Déryné Spawns Irresistible Love Child of Tom George and Szimpla Kert
This may look like a gallery of all the hippest and chicest restaurants, bars and cafés in Budapest, but all the above can be found between - and outside - the four walls of Café Déryné, the renovated cukrászda on Buda's Krisztina tér. There were certainly murmurings of discontent when Déryné, a coffee and cake shop opened by Mrs. Déry way back in 1951, closed its doors, but those murmurings didn't last long. The great news is that - like Tom George and Szimpla Kert, the other stalwarts of Budapest dining and nightlife - the modern reincarnation seems to have captured the imaginations of the otherwise restaurant-shy public, despite being little more than six weeks old. And it has done so by putting together a daring collage of the Budapest's and the worlds's latest dining trends.
Over the top? Maybe. Whatever you may think of the food and service, the real charm of the place is that it creates the cultured atmosphere of a cosmopolitan restaurant without the stuffyness of a super-fashionable bar or downtown tourist trap. The choice of piano bar, café, bistro, wine cellar, white table-cloth restaurant and lounge all under one roof may sound like overkill, but the ultimate effect is that it is hard to imagine Déryné empty at any time of day or night. And isn't that the whole idea? The experience is authentic, the dedication of the management is obvious and the staff do their utmost - even on Valentine's Day.
Despite the question mark raised about the food in the last paragraph, rest assured that it is comfortably above average and reasonably priced - we came away spending Ft 3,000 a head on soups, entrées and lemonade/beer (no wine) - and a variety of daily specials added to the rather limited standard menu ensure there is always something new on offer. Those that go looking will find nits to pick, but with so much else to admire, it just doesn't seem worth it. And those that moan about the standard Budapest level of service (again Déryné does a reasonably good job) need to learn to chill out and enjoy the live piano music.
There is no doubt we will be visiting Mrs. Déry again for a closer examination of her cooking (and go during the day so we can photograph the food - it's dark in there), because, quite simply, she is a one of a kind in a city of so many bland rip-offs and misguided "theme" restaurants. And even if the food is not up to snuff for real foodies, we can always stop by for a coffee, pint, bottle of wine, lemonade, cocktail, slice of cake, surf, or just to take some more pictures.
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just another press release
Just another anonymous comment... Seriously, what do you think of the place/food?
the place is real nice and there's always good music and perfect atmpsphire.
The food is'nt great to my opinion..
In general I recomend it.
Excellent food, and good review. But the service is getting progressively worse, which is making it very difficult to enjoy the food. There is one, small dark-haired waitress in particular who is very nasty - she should be made to wash dishes in the back since she clearly hates her job. Used to be our favorite place, but after getting demonstratively ignored by her and "her colleagues" (as she put it) this weekend because we were seated in her section when she wanted to go home and sharpen her talons, we've decided not to go back anymore. Once they realize that treating people like dirt is going to lose them business (and good business, too: we went there frequently and spent a good amount of money there), hopefully it will change their business practice. And it's not like they get a lot of walk-ins - the 'hood isn't exactly jumping. Eat at Deryne at your own risk!! (or if you like to be maltreated.)
if you can park your monster jeep on the sidewalk and sit back with a shirt unbuttoned to your belly, this is the place!
but be there or be square!
just another place to be seen... the food is crap (likewise in Mini, the sister restaurant) and the service arrogant (typical in this country)
A place that i wouldnt recommend and i will never go back again...
not everybody have to like same things... i find the food in both Deryne and Mini perfectly ok, surely is not the best but far from worst. As a vegetarian, i have found the food actually resonably good, especially the pasta is very good (even compared to italy, where i spend in average 30 % of my time).
The service is sometimes not the best (especially there is one a lady who is surely not warm person to say the least), but again mostly fine. However, i do find both the atmosphere, the decoration and clientele more than compensating for occasional problems... Most of my friends are regulars there and i find the buzz very entertaining.
I don't find it very expensive either (as hardly any restaurant in budapest anyway).
tom that says it all "As a vegetarian, i have found the food actually resonably good"
We have been to Deryne a few times.Our experience with service has
been very good. We also liked the food a lot (I had an absolutely
wonderful pumpkin soup and one of my friend had the prawns and
they were excellent. I found the food and service better than Mini and
it manages to be a classy - upscale restaurant without insane prices
or intense face control and stuffiness.
Keep giving it a chance - if they blow the service I'm out.