Öreg Tanyacsárda

A bit of the Great Plain's 'csárda' (the Hungarian countryside inn) romance – completed with guesthouse, horseback shows, and a ranch with over a hundred horses. In a genre whose reputation has become a bit worn over the years, it is not easy to find a place where the old-world tavern setting is matched by a genuinely good kitchen. But Öreg Tanyacsárda in Lajosmizse is one of the rare exceptions: despite the large number of guests, the food remains solid, and the staff puts in real effort to provide good service. The atmosphere taps into peasant nostalgia – geraniums on the porch, thatched-roof buildings, wine barrels in the yard, and a mix of décor from different eras. Many visitors come here straight from the nearby private zoo, but the restaurant also has loyal guests who return from farther afield. The wine selection is simple but respectable, much like the menu, which sticks to the expected classics. Hearty meat platters, grey cattle dishes, giant schnitzels and fried pork neck are staples but the goulash soup and tripe stew have earned a reputation of their own, and are well worth coming back for.