I’ve recently been on the most amazing trip to Vienna and Budapest. During my stay in Budapest, I came across a “hidden gem” perfect for lunch and I definitely don’t want to forget about it!!
It’s called Gellért Sörözö & Brasserie and it’s situated to the right of the front entrance of the Gellért Hotel.
On a side note, the Gellért Hotel also houses thermal baths, which are famous in Budapest and a “must do” for tourists. You can either go and relax in the thermal baths, splash about in an impressive outdoor pool or enjoy a relaxing massage… or do them all! The spa is reasonably priced with a couple’s massage for 70 minutes costing under £80, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I digressed… back to the lunch… I went with my fiancé, Chris and we both picked the set menu – which I believe changes weekly and is seasonal.
After ordering, we were relaxing with a drink when the waiter brought over the appetiser… which was not listed on the menu, so it felt like an extra treat! A selection of three breads; brown, white and sun-dried tomato were provided to accompany a lovely scoop of chicken liver pâté. The pâté spread smoothly on the bread and tasted delicious – what a great way to get our taste buds going!
For my starter, I had ordered the ‘cheese mousse’. It was presented beautifully with freshly sliced apple, strawberries and asparagus. The cheese mousse was light and creamy and was complimented by cuts of goats’ cheese – both soft and hard. It was fresh, light and tasty – perfect for a starter!
Chris had ‘summer chicken goulash’ to start with, now if I’m honest… I’d have been put off by the chicken leg placed “elegantly” on the top, but nevertheless (after some coaxing!!), I tried the traditional Hungarian dish and was blown a way by the flavour – I could taste the chicken and all the vegetables…yum!
For my main I had shredded pork ravioli in a simple butter and dill sauce. It was elegantly presented and was seasoned to perfection! It was the ideal size for a lunch main; five ravioli, and the pasta was light and packed full of tasty shredded pork.
Chris chose the roasted veal served with white asparagus in a creamy hollandaise sauce. As soon as the fork touched the veal it fell apart and tasted rich and meaty. The presentation of the food was ‘Instagram worthy’ and the freshly sliced asparagus and radish provided both colour and flavour.
For dessert I chose the strawberry and raspberry tart and I was soooo happy with my choice! The tart was accompanied by rhubarb sorbet and whipped mascarpone. The tang of the sorbet alongside the creaminess of the mascarpone complimented the crumbly, buttery taste of the pastry. The tart was packed full of stewed strawberries and rhubarb, which were bursting with flavour.
Chris rounded his meal off with the chocolate mousse, which was accompanied by crumble and raspberries. This dessert was very different to mine and I enjoyed having a few too many spoonfuls of it! The chocolate mousse was rich and light, perfect for any chocolate lover (which I am!!). The raspberries provided a fresh, ‘tart’ flavour that broke through the creaminess of the mousse…. I still can’t decide which dessert I preferred…
Now if you’ve scrolled through these photos, you’re probably thinking… Mmmm that looks so good, it must be expensive…. and that’s when you’d be wrong!!
When I called it a “hidden gem”, the affordability of this set menu shines through. At 2990 Hungarian forints, it’s under £7.50 for the set menu; which after adding the drinks left us walking out with a pocket full of change after spending around £23 for the whole lot!! However I should note, that the main menu items and bar menu prices are more in keeping with the standard prices seen across the city.
If I’m ever in Budapest again, I’ll definitely be popping back!
Reviews by Chloé 