Budapest's luxurious Andrássy Avenue overflows with wealthy Russian tourists, and this is usually not among the places where we would consider having dinner. The majority of Budapest residents think that this street is not only expensive but too focused on catering to visitors. But it seems that we do not have to be members of the Rockefeller family in order to dine on Andrássy Avenue: we found an elegant yet friendly place between the embassies, presenting an impressive selection of French and Hungarian cuisine. We visited La Perle Noire Restaurant and Lounge.

It's great when friendly people open a nice restaurant at a good location.
La Perle Noire is just such a place, and with its fair prices it counts as a real gem among the otherwise expensive Andrássy Avenue.

This elegant eatery is operated by a couple with decades of experience in catering (Szilvia Szarvas and András Gendur), who won the management of the restaurant in the 68-room Mamaison Hotel Andrássy with a great concept during summer of 2013. The restaurant is special in that it is not only in charge of the hotel's guests, but it also welcomes outside visitors. They can satisfy all needs, whether for backpacking tourists or ambassadors coming for a business lunch. But the team is not only thinking about paying customers: they have a bird feeder, they care for a hedgehog family in the garden, and cook for those in need during holidays.

The design of La Perle Noire fits the atmosphere of Andrássy Avenue's mansions, yet also achieves a balance between elegance and coziness. Everything is designed with a focus on the food and the service; nothing distracts us from what matters.

The restaurant represents a modern culinary line that is partly French-Hungarian and partly international, infused with a bit of Asian spiciness. Thus the restaurant's "genre" cannot be defined, but they really got the hang of different fusions: they mix together strange flavors and create unique culinary experiences.

For example, we tried a datterino (tomato) soup with elderberry (!), which we think is an excellent flavor pairing, and the lavender-caviar champagne was no different either – they offer this to every guest as a welcome drink.

The menu offers plenty of specialties at a pretty good price, like the cauliflower potato stew with duck sausage and poached quail eggs (2,600 HUF), the spaghetti a’la arrabiata (2,500 HUF), the mangalica cutlet ribs with lecsó millet (4,500 HUF), the chicken breast supréme with red rice, kohlrabi and smoked salmon parfait (3,100 HUF), or the goose-liver terrine with chamomile and fruitcake (2,900 HUF). Among the desserts, we recommend the cheesecake with almond, strawberry ice-cream, and fresh fruits (1,500 HUF). All dishes fall into the fine dining category, both in quality and service.

The selection changes twice a year, and there are special offers twice a week. In the summer, the menu is given a grill expansion, in which the dishes are prepared on a grill in the cozy garden. In addition to the foods, La Perle Noire also offers 50 kinds of wines, most of which are Hungarian.