Internationally acclaimed Balaton hamburger place gears up with unique autumn and winter specials

Bitang Burger in Alsóörs has earned recognition as the only hamburger restaurant in the Balaton region to be featured in the returning international restaurant guide Gault&Millau, after a ten-year hiatus.

The best hamburger spot at Lake Balaton

The guide placed the eatery in the “Pop” (Popular Establishments) category, celebrating high-quality, popular street food venues. This accolade ranks Bitang among the top 1% of the 489 Hungarian hospitality businesses recognised this year.

Bitang Burger also received the Professional Elite’s “Burger Restaurant of the Year 2025” award, presented in Szombathely.

“At the gala, we saw that small operators and businesses with high professional standards but little spotlight also received recognition,” said co-founder Mária Kovács-Radnóti in an interview. Chef and co-founder Balázs Kovács noted that these honours prove top quality is no longer exclusive to fine dining. “Gault&Millau is crucial to us because they’re pioneering this new perspective,” he added.

The awards were well deserved – the place is a favourite among guests, which might explain why this year the restaurant, open all year round, achieved record sales.

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According to the local news portal hirbalaton.hu, these accolades elevate the Balaton burger joint into the top 1% of Hungary’s hospitality scene. Opening its doors at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, its success has been credited to a fusion of perseverance and quality.

Special dishes for autumn and winter

The local outlet reports that for autumn and winter, the team has crafted bold, seasonal flavours to suit the colder weather. The standout is the Martinmas duck liver hamburger, which has been on the menu since late October.

“Beef and duck liver work fantastically together, complemented by a black garlic sauce that adds subtle dried-plum notes while softening the harsh edge of garlic,” explained Balázs Kovács. He emphasised their commitment to local ingredients for maximum freshness – the further an ingredient travels, the less fresh it becomes.