Restaurants - The Rough Guide to Budapest - page 234

Reservations While few restaurants in Budapest require you to make a reservation, it's best
to do so at the more fashionable end of the market, especially if you're really determined to
eat somewhere in particular.
Opening hours Restaurants are generally open 11am or noon to 10 or 11pm, though those
that serve breakfast - of which there are an increasing number - will open around 8am. Most
restaurants are open daily, though quite a few do close on Sundays; some of the top-end es-
tablishments, such as Zona and Csalogány 26 , also close on Mondays.
Menus It's unusual now to find any establishment that doesn't have a menu in English, al-
though dishes chalked up on a blackboard may not have a translation. Menus should clearly
state whether there is a service charge (typically ten or twelve percent) or not, but if you're
not sure, ask before ordering. If you're with children it's always worth asking whether there's
a kids' menu, or whether they're able to knock up a small portion ( kisadag ).
Smoking The smoking ban that came into being in 2012 is strictly enforced indoors. Now it
is the terraces and garden areas that are the haunts of smokers.
A warning The days of waiters in Budapest overcharging or making “mistakes” with your
bill are largely gone. However, you should still be on your guard; avoid any establishment
that doesn't display its prices (either food or drink), and don't be at all shy about querying
the total amount if you think it looks suspect. One particularly annoying practice is waiters
touting for business, which is a highly conspicuous activity along Váci utca.
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THE BELVÁROS
FAST FOOD AND SNACKS
Al-Amir V, Petofi Sándor utca 18 1 266 0662, al-amir.hu ; map . This highly popular
Syrian restaurant has been moving round the city over the years, but the latest incarnation is
as good as ever. One of the best places for vegetarians in the city, with its range of salads and
fresh ingredients, - and also a wide range of Middle Eastern meat dishes, all at very moderate
prices. Mains from 1400Ft. No alcohol. Daily 10am-11pm.
Belvárosi Disznótoros V, Károlyi utca 17 0670 602 2775 tinyurl.com/oxfg8or ; map .
Meat galore in the “ Downtown Pig Feast”, a stand-up retro lunch bar that's the perfect place
to taste traditional Hungarian dishes such as pig's trotters and tripe stew. It's modelled on an
old-style butcher's shop - there's even a butcher's counter at the back - and even has old-
style surly staff. They also have delicious sausages, black pudding, and salads, but not the
sort to lure in vegetarians. Mon-Fri 8.30am-7pm, Sat 11am-7pm.
Jacques Liszt V, Apáczai Csere János utca 7 0630 428 2232 facebook.com/jac-
quesliszt ; map . Small rough-hewn bakery café near Vigadó tér that serves some of the best
bread in town - the name is a joke: to a Hungarian it sounds like “bag of flour”. Misi the