After a long period in which everything new in Budapest had to be overstyled and overpriced, or faceless imitations of established overseas hits, a few places have opened recently that seem to buck that trend, by offering something new and exclusive at affordable prices. Just opposite from Déryné on Krisztina tér, Mákos Guba is the budget version of this new form of eatery, serving fresh Hungarian standards at low-low prices. This giant plate of the restaurant’s “signature” dessert – mákos guba – cost just Ft 389 (€1.50), for instance.
The rántott hús below was remarkable not for its size, but for its freshness. While the normal fast-food offering is plucked from under a heat lamp, this one was fresh out of the fryer and still dripping with oil. Not bad for Ft 629, plus Ft 259 for the fries.
The same goes for the beef pörkölt, Ft 659, which though not spectacular, was saved by fresher-than-average nokedli.
The lunch menu includes all the staples you would expect at you local kifőzde, including soups, all varieties of főzelék (Ft 319) and palacsinta, diós and mákos tészta, and, of course Somlói galuska (pictured). Oh, and home-made, fizzy lemonade.
Note that the café recently introduced an evening menu serving more upmarket fare – salmon penne, Ft 1,590 – to suit diners with more time and money on their hands than the lunch crowd. Also note that you can still order Mákos Guba, and that it still costs Ft 389.
