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Dining in Europe > Budapest There was a time not long ago when all Budapest had to offer the hoards of hungry tourists and locals were hundreds of traditional restaurants offering slabs of fatty breaded and fried pork, surly service and not a vegetable in sight. How times have changed. Since 1990 and the new political system, restaurants, clubs, bars and cafés have begun appearing in their hundreds. Now, you can find more dishes than you can shake a chip at, involving every ingredient from whatever country takes your fancy, from the high luxury of Gundel to the simple student handout of Greens, from Mongolian barbecued meat to Middle Eastern falafel chickpea balls and salad. You can eat anything and everything here from fast food (McDonalds, Wendys, BurgerKing, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken) to long leisurely lunches for business or pleasure on the leafy terraces of Remiz or Feszek. Theme bars are also very popular - you could dine in a submarine in Club Verne or sip a cocktail with a famous blues singer at Janiss Pub. The French are justifiably proud of their cuisine and it is possible to dine 'comme les rois' in Kepiro, La Fontaine and Lou Lou without breaking the bank. The combination of delicious fresh Hungarian vegetables - succulent tomatoes, peppers, organic mushrooms - and fresh sea fish flown in thrice weekly makes for healthy haute cuisine. Hungarians adore Italian food and Faustos serves some of the most fancy, but for those on a more modest budget Don Francesco makes the best pizza crusts in town while Pompeii Pizzeria on Liszt Ferenc square is a convenient and tasty way to fill up before hitting the trendy bars in Pests most fashionable hang-out. Also worth trying is the ex-pat favorite Okay Italia which is renowned more for the shortness of the waitresses' skirts than for the quality of cuisine. Chinese restaurants now compete with Italian eateries for street space. Hong Kong Pearl Garden was one of the first and remains the best. Chinese Paradise is close to the tourist street Vaci utca while Chan Chan will overwhelm you with its decor. Thai cuisine is best exemplified by Tian Tan while Japanese sushi, sashimi and noodle bars offer exotic delicacies. Shiki in Buda offers generous portions of raw fish delights. Despite its reputation, Hungarian food is not particularly spicy, so for something with a little bite, you could try Indian restaurants such as Shalimar and Maharajah which serve up some divine concoctions and are very vegetarian-friendly. While on the subject, vegetarians are now much better off than ten years ago, when the sole, melancholy option consisted of fried cheese/cauliflower/mushroom with a salad' or pickled cucumber. Now, many restaurants offer imaginative vegetable dishes - try the gorgeous tapas at Ket Szerecsen - while some like Gandhi and Elethaz are exclusively vegetarian. Fish eaters should set sail for the Horgasztanya on the Buda bank of the Danube or Vasmacska in Obudas ancient square. Both offer a range of dishes while continental marine fare can be found at Le Jardin de Paris and on Casa Mediterraneas gorgeous leafy terrace. Of course, visitors to Hungary will not want to leave without trying a Hungarian dish with some excellent local wine - goulash, chicken paprika, fozelek (vegetable goop) and reds from Villanyi and Eger in traditional, atmospheric surroundings. Kulacs is a good place to sample the food while listening to talented Gypsy musicians. This is where Rezso Seress composed 'Gloomy Sunday', which could be said to be a theme tune for the bitter sweet Magyar soul. Rezkakas offers more upmarket Hungarian dishes, while Kacsa does some of the best dusk. For great goose liver, try the Magnaskert and if someone else is footing the bill then head for Gundel, Budapests most famous and luxurious restaurant. Head chef Kalman Kalla prepares wonderful Magyar creations and inspired dishes involving asparagus, goose liver and local truffles. New York Coffee House is a good place to wallow in luxury and those who don't fancy a heavy meal but want to experience a traditional atmosphere can find it in following the coffee houses: Muvesz, Angelika, Lukacs and the recently reopened Central - a source of literary inspiration at the turn of the last century and now rapidly recreating the ambiance of well-read society. Hungarians love their cakes and Gerbeaud and Auguszt make some of the most mouth-watering pastries, desserts and torte. One thing to try is the Langos - a Hungarian delicacy. This deep-fried frisbee-sized doughnut is served with sour cream, grated cheese and a splash of garlic water dribbled from a jam jar using a twig and feather device. Such delights are more difficult to find these days, replaced by the all-pervasive burger, but you can still try one in vegetable or flea markets and these are an essential start to bargain hunting on a bitter winters morning - preferably accompanied by a shot of powerful pear palinka (brandy). Lucy Mallows Entertainment in BudapestOne mans meat, it is often said, is another mans poison. The French have 'chacun à son goût' and others may suggest 'whatever turns you on'. From eating and drinking well (and inexpensively) through classical music and opera to rock concerts, discos and lap-dancing, Budapest offers pretty much as wide a choice of things to do as you'll find in any city of a comparable size. Restaurants The city guide lists scores of restaurants of different tastes and budgets. Just about every ethnic style is available: Mexican, Jewish, Greek, Japanese, French, Slav and many, many others. The top-of-the-range Gundel is where visiting royalty and heads of state get taken by the government. Your local corner etterem will offer an impossibly large menu-choice of usually fried foods and a piled-high plate (expect chips and rice together) for not much money. A tip ' Hungarian wines range from undrinkable plonk to award-winning well-made and delicious Cabernets. If you don't have time to experiment, stick to wines from the Villany region, preferably Cabernet Sauvignons, or Chardonnays from Balaton. The prices are very reasonable. Local beers are also good value. Try Dreher on draught ' a light, lager-style beer. Cinemas There are about 24 cinemas in the city ' ranging from the newest 14-screen multiplex in West End City Center down to small art movie houses. At any one time, there are usually around 40 movies playing in English (original soundtrack with Hungarian sub-titles) ' check the weekly English paper The Budapest Sun for a full listing. Films arrive here relatively early (often before a London release). Dubbing of movies is a big business, and some ' usually those appealing to children ' are shown only in a dubbed version. The paper can sometimes get it wrong, so if its not obvious from the cinemas listings, check by asking felirat? (sub-titled'?) at the cash desk. Pay no more than about 550 ft ($2) and load up with coke and popcorn as the Hungarians love to do. Opera and Classical Music You'll pay very little money to hear the Budapest Philharmonic at, say, the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. Concerts are often held at the Vigado Concert Hall, though the acoustics could be better. Concerts are occasionally held in the domed hall of parliament, and Bach organ music is a delight to hear either in the castles Matthias Church or the Basilica on the Pest side. Opera is performed at the state Opera House on Andrassy ut (mainly in Italian with Hungarian sub-titles), or at the 3000-seat Erkel Theatre on Koztarsasag ter, near Keleti station. This latter tends to concentrate on Hungarian operas. During its season, the Operetta theatre on Nagymezo utca generally tends to stage Hungarian operettas. For tickets to everything, check the Central Booking Office on Vorosmarty square. Theatre Hungarians love their theatre and performances are usually well-attended. Of course, these tend to be predominantly in Hungarian. The Merlin Theatre (in Gerloczy utca 4, behind Deak ter), sponsored by the city council, puts on performances in English ' these are either by visiting troupes or local ex-pat residents. Folk and Gypsy Music Performances are regularly held in the Duna Palota (Zrinyi utca 5, off Roosevelt ter) or the Budai Vigado (Corvin ter 8). Many restaurants think that a gypsy band is an expected accompaniment to a meal, so you can get your fill at no extra cost (other than the obligatory tip to the violinist!). Discos Petofi Csarnok occupies a cavernous hall at the rear of City Park(Varosliget). This is a stage and disco complex that serves as a venue for local and international rock bands where you can dance the night away every night of the week. E-Klub is next to the Planetarium. It is open on Fridays and Saturdays and is always packed with Technical University students. The ex-pats make for Made Inn (on Andrassy ut, north of Oktagon) which has a nice patio and garden and where summer brings out the girls. When groups like the Rolling Stones or U2 come to town, they play the Nepstadion which has the largest seating capacity of any venue. Children Children obviously deserve to be entertained as much as anyone. A good area for them is around the Varosliget. Here you will find the Zoo, the circus and the Amusement Park (Vidam Park). In the park itself is a lake which is used for boating in the summer and ice-skating in the winter. Many of the museums would be of interest to children (the Postal Museum or the War Museum). Another interesting spot for children is the Buda Castle Labyrinth ' an underground exhibition of the citys early history. Alternatively, them swimming ' Gellert Hotel and Baths has artificial waves in the large pool and the paddling pool is full of very warm water. Further afield, you could take them up the Cog-Wheel Railway to the top of the hills, then onto the Childrens Railway, where all the signal-men and conductors are children. Dining in Europe > Budapest
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