One Day in Hungary, I Ate Here…
When you think of Budapest cuisine, you may only think of traditional Hungarian cuisine heavy in meat and potatoes. Budapest is a vibrant metropolis, though, and you can find a variety of cuisine, including sushi and Asian fare at the Buddha-Bar Restaurant.
A Sumptuous Hotel Restaurant
The Buddha-Bar Restaurant is part of Buddha-Bar Hotel Budapest and it specializes in seafood and sushi, which is served up in a sultry setting with a gigantic Buddha statue looking out over the dining area surrounded by mirrors.
What You Can Eat at Buddha-Bar Restaurant
The menu consists of shareable appetizers like sushi rolls plus more substantial entrees. I settled into my time at Buddha-Bar Restaurant by starting out with a glass of rose Hungarian wine that the server recommended.
I had just arrived in Budapest after a day of traveling and was looking forward to relaxing with a tasty meal. The rose ended up being a good option as it paired well with the first course I ordered: a sushi Rainbow roll and steak roll with mango.
I love the simplicity of a Rainbow roll as it has two of my favorite things: raw fish and avocados. This one tasted fresh and had good flavor though the rice had a chewier consistency than I was used to. The steak roll was tender and paired well with the mango.
For my entrée I got the grilled salmon served with a lemon and butter-soy sauce. I love salmon and hadn’t seen much of it for the past month during my travels in Europe and the butter-soy sauce sounded delicious so thought I’d give it a try.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about salmon, it can be quite hit or miss in restaurants with how it’s cooked. This one luckily wasn’t too overcooked and wasn’t too raw. While I enjoyed the sauce it came prepared in, it was a bit too salty for my liking and camouflaged some of the tang from the lemon and soy.
I was visiting Budapest with my mom and she was my dining partner for the night. She opted for the ahi tuna, which had a slight layer of tempura on it and was very good when mixed with the quinoa it was served alongside.
I actually liked my mom’s entrée even better than my salmon. Luckily, she shared with me. She was also a big fan of my salmon so it worked out well to share.
That’s also a plus of Buddha-Bar Restaurant if traveling with a large group: the restaurant has family-style appetizers and entrees for two or more people in addition to the single portion entrees.
For dessert, we continued the sharing tradition – but not by splitting just one dessert. The dessert options sounded too good so we split two different ones: the tangy and sweet caramelized lemon tart, and the creamy cheesecake served up in a round shape with flaky sides. Both were delicious and a good ending to the meal.
Buddha-Bar Restaurant in Budapest Overview
All in all, was Buddha-Bar Restaurant the best Asian cuisine I’ve ever had? No. But it was still tasty, and if you find yourself needing a break from the heavy fare of eastern European food while in Budapest, it’s a great place to dine and has a really fun ambiance on top of good food.
Buddha-Bar Restaurant in Budapest is located at Váci utca 34 on the Buda side of Budapest.
Disclosure: I received complimentary dining at Buddha-Bar Restaurant, but — as always — all opinions and reviews are completely my own.
