Dining Guide Gala – the 12 best Hungarian restaurants

source: Dining Guide - Facebook

Here is the list of the 12 best Hungarian restaurants of this year, out of the Top100.

Just as we choose the countries’ best hotels or the best wines every year, Hungary also draws up its list of the best restaurants.

Hungarian wines won 58 medals at the world’s most prestigious wine competition

Dining Guide Restaurant of the Year is one of the most important events of Hungarian gastronomy.

The Gala, where the prizes and awards are handed to the bests, was organised on Monday evening in Várkert Bazár in the Buda Castle.

Index.hu was present to see the best of the best being recognised.

For the past years, there have not been significant changes considering the leading restaurants of the Top100. It is usually led by Michelin-starred restaurants and a small circle of places from Budapest. After the pandemic and about one and a half years of forced-out holidays in the industry, some things may have changed.

How could experts test restaurants with the past year’s restrictions when some of them are still not even able to re-open? Did the catering business, in general, strengthen in the countryside, where at least local tourists are going?

The testing period was different this year due to the pandemic. It started last summer and should have lasted until January 2021, but visiting the locations was postponed when they all had to close. As soon as they were able and allowed to open again, the team continued the testing.

“Of course, we can only rate the open restaurants. Those that were closed until this point will still be listed in the Top100 issue,

however, their opening fate will be displayed, and we are not able to present whatever changes they have gone through or what services characterise them.”, said Zoltán Herczeg, publisher of the Dining Guide.

The organisers jumped right into the middle and started the Gala right away with the presentation of the best restaurants. One by one, they called upon the stage the awarded chefs.

Without further ado, here is the list of the best, marking the chefs in charge and the restaurants’ addresses:

Stand Étterem – Széll Tamás, Szulló Szabina (Budapest, Székely Mihály u. 2, 1061)
Pasztell Étterem – Erdei János (Budapest, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 22, 1051)
Platán Gourmet – Pesti István (Tata, Kastély tér 6, 2890)
Rumour by Rácz Jenő – Rácz Jenő (Budapest, Petőfi tér 3-5, 1051)
Salt Budapest – Tóth Szilárd (Budapest, Királyi Pál u. 4, 1053)
Textúra – Sárközi Ákos (Budapest, Sas u 6, 1051)
Arany Kaviár Étterem – Kanász László (Budapest, Ostrom u. 19, 1015)
Essência Restaurant – Tiago Sabarigo (Budapest, Sas u 17, 1051)
Laurel Budapest – Mede Ádám (Budapest, Kertész u. 29, 1073)
Stand 25 Bisztró – Széll Tamás, Szulló Szabina (Budapest, Attila út 10, 1013)
Bistro42 – Barna Ádám (Esztergom, Széchenyi tér 23, 2500)
Anyukám Mondta Étterem – Dudás Szabolcs (Encs, Petőfi Sándor út 57, 3860)

Stand, the Restaurant of the Year, was opened in 2018 and is led by the chef duo of Szabina Szulló and Tamás Széll. Since they gave life to their project, they became the best of the best for the third time in a row.

“At Stand, we emphasise regional and seasonal ingredients, cooperate with Hungarian producers, and concentrate on the most important thing, the taste.”,

says the duo.

The effects of the coronavirus are clearly seen, as there is only one Michelin-starred restaurant from the capital. The others were not able to reopen yet. Their fate and future are crucial for the whole profession and sector in the country as they significantly contributed to the development of the industry, the strengthening of Hungarian gastro-tourism, and to the fact that Budapest could organise a European final of Bocuse d’Or in 2016.

The Sustainability Award, which recognises the decrease of the ecological footprint left by a restaurant, was received by SALT Budapest.

Chef of Laurel Budapest Ádám Mede was, once again, awarded the Young Chef Talent of the Year.

For the fourth year in a row, László Mihályi was chosen as the Confectioner of the Year as the pioneer of French confectionery in Hungary. His place, Mihályi Patisserie, turned 13 this year.

The Restaurant of the Year of the Countryside title is awarded to Platán Gourmet.

His chef, István Pesti, won a Michelin-star in 2015, after which he moved to Tata to get in charge of Platán. In 2020, after extensive reconstruction and development, the restaurant was divided into two parts, a bistro and a fine dining restaurant, the latter is called Patán Gourmet.