Of course, as so often happens when one has high expectations, the reality wasn’t quite up to snuff. Upstairs there’s a restaurant and a terrace, both of which should draw the summertime tourist crowd like bees to honey. I went in the main door to find a guard and coatcheck person, both suitably attired in coats and ties. Obviously, this place was aiming for the upscale market.

Proceeding downstairs, I found myself in a long dark room, complete with tables and black faux-leather chairs, a nice long bar and windows overlooking the Danube. Just the sort of place for a romantic interlude. The lighting was dim and atmospheric, sort of like a much nicer Piaf. In a corner of the main room, a piano player and bass guitarist, backed up by the ever-present sound system, were giving forth with the mellow music one expects in such a place. At first glance, it looked like everything I wanted.

A closer look, however, revealed several cracks in the façade. First of all, in a place named after the Chairman of the Board, one expects to hear all the great songs he made famous, the ones we could sing along to while sitting around the piano. All of the songs I heard were in Hungarian; there wasn’t a single tune by Old Blue-Eyes during my visit.

The sound system was good, but a trifle overpowering (why is the music in Budapest clubs always so damn loud?!), making it just that much more difficult to have an intimate tête-à-tête.

The atmosphere was relaxing, but when I checked out the drink prices I almost left right then. The least expensive alcoholic drink on the menu, a .33L Dreher, was 1,000 forints, and the whiskeys and other spirits were at least 50% higher than anyplace else in town; definitely Copenhagen prices.

On the other hand, the service was prompt and friendly, and the river views will be a real plus in the summertime. It’s a nice place to take a special someone for an intimate late-night drink and to listen to some smooth music, even though it’s not the music one expects. But bring a whole lot of money, because you’ll need it.

So, for those of you who enjoy the sounds of a barroom piano, get yourself on down to the Sinatra Piano Bar, have your favorite cocktail and hum along with the Hungarian tunes. Dooby dooby doo.

Words by Gary Lukatch for XpatLoop.com