A picturesque palace soars skywards near Budapest’s Heroes’ Square, with fairy-tale spires towering above the sedate Városliget Lake – this is Vajdahunyad Castle, a highlight of City Park since it was built in 1896, just in time for the Millennial Jubilee to commemorate the thousandth anniversary of the Magyars’ arrival in Hungary. This majestic monument entices visitors with panoramic tower tours and a museum, while guests are now also invited to the castle’s recently opened Anonymus Bar & More, offering real Magyar feasts, local spirits, and varied souvenirs.
Located in City Park just beyond iconic Heroes’ Square, Vajdahunyad Castle never housed noble residents, but after becoming a popular sight of Hungary’s Millennial Celebrations, the palace’s original wooden structure was reconstructed with stone to become permanent, and in 1907 the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture moved in, where it remains to this day. In addition to admiring its exhibitions, visitors can now climb two of Vajdahunyad Castle’s towers for scenic wraparound views over the cityscape, while the garden hosts public events like the Vajdahunyad Castle Summer Music Festival and the Easter Sheep Festival.
However, in the past few years there has been no significant eatery operating amid these time-transcending settings, as the previous restaurant inside the palace closed down in 2011, leaving the brick-lined basement and its lakeside terrace abandoned. Luckily, in spring a new hangout bloomed at the formerly vacant site, enticing hungry visitors to descend the stone stairway to reach this semi-hidden eatery, found to the left from the castle’s main archway.
At first, we are confused about the main function of Anonymus Bar & More, and while we discover the source of its name is the nearby statue of Anonymus – Hungary’s famous historian of the Middle Ages, who chronicled the nation’s earliest years – we wonder what the “more” is, and are eager to find out. When we pass by the bar’s tree-shaded terrace, we halt for awhile to soak in the sedate lakeside scene while immersing in the sounds of a gushing fountain, by a winding pathway along the waterfront inviting us to the back of the courtyard. However, for now we decide to enter the enclave that’s elegantly wedged within Vajdahunyad Castle’s century-old walls.
Within the building, a selection of heritage gift items invites anyone who enters to explore, touch, and smell the Magyar-made products, including crimson paprika powder wrapped in colorful textile bags (available in a rare smoked version, too), succulent sausage specialties, handmade chocolates, and Hungarian alcohol, but besides the edible merchandise we also find ordinary souvenir-store keepsakes, like fridge magnets displaying the Hungarian Busó Carnival or T-shirts printed with the portrait of Hungarian football legend Ferenc Puskás. Of course, all of this is available for purchase.
Connected to the shop floor, a bar and a wine cellar await bibulous guests for intoxicating summertime chilling, but anyone who fancies enjoying sunshine by the lake are escorted to one of the restaurant’s outdoor tables. From most of the alfresco spots, we can watch how the chef prepares the restaurant’s succulent Mangalica pork steak (3,470 HUF), but the show kitchen also presents staple foods as they are being cooked, like traditional Magyar goulash soup (970 HUF), a selection of homemade sausages (3,500 HUF), oven-baked lángos specialties (2,270 HUF), and grilled goose liver (4,700 HUF). In addition to the traditional treats, the menu also contains fusion meals, with the Deluxe Burger made with Hungarian Grey cattle steak, grilled goose liver, and ratatouille being one of the eatery’s most popular orders (1,670 HUF).
A wine cart presents Magyar libations for pairing with the meals, and the collection covers many of Hungary’s wine regions – aromatic Chardonnay, golden Furmint, fruity Pinot Noir, and spicy Egri Bikavér are all on offer by the bottle, while certain types are also available to order by the glass, and guests who already feel inebriated by the surrounding scenes can sip refreshing lemonades flavored with tasteful local syrups. Finally, those with a sweet tooth can indulge in a selection of Hungarian desserts such as Somlói galuska (1,200 HUF) and poppy-seed cake with sour cherries (1,070 HUF).
As we conclude our tour around this multi-purpose establishment, we understand why the word “more” was included in the name of the hangout. Thanks to its unique location, Anonymus Bar & More is already becoming popular with international visitors touring City Park, but the restaurant’s future plans include activities that would provide fresh programs for both locals and foreign guests alike: this autumn, the Anonymus crew is planning to organize regular wine-tasting events, and during the holiday season the terrace area might turn into a charming Christmas fair filled with handcrafted products, sweet-scented chimney cake, and soul-warming mulled wine, so it's worth returning to this delightful destination even in wintertime.
Anonymus Bar & More
Address: within Vajdahunyad Castle, in City Park
Opening hours: daily, 9am-midnight
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