The restaurant is styled as a Parisian bistro, which is obvious from the interior design, the black-and-white outfits of the waitstaff, and, of course, from the kitchen. The first half of the restaurant’s name comes from one the chef’s favorite ingredients, lamb. However, Zsolt’s other favorite foodstuff – goose liver – didn’t work for the eatery’s title. Not only does “Lamb and Liver” sound somewhat unappealing, but a mysterious buffet named Májas (“liver” in Hungarian) used to operate in this very location, and the place gained such a bad reputation that Zsolt had to promise to local residents that Lamb and Leo wouldn’t resemble the greasy spoon in any way. Fortunately, the negative impression of Májas faded in recent years as a higher-quality restaurant – Arcade Bistro – existed here for a long time. In the end, the second part of Lamb and Leo’s name came to be the lion as a symbol of contrasts, and the quality aims to top the previous bistro.
First, we tried a signature dish, truffle-flavored goose-liver praline with quail egg (3,590 HUF). At first glance, it looked like if somebody spilled grass on the plate along with a chunk of soil. The latter turned out to be the egg with a black coating that is a bit tart-tasting because of a specially prepared coil of red onion. The texture and the sweetness of the goose liver, the tartness of the coating, the fresh salad, and the red-wine jelly – these first bites were already a savory treat.
The second dish was goose-liver soup with oyster (2,190 HUF), which Zsolt learned from a two-Michelin-star-awarded Sicilian chef. Its secret lies in the premium quality of the ingredients that come from the French city where Zsolt first ate oysters as a part of a foreign training session.
The chef likes dishes that have a story connected to them. Risotto with spring onion and smoked sturgeon (2,590 HUF) doesn’t sound like an exciting dish, but it’s not just a simple risotto – it holds all the experiences of the Italian mama who taught all of her tricks to Zsolt... and while the chef understood nothing among her speedy Italian speaking, he memorized her secrets of good risotto, to which he adds fish and a bit of pecorino. A match made in heaven!
Another signature dish is lamb three times with celery puree and pak choi (5,390 HUF). Colors, fresh flavors, and the harmony of spices – again, a delicious treat.
You can find both new-wave and well-known classics on the dessert menu; from the latter, cinnamon ice cream with caramel cream and the apple cake with a twist (1,350 HUF) were our favorites. If you don’t want to play it safe, try the fresh goat cheese with mango and pine nut (2,350 HUF). Every flavor – the goat cheese and the celery oil, the resin of the pine nut, and the mango – connects to each other. The last time we ate such a surprisingly outstanding dessert was during our visit to St. Andrea Wine Bar, where Ádám Barna is responsible for the sweet treats.
What is sure is that the menu – which will change every month – will be divided into five sections: first dish, second dish, main dish, cheeses, and desserts, while there is a daily menu written on the blackboard. They are also planning to introduce lunch specials.
We visited the place almost immediately after the opening day, but there wasn’t any sign of insecurity in the kitchen. What we saw was a list of premium-quality dishes that combine the elements of many styles, and the service was polite and fast. It doesn’t matter if Lamb and Leo is a bistro or a fine-dining restaurant: it will be an important part of the Budapest culinary scene, this we can already tell. Highly recommended.
Lamb and Leo Bistro (closed)
Address:
1126 Budapest, 38. Kiss János altábornagy Street
Megjelent első bookazine-unk, ne maradj le róla!
Már 15 éve lélegzünk összhangban a fővárossal. Jubileumi kiadványunkban mindent megtalálsz, ami magazinunk és eddigi munkánk esszenciája. Gasztronómia, kultúra, városi legendák és Budapest arcai, interjúk, történetek és a legjobb helyek – úgy, ahogyan mi látjuk a fővárost.
Rendeld meg itt vagy keresd a nagyobb könyvesboltokban!
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