Budapest Dining Room & Tavern

Pricey and small portions

April 20, 2015 Price high, portions small. I knew goulash as vegetables and meat with broth, but to my surprise I got 2 pieces of pork. Hostess told me that those 2 pieces of meat are "Hungarian goulash".schnitzel also which was about 4 inches around, no where near the size of an elephant's ear and 1/3 of a hotdog with little pieces of pasta they called dumplings. Cabbage rolls small and dry. Take home? Came on 8" x 6" plate (get your tape measure out). Will not return and will not recommend.

went because this...

went because this place was on my bucket list and I wanted to go there for over 30 yrs. The food was greasy but tasteless.I didn't even finish the food, nor my friend. Great lady and piano player. It is them that keeps this place alive.....it was not the food.

OK Once in a While

We stopped in for the Valentines 2 for $50 feature, I think it is a regular dinner for two feature. The appetizers were very good, soup style goulash and great crisp perogie. Main course schnitzel very good, the rest was rather flavourless and mushy. Didn't get much of a look at the beer choices though they have Warsteiner Dark/Lager on tap. We tend to visit once every ten years, which is about often enough for the experience of the textured wallpaper, red curtains, live violin music and owner who greets everyone with "my beautiful people etc etc" The service is OK, waitresses don't appear to have much training as far as service goes, and usually have too many tables. Table settings are very nice though. Old folks love it.

Charcoal Sticks

A recent, first time visit for lunch, was a sudden decision that taught me a lesson. The atmosphere is East European, with dark, heavy, velvet curtains that may appeal to some customers looking for an authentic Hungarian atmosphere, but I couldn't help wondering how many years the curtains had been hanging in this museum-like place. Thus, I was not happy when my request to sit at the bright window table was denied, considering that there was only one other customer and I was a late arrival. I chose a ceasar salad with a home-made, enjoyable but not using traditional ingredients, dressing, and a ubiquitous schnitzel that was accompanied with coleslaw and 'home fries' (home fries that closely resembled sticks of charcoal) that, without doubt were the worst home fries (french fries) ever seen or tasted ... and I have travelled widely - and explained the rare appearance of the waitress. As expected, the schnitzel was excellent, but there are other places that have this item on their menu. I enjoyed the home-made iced tea. Lesson learnt - visit either restaurant next door.

A Must Try Experience!

A fantastic, refreshing "blast from the past"! Marika, the owner, is an amazing woman. Meeting her and watching her serve guests is worth 3x whatever you spend on your meal. She's very inspirational! The food is traditional Hungarian fare. It's very simple and basic. The decor is as it was 50 years ago! It's fascinating to take in all the history that fills the place!

Interesting

The food is above average here and you will be greeted like an old friend on your arrival if met by the owner. The dishes could use improvement in terms of suitable serving temperature. We found the vegetable soup to be tasty but way too hot to eat immediately. The cabbage rolls were pretty good also but seemed microwaved so texture was off in spots. The schnitzel was delish though a bit on the salty side. The best part of the meal were the pieogies which were tasty and had a nice texture. We felt the decor to not be our taste, however, it is unique. You have to go once to experience it for yourself. If you go just for the food and the warm welcome, you will enjoy yourself.

went for mother 67th B-DAY. everyone loved it from my son to my mom. a place to be visited often with friends and family. service and food both great.

The atmosphere was fabulous. We were seated in...

The atmosphere was fabulous. We were seated in what felt to be our own little room, blocked off by burgundy velvet curtains. We couldn't see or hear the other patrons which made our meal seem more of a "family" setting. The chicken soup was delicious! The portion sizes were fabulous and allowed us to feed some of what was on our plates to our children without taking too much away from our meals. The musician had set up and our daughter wandered out his way, he stopped playing the normal classical music and played a song specifically for her "play with me Sesame." The staff is friendly, family oriented and very hospitable. The food is authentic and excellent. We can see why they've been in business for as long as they have been. We'll be back for more soon!

Worth a shot..

Our experience started off amazingly! The lady who greeted us was just halarious! she was so sweet, and charming and very eager to ensure we had the best time we could! (the younger lady who served us did not seem as interested in us at all, although she did reccomend a good wine) The salad dressing was their own, and was pretty good! And the califlower soup was actually the best part of the meal in my opinion! My dad had the hungarian platter, which was big enough for two people, and included three items.. the schnitzel, cabbage rolls, and something else not very memorable. The cabbage roll was good, not very cabbagey, if thats a good thing for you, I don't know. I enjoyed that it wasn't overwhelming. I had originally ordered the chicken pakrikish, but traded with my mum when it was nothing like what the server described to me. The schnitzel was good, but not impressive. each of the meals came with a starter (the salads, and soup) and a desert. there were three choices, we went with the ice cream crepe. It tasted a bit freezer burnt, but pretty good anyway. The price was pretty good for three courses. However I'm still not decided if I will return or not, just based on it being pretty unremarkable. I'm sure some of the other menu items would be worth a shot...

We were greated by Marika at the door "Hello my...

We were greated by Marika at the door "Hello my lovely people!" and she basically had us at hello. This woman is 76 years old and is non-stop and very charming. She flirted shamelessly with my husband which was hilarious. The food was quite good and arrived almost too quickly. We shared a half litre of dry red wine which was excellent and we both had the Hungarian Platter. Also very good. The place is decorated like an extreme blast from the past with velvet curtains, dolls on the wall, flags, pictures of Marika and is very cluttered. At first it was really just too much but as you sat and watched the hustle and bustle and listened to the staff, it just became part of the ambiance. I was really surprised at how busy it was. We arrived at 6:00 and the restaurant was about half full but when we left at 7:15, it was packed. We would go back just to see Marika again. I can see why the place has been in business for 51 years.

Nice service (friendly, family owned-- the...

Nice service (friendly, family owned-- the manager is very endearing), fantastic food. Cabbage rolls are excellent (I want to know what they season them with!), perogies are terrific (HUGE-- filled with flakey potato, seasoned with dill), cabbage soup was amazing-- tasted like a cabbage roll! Schnitzel was top class. Became an instant fan of goulash-- really tender meat. Highly recommended!

We have just returned from a visit to Budapest...

We have just returned from a visit to Budapest Hungary and looking forward to visiting this restaurant. It was wonderful, bringing us right back to our trip. The food was amazing and our server (from Bratislava which we also visited) was extremely attentive and quick. The dessert was made especially for us as Marika (the owner) found out we had just returned from Hungary. I will defintely return over and over again.

This is one of our favourite places to go for...

This is one of our favourite places to go for dinner. My husband who loves to cook and is Hungarian, loves it as well. The food is very good and lots of it. The decor reminds me of visits we have made to Hungary.

The hostess who is also the owner was fantastic...

The hostess who is also the owner was fantastic. She was welcoming, funny and played "sexy gypsy music" to set the mood. It was a great cultural night out!

The decor is a little over the top but has some...

The decor is a little over the top but has some nice features. We were there when it was pretty quiet and our service still lacked. They brought the wrong meal for me and then we were never asked if we wanted another drink. The food did not impress us. The only thing that we enjoyed was the cabbage soup and the weiner schnitzel. It was truly disappionting. We would not recommend this place.

i just LOVE this place... everything is just so...

i just LOVE this place... everything is just so good and really netural. service is very nice and fast! just go there and check this place out ;)

I have Hungarian relatives and the food here was...

I have Hungarian relatives and the food here was just like the home cooked meals of my childhood. It is a quaint restaurant with authentic Hungarian decor and cuisine. The staff members are friendly and obliging. If you want good value for money, friendly service and authentic European cuisine I would highly recommend this restaurant. The fact that it has been in London for over 50 years attests to its quality.

I love this place. While the decor is over the...

I love this place. While the decor is over the top, it's very authentic and makes you feel like you are really in Hungary. The ladies that run the place are always over the top friendly and are what makes it so wonderful. My chicken paprikash was delicious and authentic, ambiance perfect and I would return and recommend. This place is truly a diamond in the rough.

We have been going to the Budapest for years and...

We have been going to the Budapest for years and I found the previous reviews really funny, especially the one complaining that the food was so "Hungarian" - it's a Hungarian restaurant - DUH!! We love it here. It is like taking a trip to Europe without the expense or the jet lag. The soup is always good (I had the cauliflower and my hubbie had the cabbage). The meals are tasty and generous, the coffee is good, the ambience is great. The owner, Marika, is wonderful. She is up early every day to make the soup, wait tables and chat with customers. I know I won't have her energy when I reach her age (which I won't disclose - ask her yourself!). Suffice it to say she has been here since the Budapest was first started 50 years ago. There must be something in this food that keeps her so young and vibrant. So if you like authentic European food, great ambience and friendly service, this is a restaurant you should definitely visit.

Food was pretty bad, but probably average for...

Food was pretty bad, but probably average for Hungarian food. It seemed like very authentic food... The soup, however, was mostly just water with a few globs of fat floating on the surface. I didn't order it but we laughed at the guy at our table who did. Service was absolutely hilarious. We had this old lady who said she and her husband started the restaurant so many years ago, and she was constantly hitting on one of the guys at our table, which the rest of us found hilarious except him. I've heard from others who've gone that she usually picks a guy at the table to hit on, and it's absolutely hilarious!! She was talking about how she used to get up on the tables and dance, in the old days. She was delightful. Definitely an experience to remember. Would visit again just for the awesome experience.