Lajos Bíró – the star Hungarian chef of the upscale downtown eatery Bock Bistro – was the first gourmet pioneer to open a street-food booth at District V’s Downtown Market (“Belvárosi Piac” in Hungarian), providing excellent low-priced options for anyone looking for a quick bite of filling, no-frills food made with the highest possible quality. The formula has proven successful at both
A Séf utcája and Buja Disznó(k), so chef Szása Nyíri of Arany Kaviár – Budapest’s premier Russian restaurant – also jumped on the bandwagon recently, serving his beloved Russian dishes here at the market. MoszkvaTér (MoszkvaTéЯ) fills a gastronomical and a cultural void: the local residents of Budapest grew so fond of the name back when it used to refer to present-day Széll Kálmán Square that they haven’t been able to let go of it. (This new haunt is not to be confused with the erstwhile Moszkva Tér Bistro, which was a perfect spot for a game of foosball, but offered no first-rate Russian cuisine.)
The eatery itself is very similar to the others at the market in terms of size and design. Guests can either choose to eat inside at the tables set up by the kitchen and the counter, or sit down in front of the eatery, bundled up next to outdoor heaters. The bear in the logo is not only a funny decorative element: the furry beast knows a lot about each dish and how best to consume it, as demonstrated by his insightful tips written on the walls. MoszkvaTér stands out among other similar street-food spots because everything they serve is prepared on the spot; nothing comes from the kitchen of Arany Kaviár.
The solyanka and borscht (1,200 HUF) soups, the absolute staples of Russian gastronomy, come in massive portions, and are so thick they could easily pass for some kind of stew. The tasty, steamy liquid meals are best when they’re just cooled enough to eat – that’s when the flavor of the beetroot and the olives is just right. The pelmeni dumplings with meat (1,600 HUF) is another sumptuous option.The space above the counter is adorned with some great advice on how to eat authentic chicken Kiev (2,100 HUF): the trick is to cut into it carefully to prevent the delicious, oozing, herb-infused butter from flowing absolutely everywhere. You can also drip the fantastic filling onto your mashed potatoes, and you’ve got sheer perfection on a plate. Despite the fact that the main profile is street-food, the presentation of MoszkvaTér’s dishes is very neat. We rounded off our testing session with chebureki – a deep-fried, meat-filled pie served with paprika dip, which was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and divine with the tasteful sauce. To wash it down, we opted for some refreshing kvass, but vodka and champagne are also available, posing a strange-but-cool contrast with the street-food profile. They’ll soon incorporate caviar into the selection to complete the entire Russian culinary arsenal.
On the first Saturday of February, the eatery has a special event in store for gastro fans: a proper tsar’s breakfast with caviar, champagne, and blinis to kick off the weekend. After our pleasant recent visit, we’ll definitely mark it in our calendars – we can’t wait to see what comes out of this extraordinary mix of flavors and styles.
