MICHELIN Guide Budapest : discover three unusual fine-dining restaurants

"A real Budapest classic on the Buda side, this 1986-founded fine-dining restaurant keeps its intimate charm—rich draperies, a secret garden, and an impressive wall of Hungarian and international wines—even as the kitchen quietly revolutionizes tradition. Dinner can begin with a playful, educational caviar tasting: five roes, from trout to Iranian Beluga, eaten from the back of your hand to bring them to the right temperature. Since 2020, Head of R&D José Guerrero has been collaborating with Head Chef László Kanász on science-driven projects—farm-to-table research with Blue Hill, eye-tracking with a neuroscientist to map diners’ brain vibrations, and an app-controlled indoor garden—open-source knowledge they aim to share with Hungarian chefs. The creativity shows on the plate and, thanks to Kanász’s Balaton roots, it’s one of Budapest’s rare fine-dining spots for excellent fish and seafood: lobster tail, seaweed salad with almond jelly, and urchins; a Gillardeau oyster brightened with paprika and finger-lime pops citrusy and tart against iodine-rich brine. The experience is theatrical and fun: beef tartar is assembled with tweezers tableside, a whole roasted pigeon arrives in a wooden box with an exquisite new potato emulsion, and dessert appears as a tower hiding visually stunning sweets—a true feast for the eyes." - Le Guide MICHELIN