MICHELIN Guide Budapest : two sides of one city

"Headed by István Szántó, a Hungarian cook trained in France and recruited by Wolfgang Puck to orchestrate the brigade and add his touch to a menu of Puck’s international signature dishes, this is fine‑dining but with bigger portions and simple plating—“not overly complicated,” as he puts it—rooted in a pre‑opening tour of Hungary’s markets, eateries and wineries that yielded a well‑balanced mix of Spago classics and local specialties; the smoked salmon pizza comes topped with Hungarian caviar, the signature Hong Kong fish with stir‑fried Chinese vegetables is prepared with pike perch, two typical Hungarian starters (baby beetroot salad and butternut squash soup) join an elevated, airy beef goulash soup cooked with French technique so the vegetables stay tender and a little crisp and the paprika broth is both light and intense, while nature‑inspired presentations culminate in somlói galuska reimagined as a hard‑shell golden ball that melts under hot chocolate to reveal rum‑infused sponge cake and a divine hazelnut ice‑cream scoop; to complete the experience, the head sommelier Máté Horváth champions a 300‑reference list with a fervent focus on Hungarian wines, happily guiding guests to a Furmint or Kadarka from the beautiful glassed cellar." - Le Guide MICHELIN