Budapest - dining & beer
 

Mrs WF and I will be in Budapest 02-05 Nov

Suggestions on the best local dark beer and some
reasonable middle of the road restaurants would be welcome.
We're staying reasonably close to the Pest downtown area

And email me directly if you will be in the area then

Thanks

WF

In the moderate category, I recommend Firkasz (Tatra utca 18), Fészek (Kertész u. 36), Le Jardin de Paris (Fo u. 20), Apostolok (Kígyó u. 4; request the Judas table :)), and the excellent game restaurant Aranyxzarvas (Szarvas ter 1, in Buda).

For a splurge, visit Gundel (Alla tkerti u. 2) -- not cheap but an excellent value. I highly recommend the game menu.

Hungary has a strong wine culture, so, as a result (arguably), its beers aren’t extraordinary. Dreher and Borsodi are the two main Hungarian breweries, and both make dark beers. You’ll find lots of Czech and other European imports. If you run across dark, spicy Kozel (Czech), order it.

Be sure to hit several cafés.

How was your trip?

From Saveur Magazine Jan/Feb 2005

Hungarian Snack We Hunger For
When in Hungary, don't miss Langos (LAHN-gohsh), an appealingly chewy, salty, fried potato bread served from market stalls and street carts.

A bit late for advice, but my personal favorite is Fatal, in an alley off Vaci Ucta. It is definatly the only place on Vaci Utca worth spending your forints at (the rest are hopeless rip-offs). The food is good and the portions make it worth it.

I don't know if I could recommend Langos to everyone, it is basically fried bread topped with sour cream and cheese, even too rich and filling for my own grease-and-fat loving self. It is very Hungarian though, but I would say there are more 'Gyros' (Doner Kebab) places in Budapest than Langos places now.

I would second Fatal. I wondered about the name at first, but found out from the server that "fatal" is a wooden saucer in Hungarian. Huge portions at a great price. That was 10 years ago, although I intend to visit Budapest again soon.