Family success story underpins one of Budapest’s oldest Italian restaurants, Trattoria Venezia

There are few cuisines as easily agreeable, likeable and passionate as Italian. Even with just three or four components, it can produce such a pleasant surprise that people will even be talking about it for years to come.


True, this also requires a cosy environment and the kind of comfort provided by friendly hospitality, along with the world’s favourite gastronomy, Italian, its aperitives, its pizzas and its pastas.

There's any number of Italian eateries, pizzerias, cafés and restaurants in the capital and around Hungary, but this has not always been the case. Sometime in the 1960s, restaurants promising international cuisine began to appear in Budapest.


The beloved Italian was among these early arrivals and, as the years and decades went by, more and more Hungarians became familiar with the genre, both authentic and with occasional adaptations to suit domestic tastes.

In the ’90s, several larger and more ambitious places opened, including the Trattoria Venezia. Showcasing familial and homely flavours, this restaurant has stood the test of time.


It’s now been 30 years since Hungarian families, romancing couples, expat Italians and tourists started coming here. Newcomers might try chicken paprikash on the first day but by the third, they would rather eat ravioli... at Venezia, for example.

The latest milestone came in the autumn of 2018, when Csaba Szekeres took over, making it a family business. Csaba is seriously adept in the field of hospitality and Italian restaurant management in particular. For over a decade, he saw and experienced what it was like to manage the crowd-pleasing TG Italiano.


It speaks for itself that at Trattoria Venezia, the bulk of diners are regulars, either Hungarians or expats living here. There are a fair few tourists, too, but they do not provide the foundation of the customer base.

Regular custom still counted during the pandemic restrictions. Although home delivery was nothing new to the Trattoria Venezia, they put all their creativity and energy into it, which was fully appreciated by their customers. Now the restaurant can continue to write its 30-year history.

Here, the interior is rustic and the old-school hospitality is underlined by the familial staff. Hajni, who makes the pasta, is the Mamma of the restaurant, here more or less since the beginning, while son Bucciol Enrico Luca is currently running the kitchen. The homemade pasta is a real family co-production. Mother kneads and shapes the excellent foundations, her son provides them with expert delivery.

As for the selection, you’ll immediately recognise the idiom of a good old trattoria. They don’t experiment, they don’t chop and change the menu, but the selection is also rich in appetisers, soups, pastas, main courses and desserts.


That’s why there will probably be two outcomes when any new guest sits down to dine here: either they’ll quickly spot a favourite they know from Italy or they’ll follow their waiter’s recommendations.

Csaba can be completely relied upon to know which dishes should not be missed – and certainly not removed from the menu. For our appetisers, in addition to toast, crispy pizza bread came as it was from the wood-fired oven. The sun-dried tomato paste and the roast duck liver were our favourite spreads, great on toast but even better on pizza bread.

The showcase plate familiar from the Mediterranean arrives with black mussels made in the classic way with white wine, the Venus shell concealed among them, a generous haul.


In addition to making Italian pasta dishes of legend (carbonara, aglio olio e gamberi, lasagne), their own creations are the most exciting. One example is ravioli stuffed with duck breast, a divine dining experience in a creamy Calabrian ’nduja sauce. Slightly spicy, very creamy and full of character, it became a clear favourite.

Carrying the name of the restaurant, the tagliolini get their colour from the fresh basil and are accompanied by shrimps and squid, another very popular item here.


Many also come for the pizzas, of course. These are brought to the table as is the way in northern Italy, baked in a wood-fired oven from a light dough fermented for at least 48 hours. The Capricciosa is a delightful combination of toppings (ham, mushroom, artichoke, olives, parmesan) which we would happily order again.

It was very important for Csaba to offer great meat dishes, so Brazilian sirloin and Argentine rib eye both feature, at absolutely fair prices.


All dishes may be accompanied by Hungarian and Italian wines. Usually Italian labels are recommended to Hungarian guests, while foreigners tend to choose from the selection of Hungarian whites and reds.

Based on our experience here, it was clearly no coincidence that the Trattoria Venezia has notched up 30 years by the Corvin Quarter, serving class pizzas and homemade pastas in friendly surroundings.


Anyone who lives and dies for Italian gioia di vivere and gastronomy would say the same.