Has anyone been to the Szaletly restaurant in Budapest? We're looking for a centrally located restaurant offering a dinner tasting menu and open on Mondays. This one seems to fit the bill but wondering if anyone has other recommendations or feedback on this restaurant.
Thank you!
I’ve heard the name but never been there. You said you wanted “centrally located” and this is not central. “Central” for a tourist in Budapest is Deák Ferenc tér and the restaurant is a solid hour walk from there. But the M1 metro and a trolly bus will get you there in about 30 minutes. Its sort of an interesting place for a restaurant like this. Not sure who their market segment is. Too far for tourists and really not the right place for well to do locals. But I could be wrong about that.
It is a lovely part of town, and it demonstrates that the beautiful architecture and atmosphere of Budapest never ends. Open this and it is facing the restaurant, then spin it around https://maps.app.goo.gl/DZFW5nu4E3TFxhJK7 . What isn’t to love.
I looked at the menu, and the tasting menu looks very Hungarian of a type. A well-bred type at that. The five courses are about USD75 per person + wine at another $40 per person. I know you know this, its for anyone else that might be interested.
They are one of only 27 Michelin “listed” restaurants in town. That means no star and not quite Michelin Gourmand but good enough to make the book. The restaurant is also represented in the Budapest Time Out food Court. While being incredibly Hungarian the menu at Time Out is more working class and the prices reflect that.
The web site and Google Maps, the place looks beautiful and very classic 20th century Budapest. Just the what you want for a nice night out. Or at least what I look for.
Tati is a bit closer in and the Farm to Table concept people seem to like. Their tasting menu is a tad more traditional from an outside point of view. The price is about the same. That’s the only other “Hungarian” tasting menu that I know. Most of the Michelin star restaurants have tasting menus but that’s a different sort of thing. Also, I don’t do restaurants that plate food with tweezers.
Or for the equivalent of a 5-course tasting menu you could go out two nights and do three courses one night and two the next. The two meals will set you back about USD75. I will send you a list of the places I like.
My answer was meant to be frank and not as a yes or no. It could be a great experience. The style and ambiance has a lot going for it and having made the Michelin list I presume the food is quite good.
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Once you get the Hungarian angle covered, don’t forget that you are in a world class national capital city of a size comparable to Berlin, Madrid, Athens and Kyiv. So the options for food of the world might be better than your hometown. Just because you are in Budapest doesn’t mean you can’t eat Georgian or Ukrainian or Balkan or … I will send you that list too.
The only problem with food here is that there is too much to choose from and sometimes I find myself standing in the middle of the street having a breakdown.
“Central” depends on where you are staying or where you will be sightseeing that day. But the restaurant itself looks lovely. If you wind up there, come back and report!
