With the recent start of this year's grand prix auto racing season, we again find ourselves exiled from our own home for several hours most Sundays, thanks to our race-hating better half. But that's just fine, because we're happy to peel out of the flat and make a pit-stop at Box Utca ("Pit Lane"), the sports-bar/café/restaurant owned by Hungarian boxing legend István "Ko-Ko" Kovács.

As with most theme restaurants, the menu is a little gimmicky (the lighter foods are called "featherweight") and on the long side. But there are numerous interesting and winning items on it, such as the chicken breast with mushroom "fondue" sauce and mashed potatoes (Ft 1,890) pictured above, which must be one of the best hangover dishes we've ever had. They also dish out plenty of very acceptable traditional Hungarian standbys, such as vörösboros marhapörkölt (red-wine beef stew, below, Ft 1,950). The desserts aren't bad, either.

We're not going to try to convince you that BU is some sort of gastro-paradise. But given how many people we see there who are only drinking and watching, and the deep prejudices most foodies have about eating at places like this, we thought it only fair to point out that the food is better than you might think. Not only that, it seems to be getting better - and offering better value - all the time. Now if they can figure out how to enlighten dubious spouses about the joys of eating while watching cars drive around in circles.