Advent starts this Sunday, 2 December, and with Budapest’s fabulous Christmas markets and ice rinks in full swing, the city’s upscale restaurants will be welcoming guests to celebrate this most wonderful time of the year with fine feasts. Alongside, family-friendly entertainment involves live music, Santa flying in from Finland and even ballerinas performing the ‘Nutcracker Suite’. Several upscale destinations offer Advent brunches on successive Sundays, others as a one-off special event.
In terms of invention, few can top the InterContinental, whose Advent brunches on four consecutive Sundays from 2 December showcase ballet renditions of the NutcrackerSuite. Alongside, the hotel's Corso Restaurant offers a smorgasbord with all things bubbly from 12,900 forints. French éclairs will be fused with the flavours of Hungarian Christmas sweets, such as zserbó and beigli while the Corso’s Hologram cocktail gets a special Magyar makeover for Yuletide. A panoramic winter terrace overlooking Buda Castle is the cherry on the cake. More details
Through December, the high-end Corinthia Hotel Budapest on the Grand Boulevard will be transforming every Sunday into a winter wonderland. Santa’s Reindeer Brunch, the Santa Claus Factory Brunch, the North Pole Brunch and the Christmas Tree Lighting Brunch each cost around 12,000 forints with unlimited house wine, beer, soft drinks and hot beverages included.
On the same dates of 2, 9, 16 and 23 December, merry music and a sumptuous spread of meat, fish, fresh salads and festive sweets welcome guests at the Paris Budapest at the Sofitel. Here the extra-special attraction is extra-special indeed: none other than Joulupukki, Finland’s very own Santa Claus, who’ll be making an appearance on 2 December. After telling Father Christmas their wish, children can play in the kids’ corner. There’ll be a gingerbread-making workshop on 9 December and a brass band playing on the 16th. On the last Sunday of Advent, the Paris Budapest chef shares the secret of a perfect Christmas meal. Packages are available from 12,000 forints. More details
For the first three Sundays of Advent, a beautifully decorated tree, festive concerts in the hotel lobby and traditional Christmas dishes bring festive warmth to the Araz restaurant of the Continental Hotel Budapest. Unlimited consumption of paprika-infused fish soup, stuffed cabbage with wild-boar meat and pancakes with poppy seed comes with free-flowing house wine, all for 7,900 forints. An animation team will engage children in the kids’ corner. More details
At The Ritz-Carlton Budapest between 10-25 December, the hotel’s top-notch restaurant, the Deák St. Kitchen awaits visitors with a special Christmas menu which starts with fish soup and trout ravioli, moves on to veal-stuffed cabbage or paprika-and-mangalica bacon and rounds things off with dark-chocolate-and-orange mousse with orange caramel.
Live music lightens the mood at Danube-facing peppers! in the Marriott Hotel, where lavish roasts and pastry delicacies are offered for 13,500 forints, half-price for under-12s, free for under-6s. These Advent feasts are offered over the first four Sundays in December, from noon until 3pm. The Marriott has also set up a Hungarian-style Christmas market in the lobby, with hand-crafted marzipan, bejgli cake and gingerbread houses to peruse and purchase.
Done up to welcome visitors in the warming atmosphere of an Alpine ski chalet, the Winter Terrace of the ÉS Bisztró at the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest offers special brunches every Advent Sunday. Hot drinks and seasonal snacks are already a given, along with curiosities such as lángos with smoked salmon, red caviar, cured mature ham, pulled pork and pancakes. Look out too for creative cocktails.
Some hotels prefer to stage a special one-off event. At the legendary Gellért Hotel, celebrating its centenary in 2018, 16 December is Mohács Fish Day. House chef Gábor Müncz and his counterpart from Mohács, Tibor Nagy, combine to create a piscine spread of catfish stew, grilled pike with Riesling-and-dill sauce, and Dorozsma-style miller’s perch. Carnivores can tuck into goose soup and roast goose. Festivities start at noon in the Panorama Restaurant and Duna Room. Unlimited helpings and drinks, including wine and beer, is 9,400 forints plus 10% service, half-price for children under 12. Up in the Castle District, the Hilton Budapest gets you in the Christmas spirit on 23 December with a holiday-inspired lunch buffet, with unlimited sparkling wine, wine, beer and soft drinks, all for 17,500 forints.
