Situated in the ground floor of Kempinski Hotel in the gastronomic quarter of Budapest lies ÉS Bisztró, a modern Hungarian kitchen and brasserie.
The interior of the restaurant donned an enjoyable embellishment featuring a sleek blackboard wall starring fancy illustrations of Hungarian cows. The bisztro’s lighting is unlike other steak houses as they act as spotlights proudly showcasing their wonderful dishes. The concept behind the name is quite interesting as it emphasizes unity and togetherness. It features an interior décor that would attract modern and traditional foodie types. Their concept combines classic Hungarian fares and modern international influences as well. We were sat down quick quickly after entering the bustling restaurant.
“Their concept combines classic Hungarian fares and modern international influences as well.”
“The bisztro’s lighting is unlike other steak houses as they act as spotlights proudly showcasing their wonderful dishes.”
Style Details
Top | FROM HONG KONG
Skirt | ZARA
Bag | TORY BURCH
Shoes | FROM HONG KONG
We started off with their signature dish, named “Legendary Tafelspitz served in three courses.” It was interesting how our first course is presented as three courses. The first one was in a form of a broth, the second was luscious marrow with toasted rye bread, and finally, tasty meat and garnish. We also enjoyed a delightful stew with veal tongue and bread dumplings. This was served with a glass of Hungarian Mad 2013, a well-balanced red wine that is both rather enjoyably dry yet sweet. Here’s an interesting fact we learned during this visit… Budapest hosts a wine festival every September that draws in wine connoisseurs from all over the world.
Another nice touch was the presentation of ÉS Bisztró’s dinner breads. Their homemade bread was served in a charming and endearing flowerpot. Some of their food preparation is performed upstairs when receiving directly from the source. It is their way of keeping things as fresh as possible. Some restaurants prepare their food evenings before it is actually served.
The second appetizer we had was our Hungarian favorite, the Goose liver pate served with brioche. The sweet flavor and soft texture of the brioche went very well with the goose liver pâté and white wine. The stewed fruits provided a wonderful texture with a sweet flavor that counteracts the richness of the pâté. It was a very good combination altogether that truly tasted amazing. I’d say just as wonderful as the pâté I had in France, which is where my infatuation of such delicacies started. The restaurant sommelier did a remarkable job picking a wine that perfected the goose pâté experience.
Next, we had a typical Hungarian charcuterie, which is a good dish to share while enjoying a conversation. The high quality meats of a charcuterie are made up of the following: Puskij vekon salami, szalami visibivali sausage, szalami visibivali spicy sausage, vulcano dried ham from Austria, special cooked Beinschinken from Hungary.
For the mains, we had a fillet steak, cooked medium. The presentation looks astounding as it came on a hot cast iron plate. It included barbeque sauce and grilled garlic cloves on the side. It was such a brilliant idea to slice small bits of grilled garlic cloves upon each bite of the impeccable fillet steak. The steak was cooked exactly the way I wanted it. It was also served with mouthwatering truffle mashed potatoes. What an amazing impact the side dish made to the entire meal. This was the first time I had truffle mash potatoes and each bite was incredible.
Another dish we sampled was the Hungarian letcho and deer chops. The traditional Hungarian letcho was spiced with sweet Paprika, tomatoes, and onions. It was a well-composed dish as the spices did not distract from the meat taste, and instead, accented the natural flavors. The deer chops were quite the lean meat but, fortunately, not as tough as the ones I have had before. The meat was actually very scrumptious. Of course, paired with the red wine and truffle mash potatoes, it concluded with an amazing explosion of flavors. ÉS Bisztró definitely know how to play with my taste buds. I must say, when I sipped the red wine, the rich flavors of the meat flurried back up.
We relished in a flurry of dessert items all of which were very delicious, of course. The first was the Hungarian floating island, which the locals like to call Bird’s Milk.
We also had a Dobos Torte with caramel iced sugar bar. The third Hungarian delight was the Somloi Trifle, a creamy Hungarian cake that I can describe as fragile and gentle to the taste.
Lastly, the famous ES Rigó Jancsi, a traditional Hungarian chocolate pastry served with fresh raspberry.
Understanding the “ÉS” strategy, of making innovative dishes that combines the old and new, what’s local and international, ÉS Bisztró goes in sync with the modern vibe happening today at the center of Budapest’s gastronomic quarter. Likewise from their phenomenal customer service, each and every server we met had superb conversational skills making us feel at home and much welcomed to their country.
“ÉS Bisztró definitely know how to play with my taste buds.”
“One of the best steakhouses in the country, ÉS Bisztró is truly a treasure to be discovered in the dreamy city of Budapest.”
Thanks to ÉS Bisztró | Budapest, Deák Ferenc u. 12, 1052 Hungary | +36 1 429 3990