The Jetpacker

Let’s be clear:  Budapest isn’t the culinary capital of the world.  But that doesn’t mean restaurants like Menza are any less impressive.

Menza is a moderately-priced, trendy restaurant in central Pest that serves contemporary Hungarian cuisine in a fun and open atmosphere.   Menza is so popular that it’s ranked #7 out of 501 restaurants in Budapest, according to Tripadvisor.

On our visit, the clientele outside was made up of mostly young, fashionable men and women, mixed with the occasional older woman dressed for her midlife crisis.  There was a line of people waiting to get in, and hip music played in the background.

But the staff, the food and even the decor wasn’t anything like the people craving attention outside.  The restaurant has a playful, retro look with orange walls, wood panels and puffy blocks that look like a soundproof wall taken out of a ’70s music studio.  The crowd inside was mainly families and older people, and the atmosphere was still lively, but calmer than the patio.

We started with an appetizer that was so delicious, I would literally jump on a plane right now to have it again (if I was rich and capable of doing that).  It was a creamy garlic soup accompanied by pastry that can only be described as a doughnut stuffed with sour cream and topped with cheese.  This savory doughnut complimented the soup perfectly, but was so dense, I could barely conquer half my meal.

The food stayed with the theme of contemporary Hungarian, which means the basic dishes of meat and vegetables spiced with paprika are presented with more flair.  We ordered the pan-fried chicken over pasta and tomatoes, as well as a grilled pork dish that came with stewed tomatoes and onions and a heap of soft, steamed barley.  For dessert, we had fried poppy seed dough balls covered with a thin vanilla cream sauce.

Every dish was deliciously dense, and the prices were surprisingly reasonable for such a trendy establishment (the garlic soup was only $3!).  We can’t wait to return, but next time we’ll consider buying an imposter pair of Chanel sunglasses to fit in with the crowd outside.

Menza
http://www.menza.co.hu/
VI. Liszt Ferenc ter 2
+36 1 413 1482
Metro: Oktogon