LEVENTE KOVÁCS, CHEF
It has been two years since I received the privilege of working for ZONA as head chef. When I first arrived, the owners had two requests: first of all, to keep the characteristics of Hungarian cuisine and follow our traditions.
And the other: when our guests eat a three-course meal at ZONA, they should be moved by the experience...
...That great experience should come back to the memory of our guest on a regular Sunday morning when the family asks where to have lunch. The magic of the soup; the splendor of the main course; the subtle beating of one’s heart should be the reminder. We want this to be the experience that will bring our guests back to ZONA time and time again
...One of the most beautiful places in Budapest, the neighborhood of the Buda Castle, provides the atmosphere for our venue. Situated on the bank of the Danube with a beautiful panorama and live piano every evening, guests settle in for an unforgettable experience...
...As a chef, I follow a style of minimal design in the kitchen with this thought: simple can be great.
I stand by the belief that the ingredients should be used the way they are made by nature, allowing us to come to the point where the simple ingredients are not so simple any more, bringing complex, natural flavor harmonies....
... At ZONA, nothing is simply what our guests would expect, but exactly the way they want it to be.... and better!
Simple is complicated
TESTIMONIALS
Hi Mark,
I would like to truly thank you for coordinating this wonderful event.
Executives were thrilled and for me personally it was my event debut in McKinsey so I’m really more thankful for all of your kind assistance.
I can guarantee you that I will spread a good word along the company and you will hear from us again
Again, thank you so much!
Best,
Aleks
Executive Assistant, McKinsey
We were greeted with live piano music and attentive wait staff - I ordered a Hungarian beer to start (Balatonvilágosi) and was given a potted and interesting history of the lake from where it originates. My wife was also recommended a delicious Hungarian wine.
I had, as a vegetarian, often struggled to find something suitable in a country with a huge focus on meat products. The falafel burger with cooling cucumber relish, toasted brioche bun and crumbled feta cheese rose above any I had experienced, even in Tel Aviv a few months past. It would have benefited from less aubergine, but a small imperfection at most.
My wife tells me the steak Wellington was incredible also.
The deserts are where it really shone - worthy of many more distinguished restaurants with a range of fresh fruit flavours, hot and cold components and crunchy chocolate.
Rounding off the meal with a glass of pálinka really made it worthwhile - and all at fabulous low cost.
Chris R (Tripadvisor)
We popped in for a late lunch and ordered a coconut soup, goulash soup, a bread selection and a portion of stir fried vegetables. To drink we had one beer and a mulled wine.
The service was impeccable from entering to leaving, the drinks arrived quickly, and the food arrived in a timely manner too.
The soup was delicious, a combination of flavours that beautifully complimented each other - so delicious- in fact one of the best soups I have ever had. Likewise the bread was fresh and tasty ( I would have loved some butter rather than olive oil), and the vegetables were also crisp flavoursome.
An amazing find- I only wish we’d found it earlier in our stay as we’d have eaten here again. A beautifully decorated restaurant with a lovely ambience too.
A must visit restaurant in Budapest, by far the best food we had all week. I highly recommend it.
Globetrotter08uk (Tripadvisor)
DOG-FRIENDLY
We're happy to have well trained dogs join you on your visit.
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