[Editor's Note: This restaurant has closed for business.]

As you may have seen, we've recently spiffed-up our list of Top 33 restaurants in Budapest, giving the T33 its own attractively-designed page, and including links to the "tags" for articles mentioning restaurants on the list. Another reason for the switch was to make it easier to switch around the list, which we are doing again today, adding the intimate and quite wonderful District V eatery Papageno.

Papageno is one of those rare restaurants in Budapest to close and re-open under new management, and the same name. We were fans of the old Papageno, and were sad to see it go, as it consistently offered interesting and tasty French/Italian dishes in a snug but comfortable setting. For some reason, though, we didn't get around for almost a year to trying the new Papageno, which is the handiwork of the very friendly and creative Zsolt Szondi. (The scattering of "good luck" coins on the floor of the dining room is typical of the "let's just enjoy ourselves" vibe of the place.) But while we were waiting to check it out, other's weren't, and the restaurant's page on Caboodle.hu has several glowing reviews from satisfied diners. Here's one:

Papageno is, without a doubt, one of Budapest's best kept secrets. Located on an otherwise quiet street, it is easy to miss, so do seek it out. The decor is intimate and sexy, and is matched by flawlessly prepared and innovative dishes. The chef is creative, and [there] are contemporary twists and fusion elements to the menu, which are all backed up by talent behind the stove. Service was absolutely superb.

To which frankly all we can add are a few pics to illustrate what everyone is raving about. Above you have the Papageno "dip selection" with steak tartare, puree of tuna and eggplant (Ft 1,790).

Then there was consommé with quail egg, a "basket" made of vegetables, and a big spoon of sherry (Ft 990).

Our neighbor said the snails with herbs, spinach and garlic (Ft 1,990) were among the best he had ever had.

Meanwhile, the person who ate this green salad (Ft 1,490) didn't bother with the "among" and just said it was the best such dish she'd ever had in Budapest

Both of the above pastas were wonderful, as were the other mains we forgot to take pictures of, most of which were in the Ft 2,000 - Ft 3,500 range.

As for why we forgot, the most likely reason is this "Naf-naf" marinated piglet chop, with honeyed cabbage, and dödölle dumpling (Ft 2,650). This was probably the best "nouvelle Hungarian" dish we've ever had, and would have it again in a heartbeat.

Finally, just to cap things off there was this "blue cheese" cheesecake (Ft 890) which, trust us, was much better than it sounds.

To recap, the only sad thing about the new Papageno is that its low-key, highly professional and inventive approach hasn't pulled in the audience it deserves. We're hoping a place on the Top 33 will bring a few more lucky diners to its doors, so we can keep stopping by and dropping a few lucky coins for years to come.