budget
Mar 10 '10
How About Some Czech, Mate?
Among the many reasons why I am a Very Special Person is that (drumroll) I actually like Czech food. No, I'm not making a joke at the expense of Central Europe's most scoffed-at cuisine. Maybe it's because I lived...
Dec 23 '09
Finally, a Budapest Restaurant Concept to Sink Your Teeth Into
It is one of those ideas that seems so obvious, you can’t believe it hasn’t been done before: take a traditional Hungarian butcher shop, add a few up-market flourishes, and emphasize the pre-prepared food rather than the meat counter....
Dec 08 '09
Most! a Most Welcome Addition to the Budapest Restaurant Scene
According to one of my colleagues over at the drink-focused Pestiside.hu, the recently-opened Most! is a most welcome addition to the Budapest bar scene. Good news! And it gets better, because in my view it's an equally welcome addition...
Oct 27 '09
Cracking the De Fincsi Code at the "Historic" Leonardo Pizzeria
It has been a pleasure, over the years, to watch the short, picturesque District VIII street - Krúdy Gyula, named after the writer known as the "Hungarian Proust" - transform from a rutty, pockmarked side-street, to the macadam, chic...
Sep 30 '09
Back to the Future at the (Red) Star of City Park
There are a lot of reasons to go to Pántlika, which sits behind Petőfi Csarnok in the Városliget. Foremost is that the weather is changing, and the City Park in the Zugló section of Budapest actually gets nicer as...
Sep 17 '09
Budget Budapest: All Hail the New King of Szerb-Burgers
It is pleasing to write - during this period of culinary constriction - that there are a few recently opened budget establishments worth your attention, especially if you like grilled meats. One of them, the Burekkirály (Burek King), on...
Jul 17 '09
Special Lunch Specials: World's Most Tender Chicken Versus World's Most Elegant Főzelek @ Csalogány 26
Our last check-in with Csalogány 26 (follow link for contact details and user feedback) occurred after someone had trashed the restaurant's service at lunch. Back then we found the service just fine, and the specials on offer just delicious....
Jul 10 '09
Special Lunch Specials: Salad with Shrimp and Sea Bass with Veggies, Ft 1,200 @ Central Kávéház
We're back! I'd apologize for the lack of posting, but will be dishing out enough juicy tidbits over the coming days to more than make up for it. While there are some longer, multi-visit reviews and other items pending,...
May 08 '09
Is There Anything Closer to a New York Pizza Parlor in Budapest Than This? Fuhgeddaboudit!
Even though I grew up going to family events with people who could have walked straight off the set of the Godfather - Grandma D'Amato warming the escarole pie on the radiator while Uncle Rocky teased Cousin Johnny about...
Mar 27 '09
Rich Americans, Poor Hungarians Brought Together By Love of Authenticity, Exclusivity
In these days of international economic crisis and discord, it's always nice to hear stories that illustrate how food can build bridges between peoples. This morning, several readers sent over a link to this story in today's New York...
Mar 05 '09
Budapest Finally Gets an African Oasis
I have to admit that I was so excited to discover Savannah Africa, a cavernous new restaurant-café-nightclub near Teréz körút, that I immediately blew my cover as a food reviewer, and thus can't promise that your experience will be...
Jan 08 '09
A Genuine Transylvanian Love Story Turns to Horror in Final Scene
For a city with so many Hungarians originating from Erdély (Transylvania) there are precious few restaurants in Budapest specializing in the hearty fare from that region. And if you have been to Transylvania, you know just how good the...
Dec 22 '08
The Babel About Budapest (I): Is the Hungarian Capital Really the Cheapest in Europe?
Posting has recently been light, in part because we've felt a little too poor to go out. But maybe we shouldn't be! According to this recent post on cafebabel.com - which bills itself as "The European Magazine" - a night...
Dec 09 '08
Mmmmm. M. is Back
The restaurant known only as M. (follow link for contact details and user feedback) and its tiny District VII storefront made a quiet splash when it opened seven years ago, earning a following with its inventive comfort food, frequently...
Nov 18 '08
Budget Budapest: Tacos Locos
If I owned a restaurant, I am not sure I would put the cans and packages of my ingredients in the street display window. It is sort of like saying, "you could actually make this stuff at home, if...
Oct 03 '08
The Perfect Imperfect Budget Thai Relaxation Combo
It could all just be a result of the recent weather, but my experience at the Parázs Presszó, run by a Thai-Hungarian couple in District VI (click for contact details and user feedback) was comparable to seeing familiar landmarks...
Sep 22 '08
Hunt Continues for Elusive Killer Serb in Budapest
Today's earlier review of a supposedly great Balkan restaurant up in Szentendre has left me feeling really hungry for food from the meat-mad lands just south of Hungary, and pondering this question: with Serbia so close, and so many...
Sep 12 '08
Hungarian Diners Breathlessly Await Arrival of German Mall Seafood Joint
Hungary's first Nordsee restaurant will open in Budapest's WestEnd mall within a few weeks, reports Index.hu. The German company has been rumored to enter Hungary for two years, and the company confirmed the upcoming opening, but did not reveal more...
Sep 03 '08
The Early Bird Gets the Strudel at Rózi Néni Rétesei
When you think of Budapest, great street food does not immediately come to mind. More often that not, you are either stuck with the omnipresent gyros-stand, or, as of late, an American Hot Dog cart, looking like some misbegotten,...
Aug 26 '08
Budget Budapest: Extremely Budget
There is a certain satisfaction to buying food in the same place where it is made. Generally, the fewer steps from its origin to your mouth makes for a fresher and less expensive experience. You can find just this...
Aug 04 '08
A Kosher Slice that Won't Make the Classical Pizza Gods Angry
Kosher pizza has a terrible reputation, a gastronomic fact I was unaware of when I first had a savory slice at Cari Mama Pizzeria (follow link for contact details and user feedback) two years ago. But while I've discovered...
Aug 01 '08
Budapest Burgerwar: We May Have a Winner!
Nothin' but the Blues, a one-time hot-spot on Krúdy Gyula in District VIII, was moribund for years before being renovated and re-opened sometime recently under new management. Despite having lived within a block, I had not ventured into the...
Jul 15 '08
Budget Budapest: The Polo Pub Söröző
Every now and again it actually happens that you stumble into a place that reminds you that there are still hidden gems in this city, places you hesitate to publicize because you want to keep them to yourself for...
Jun 05 '08
Gold Bisztró Lunch Menu Takes Gold For Value - And Quality
When we first met eccentric wine-pusher József Szentesi, we were so taken with him and his wines that we promised to write gushing reviews of his other business ventures. While the long-awaited lowdown on the Maligán Borétterem (and its...
Jun 04 '08
Budapest Burgerwar: The Taco Express Cheeseburger
One of the reasons for the "ceasefire" that brought the Budapest Burgerwar to a halt for several months was the question of what on Earth to say about all the more or less interchangeable "delivery-only" burgers that ended up...
Jun 04 '08
Budapest Burgerwar: A Perfect Cheapo Burger Opportunity Ruined at Grund
It doesn't take a great restaurant to make a great burger. It doesn't even take a restaurant at all: some of the most lauded State-side burgers can be bought at stands or drive-thrus. It is such a simple equation,...
Jun 02 '08
Time Traveling at the Baross Étterem, Breakfast Included
Food-wise there is no real good argument for the Baross Étterem (follow link for contact details and user feedback). It is your standard Hungarian fare, with no bells and whistles, unless you count those on the departing trains of...
May 23 '08
McDonald's to Celebrate Twenty Years in Hungary with Big Mac Sale
Next Tuesday, to celebrate the fact that McDonald's opened its first store in Hungary twenty years and one month ago, (simply holding the celebration on the twentieth anniversary would have been too logical), Big Macs will again be available for...
May 13 '08
Budget Budapest: TV Dinners for the Bollywood Set
Indian food being what it is in Budapest (fairly mediocre and unpresuming) many foodies I know prefer to make their own. If you are too busy or lazy, it is still possible to enjoy a good Dal Palak (various...
May 07 '08
Bar Ladino Brings Service With a Smile to Jewish Quarter Dining/Drinking
If you have ever been short-changed, chewed-out by, or deemed beneath the attention of the bar staff at Ellátó and always seem to end a night out at Sark Presszó then a nearby alternative like Bar Ladino is very...
May 06 '08
Good Golly These Gofri Are Yummy!
Food lines in Budapest are pretty much a thing of the past, unless you are talking about the one which regularly snakes down Kossuth utca outside the portal of a window at the Jégbüfé (follow link for contact details,...
Apr 24 '08
Kohinoor: Diamond in the Rough, or Just Another Indo-Pak Étkezde?
What do the Indian restaurants in Budapest have in common with the city's étkezdék, or traditional Hungarian diners? The answer is, of course, not much, except everybody has a favorite they swear by. There seem to be lots of...
Apr 08 '08
I Primi: Where Ravioli and Disappointment Never Sleep
My most recent forays into Pest's budget-priced underworld have all taken place in what is known as the "Palace District." And a royal blend it's been: from the vaguely schizophrenic (Archívum) to the medicinal (Jelen Bisztró) to the studiously...
Apr 01 '08
Testing the Ft 389 Mákos Guba at Mákos Guba
After a long period in which everything new in Budapest had to be overstyled and overpriced, or faceless imitations of established overseas hits, a few places have opened recently that seem to buck that trend, by offering something new...
Mar 19 '08
I Can Tell You Everything About Keret, Except Its Address
The part of downtown Pest known as the Palace District, which covers an indeterminate tangle of streets behind the National Museum, used to be called "Chicago." While it probably got this handle due to the thuggish atmosphere that still...
Mar 13 '08
APA Cuka Mastering the Art of the Budget Meal
Anybody fed matzo ball soup as a child either looks upon the dish as a meal-time chore or a novel treat. About the size of a snowball, and highly throwable, the matzo ball easily doubled as a weapon. I...
Mar 04 '08
Mall Pizza Cone Full of Sajt is Just a Little Too Cheesy
Before I ever ate my first pizza in a cone, I was convinced I would enjoy it. I am inevitably amused when I encounter normal foods in weird shapes, sizes or colors. I was one of those people who...
Mar 03 '08
Magyar Microwave: The Tesco Meal Marathon
Having become the more or less official Magyar Microwave meal tester for Chew, I was thus faced with the obligation of trying the Tesco line of quickly-nukeable meals. I should make it clear at this point that I only sampled...
Feb 27 '08
Sziasztok Szerbek (II): The Return of the "Serbo-Hungarian" Hangover Killer
Perhaps thanks to the opening last year of the super-cool Corvintető club/disco on the roof of the old Corvin department store, the entire area around Blaha Lujza tér is becoming a bustling hive of ethnic eateries and new bars....
Feb 20 '08
All Your Favorite Sushis Now Be 15% More Cheaper in February
We would have mentioned earlier that delivery-only nyers hal specialist I Love Sushi is having a 15%-off sale this month, but given that we've received official notification of it four times - twice via email, and twice via SMS...
Feb 18 '08
Budget Budapest: Kiadó Kocsma
The first thing you notice about the Kiadó Kocsma és Étterem ("Publisher Pub and Restaurant") is that there are always bicycles stacked thick around the doors, sign posts, anyplace they can be propped and locked. Welcome to little Amsterdam...
Feb 15 '08
Thank God for Tacos, But Thank Mo for Arriba Taqueria
If you're in the restaurant review racket, pretty much the worst 10 words a friend can call up and tell you are "Hey, I've just opened my new place - come on over!" If the place turns out to...
Feb 13 '08
Budget Budapest: Archívum Étterem és Kávézó
Though I must have passed Archívum a thousand times on the way to Kálvin tér, there was never a good enough reason to go in: nearby APA Cuka has a more tempting menu for food, and Prága Café, two...
Jan 11 '08
Budget Budapest: Falafel Falafel vs. Hummus Falafel
At one time, Falafel on Paulay Ede utca was a rare safe haven for vegetations looking for a quick bite in Budapest. Primarily a salad bar, they also served homemade soups and fruit shakes. It was very forward-thinking at...
Dec 18 '07
Regős Vendéglő Skips on the Musicians, Provides Good Affordable Meals Instead
I first came across the Regős Vendéglő és Falatozó a few months back, when I had some guests from overseas, and we were looking for some decent traditional Hungarian eats that wouldn't bust our (student-sized) wallets. I must admit...
Nov 26 '07
Budget Budapest: Be Happy at Fruccola, or Else
My favorite thing about Fruccola, which opened a few months back on Arany János in District V, is the orange juice squeezer. It is worth going just to watch it in action, robotically juicing orange after orange and spitting...
Nov 20 '07
New Budget Restaurant Opens to Feed "Poor" Parliamentarians
At a buffet restaurant opened recently in the Parliament building, politicians can buy a lunch menu for Ft 410 (€1.60), fruit soup for Ft 160 and "Hawaiian chicken" for Ft 550, prices that are extremely low compared to average lunch...
Nov 16 '07
Deep-Fried Friday (II): Going Mad for Transylvania's "Angry" Donuts
Cluj-Napoca/Kolozsvár is a city on the move, as only a town with three names can be. Part of a booming portion of formerly Hungarian-ruled Transylvania, it is the seat of a young but burgeoning wine industry, a hot-spot with...
Nov 16 '07
Deep-Fried Friday (I): Almost Everyone a Winner in the Budapest Lángos War
Now that the grueling Budapest Burgerwar™ is slowly grinding to a conclusion, we will soon have to find another category of edible suitable for a competition. It looks, however, like we'll have to find something other than the lángos,...
Nov 15 '07
Czech Crocodile Thrashes Slovak Leopard in Foreign Sandwich Face-Off
There was a time in Budapest when sandwich options were easy, and very home-grown: There were the open-faced canopies served at few select büfés, or the meleg szendvics (which appetizingly translates as "warm sandwich"), an increasingly endangered species usually...
Oct 31 '07
Magyar Microwave: Chili May be the Pick of Pick's Ready-to-Eat Meals
One of the things that is difficult to get in Budapest is a good bowl of chili. Even though quite a few restaurants now serve it as an option, you don't always have the time to go to a...
Oct 29 '07
Café Snail Sets Pace for Budget Artisanal Eating in Budapest
What does it say about the Csiga Café that the same three servers who were working there on its opening night almost six years ago were still behind the bar when I ate there after its recent reopening? One...
Oct 24 '07
A Bittersweet Reminder of Would-Be Hungarian Gourmands' Purchasing Power
While waiting for our morning metro the other day at a station in downtown Budapest we spotted this billboard on the other side of the tracks. If your Hungarian is poor enough that you can't tell what it is,...
Oct 01 '07
Beware Friends Bearing Cans of Sausage Lentil Főzelék
Like many other Hungarians, full-blooded or not, I'm not particularly a fan of főzelék, which is best described as a creamy vegetable dish. However, considering that lencsefőzelék is almost always just thick lentil soup, I decided to go ahead...
Sep 11 '07
Budget Budapest: The Glorious New Age of Old Amsterdam
Don't you love it when things get better? Despite what you may think, this actually happens in the world of Budapest dining. Old Amsterdam was, when I arrived in the city so many years ago, a dingy pub that...
Sep 10 '07
Restaurant Décor Fit for a Mongrel Meets Indian Food Fit for a Mogul
After its traditional summer holiday, the Lucullus Baráti Társaság - Hungary's premier gourmet dining club - got back to "business" the Friday before last with a dinner highlighting the cuisine of northern India. But instead of having the feast...
Sep 04 '07
Magyar Microwave: Hungarian Stuffed Peppers, Without the Peppers
In the interest of providing Chew's budget-minded readers with more practical dining tips, I have been charged by the editor with the task of probing the growing array of ready-made microwaveable Hungarian dishes. As you can see in the...
Aug 27 '07
Budget Budapest: Feeding the Party Animals at Marxim
When I was a teenager in Chicago, there was a restaurant called Ed Debevic's, which was a 50's-themed burger diner with sock-hopping waitresses, jukeboxes and enough 50's paraphernalia to outfit Grease III. As a kid, I got a subversive...
Jul 19 '07
Budapest Burgerwar: The Lazza Pizza Guru "Big Burger"
When I agreed to volunteer for the duty in the ongoing Budapest Burgerwar™, I did so on certain conditions, the first being that I wouldn't have to pay Ft 3,000 for a burger at some high-end joint, even if...
Jul 17 '07
Budapest Burgerwar: "Wikiburgers" Leave Mushroom for Improvement
Our Budapest Burgerwar™ has taken in America and Scotland, now it's Hungary's turn. The Wikinger Gyorsétterem on Móricz Zsigmond körtér usually comes highly recommended by Hungarians for two reasons. First, the burgers are large and well-packed and second, the...
Jul 17 '07
Budapest Burgerwar: The Kaledonia Edinburger
Since we kicked off our Budapest Burgerwar™ with an all-American burger, we thought it might be nice to follow it with something all-not-American. So off we went to the District VI Scottish pub and restaurant variously known as the...
Jul 12 '07
Budget Budapest: The Bangla-Dish on the Bangla Büfé
There's a buzz going around the budget-minded foodies in Budapest, and I don't mean the attendant flies that tend to follow them like pilot fish on a famished shark. Rather, the noise is excited talk of a new hole-in-the-wall...
Jun 15 '07
You Missed the Ceviche at Balettcipő, Now Don't Miss the Rib-Eye
When we last wrote about District VI's delightful Balettcipő, we were salivating over the their phenomenal (at least for Budapest) "Philly" cheesesteak sandwich. If you haven't had it yet, don't sweat it, because it's still on the café/restaurant's regular...
Feb 21 '07
Pótkulcs Pörkölt Shows Food, Smoke And Hipsters Do Mix
The above marhapörkölt (beef stew) with sztrapacska (greasy noodles usually served up with sour cream and crunchy bacon bits) was only intended as something to prevent the Löwenbräu from sloshing about too much at super-agreeable pub/hang-out/music venue Pótkulcs. Amazingly, it...
Feb 09 '07
Gourmet Food in Budapest Now Officially *Really* Generic
A few months back, we observed that the opening of a gourmet food store in Pest's District VI called merely the "Gourmet Deli" showed how generic imported or otherwise exotic food had become in Budapest. Well, it seems that...
Nov 24 '06
Tokaji Tips (II): The 2003 Late Harvest Sárgamuskotály from Royal Tokaji
As we just said, there is a lot more innovation and risk-taking going on in Tokaj than some would have you believe. Today's second example comes from one of the most tradition-minded producers in the region, Royal Tokaji. Last...
Nov 20 '06
Figures Show Offices Are Fastest-Growing Budapest Restaurant Segment
Despite the ever-increasing number of restaurants and cafés across their city, Budapesters seem to be increasingly unwilling to leave their homes or offices in search of meals cooked by someone else. At least that is what seems to be behind...
Oct 13 '06
In Search Of Lemon Refreshment
Sickly and aggressive Coca-Cola products have squeezed most other soft drinks out of the market and mixed drinks are normally the reserve of cocktailistas, but sometimes nothing beats a refreshing glass of home-made lemonade. And if you are at home,...
Oct 12 '06
The Bottle Ain’t Pretty, But the Wine Is Fine
You don't have to be a wine snob - or to even know the first thing about wine - to know that it's probably a very good idea to steer well clear of the bulk wine that flows at your...
