Don't you love it when things get better? Despite what you may think, this actually happens in the world of Budapest dining. Old Amsterdam was, when I arrived in the city so many years ago, a dingy pub that relied on a few overpriced Dutch beers as a theme to bait customers. But it had a great central location on Királyi Pál utca in District V, and a nice sunny corner space. Now it has undergone a full makeover, and its kitchen is turning out wonderful old school Hungarian favorites, landing it on my shortlist of top local budget eateries.

This transformation was precipitated by the demise of an adjoining restaurant, Képíró, which has now been turned, improbably, into a restaurant honoring Frank Sinatra. Tired of trying to make rent in the volatile upscale restaurant business, Képíró's former owner took over Old Amsterdam and brought a lot of fine-dining know-how with him. What a surprise to walk into Old Amsterdam to find a warm, friendly space and attentive waiters. The kitchen too pays special attention to the presentation of the food off their menu, which includes Transylvanian stuffed cabbage (Ft 640/€2.50), venison stew cooked in red wine (Ft 980), and pike/perch Bakonyi style (Ft 1,490, pictured). All are well prepared, and reasonably priced. Old Amsterdam's labors are obviously bearing fruit: by 7:00 p.m. on a recent weekday night every last table was filled with tourists, businessmen and even a few boho Hungarians, who were perhaps waiting out the renovation on the hipster bar Extra down the street. Justifying its name, Old Amsterdam has kept the beer list from its former moribund self, and expanded it: there are over 20 Dutch and Hungarian beers on offer, from boutique Trappist beers to omnipresent brands like Stella Artois.

In trying to get more of the cheering back story on the new Old Amsterdam, I asked to speak to the manager, who was standing behind the bar. But when the waiter delivered the message that a customer wanted to talk to him, he promptly disappeared and refused to return, even after the same waiter called him on his mobile. On my way out, I found him hiding (presumably from me) in the entranceway to a nearby apartment building. Strange indeed, because from what I can see, he's got nothing to be hiding from.