It is easy to approach the Silenus Pub (follow link for contact details) with negative preconceptions, given its location on the outskirts of Budapest's top tourist rip-off district. Okay, Petőfi Sándor utca may be the poor tourist hustler's Váci utca, but still, there is ample reason to be wary. Nor is this part of the inner fifth known for its rollicking nightlife. I was therefore pleased to find that Silenus does it best to defy these expectations, and all-in-all, feels more like a Ráday utca pub than its vicinity to Váci would suggest. Whether the city needs another Ráday-style pub is another question.

I don't want to speculate on how much the owners of Silenus had to spend to secure the terrace space that wraps around the building it sits in, but if you enjoy people-watching, you will be glad they spent it. Silenus bills itself as a pub, and despite the fact that the Silenus of Greek mythology was a companion (and tutor) to the wine god Dionysus, the focus here is on beer, with a separate menu for the impressive range of suds available (140 by their count, which their website says is the biggest selection in Hungary). In addition to all the domestic standards, they also have multiple Belgian Trappist brews and beers from Japan, Israel, and both Czech and American Bud, if you are keen for something light-as-air on a hot Budapest day.

The menu globe-trots similarly, with Italian, Spanish tapas, Hungarian, and American dishes represented. For no particular reason, I gave the duck Brassói a go. It was a attractive dish, with tri-color peppers and oven-baked potato cubes dusted with paprika and garlic. I am not sure about the duck meat itself, which tasted more like duck liver - though maybe that is just what one gets in a duck Brassói. Nor was the serving particularly generous for Ft 2,100 (€7). Still, it would make a nice accompaniment to a few beers, which is the point of pub food. The brownie (Ft 650) I tried from the dessert menu was more like a cake, not the dense lump of chocolate mud of a traditional brownie, but satisfying nonetheless. I liked that there was no "selling up" here, nor did they add service to the bill, which was surprising considering the general trend in town, as well as the neighborhood. I was particularly happy that the waitress realized her mistake in bringing me 4 cl of scotch rather than the 2 cl I ordered, and rectified it with apologies.

Ultimately, what Silenus feels like is a more international, hipper TGI Fridays, which is either a plus or minus depending (I have nothing against TGI Friday's except its cloying concept, bland food, and high prices). All in all, there is not a lot to complain about here, and a good deal to praise. Indeed, its addition to the neighborhood, which sorely lacks casual, fun dining, is very welcome. Their opening advertising blitz has pushed the late-night entertainment on offer, so I am sure I will be back later to see if Silenus can wake this sleepy little section of town up.