Fragola needs little introduction to ice-cream lovers in Budapest, as their popular outlets are dotted across the city. After opening a restaurant in the residential Buda district of Pasarét in 2019, they proved that there’s more to Fragola than just icy treats. Now they have branched out again, with an authentic, family-friendly eatery in District XII, near the MOM Park mall.
MOM Park is surrounded by quiet, idyllic streets, plenty of playgrounds and shaded parks. There are also a few excellent brunch venues and cafés here, as well as restaurants such as Avar with its retro sandwiches and cold beer, as well as the chic Larus. But the neighbourhood was always still slightly short on places where you could take the kids after an afternoon outdoors, so the recently opened Olive di Fragola was warmly welcomed.
The new Fragola is not only for families and children, of course. It has a trattoria-type menu with a carefully created wine selection. Its large, green terrace makes it an ideal setting for late dinners, friendly meetings or a working lunch. Run by married couple Balázs Török and Eszter Tihanyi, the restaurant has the aim of creating a specifically Italian atmosphere.
“We have been to various regions in Italy many times, and when we first started out with Fragola, we tried to include all of the best of the country’s best gastronomical properties. By creating Olive di Fragola, hope to create a trattoria-type ambience, the essence of an Italian lifestyle, to people in Budapest. The menu includes all of our favourite dishes” – says Balázs.
This striving for perfection can also be noted where drinks are concerned, both coffee and wine. The new-wave Italian coffee by Ádám Török is a great addition to the delicious dishes and desserts, but so are the wines, 99% of which originate in Italy. Manager Fanni Kovács guarantees the quality of the wine list, as she has previously worked at top-level places such as Fiaker and Kisbécs.
The venue’s large, copper-coloured Neapolitan electric oven is from Italy as well. Nearby residents would not have appreciated a woodstove, and the result is the same. “We concentrated on two things: the quality of our ingredients, and the professionalism of our staff. If we have these, there’s nothing we need worry about” – says Eszter.
Their methods do seem to work, as they achieved what only a few have been able to: despite having to close two days after opening because of the shutdown, there is still great demand. In addition, there are Italian nationals working here, in the kitchen and as waiters. There are plans to introduce a lunch menu, too, to cater to those working nearby. This will slightly branch off from the restaurant’s Italian style, and include other types of dishes as well. There will also be daily offers along with the current à la carte selection. As Balázs says, the team has a great fish supplier, and they want to serve rarer types of seafood to guests.
We began our visit with the antipasti, served in generous quantities. The buffalo mozzarella salad (2,490 HUF) comes with rocket, basil, spicy olives and dried tomatoes, as well as a cheesy and crunchy focaccia bread (1,190 HUF). The Fragola ham and cheese platter (2,990 HUF) comes with flatbread. Packed with a variety of delicious items such as artichokes, boiled and smoked Italian ham, various types of salami, sweet and creamy gorgonzola, parmesan, capers and olives, this dish exceeded our expectations where starters are concerned. Speaking of olives – green Sicilian ones are provided to diners both as an appetiser and as a reminder of the name of the new restaurant.
The soups don’t always follow the traditions of the Italian cuisine, as you can also find chicken soup and cold strawberry or peach soup. We loved the oven-baked tomato cream soup (1,350 HUF) the best, but the sweet, minty green pea variety (1,350 HUF) was also top-notch. Both are pretty filling, thick and creamy.
Italian classics from north to south are lined up on the pasta and risotto section of the menu. The tagliette al funghi porcini (2,690 HUF) is a homemade pasta with a cream-based sauce and a large serving of mushroom and parmesan. The risotto tirolese (2,790 HUF) is an extraordinarily creamy dish, with typically northern speck ham and dried tomatoes.
The true concept of Olive di Fragola shines through their pizzas – Italian quality and class without too much fuss. The owners didn’t want to hop on the Neapolitan bandwagon, or create a region-specific kitchen, so here we can find what a regular restaurant in Italy would offer: dishes prepared with love and care, using top-quality ingredients. Their thin-crust pizzas have a good crunch to them, without the Neapolitan thick edges or the Roman airy dough, but still homey and delicious. Pizzas are also topped with an Italian mindset: less is more. Those who enjoy a heavily covered pizza can ask for extra. We tried the salami-capped vesuvio (2,690 HUF) and the tuna-topped tonno e cipolle (2,690 HUF), both just as we would except at an Italian trattoria.
For dessert, there are authentic panna cottas as well as tiramisu made with decaf coffee (1,190 HUF), which also comes in an amazing pistachio version (1,390 HUF). This should really be expected from Fragola, which really knows its pistachio. The dressing of their cheesecake (1,190 HUF) will vary depending on the season, so you can try something new each visit.
You can always count on a delightful meal, Italian flavours and a friendly atmosphere at Olive di Fragola, which is on its way to conquering the hearts of those living in central Buda as well as visitors from further afield.
Olive di Fragola
District XII. Tartsay Vilmos utca 21B
Open: daily 11am-9pm
