Walking along the winding cobblestoned stretch of Kazinczy Street – the ever-lively lane in District VII best known for its raucous party places – we look through the huge windows of a new bistro to see a warmly glowing light and an open kitchen. The friendly staff welcomes us inside, making us want to stay from the first minute. This is Situ, a charming new dining destination that offers high-quality French cuisine with a minimal Asian twist.
Isabelle Le Palotai started thinking about opening a restaurant four or five years ago. She is also familiar with Vietnamese cuisine, which can be felt in some of the dishes. The menu will become clearer soon, with a more defined French character. While there are some mistakes here and there, the open spirit of Situ makes the place really loveable, instead of just being another money factory for investors in trendy District VII.
Even though Situ opens at noon and offers a lunch menu – which nearby workers quickly became addicted to – the place fills up quickly in the evening, as well, which is a fine achievement for such a new restaurant. Among these dinner guests, Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron visited Situ recently, immediately raising the restaurant’s profile.
Among the appetizers, we tried the sweet chili tiger prawns (with garlic chips, 2,200 HUF) and the lamb neck terrine (3,350 HUF), and continued with a kabocha pumpkin salad (1,600 HUF).
As for the main course, we first ordered a seafood dip (4,750 HUF) in a huge pan. The dip goes great with the baguette, and the mussels and prawns inside of it are enough to satisfy three or four people. Between the two dishes, we enjoy sipping pastis.
The beef bourguignon with mushrooms, served with bread buns with celery and fennel (4,900 HUF), is a serious dish, and the chocolate fondantwith mango mousse is a perfect conclusion for the dinner.
The two young chefs, Csaba Schreiber and Alex Kulcsár, form a complementary pair; the foods are beautiful and dare the diner to dig into them. We also would like to praise the service – we are dealing with a professional who knows what she’s doing and pays attention.Situ is an emerging bistro with a strong French base, and fortunately it completely lacks the pretentious style that characterizes many new downtown restaurants of recent years. The atmosphere is welcoming, so – depending on the situation – we recommend coming here for either dates or gatherings with friends.
Situ
Address: Budapest 1075, Kazinczy utca 32
Telephone: +36 1 785 3912
