Hungary - Eastern Europe - page 303

WHERE TO DINE
Budapest features an increasingly diverse range of restaurants to go along with those
more traditional eateries that have stood the test of time. Ethnic restaurants have
appeared on the scene in the last decade; you'll find Japanese, Korean, Indian, Middle
Eastern, Greek, and Mexican restaurants in the city. Of course, most tourists under-
standably want to sample authentic Hungarian food while in Budapest. Each restau-
rant has its own story and character. In this city, traditional fare runs the gamut from
greasy to gourmet; there are few palates that can't be pleased here. Budapest has gained
a reputation for good dining at reasonable prices, so live it up.
However, one warning: While this country is landlocked, many restaurants pride
themselves of their fresh seafood delights. Many Hungarians probably hark back to a
time when the sea was a part of this land, and some even think that the sea is closer
than it actually is. The fact is, such a promise is hard to keep; we recommend stay-
ing away from imported seafood. At traditional Hungarian restaurants you will find
delightful local fish: Szeged or Tisza fish soups are delicious, and far better than a far-
from-fresh seafood platter.
WARNING The U.S. Embassy circulates a list of restaurants that engage in “uneth-
ical business practices” such as “excessive billing,” using “physical intimidation” to
compel payment of excessive bills, and “assaulting customers” for nonpayment of
excessive bills. If you don't want to encounter the “restaurant mafia,” avoid these
places. The current list includes Városközpont (accessible by outside elevator),
Budapest V district, Váci utca 16; La Dolce Vita, Október 6. utca 8; Nirvana Night
Club, Szent István krt. 13; Ti'Amo Bar, Budapest IX district, Ferenc körút 19-21;
Diamond Club, Budapest II district, Bimbó út 3; and Pigalle Night Club, Budapest
VIII district, Kiss József utca 1-3.
You can always check the embassy website for updated information: visit http://
budapest.usembassy.gov/tourist_advisory.html.
THE INNER CITY & CENTRAL PEST
Expensive
Páva ITALIAN The restaurant of Budapest's truly world-class hotel must be
elegant and suave at the same time, and this one is both. While the atmosphere here
is a tad stiff, the dining experience is memorable. Make sure you leave yourself a lot
of time to enjoy the Páva, however, which serves really great Italian cuisine: this is a
3-hour, six-course meal, and if you are lucky the friendly Italian restaurant manager
Andrea Colla will guide you through a dinner in which four kinds of wines are served.
We started with warm baby artichoke with provolone cheese and arugula served with
a light balsamic dressing. Then came the best part of the feast: a porcini and truffle
cappuccino with wild mushrooms and taleggio toast which was basically a mushroom
soup, but exquisite and truly memorable. Next was a pumpkin and scampi risotto,
which was followed by a bitter and truly unsavory grenade apple and Campari grat-
iné. It was supposed to guide us into the main course, but it just didn't work. The
roasted duck breast with wild mushrooms served with folded ravioli was excellent,
however, and it was a pleasure just dining in this building, one of Budapest's most
beautiful.
Roosevelt tér 5-6. & 1/268-5100. Reservations recommended. 6-course menu 9,800 Ft ($49/£25), with wines
18,000 Ft ($90/£46). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 6-10pm. Metro: Deák tér (all lines) or Kossuth tér (Red line).