Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Hungarian food & wine recommendations

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Hungarian food & wine recommendations

Eva - I was wondering if you're eaten at any of the restaurants Fodor's recommends. On my last visit I tried a couple and was very pleased. I'm going back in May and am interested in trying Vadrozsa, Udvarhaz and Kisbuda Gyongye. Have you eaten at any of these? Can you recommend any other restaurants? I'm interested in more contemporary Hungarian cuisine - not your typical csirke paprika tourist grub. Also, beside the Central Market - are there any other food specialty stores you can recommend? I've come across a couple wine stores that have tastings - are you familiar with any of these. Also, Art or Joe if you have any recommendations - please let me know. Thanks for all help and input.

Sorry Mark, I just found places that looked interesting and tried them. The only recommendations that I used were from Dr Walter Fleps 12 walks in Budapest or word of mouth. I hope you have a great time. By the way, I found that you can order Bulls Blood wine through Trader Joes and have orered 1/2 of a case. Art

Hi Have you checked a liquor store where you live. I usually can find it in a store with a decent wine selection. Let me know about these restaurants I'm planning my 3rd trip to Hungary this fall. alan

in budapest look in the side streets off the main pedestrian mall. there are several speciality shops there. we found some homemade blended paprika that is heavenly for about $1 per 100 grams

ref:food Vadrózsa is good,Udvarház is a disaster.(Last year before having to go there I had gone to McDonald's to eat in order not to be hungry in Udvarház.Forget it) I've never been to Kis Buda gyöngye, it's somewhere far from the city center. My favorite restaurants are the following The not cheap ones-for Hungarian standard FORTUNA-opposite Hilton,building is a monument, they serve on Herend china.If you like eat: Wild duck soup with Tokaj aszu grape,and Pike-perch on cabbages with smoked bacon MÁTYÁS PINCE-bit touristy, but the very best gipsy music in town.Speciality:Bridegroom soup(to be strong) cold strawberry strudel GUNDEL-I know it is famous in U.S. because the nowdays owner has a restaurant in NY.Food is very good, but expensive.Evenings they are overcrowded,service is slow,much better for lunchtime. BAGOLYVÁR-next to Gundel,home food,much cheaper prices There is a place called Robinson opposite Gundel, food is good but staff is unpolite, GAMBRINUS-in Váci street, a bit hidden on the second floor of Hotel Taverna,very tasty Moderate ones KISPIPA Not far from the Synagoge or the Music Academy.I go there often privatly, not with tourist groups,everything is tasty.Speciality: jewish dishes,there is a dish called SOLET, beans with smoked goose,Game is also good,wild duck in red wine sauce,Tarragon game soup KALTENBERG-next to Museum of Applied Arts,Sour chicken soup,Turkey filled with cottage cheese and fried I do not have Fodor's Budapest book, so I do not know which places are recommended. I have to think about the" What to eat question".I'll post an answer tomorrow Eva

SOUP SOUP SOUP You could stay a year and eat a different soup every day

What to eat in Hungary Hungarians NEVER eat paprika chicken or gulyas soup in restaurants, because it can't be as tastay as home made food. Soup PALOC soup-variation of gulyás with French beans JOKAI BAB soup,bean with sausages TÁRKONYOS RAGU soup-mixed meat soup with tarragon Vegetable soups:ZÖLDBORSÓ-greenpeas,mushroom ,in cheap restaurants tomato or potatoes soup. If you like ,in summer we have cold fruit soup,strawberry, melon, peach Appetizer HORTOBÁGYI HÚSOS PALACSINTA-crepe stuffed with meat TÖLTÖTT GOMBA-mushroom stuffed with meat and red wien sauce Main dishes- There is a variety of game dishes:deer,wild duck etc.We eat chicken or turkey stuffes with ham, cheese, plum. BEEF BUDAPEST STYLE.-beef liver, mushroom, greenpeas PORK ÓVÁRI STYLE-pork mushroom, ham,cheese KACSASÜLT PÁROLT KÁPOSZTÁVAL-fried duck with cabbages Dessert SOMLÓI GALUSKA-spongecake,chocolate,cream GESZTENYE PÜRÉ-marron DOBOS cake,ESZTERHÁZY cake,WINE CREAM cake IN Hungary you have to forget your diet,most of us are fat. Any more questions about Hungary, ask Rgds Eva

Eva , Thanks for all the info - my mouth is watering. I had wondered about Gundel - my Hungarian tutor gave it a thumbs down. However, I may take your advice and try it for lunch. My tutuor also mentioned there is an express train to Pecs - I may try and do a day trip. (I'll probably bring some toiletries along just in case....) Once again - thanks for all the info.

Eva, where in Hungary do you live. When I was there in Sept 99 I did not find that Hungarians were fat. I saw many lovely woman that were not fat at all in fact were quite slim. (did not look at the men as much.) I was, however, quite supprised at how tall many women were.

We liked Lou-Lou bistro on the Pest side. It was a nice change from goulash.

Any recommendations for typical Hungarian dishes without meat? Fish and dairy products are fine, just no meat. Thanks!

Rfe: No meat in Hungary It' s a bit difficult,because meat is the basic element of Hungarian food. As a soup yoc can have the above mentioned vegetable soups, or fish soup called HALÁSZLÉ made of mostly carp.We eat the roe in it,but you can ask with or wthout. Main dish.Normally restaurants have mushroom or cheese os cauliflower fried in sreadcrumbs.We have a thin called FÕZELÉK.It is a basic home food,in summer we eat it 2-3 times a week,made of different kinds of vegetables.The tastr is of course allways different. Peas-ZÖLDBORSÓ-French bean-ZÖLDBAB-cabbages-KÁPOSZTA-spinach-SPENÓT-a kind of squash-TÖK.The vegetable is boiled, and thickened by milk, cream or sour cream.You can't find it in expensive restaurants because it is too cheap,but really good. Fish.We do not have sea so seafood is imported deepfrozen from abroad, try to avoid it.We eat carp-PONTY, as a fish soup or as a stew-HALPAPRIKÁS.Pike-perch is served with sauces-best one is KÁRPÁTI style with mushroom sauce and prawn.The best tasted fish is trout-PISZTRÁNG. Eva