We already sang Ape Regina’s praises shortly after its opening, when we discovered it is genuinely Italian – or Sicilian, to be more precise – but we were again curious to see how things have been with the downtown hotspot since the hustle and bustle of the kickoff. The all-you-can-eat system is still amazing, the grissini and the pizzas are crunchy where they should be, and Chef Angelo still tries tirelessly to chat with guests in Italian and in English – it couldn’t even be more authentic. Upon our visit, we had a chat with Angelo (and a translator), and we again sampled the selection.
At the beginning of this year, a three-wheeled Piaggio motorbike was placed by the façade of Pocmaniczky Street 18, indicating that Ape Regina opened its gates. Beyond the logo, there were three things that raised our attention; the stylish interior, the wide assortment with abundant Italian courses, and the all you can eat system. We don’t have to explain our first favorite in details, it is enough to look at our photos, or step in the eatery to see it yourself.
Considering the courses, we have to highlight that even though Italian words enhance the menu, the flavors are from Sicily; we especially emphasize this, as in contrary to the usual “Italian cuisine”, here, they leave behind excessive seasoning, and a strong salty or garlicky taste. Instead, there is plenty of fish (even in the carbonara), lemon, capers, a very characteristic layered eggplant, and Italian ratatouille (caponata). The recipes come straight from the island near the bottom of the “boot”, many from Angelo’s family, and even if we can’t tell whether these meals would even please a family in Catania, the always returning South-Italian guests convinced us so.
So how about all you can eat; what can we eat where we can eat everything? The all you can eat system works very well at Ape Regina; feel free to bring your granny, your dad, your colleague or aunt and eat as much Italian as you wish for a fixed price (3,990 HUF). At this point we would like to give one advice: be a little Italian and leisurely munch on just a bit of everything. This way, it is more likely that you’ll have space left for a succulent tiramisu or a heavenly mascarpone cup at the end of the seance. One more thing on the plus side, the drinks are also included in the price.
We tasted everything from soups to the dessert, but as they say, you can only judge an Italian eatery by its pizza, so here’s our verdict: the dough is crunchy on the edge and soft on the inside, not too thin, and generously packed; even though Italians eat it folded up for starters, we felt quite full afterwards, although we didn’t even eat so much. The pastas can be ordered at a counter, in Italian-English-Hungarian straight from Angelo. Obviously they understand us in Hungarian and English as well, but it is all the more exciting to say: “Un spaghetti di bolognese per favore”. Angelo has really specific ideas about matching the right pasta with the sauce, and it is recommended to take his advice. We did so, and tried their specialty, a creamy Ape Regina ragú with ravioli, and we would do it again anytime.
We love eating, a lot, and from everything, so we loved this place, and bravely recommend it to people in the same boat. We also recommend it to those, who are looking for a nice place for a family or business gathering, as they can accommodate even 120 people at once. And two more tips: they always have a chef's choice, and a lunch menu on weekdays.
