Vígvarjú Étterem

The restaurant's vibe is one of the best-designed brands around, no matter where you look, you know you are sitting in one of the many VakVarjús (BlindCrow). This is the case at the most beautiful of the "Varjús", in the iconic Vigadó building in Pest. The staff's uniforms stand out from the usual attire, so even in the bustling atmosphere, it is easy to spot the servers. The live music perfectly suits the historic location, and as the piano plays, we are reminded that once Franz Liszt himself performed here many times. The Jókai bean soup we tried during our visit was an interesting and fresh take on the classic, capturing the flavours of the original dish beautifully but in the form of a cream soup. The breaded pig's trotter stew is a playful twist on the menu, done in a surprisingly convincing way. Its aroma is especially inviting, so even those who usually avoid such offals and cuts might enjoy it. We ended our meal with one of the best cottage cheese dumplings we have had in recent years. The soft, wobbly dumplings were topped with beautifully crispy, hazelnut-colored breadcrumbs, and had a lovely scent from the cinnamon and lemon. In the wooden chopping board style menu pictures help with the choice, though it was not practical to use at a smaller table. If you are planning to go to a restaurant with a bigger group, the VígVarjú – or any Varjús – should be one of the first places that come to mind, thanks to its great value for money, friendly atmosphere, and wide range of food and drinks.