It has been a pleasure, over the years, to watch the short, picturesque District VIII street – Krúdy Gyula, named after the writer known as the “Hungarian Proust” – transform from a rutty, pockmarked side-street, to the macadam, chic pedestrian street is today. Complete with an ultra-trendy art gallery, a hipster vintage clothing store, and a boutique hotel, it has also seen the opening of any number of new restaurants, both high and low end. But anchoring the dining scene – probably for 20 years now – is the cellar pizza parlor Leonardo. After flirting about with any number of newer pizzerias in Budapest (including Il Terzo Cerchio, Randevú, and New York Pizza) I decided to return to my old favorite, to see how it is holding up.
I didn’t mention that, on Krúdy Gyula, and in its immediate environs, there are no less than five other places to get pizza – Lazza Pizza Guru being the closest in proximity, as well as the best competition. One would think that by necessity, Leonardo would have stepped up their game. And, in a way, they did. In addition to the overwhelming variety of pizzas, they have added a full menu including the usual-suspect Italian pastas, as well as many favorites of the Hungarian cuisine. But it is the pizza that has sustained them through the years, and it is the pizza by which they should be judged.
Amazingly, the recipe seems unchanged since I first went there so many years ago. Leonardo’s pizza is something between the thin crust, traditional Italian pizzas that they aspire to at Il Terzo, and the more State-side fluffy crust pizza of New York Pizza and Marxim. Normally, this kind of bet hedging would get my dander up, but somehow the Leonardo’s compromise makes for a very satisfying pie. Pictured you see a “Matthias” pie, with green olives, hot peppers, and sausage. A medium – which is enough for a lone diner – runs you just Ft 1,050 (€4). It was very good, Leonardo is still a great pizza option. On the down-side, I appreciate that they want to keep the prices low, but black olives would have suited this pie better, and the sausage is a more pepperoni-like Hungarian vastag kolbász (accurately stated on the menu, but poorly translated). Also, somebody at Leonardo’s decided to do away with the low-rent seafood toppings like anchovies and replace them with shi-shi baby octopus and salmon. Feel free to get back to me on the baby octopus, but I’ll take a salty tinned anchovy on my pizza any day.
Now – on to something more intriguing. There has always been a thuggish quality to the clientele at Leonardo. The waiters, also, are usually really big dudes. I am not saying they have any underworld connection, but some time ago, Leonardo walled off a significant portion of the restaurant; behind the wall (pictured) there is a cavernous space that trebles the room’s capacity. What exactly are the hiding back there? A table of British stags that got too rowdy? A Funzine restaurant critic that didn’t gush effusively enough? (Where is Dan Brown when you need him?) More likely they are hiding person who translated the menu: crafting such priceless gems as: “Our prices, the service price it is not implied.” Implied or not – the service is fine, and Leonardo’s leaves little room for complaint. Leonardo? De fincsi! Translate that.
Maybe they are growing their own in the hidden area.You know what i mean, parsley, oregano and that sort of thing.
Really, what’s the deal with these hilarious/ridiculous translations in restaurants and shops??? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be picking on small stuff as long as the food is good, but c’mon!
Its really a shame that Chew is becoming more and more like Sexiside with such infrequent postings. Erik I know you have not given up eating well, come back to us…
Matt, forget others “crafting such priceless gems”; before criticizing others, proof your own work.
“More likely they are hiding person who translated”
“a full menu including the usual-suspect Italian pastas” – do you mean the pastas are suspect or they are seen everywhere?
“What exactly are the hiding back there?”
Don’t enjoy being picky, but do get annoyed by ‘writers’ making fun of Hunglish when their own work has obvious mistakes.
Anton
Yeah – in the real world they get proof readers – at chew we get ‘Anton Grub’. (working anonymously, and for free!)
@C’M: I agree with you here, though to my mind chew has become more like politics.hu than sexiside, in that only those with useless, mean-spirited things to say comment, usually with little or no relevance to the restaurant reviewed. Where is the glory in taking the time to research and write a review, to have you – not the restaurant – trashed by anonymous, angry trolls? Would you want to do it? Erik, you?
@Matt: Apologies, as I feel my using the opportunity to ask a pointed question of another commenter resulted in this place suffering collateral damage from elsewhere (politics.hu). I promise to keep to boundaries.
More generally, in light of your gripe about griping, isn’t the problem, though, that when it comes to food everyone is a smart arse?
Matt, it wasn’t meant as a criticism, I was just a little put-out when reading more wisecracks about non-native speakers’ imperfect grasp of another language. How’s your Hungarian, by the way?
I think ‘troll’ ‘and ‘angry’ is a little harsh and incorrect, especially since you yourself go a little off-topic and make what could be seen as ‘useless, mean-spirited’ remarks about the standard of English used in menus; poor English in menus is far from unique to Hungary, and I consider pointing out your mistakes to be relevant since you enjoy pointing out the mistakes of others. If anyone is angry here, you should look closer to home.
However, if you want real criticism, I don’t see what value your comments add to the review, which, additionally, didn’t talk much about the actual food. One colorless, dry-looking pizza? Perhaps ‘the glory in taking the time to research and write a review’ is to be found in taking the time to research and write an actual review, not an uninformative discussion of the pizza joints in, I assume, your area.
@ Anton Grub: I try not to engage with people who post anonymously – as you can sit there and bash me with no real repercussion, whereas my name is out there. The comment re: comments, was not directed at you (or Vánderló!) – more towards the Robis and others who get racist and xenophobic, on a food site! Unfortunately, they seem to set the tone for commentary these days. The lack of moderation is a long-standing gripe.
You are absolutely in the right to call me out on typos (though in usual-suspect Italian pastas the hyphen tells you how to read it. You are not yet profi here). All Hungary should have a proof reader. We don’t – end of story.
As for Leonardo: I have been going there for ten years, as I state clearly in the article…does that not qualify me to have an opinion? It is kind of a ‘no win’ situation: write a nice review and you get accused of taking money or services, write a bad one and you are a know-nothing expat. Either way, I have to look months back to find a comment by somebody who actually ate at the restaurant I wrote about.
Anyway – this is becoming rambling – good dining to you, Anton Grub – whomever you may be.
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