After singing the praises of József Szentesi's wines and budget restaurant, a visit to Maligán (follow link for contact details and user feedback), the restaurant he owns and used to run, was long overdue. He no longer runs it because the elegant yet warm space has been rented out to Zsolt Litauszki, a much-lauded Hungarian chef returning from 9 years honing his skills in Austria. So while Maligán has enjoyed a somewhat disputed position in the Chew Top 33, the new blood in the kitchen means a review is not only overdue, but essential.

Despite the changes in the kitchen, Maligán continues to label itself a "wine restaurant", which seems to be more gimmickry than anything else, so we'll briefly mention the fact that the wine served with the meal was excellent (download the comprehensive wine list here) - and perhaps the highlight of the meal. Which is not good news, as wine should accompany and complement food, rather than the other way around. But wine should be discussed elsewhere, particularly when there is a sommelier on hand to recommend his favorites.

The menu, which is regularly updated and on view online, is certainly promising. Although more international than previously, it made all the right noises, combining the familiar with the exotic and unusual to mouth-watering effect. For instance, it was purely out of curiosity that I picked the kovászos uborka leves (pickled gherkin soup), but in hindsight, it was no surprise that it tasted like the frothed-up leftovers from the pickle jar. A mistake.

The starters, similarly exciting at first glance, were disappointing, mostly for their meager size. Call us tight, but it is reasonable to expect a little more for Ft 1,800 (€7.64) than a souvenir pyramid of oh-so-good, but oh-so-small acacia paste, rather tasteless elderflower jelly, a portion of paté and a tiny brioche, or a bite-sized saddle of rabbit (rabbits evidently have very small saddles), or half a head of iceberg lettuce (!!) topped with mushrooms (all below). All very tasty - but not quite spectacular enough to match the price.

The mains were slightly more rewarding, but also a little underwhelming. From the veal cheeks with prune sauce and the pike perch with paprika risotto above to the the whole duck and veal with polenta below, they were close, but failed to live up to their own hype. This is something that goes for the entire "dining experience" - the ambiance and wine were great, everything else was just plain vanilla good. Yet nothing - save for perhaps that small portion of acacia paste - was truly unforgettable.

And this is not just my opinion, it was the consensus from around an international table, consisting of a former restaurateur from the US and the Brit footing the bill. While the Hungarian-American found little he couldn't track down at home, the Englishman was hoping the meal would be a bit easier on a wallet ground down by inflated London prices (to be fair, a lot of the damage was done by the two bottles of Ft 9,900 Gróf Buttler 2004 Bikavér). In short, we're not saying don't go, just don't go expecting too much.