PHOTOS: Emblematic Hungarian rural restaurant, foreign tourists’ favourite closed

Only a few rural settlements have a special place in every Hungarian’s heart and mind. Eger is one of them. István Dobó and his compatriots stopped the Ottoman invasion under the walls of the Eger fortress in 1552. As a result, the marauders could not reach the rich Northern Hungarian territories. In 2023, the city’s emblematic restaurant, which has an excellent view of the renewed fortress and is a popular meeting point for locals and tourists alike, decided to close.

According to turizmus.com, the couple running the Hotel Senator House in Eger announced on 1 January that they would close the famous restaurant. The place is one of the most popular tourist spots. The good news is that they end only the catering service. The hotel will remain open. Furthermore, guests will also be able to have breakfast in the emblematic 3-stars hotel of the Hungarian city.

The restaurant closed on 2 January and was not without antecedents. The couple turned to the local government of Eger in summer 2022 expressing their difficulties concerning the restaurant. They wrote in their letter that they would like to end the lease contract after 31 August. Concerning the reasons, they mentioned the skyrocketing energy and food prices, the loss they make, the uncertainties caused by the war, the high lease price, and their poor health.

The municipal council discussed the issue in August behind closed doors. They decided to tender the operation of the restaurant. The local council asked Andrásné Cseh and her husband to continue running the restaurant until they select a new lessee. They wanted the Senator House not to close even for a day.

The building is a monument built in the 17th century in the Baroque style. In the 17th and 18th century, it did not serve community or commercial purposes. Instead, it was a civic home. That is what its interior aims to mirror nowadays.

Below you may check out some photos. The interior of the hotel and restaurant:

Hotel Senator in Eger with the terrace:

A photo taken last September. The main advantage of the building and its restaurant was that since it is located in the central square of Eger’s downtown, you could watch many festivities and other events sitting in the comfort of your terrace chair. Here is a photo of the 2020 Strauss-evening:

Moreover, you could also enjoy the magnificent view of the fortress.

The advent decoration in 2021:

Christmas + snow:

Finally, below you may check out some food specialties:

Hungarian meat jelly:

Source: turizmus.com, facebook.com/hotelsenatorhaz

2 Comments

  1. With the current prices of everything you can go on a vacation in France for less money. Tourists will look for alternatives-Romania, Bulgaria, Poland….all much cheaper!

  2. Disappointing.
    We always lunched at Hotel Senator, Eger – beautiful city o Hungary, when we “day tripped” always by train, from our house in District V, Budapest.
    Service, Food quality and of course the location in the summer months – splendid.
    They keep FALLING these ICON of dining and “other” across the “broadsheet” of Hungary, not just in Budapest – which Disappoints.

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