles of cooking: French, Chinese and Hungarian. This, of course, might be a unique opinion of the locals, however Hungarian cuisine has undoubtedly been the shining star in Central and Eastern Europe in the past years. Also, we do have one thing in common with French and Chinese: we are driven by food.

For whatever reason you are visiting the Hungarian capital from spending a long weekend to searching for the best nightlife spots in the city there is a restaurant for you to kick start your stay with delicious local food you will love. Our extensive list of restaurants showcases places for the ones who’d like to try the traditional flavours, who like a bit of cheekiness, the wine and gourmet-lovers and for the ones who long for a Michelin-star experience.

Hungarian cuisine and its revolution

Budapest’s food scene is technically a metaphor of the city itself: authentic, spicy and sprinkled with plenty of surprises as a new generation of Hungarians turned the traditional cuisine into an avant-garde dining experience whilst staying true to real local flavours. Hungarian food will take you far away from what you know by serving you unexpected flavours and hearty, quality wines.

In recent years a younger generation of chefs and food lovers transformed Hungarian food into a creative art form, exchanging the carbs- and meat heavy traditional dishes into healthier alternatives, exploring unexpected ingredients and flavours. Cool restaurants in Budapest await with incredible chefs’ remarkable fusions, traditional Hungarian food or Hungarian with a modern twist.

Traditional dishes

Duck-breast, goose liver and grilled sausages are the key players on the city’s food scene where you also find World-famous cafes and wallet-friendly Michelin-star restaurants. Traditionally meat heavy, but both vegan and vegetarian options are spreading like wildfire.

Goulash, the most commonly known Hungarian dish, is actually not eaten very frequently, it’s a traditional food. Other famous Hungarian meat stews include paprikás, a thicker stew with meat simmered in thick, creamy, paprika-flavored gravy, and pörkölt, a flavorful Hungarian stew with boneless meat (usually beef or pork), onion, and sweet paprika powder, both served with nokedli or galuska (small dumplings). In old-fashioned dishes, fruits such as plums and apricots are cooked with meat or in piquant sauces/stuffings for game, roasts and other cuts. Various kinds of noodles, dumplings, potatoes, and rice are commonly served as a side dish. Hungarian dry sausages (kolbász) and winter salami are also an integral part of Hungarian cuisine.

To find out more about Hungarian dishes or willing to try some of them yourself check out our latest selection of local recipes.

Traditional Hungarian restaurants

Gundel Restaurant

Tradition and evolution at Gundel Restaurant could stand for the history of modern Hungarian gastronomy and hospitality. You can discover the country by its unique taste invented by a Bavarian born genius Károly Gundel who tamed the Hungarian cuisine. Gundel is the restaurant where you can find traditional dishes based on original recipes, served in an exceptional ambiance.

Whilst creating the menu, newly appointed Executive Chef, Zsolt Litauszki aimed to keep the 120 years old recipes true to their traditions founder Karoly Gundel created. Goose liver in all its variations, The Gundel Pancake that is well-known around the Globe, a traditional Goulash or Hungarian fish soup are all on the menu for you to experience the taste of real Hungary.

Click here to reserve your table at Gundel Restaurant.

Where to find them? Gundel K. út 4., 1146 Budapest,

Phone: +36 1 889 8111, +36 30 603 2480

E-mail address: info@gundel.hu

Café Astoria Restaurant

Café Astoria Restaurant brings the classical coffee house back to life where the offer includes a quality à la carte menu. Café Astoria has become a restaurant where the guest can simultaneously enjoy the comfortable atmosphere of a café in a place that it is also suitable for social events and experience the tempting culinary adventures of a restaurant. During the day they welcome guests with their special Astoria Breakfast, Astoria Snacks, Astoria Afternoon Tea and Astoria A la carte offers. It is worth dropping in here any time of the day!

Where to find them? Kossuth Lajos u. 19-21., 1053 Budapest

Phone: +36 1 889 6022

E-mail address: astoria.restaurant@danubiushotels.com

The Gellert Brasserie

One of Hungary’s most famous hotels, Hotel Gellert has been accommodating guests since 1918. The hotel houses the newly refurbished Gellert Brasserie that has been serving generations since its own separate kitchen opened in 1960. Full of tradition this place is everything you need after a long day.

The chef truly believes that the ingredients speak for themselves, so the food always has true character. They offer handcrafted beer, the best Hungarian wines and a creative cuisine for old and young who crave a bit of history.

Where to find them: Szent Gellért tér 2., 1114 Budapest

Vakvarju Restaurant

The word Vakvarju literally means „blind crow” in Hungarian and it is the common name of a simple yet delicious country food (oven-baked flatbread with a wee bit charred, serrated black edges). You will find this delicious statement snack on the menu which is perfect for a hot summer night to accompany a pint of ice-cold beer. If you prefer more sophisticated, more elaborate dishes, you are in the best place too: browsing through the menu you will come across specialities that you would not find anywhere else. You are also made sure you will find the right selection of wines, to make every mouthful even more delicious.

The Head Chef has always got something to come up with that will make you go WOW. His creativity is unlimited, his skills are devilish, and his dishes are delicious. It may be Halloween, St. Martin’s Day, Christmas or New Year’s Eve, he always succeeds to design something new or elevate something traditional to a new level.

Vakvarju has different locations all around the city, so simply follow the link to find your preferred location.

Bistros – The ones with an attitude

Yellow Bistro & Bar

Danubius Hotel Helia’s new Yellow Bistro serves not only hotel guests, but also the general public, so that anyone can drop in any time for a pleasant gastronomic adventure.

Yellow Bistro & Bar’s selection includes healthy and quick meals, delicious sandwiches and pastries, but also a great soft drink and wine selection, specialty coffees, and for those with a sweet tooth, the newly introduced bright Yellow Cake. Additional choices include coconut-prawn soup, pumpkin pappardelle, Norwegian salmon fillet, and the recently re-invented cottage cheese pockets, to name just a few of the tastes

The bistro is found in the lounge area on the ground floor where you can stretch out on comfortable sofas and armchairs whilst being served by the very kind and professional staff.

Where to find them?  Kárpát u. 62-64, 1133 Budapest

Phone: +36 1 889 5800

Deryne Bistro

Chic, sexy, cosmopolitan, yet utterly local – Déryné opened on a street market, far away from the tourist crowds in the heart of a quiet Buda neighbourhood on the summer of 1914. It has been the café to hang out and the spot to be seen ever since. Artists, authors, movie stars, designers, ballerinas, the rich and famous shared the space with local crowds over coffee, drinks, food and the decadent magic lingering around its walls ever since.

This bustling corner of the city attracts hedonists, foodies and a cool young clientele with charm, smile and amazing food. They serve morning café, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and snacks till late. There is even a bakery on the premises, just to make sure the sourdough is always fresh and crunchy. Deryne is the place where you can start the day in style with a glass of prosecco.

Where to find them? Krisztina tér 3., 1013 Budapest

Reservation line: +361 225 1407

E-mail address: friends@deryne.com

Zsolnay Bisztro

Zsolnay  is a little oasis on the busy Teréz körút, located in the Radisson Blue Beke Hotel. It’s the perfect place for a warm-up hot drink, a romantic bottle of champagne or even a late-night cocktail with friends. The pastry assortment takes the place to another level which also includes lactose- and sugar-free options. Just recently refurbished the café with a gorgeous interior is open from 8 am to midnight catering for all meals and drinks of the day. What’s even better is they offer 50% discount during Sunday lunchtime!

Where to find them? Teréz körút 43., 1067 Budapest

E-mail address: sales.budapestradissonblu.com

 Spiler Bistro

Spíler is Baltazár’s little adventurous brother, a guy from a Guy Ritchie movie – a ladies’ man, a joker with many stories, with style but using his fist if needed. Like James Bond mixed with Johnny Quid. Spíler was born some time at the end of the 19th century in Budapest and is still one of the go to places to kick off a Friday night with a real cool atmosphere, flirty waiters and the one of the best burgers in town.

This iconic gastropub offers high-quality street food, excellent wines and a wide variety of local beers served in a laid-back urban locale in Gozsdu Udvar in downtown Budapest. It’s the great pub menu that sets Spíler apart – each dish is expertly made from scratch from super-fresh ingredients, like grilled chicken sausages, perfect cheeseburgers, and potato jackets loaded with delicious toppings.

Where to find them? Király utca 13., 1075 Budapest,

E-mail address: booking@spilerbp.hu

Wine bars for the gourmet lovers

St. Andrea Wine and Gourmet Bar

St. Andrea Wine Bar is bringing a little piece of the vineyards, the colours, the emotions, the thoughts to downtown Budapest to convey what Dr. Gyorgy Lorincz and his family truly represent, while also letting the land and the grape speak for itself.

They provide an outstanding service to their guests in a comfortable, warm but also elegant environment. The wine list features specific wines and champagne that are only available in the Bar, while also providing delicious gourmet snacks to complement the vintage.

The Bar opened its doors in Eiffel Palace, in one of the most prominent locations in the heart of Budapest, reflecting its significance both in terms of architecture and oenology.  Dr. Gyorgy Lorincz, the estate manager and wine maker of the St. Andrea winery, strongly believes that the Eiffel Palace and the St. Andrea brands perfectly complement each other, as their core values are based on common beliefs. Today, both names are synonymous with prestige, superior quality, respect for historical values, the celebration of the joyful present and future care.

Where to find them? Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 78., 1055 Budapest

E-mail address: info@standreaborbar.hu

Doblo Wine Bar

Doblo is the most beautiful wine bar in Budapest, they say. Not only beautiful but serves the best wines from Hungarian wineries. The large assortment offers sparkling wines, Prosecco and Champagne too, so everyone can find what they like. If you’re adventurous you can taste Pálinka, Hungary’s no1 weapon – also known as the local’s favourite fruit brandy/spirit.

To complement the wine assortment, they serve a traditional selection of meats such as ham, sausage, salami and even crispy goose skin as well as home-made cheeses, breads and pickled zucchini offering the best downtown cold plate experience.

Where to find them? Dob utca 20., 1072 Budapest

E-mail address: doblo@budapestwine.com

The ones with a touch of luxury

ICON Restaurant

Modern and elegant, the stunning Icon Restaurant embraces the future and yet pays homage to the history of the Royal Castle District. Icon has introduced a contemporary décor of warmness to create a relaxed, friendly and informal atmosphere located in Hilton Hotel in a truly premium location right next to Mattias Church.

Featuring an upscale 240-seat restaurant with a private saloon and 16 panoramic windows, guests of the Icon can choose from a distinctive Hilton breakfast to an extraordinary a la carte lunch and dinner menu as well as a sumptuous weekend brunch.

Hilton Budapest offers complimentary parking within the Castle District for its guests and offers a secure, 24-hour underground car park with check-up and manual cleaning services available for a small charge.

Where to find them? Hess András tér 1-3, 1014 Budapest

Phone: +36 1 889 6757

Kollazs Brasserie and Bar

Vibrant and inspiring, yet casual and affordable, KOLLÁZS – Brasserie & Bar is a contemporary brasserie in a landmark Budapest location, overlooking the Chain Bridge and the Danube River.

The Hungarian word for “collage,” Kollázs highlights creative combinations in all aspects of the dining experience. The interior design and décor are a fusion of old and new, luxurious and simple, representing the history of Budapest. The menu features a blend of local and international flavours, as well as traditional and modern dishes. The service is relaxed for the casual diner and professional for the formal diner. In addition, a timeless selection of music ranging from French, Hungarian, international songs, exclusively selected for Kollázs – completes this unique experience.

The interior was designed by the San Francisco based interior architecture and design company, EDG. The space represents the artistic era of the 1910s and ’20s, the coffee house culture, as well as the Art Nouveau style. Artwork is contemporary and consistently changes, complimenting and balancing the historic interior design.

As Budapest begins to emerge as a modern city without forgetting the past, Kollázs will complement the city perfectly and allow it to be defined by the needs of the guests that enter.

Where to find them? Széchenyi István tér, 1051 Budapest

Borkonyha – Winekitchen Restaurant

Winekitchen is a Michelin-star blend of a French-style bistro and a contemporary family restaurant offering the best of Hungarian cuisine. The name Winekitchen speaks for itself. The concept is based on the wide and diverse wine list, the delicious food and the personal and relaxed service.

The wine assortment includes 200 different, mostly Hungarian wines that represent not only the well-known wineries, but also small and yet-to-be-discovered cellars. They offer 48 wines by the glass at a time and have a temperature-controlled wine shelf with 1200-bottle-capacity so that you could buy wine by the bottle at a reasonable price for either take-away or drinking it on spot.

Their cuisine is based on fresh, even daily purchased ingredients and on the weekly-fortnightly changing offers written on the black board. Head Chef Ákos Sárközi has been with the owners from the first moment and he’s highly appreciated for his knowledge and genuineness, professionalism showed while working in Restaurant Alabárdos, his continuous success in the Tradition and Evolution competition, and the experiences he gained as a stage in the Portuguese two-Michelin-star Restaurant Villa Joya.

Where to find them? Sas utca 3., 1051 Budapest

E-mail address: borkonyha@borkonyha.hu

Hungary is a paradise for foodies and everyone who is looking for a unique dining experience. The locals are creative and ambitious and as all Hungarians, love food. We express our love and care through our flavours so don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new when visiting the Hungarian capital.

After all those heavy winter dishes, a little crisp-baked fish with vegetables makes the body feel good.

Ingredients:

• 1 piece filleted pike-perch per person
• shallots
• asparagus
• pea pods
• bell peppers
• whole chilies
• fresh parsley
• olive oil
• salt, pepper

Season each piece of fish with salt and pepper, then pan-sear the slices in the oil, turning several times.  Remove the fish, and add the vegetables.  Brown until crisp, seasoning with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.

Tip:  Excellent when accompanied by new potatoes with parsley!

Think you already know everything there is to know about this popular dish?  Watch our video and make it as never before!

Ingredients:

• ½ filleted chicken breast
• 1 onion
• olive oil
• paprika
• salt, pepper
• 2 dl chicken broth
• 1 tomato
• 1 pepper
• 4 t flour
• a small quantity of water
• 2 T sour cream
• 0,5 dl cream

crepe batter:

• 400 g flour
• 2 eggs
• salt
• 1 dl milk
• 3 dl soda water
• oil

Slice the chicken breast thinly, pound flat, and season with salt and pepper.  Brown both sides in olive oil until slices are cooked through.  Remove from the frying pan.  Begin preparing the sour cream – paprika sauce by sautéing the coarsely chopped onion in olive oil.  Add the chopped pepper and tomato, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with paprika, then pour in the chicken broth.  Cook thoroughly, then strain. Return the resulting liquid to the heat and carefully blend in the sour cream and cream.  Use a thin paste of flour combined with water to thicken.

Prepare a standard crepe batter using salt, but no sugar, then, after a brief rest period, make the crepes, using a large biscuit cutter to create perfect circles.  To serve, layer the crepes with the sauce and chicken pieces.  Finish by covering the entire stack with sauce and garnishing with sour cream.

Tip:  Be generous with the sauce, spreading each crepe completely and saving plenty for the top, making the entire dish deliciously creamy.
To save time, make the crepes a day in advance.

This simple but superb dish is a favourite of adults and children alike and, done right, can be prepared and consigned to the oven in next to no time.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg boiled potatoes, sliced
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 200 g bacon, cut into strips
• 1 smoked Hungarian paprika sausage, sliced
• 5-6 dl sour cream
• salt, pepper
• shredded cheese

Layer the ingredients in a buttered baking pan so that the potatoes are at the bottom.  Cover with sour cream.  Layer with sausage, eggs, and bacon, as desired, each time topping with more potatoes and sour cream and seasoning with salt and pepper.  Cover the top in shredded cheese.

Bake at 200˚C for one hour.  Serve hot.  The casserole can be plated with additional sour cream or, for an excellent accompaniment, served with pickles such as the Hungarian yeast-fermented variety.

Tip:  Because potato casserole is particularly susceptible to drying out, be sure to be generous with the sour cream, possibly adding a few spoonsful of melted fat to ensure the right degree of juiciness.

This traditional peasant dish is known by a variety of Hungarian names – bandurák, bere,  cicedli, cicege, hadi rántotta,  krumplibaba, lapcsánka,  lepkepotyi,  macok,  pacsni, recsege,  rösztike, tócsi… – and appears in at least as many variations.

With courgettes:

• 1 large courgette (shredded)
• 1 egg
• 2-3 T flour
• salt, pepper,
• basil

With potatoes:

• 4 large raw potatoes (shredded)
• 1 egg
• 2-3 T flour
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt, pepper

Combine all ingredients and brown on both sides in a small amount of oil until crispy.

Tip:  Served with a little salad or ketchup, this dish makes an excellent stand-alone supper or an accompaniment for stewed vegetables.

Producing a good fisherman’s soup is a bit like carrying out a ritual.  You buy the fresh fish, you give the soup base its proper time… you enjoy the experience.  The Hungarian Christmas table has always held a place of honour for dishes made with fish, including fisherman’s soup.  Did you know that the scales of the fish symbolise the money to come in the New Year, and that people once wished their families that they might make their way through the coming year as a fish makes its way through water?

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ kg fish bones
• 800 g onions
• 100 g sweet banana peppers
• 100 g tomatoes
• 1 hot pepper (optional)
• 100 g sweet paprika
• 600 g carp
• salt

Place the fish bones, diced onion, paprika, and tomatoes in a soup pot, add enough water to cover, season with salt, and put on to simmer for 1 – 1 ½ hours.  Remove from heat and wait for the fat to rise to the surface, then sprinkle with paprika and cook for another 20 minutes.  Cut the carp into cubes.  Pass the broth through a strainer to remove bones, return to heat, add the carp, and cook until done.

Tip:
Optionally, fisherman’s soup can be enriched with fish roe or milt or even matchstick noodles.

This simple, tasty dish is an excellent choice where cooking time is limited.  Getting it right requires careful attention to two things:  that it not become too dry, and that it be judiciously seasoned.  Optionally, pork, turkey, duck, or even veal liver can be substituted for the chicken liver.  Sautéed liver makes an excellent addition to any diet, if for no other reason, than as a rich source of vitamin B.

Ingredients:

• 500 g chicken livers
• 200 g onions, sliced into rings
• 1 sweet banana pepper
• 1 hot wax pepper
• 1 tomato
• 30 g sweet paprika
• marjoram
• salt
• pepper

Sautee the chopped onion briefly in a small quantity of oil, sprinkle with paprika, then add a little water.  Cube the peppers and tomato and add them to the pan.  Season with marjoram and ground black pepper.  Finally, add the chicken liver and braise until soft, about 30 minutes.  This dish is best eaten fresh, accompanied by boiled salted potatoes or potatoes tossed with parsley.

Tip:

Sautéed liver can also be made in the oven, in which case it can be stirred after the first 8 minutes have passed.  Poultry liver can be salted during cooking, while the livers of other animals should be salted toward the end of the cooking time to prevent their becoming too hard.

This hearty meal-in-one dish is an interesting combination of sauerkraut and traditional Hungarian pork stew, with a few minor additions.  It is believed that Székely cabbage, which boasts a tradition reaching as far back as the 19^th century, only grows better with multiple re-warmings.

Ingredients:

• 200 g pork shoulder
• 100 g onions
• 200 g sauerkraut
• 1 80-g piece of smoked bacon
• 3 dl sour cream
• 1 sweet banana pepper
• 1 hot wax pepper
• 1 tomato
• 10 g fresh dill
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 40 g sweet paprika
• ground black pepper, salt to taste

Cube the bacon and brown in a small quantity of oil; add the finely chopped onions, the minced garlic, the paprika, and a little water.  Allow to simmer until the flavours are well blended.  Add the pork, cut into cubes, a little ground caraway, and the bay leaves.  Replenish the water, cover, and simmer until the meat is soft.  Finally, cube and add the tomato, peppers, and sauerkraut.  When all ingredients are soft, thicken with sour cream and season with fresh dill.

Tip:
For milder flavour, rinse the sauerkraut under running water before cooking.

Legendary dishes from a legendary kitchen. Since its grand opening in 1894, the Gundel has been regarded not as a mere restaurant, but – thanks to founder Károly Gundel, János Gundel, and the renowned chefs that followed them – as the cradle of modern Hungarian dining culture, an establishment synonymous with the history of Hungarian gastronomy and restauranteering in general.  The secret of the Gundel Restaurants popularity lies with its sincere hospitality and venerable atmosphere, the centuries-old tradition that permeates its stately building, and a kitchen that, while using the very best of ingredients, remains steadfast in its dedication to innovation.

Starting April of 2018, the Gundel team will be welcoming to its ranks Zsolt Litauszki, member of the Bocuse d’Or Academy of Hungary and former creative chef of the Zsidai Group.

Fresh from a two-year stint in Costa Rica, Litauszki will be charged with developing a new approach for the restaurant, one that nevertheless respects the establishment’s time-tested, traditional values.  At the start of his career, chef Litauszki spent nine years in Austria, where he worked in eight different culinary establishments, including two that boasted Michelin stars.  Upon his return to Hungary in 2008, Litauszki quickly brought the Maligán Wine Tavern, then under his management, to rank among the best restaurants in the country.  Between 2009 and 2016, after opening the Zsidai Group’s second restaurant, the successful chef participated in the founding and operation of twelve other hospitality industry establishments (including the Pierrot, the ÉS Bistro at Kempinski Hotel, Baltazár Hotel and Restaurant, Pest Buda Hotel and Bistro, the Opera Café, the Spíler, and Jamie’s Italian Budapest), developing a special menu for each one.

As for the restaurant itself, as early as the time of the New York World’s Fair, the Gundel represented Hungarian gastronomy so extraordinarily that the New York Times claimed it had done more for Hungary’s reputation than might have been accomplished with an entire shipload of tourist brochures.  Just as Kodály and Bartók had done with the nation’s folk music, Gundel sought to collect recipes for gastronomic specialties from all parts of historic Hungary, often catering to his regular guests with dishes prepared specially for, and named after them.  Since then, the Gundel’s reputation has remained undiminished, winning a top ranking among voters for Budapest’s best restaurant again in 2017.

With the arrival of Zsolt Litauszki starting 16 April, the legendary Gundel will be offering diners an all-new menu, for which the kitchen staff has united selected classics from the Gundel legacy with various elements of contemporary cuisine to create an experience that represents the best of both the past, and present.  Perusing the new menu, one discovers – among other things – Károly Gundel’s famous gulyás, János Gundel’s fish soup, and goose liver delicacies prepared in that particular Gundel style.  Among dishes and accompaniments invented in the time of Károly Gundel himself are mushroom salad, Csíki sauce, Gundel-style tenderloin strips, and Pittsburgh veal ribs.  Still, the most illustrious of the restaurant’s creations remains to this day its special dessert, Crêpes Gundel, whose history is the stuff of legends, but whose invention is attributed not to the famous restauranteur whose name they bear, but to Lola Matzner, wife of writer Sándor Márai.  Though for many years the menu actually referred to the dish as Crêpes Márai, with the rise of communism and the subsequent banning of Márai’s works, the dish was necessarily rechristened.  Filled with rum-infused walnut paste and doused with dark chocolate sauce, Crêpes Gundel are wheeled out tableside, spectacularly flambéed, and served piping hot.

With the Gundel’s a’ la carte menu, visitors to the pleasant green expanses of Budapest’s City Park may also order from among dishes representing a somewhat lighter fare, while the restaurant’s 3-course Lunch, Sunday brunch, Liget Dinner, Sampler, and Gundel Grand Menus, too, serve to bring the still-influential legacy of the Gundel dynasty within reach of all.

This delicious, fragrant, uncommonly hearty meat soup is a true Hungarian speciality.  One of Hungary’s best-known dishes, goulash is made differently from region to region, and even from household to household.  But if there’s one thing you can say for certain, it’s that it always tastes great…

Ingredients:

• 600 g beef shank
• 150 g carrots
• 150 g parsley root
• 200 g finely chopped onion
• 15 g ground caraway
• 50 g minced garlic
• 30 g sweet paprika
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 2 sweet banana peppers
• 1 hot pepper
• 250 g potatoes
• salt to taste
• cooking oil

Finely chop the onion.  Cut the meat into cubes.  Sauté the onion in a small amount of cooking oil.  Add the minced garlic, a little water, and the ground caraway.

Add the beef and sauté until just white.  Season with salt and paprika, then allow the meat to simmer in its own juices for about 30 minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes, the chopped vegetables, and enough water to make a soup and simmer for an additional 30-40 minutes or until all ingredients are soft.

Tip:

Goulash can be enriched with what are known as “pinched dumplings” (csipetke).  To prepare, combine an egg with a bit of salt and enough flour to make a stiff dough.  Pinch dumplings one by one from the mass and add to the soup.  The dumplings should soften in about 10 minutes.

Many, many people love to prepare this truly rib-sticking dish in a variety of different styles. It’s a one-plate meal, and a particularly delicious combination of tender and juicy meat with crisp potatoes. It’s best prepared with a playful lightness of touch, and the most tasty method is always to make it fresh to order.

Ingredients

• 500 grams pork – tenderloin or medallions, depending on preference (see below)
• 100 grams onions
• 100 grams streaky smoked bacon
• 1 large light green pepper
• 1 dark green pepper
• 2 tomatoes
• 80 grams crushed garlic
• parsley
• salt
• ground black pepper
• 120 grams potatoes, cut into cubes

Chop up the meat into little cubes, and brown it in a little oil. Cut up the bacon into small chunks and fry in a little oil, then add the onion, the garlic, peppers, tomatoes, herbs and season well. Then add the meat and a little water and cook gently until the meat softens. Meanwhile, fry the potato cubes in a little oil and mix in with the meat and vegetables.

Tip: For those who like a juicy dish with more sauce, choose pork tenderloin, those who prefer a drier dish should choose pork medallions. When serving, don’t forget the pickles!