According to stereotype, eateries in the outer rings of Buda’s green belt lag behind central ones in terms of elegance, service and quality. Plenty of places debunk this theory. Here we find one offering exceptional gastronomy and rural tranquillity: the Etalon restaurant at the Hotel Tiliana.

The chilly weather and the falling leaves are no reason to stay indoors in autumn – the green areas of Hűvösvölgy and Zugliget are great for fresh air and only a ten-minute bus ride from Széll Kálmán tér.

A few steps from Budakeszi út, the Hotel Tiliana sits amid hidden nature. The three-hectare grounds belonging to the hotel can also be used by restaurant guests.

Adults can enjoy a relaxing stroll in the greenery after a filling lunch or dinner, but children will get the most out of the park, where they can release their energy and clamber around the playground right next to the restaurant. Meanwhile, parents can watch over them from the heated balcony.

Although Etalon is far from being a family-only restaurant – owner Péter Homoky highlighted that he would like to create a venue where everyone feels at home – they do a lot to accommodate children: there’s a park, a playground, a pool in the summer, Beni, a real live kangaroo, as well as a children’s play area within the restaurant.

Once a month, they hold a children’s event, so parents can relax over their meal while the young ones are entertained by animators. The kid’s menu has everything they could ever wish for: pasta with tomato sauce, schnitzel with mashed potatoes, as well as fishfingers, for 800-1,200 HUF a dish.

The hotel was built in 2001 and was renovated alongside the Etalon in 2018. The kitchen was revamped with a Hungarian-fusion character: on the menu, you’ll find the traditional veal paprikás with dumplings, a classic Wiener Schnitzel, as well as curry-spinach soup and Oriental sirloin salad. Portions look much more like the hefty ones served by Hungarian kitchens, rather than French ones.

The amuse bouche, often the size of a teaspoon, is almost the size of a starter here, as exemplified by the pork rillette with citrus lentil salad and homemade pretzel. The rillette is creamy, with no unrecognisable crunchy parts, as in the case of the French variation of this dish.  The lentil salad could be a meal on its own: perfectly cooked, refreshing thanks to the citrusy element, with the right amount of red onion. The homemade pretzel is cheesy and warm, straight from the Austrian school.

For our starter, we sampled the duck liver au torchon (3,600 HUF) and the French Tatar beefsteak (3,900 HUF). The sous-vide duck liver is creamy as well, lightly melting on the warm homemade bun. The chef, István Varga, augmented the classic duck-liver side dish, cherry jam, by adding a touch of soft peanut ice-cream.

The Tatar beefsteak actually tastes French. Not only is it wrapped with capers, Worcestershire sauce and gherkins instead of the Hungarian mustard, tomato and egg version, but it also comes with French fries instead of buttered toast. The finely cut meat arrives on a plate with pickled vegetables alongside the fries.

In the soup category, we tried the pumpkin velouté (1,700 HUF). This hot and creamy dish topped with coconut cream had a definite pumpkin-seed flavour, and it came with a surprise fried blood sausage. Rolled in breadcrumbs, it’s the perfect match for the sweet, creamy soup. This hearty, feel-good meal only needed a light rain pattering on the window pane to conjure the perfect winter experience.

A great choice for the main course is the duck breast with mashed pumpkin (3,900 HUF). The pumpkin mash is worth a try, especially for those who have not had a good experience with it before.  The puréed and steamed pumpkin has a distinctive taste because of the green-apple strips and the dill-flavoured foam it is served with. The rosé duck breast is irreproachable: it’s smooth and pink with a lightly roasted skin.

As for the mint-pea salmon (4,200 HUF), the fish was a soft and nicely cooked portion, with classic fennel, but the risotto was a bit too crunchy.

The dessert was a huge success though: the Etalon chocolate cake (1,700 HUF) had echoes of brownie, with a dense sponge, and a light and orangey chocolate mousse inside with strawberry sorbet. It has enough chocolate for anyone with a sweet tooth, but is light enough to not leave you feeling guilty after.

Etalon is a place with delicious food and a friendly, familiar atmosphere, where diners need not dress too formally. The abundant lighting and the cream-coloured, comfortable furniture create the illusion of sitting in a friend’s living room, but the elegance of the dishes and the service quickly transport you to an exquisite restaurant at a top-notch spa hotel.

Etalon restaurant, Hotel Tiliana District II. Hárshegyi út 1-3