White Salon

On Erzsébet Boulevard, the sight of long queues outside New York Café has become a familiar part of the cityscape. Housed in the Anantara New York Palace Hotel, the café is world-famous—but that's far from the only reason to visit, as the White Salon restaurant awaits upstairs Compared to the café’s opulent interiors, White Salon offers a touch more restraint. True, the space still dazzles with its soaring ceilings, spiral marble columns and tiered chandeliers—but the overall feel is sleeker, with modern furnishings setting a more contemporary tone. The kitchen is led by corporate chef András Wolf and head chef Krisztián Kiss, and what emerges is a playful take on fine dining, with Hungarian and international influences. A starter of marinated salmon strikes a fine balance of salt and sugar, enlivened with aromatic dill. Panko-coated cod is fried to perfection—crisp on the outside, juicy within, with a clean, precise flavour. Dessert on the tasting menu is inspired by a Hungarian classic: poppy seed dumplings with plum. The idea, on paper, sounds delightful—but the execution fell short, with technical flaws affecting both appearance and texture. What defines White Salon’s cuisine are vivid flavours, elegant plating, and well-judged portion sizes. The wine list spans Hungary and beyond; most Hungarian bottles are available by the glass, though prices do reflect the setting. Attentive service and a live string quartet accompanied our evening. A visit to the White Salon is a rare chance to step away from convention—a sliver of culinary and architectural escapism in one of Budapest’s most iconic buildings.