Front-row seats for a beautiful Buda panorama, traditional Hungarian flavours in 21st century-style, exquisite wines and a gorgeous yet homely design – this is DNB Budapest, where you can wine and dine on Hungary’s finest cuisine every day of the week.
Visiting DNB Budapest is an experience. Stepping inside, the design is sophisticated and modern, mingling shades of chocolate and caramel, yet it’s homely and cosy, the perfect place for a meal any day of the week. Soft music slows things down, while chefs get busy in the big open kitchen. Wherever you sit at DNB Budapest, you won’t be bored; to one side, there’s a breathtaking panorama of the Buda Hills, the Castle and Gellért Hill, while on the other, you can take a sneak peek into how the magic happens in the kitchen, in the capable hands of head chef Roland Varga.
Upon our visit, we opted for a window seat overlooking the Castle, and even though the weather was a bit dull, spring instantly arrived when we saw our dishes, each a cavalcade of colours. For starters we ordered the seared goose liver, here served with apple polenta, seaberry cream and Jerusalem artichoke purée, and the grass-fed Hungarian beef marrow with mushroom and toasted bread. Both are tasty and very generous portions, perfect for working up an appetite. We skipped the salads and the soup this time, but the menu features several kinds, from mangalica crackling on seasonal leaves to goulash.
When our mains arrived, we were knocked out by the parade of colours. Vivid green featured in the pea risotto, a revamped version of a traditional Hungarian favourite. A fresh and light vegetarian dish, this is the best risotto we’ve had in a while. The grilled fogas (zander) fillet with baby fennel, river crayfish and Hungarian white-wine sauce was appetisingly presented, with colours and flavours in perfect harmony. Every single ingredient at DNB Budapest is sourced locally from within Hungary’s borders, the menu changing four times a year, reflecting the seasons.
From the meat cut selection, we chose mangalica pork rib chop, which was a superb dish, also thanks to the triple-cooked potato chips crowned with salt flakes. Choosing our sides from the exciting selection wasn’t easy, but we went for the slow-roasted root vegetables to go with the zander. All three of these dishes were full of flavour, conjuring the taste of traditional Hungary done out in modern style.
Hungarian wine washes it all down: at DNB Budapest, reds, whites and rosés from each of Hungary’s 22 wine regions feature on the menu, providing an insight into everything the country has to offer when it comes to vino. Those who would like to go alcohol-free can sample the homemade lemonade or iced tea.
The desserts put the icing on the cake. The presentation was perfect, with a plenty of attention to detail and several components that together created a harmonious whole. The Hungarian túrógombóc (sweet cottage-cheese dumplings) was superb; two generously-sized balls sit on sweet-sour cream, surrounded by fresh berries, strawberry confit and roast almonds. The balls are not overly sweet, just right to finish off a meal. The apple pie is how a Hungarian grandmother would make it, only in a more contemporary vein, shaken up with toffee caramel sauce and walnut ice cream.
The somlói galuska was just as it should be, but the hands-down winner was the chimney-cake dessert. This is something quite unique, as this favourite from Hungary’s Christmas markets normally does not feature on any dessert menu. At DNB Budapest it does and, oh boy, do they do it well. Imagine a couple of strips of the cylinder-shaped cake curled up on your plate, complete with vanilla ice cream, almond crackers, caramel sauce and fruit. Easy on the eye, served on a pale blue dish, this dessert is definitely Instagram-worthy. And when you open it up, hazelnut nougat mousse oozes out, bringing this plate to absolute perfection.
After this kind of meal, all that’s left is a snooze, but if you feel like a drink or two, cuddling up to enjoy the view or you’ve got a little work to finish, you can mosey over to the lounge bar, Liz and Chain, on the other side of the lobby.
DNB Budapest is always buzzing, offering something special every day of the week. On weekdays between noon and 3pm, business lunches feature, while on Saturdays, the Shopper’s Lunch awaits those who need a bite to eat after a hard morning’s retail therapy on nearby Váci utca. Sundays are dedicated to brunch when a special themed corner changes every month. April’s Greek theme reflects the provenance of the restaurant’s executive chef, while in May it’s German and French in June, completing the characteristic international flavours. At the bar, you can sample a selection of Hungarian cheeses and sausage, sliced just right and spread out before you.
All in all, DNB Budapest is well conceived, friendly and laid-back, yet chic, its prices fair for this kind of quality. Whether it’s a romantic rendezvous, a quick lunch meeting or a lazy Sunday brunch, for flawless flavours and an awesome panorama, the DNB it has to be!
DNB Budapest Website
Address: District V. Duna korzó
