Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Café Eszpresszó, Gellért Hotel
Centre
Centrál Kávéház
Right
Tea and cake at Leroy Café
Eating and Drinking Tips
!
Vegetarian Tips
*
Breakfast
under no obligation to pay
this, as tipping is entirely
at your own discretion. A
10 per cent tip for good
service is usually sufi-
cient, but if service is
poor, do not feel obliged
to leave any tip at all.
There are plenty of
places serving vegetarian
food in Budapest. Most
restaurants have a vege-
tarian section, with dishes
such as
lesco
(pan-fried
tomatoes and peppers)
and vegetarian goulash.
Good restaurants include
Krizia
(see p99)
and the
Marquis de Salade
(see
p79).
@
Ordering
Even the cheapest
hotel will include a Con-
tinental breakfast in the
price of your room, but
for something more sub-
stantial, try Chapter One
for omelettes, pancakes,
ham and eggs (open from
9am) or Vista, serving
fresh croissants and
omelettes from 8am.
%
Reservations
Many of Budapest's
restaurants need prior
reservations, especially
if you want a particular
table, or would like to sit
outside. You may be
asked for a phone num-
ber when making a
reservation - your hotel
number should sufice.
(
Brunch
Sunday brunch is big
news in Budapest. All
the ive-star hotels listed
on p112 offer brunch
from 11:30am, with live
music, good food and
often champagne for a
set price, usually between
Ft7,500-10,000. A favou-
rite is at the Gellért Hotel.
When ordering meat,
make sure that you clearly
state how you want it
cooked, otherwise it will
appear the burnt side of
well-done. Side dishes
and vegetables are
usually ordered separate-
ly. Hungarians also order
their dessert along with
the rest of the meal.
^
Smoking
Hungary is
increasingly unfriendly
towards smokers, though
you can still light up in all
but the strictest bars and
restaurants. Note, though,
that non-smoking sec-
tions in most places are
now far larger than their
smoking counterparts.
)
Ethnic Food
Don't be surprised if
your hot curry is not as
hot as you expected. The
best place for the genuine
article is the Indian res-
taurant, Taj Mahal
(see
p99)
, though Bombay
Palace is also good. The
city's Chinese restau-
rants are best avoided.
#
Paying
Most restaurants
accept credit cards. How-
ever, some places that
usually accept cards may
refuse to do so if the
amount spent is not
considered high enough.
When handing over your
card to a waiter, ensure
that he doesn't disappear
for a while before hand-
ing it back, as he may
have made a copy - a
practice that is fairly com-
mon. Accompany your
card to the cashier if you
feel unsure
(see p106).
$
Tipping
&
Late-Night Eating
Unless you're willing
to brave the street-stalls
selling
gyros
(pita sand-
wiches), it can be dif-
icult to ind a midnight
snack in the city. Some
of the bars on Liszt
Ferenc tér serve food
until the early hours, and
the Irish pub Becketts
(see p78)
can usually rus-
tle up a sandwich for you
as well. Remember that
all central branches of
McDonalds are open until
midnight, while Don Pepe
Pizza is open till 6am.
Directory
Restaurants
• Bombay Palace: VI,
Andrássy út 44; 331 19
86
• Chapter One: V,
Nádor utca 29
• Don Pepe Pizza: V,
Nyugati tér 8; 33 22
954
• Vista Café: VII, Paulay
Ede utca 7; 268 08 88
Many restaurants
include a service charge
in the bill as a matter of
course. You should feel
108
For more on Budapest restaurants,
see pp52-3, 66-7, 73, 78-9,
86-7, 92-3 and 99.
