It is always exciting when a new restaurant opens in town – is the concept good, is the chef creative, are the dishes outstanding, is the design unique? These were the questions that sprang to mind when we entered the brand-new Winestone Budapest.
A special entrance takes you inside the Mercure Budapest Korona on the corner of Kálvin tér and Múzeum körút. This whole space has been recently revamped and now it’s young, mixed with Art Deco elements such as colourful and playful features and materials, high tables, designer lights and funky tiles.
The design made an excellent first impression, but when we sat down, the customer service raised the bar even higher when we were instantly served sourdough bread with olive oil and a homemade mix of spices.
From chef József Gran we learned why wine and stone feature in the name. The wine selection is impressive, about 80% comprised of impressive Hungarian items. It also contributes to the décor, and some of the bottles are sold in the shop.
Stone, on the other hand, refers to the way of serving and the concept of the menu, as many dishes are presented on a stone plate, from the Pest Stone starter to the Sweet Stone dessert. The menu – that changes twice a year – features simple but creative dishes, sometimes traditional, other times international. Mostly local ingredients are used and everything is bought fresh (bread comes twice a day from a bakery). So if you start with a Budapest Mix Stone (3,900 forints), you can be sure that the gravlax, the loin and the duck liver will all be spot-on.
From the mains, our favourite was the pappardelle dish (3,600 forints), pasta with avocado, cherry tomatoes, spinach, Grana Padano and, on special request, prawns. This is a rich and hearty plate in both quantity and quality. The short but creative bistro menu contains chicken, loin, lamb, light salads and even sandwiches, while a daily special (two courses and a drink) features for 3,200 forints. There’s a monthly changing chef’s offer, too.
If you order the Sweet Stone, you’ll get an espresso, a mini cheesecake and homemade chocolate (1,900 forints), which is a great way to end an excellent dinner.
Winestone is a good choice for business people working in the area, for a date at an elegant but not uncomfortably romantic restaurant, and even for those who are only after a few glasses of wine. Freshly cut ham and cheese makes the perfect wine biscuit, by the way. Make sure to book ahead.
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Már 15 éve lélegzünk összhangban a fővárossal. Jubileumi kiadványunkban mindent megtalálsz, ami magazinunk és eddigi munkánk esszenciája. Gasztronómia, kultúra, városi legendák és Budapest arcai, interjúk, történetek és a legjobb helyek – úgy, ahogyan mi látjuk a fővárost.
Rendeld meg itt vagy keresd a nagyobb könyvesboltokban!
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