Budapesters seem to look for two largely incompatible things in their dining experiences. Value for money and a veneer of exclusivity – which helps explain the ongoing popularity of Remíz. On the other hand, what many of the top restaurateurs is a ready-cooked international design with fancy foreign food – pioneered by the likes of Tom George and its peers on Liszt Ferenc tér. But international quality comes at a relatively high price that only foreigners, high rollers and gangsters can afford to pay (which is where the exclusivity comes in). The result is a restaurant scene that often puts fashion before food and style before substance, and a glance at the Chew 33 shows that there are precious few down-home Hungarian restaurants in Budapest that make the grade. But there is hope. Mentaterasz looks like it might break the mold and serve up decent Hungarian food in an atmosphere that is both informal and stylish.
First, its location on the Buda side of the river allows the Mint Terrace to wipe the slate clean and appeal to a broader church, albeit one that trickles down from the mansions and villas of the Buda Hills. Second, the enormous building itself, the former Paksi Halászcsárda, is a real find, and the owners have done a lot of work to make maximum use of every nook and cranny. In addition to the ground floor restaurant, complete with indoor courtyard for the summer months, there is a cellar club for live music and dancing and a colonial-style lounge on the top deck, also with large outdoor areas. In other words, it appeals, but not to the celebs and underworld types and their trophy girlfriends, but to the ordinary folk who like to go out for a good feed and/or a couple of drinks in a civilized atmosphere from time to time.
The decor may not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s generic enough to be unobtrusive and the lighting levels are just right. Most importantly, Mentaterasz has already proved a hit with the locals, and if a place is full, the fixtures and fittings are of secondary importance. But Enough about the place, what’s on the menu? The MT étlap not only looks good (with a tabbed system for easy navigation), it has been translated reasonably well into English and offers up a good spread of Hungarian staples and international dishes. But who needs “greenshell mussels cooked with tomato and white wine” when decent Hungarian food is so hard to find in Budapest?
For this reason, we jumped at the chance of a halászlé, the often delicious fish soup that has sadly been eclipsed by gulyás in the consciousness of the tourist. Containing plenty of fish and just enough paprika kick, at Ft 1,150, it was easily enough for two as a starter and would make a satisfying main course.
Continuing the fishy theme for the mains, the pic above is of the harcsapaprikás (catfish in creamy paprika sauce, with ewe cheese and dill gnocchi, Ft 2,000). The catfish was soft but not overcooked and there was an abundance of trademark Hungarian creaminess and orangeness, despite the un-Hungarian style of the delivery.
The vadasmarha, something like beef in chasseur sauce, served with a giant bread dumpling was also a more subtle and sophisticated take on traditionally heavy Eastern European fare, this time borrowed from our Slavic neighbors. Simple, but clearly prepared by chefs who know their stuff.
As Remíz showed, you can’t go wrong with oven-baked goose leg with steamed cabbage and prunes (2,100 Ft). This example had ample crispiness, what this dish is all about, and really hit the spot.
By contrast, the knuckle of ham, usually a real treat was the only let down, but that is only because of what had gone before, and the way just hearing the word csülök makes us drool. It wasn’t bad, just not as exciting as expected.
The verdict: Menta Terasz gives us hope that affordable, high-quality dining without the snob factor (think gastropub), may finally have arrived in Budapest. There seems to be a bit of a buzz about this place around town, too, and peeking through the window on a weekday evening, it is clear that the slick marketing and unpretentious setting have done the trick. The venue has character, check out the upstairs bar above and the club below, and it’s easy to see the MT team have gone to a lot of trouble. So far, very good.
