After all the glitter and glitz and chrome and mirrors offered by so many 'new-style' Budapest restaurants, it’s a treat to get back to basics. Alföldi Étterem on Kecskeméti utca has been around for donkey’s years, and still has what many Hungarians believe to be the best home cooking in town. It’s another small restaurant on a tree-lined street leading off Kálvin Tér, right next to a police station, so dining there is a culinary delight and a safe experience.The multi-lingual menu is simple and hearty, with a Hortobágy Palacsinta equal to the highest-classed (and priciest) restaurants in Budapest. All the standard Hungarian staples are offered, including a very nice fish soup. Plus, for fans of eastern Hungarian dishes, Alföldi also offers slambuc for the discerning diner, a dish not easily found in the city. Yummy.
As in all such institutions, Alföldi’s wait staff have been there for years and are knowledgeable and attentive to diners’ needs. Ferenc speaks English and is always available for help in understanding ingredients in the various dishes. And in the summer months there are sidewalk tables where one can eat and drink and watch the students hurry to and from classes at nearby universities.
For nearly seven years I lived next door to Alföldi, and visited it many times. I was never disappointed in the specials of the day or in the old stand-bys. The food was always right up to the mark and the service, unlike too many other local places, was always good for me.
So if you’re looking for something different from the trendy, tony restaurants that are now scattered throughout Budapest, hie yourself over to Alföldi for a down-home Hungarian treat. You’ll leave there satisfied.
By Gary Lukatch for XpatLoop.com
Alföldi Restaurant
Address: 1053 Budapest, Kecskeméti u. 4.
T/F: (1) 267-0224, (1) 317-4404
23.04.2009