Gastronomy and restaurants in Budapest
Highly influenced by the culture from the neighbouring countries, Hungarian gastronomy is mainly known for the intensity of the dishes and spicy flavours. From meat (chicken, pork, beef, goose), vegetables (potatoes, celery, beans, peas, cabbage) and paprika as main ingredients, we can find a wide variety of typical dishes you should know and some of the restaurants where you can try them.
TYPICAL DISHES
Gulash: Spiced soup with beef cattle tacos, potatoes and, sometimes, dumplings. This is, no doubt, one of the most famous dishes in the Hungarian gastronomy.
Dobostorta: Hungarian cake invented by local baker Jozsef C. Dobos, in 1884. It is made of five fluffy layers collated by chocolate cream with a caramel topping.
Újházi tyúkhúsleves: One of the most popular soups from traditional cuisine in Budapest. It is made of pasta, carrot, chicken and peas or mushrooms.
Mákos rétes: A typical cake, very typical and popular among estrudel (it can be made of cottage cheese, cherry, sour cherry or apple). This is the star cake at the bakeries in Budapest.
Pörkölt: Cooked meat with onion, chilli and tomato, sometimes it is considered a variant of gulash.
Dumplings: Balls of flour, potatoes and bread, filled with meat or fish and completed with the “cispetke”, a pastry made of flour and egg to accompany the soup and the meat.
Paprikas csirke: Main course made of fried chicken with onion sauce and paprika pepper with a little bit of tomato and bathed with a creamy herb sauce right before it’s served.
Borjúkotlett magyaróvári módra: Veal cutlet marinated with tomato sauce and herbs that is put in the oven among a layer of mushrooms and cheese.
Halaszle: Fish soup highly spiced up with Hungarian paprika, very spicy pepper.
RESTAURANTS
Menza: One of the most fashionable restaurants in Budapest. Decoration from the ‘70s, young public and a menu that mixes classic and vanguard food, at an affordable price.
RemizRemiz: This place is known for serving huge portions of Hungarian food. The place is frequented by both, locals and tourists, and has a big dinning room and a terrace outside, great if you want to have a long meal you're your family on a Sunday or to have a business lunch.
Kőleves: Located at the centre of the Jewish neighbourhood in Budapest, here you can find affordable prices anytime on the day. Monday to Friday there are two menus, one with meat and one for veggies. You should also try one of the desserts.
Vadarspark Étterem: a modern restaurant, with a terrace and a folk band entertaining the diners. Here you can also enjoy a typical Hungarian folk dance show while eating some of the most typical dishes in the city.
Gundel: Legendary restaurant in Budapest that is open since the 19th century, serving great food following traditional Hungarian recipes. The dress code is formal, men should wear a nice coat.
Image from Sarah Stierch
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more info5 tips to enjoy the gastronomy in Vigo
1. - Seafood, seafood and more seafood
Vigo is a paradise for the senses but, especially, for the taste of gourmet travellers. There is no doubt that the main product here is fish and seafood, which you can find in its diversity at the old fisherman’s quarter of O Berbés or around O Pedra market.
One of the most interesting places is Fish Street, which offers a unique spectacle when ostreras tirelessly open oysters on the street while preparing the dishes. You can buy oysters directly to them, give them a squeeze of lemon and you eat them accompanied by a good Albariño. There is no such a better pleasure!
But, although oysters are one of the products Vigo is better known for, we cannot forget mussels, modest and versatile. You can try them in many different ways at the mejillonería Tarugo (C/Carral, 9). Affordable portions and rare options are available, like the curry or beer mussels.
In order to eat the best seafood you should go to Bar el Puerto (Rua Arenal, 30). More than 50 years of experience attests to the recognition of this restaurant. When you seat at your table, you will find out there is no menu; the waitress will tell you directly the fish and dish of the day. Other well-recognized seafood restaurants in the area are Follas Novas or Casa Marco but, generally speaking, any option around here is worth going if you are looking for good seafood, at a reasonable price.
Furthermore, Vigo celebrates many food festivals and events during the year and is possible your visit coincides with one of these activities. The most popular is Fiesta del Mejillón (Mussel party) in Vigo, happening in September. In the same month, there is a party dedicated to seafood at the harbor in Vigo and another celebrating the best seafood cuisine at Bouzas quarter.
2. - Appetizers time
Visitar Vigo es una excelente oportunidad para disfrutar de un ritual inevitables como el aperitivo de tapas y cañas a los que los vigueses tienen una férrea devoción, especialmente los sábados y domingos por la mañana: el paseo y el aperitivo de antes de comer.
One of the most famous places to take an appetizer is the Don Gregorio café. The tables are full of icing must (mosto con guinda), which is what everyone orders here.
You can also go for an aperitif to Puerta del Sol or anywhere at Plaza Constitución and its surrounding.
3. - Terraces in Vigo
The people from Vigo are always aware of the weather to go to pleasant terraces when the sun shines. It is always a great pleasure in this city.
One of the nicest terraces are Grettel (Plaza de la Constitución, 10), right in the old historic quarter of the city, where you can enjoy a refreshing drink under the stone porch.
You can also sit at the terrace in Detrás do Marco (C/Londres), a bit hidden by the Principe street, to relax a bit, away from the crowd in she shopping area.
4. -Come up to a Furancho
Furanchos are venues or private homes in which buy excess wine or try on the spot accompanied by a good home cooked meal. Usually, served with tortillas, empanadas, meats, sausages and cheeses in a family atmosphere at a great price.In the area of Vigo ther is over a dozen to choose , in which attention is always exquisite!.
5. - And when night falls…
The best option is to visit one of the modern pubs and terraces in the city. For example, Albatros is a cozy and modern place with a nice view by the estuary. You can find it at the rebuilt seaport.
A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.
more infoCannes – Cinema and Much More
Cinema, glamour and luxury could well define this wonderful city on the French Riviera. Any mention of the name Cannes conjures up some of the media highlights of the year, like their film festival, when the city is decked out in all its finery and peopled with the most famous faces of the seventh art, as well as many a socialite eager not to miss such a worthy spectacle. But, cinema is not everything and Cannes is much more than film stars and millionaires to be gawked at. We urge you to discover both facets of this fantastic city.
Strolling Along the Promenade de la Croisette is De Rigeur
This boulevard, once known as the Chemin de la Petite Croix (Road of the Little Cross), as it had – and still has – a small cross, could well be rechristened the “Promenade of the Stars”. Replete with haute couture stores, luxury restaurants and fantastic hotels, and thronging with all kinds of celebrities, it is the perfect place for wandering about and soaking up the glitter of everything that’s going on. On your walk you will come across such iconic hotels as the InterContinental Carlton, housed in an elegant palace dating from 1911, the Art Deco Hôtel Martinez and the Majestic, before finally reaching the legendary Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. As you may have guessed, this is where the Cannes Film Festival is held each year. Those eager to see the facilities where such a prodigious event is hosted can satiate their curiosity by booking a guided tour of the premises. Another classic on La Croisette is theChemin des Étoiles,located opposite the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, which features the handprints of numerous great film stars, directors and other prominent figures from the world of cinema.
In addition to the foregoing, remember that this promenade runs along the seafront, so be sure to visit the beaches and delight in the panoramic views of the bay – it is well worth seeing. What you should know, however, is that most of the beaches lining the promenade are private; that is, the space is taken up by deck chairs belonging to luxury hotels, although you can of course rent them. There is also a small public beach near the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès.
Discover the “Other Cannes” in the Vieux Port and Le Suquet
As we intimated in the introduction, apart from the cinema scene, Cannes offers a lot to see and do that will surprise you, albeit on a far grander scale. To this end you should head for the Vieux Port where, in addition to big luxury yachts, you will come across the locals going about their daily business. From here, we recommend venturing into Le Suquet, the city’s old quarter, characterised by narrow streets and charming public squares. One of the best views of Cannes is to be had in this area, from the vantage point of the Castre Museum, located in the Place de la Castre. You will not regret the climb to the top when you see the panoramic view of La Croisette and the Palais des Festivals stretching out at your feet.
Book your Vueling to Nice, which lies just 33 kilometres from Cannes, and discover one of the most glamourous cities in the Mediterranean.
Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS
Images by Daniel70mi Falciola
more infoFormentera in Five Bites
It might seem small, but you won’t get through Formentera in a couple of days. Or even in four or five. A sideline for some, and an essential destination for many, Formentera has a really big variety of quality culinary offerings, as well as being an idyllic spot for ambling around, and where you can literally lose track of time. In short, the island can be enjoyed in bites – varied, enticing and affordable. Here, then, are some proposals to satisfy your appetite via a range of different culinary offerings.
Ensalada Payesa
This is the island’s most emblematic dish. A simple, light and tasty salad, it includes fish dried in the island’s sun and sea breeze. Ideal for wetting your appetite. Served in an earthenware bowl at Can Forn, a benchmark restaurant for the finest traditional cuisine. For the best home-fried fish at the seaside, you can’t go wrong at Vogamarí, which also serve great croquettes and calamares a la bruta (calamari in their ink).
Rice
This is probably the food featured most on menus at virtually all restaurants on the island. Among the finest there is black rice and soupy rice with lobster at Can Rafalet, a classic on the up and up at Es Caló de Sant Agustí. Its terraces is among the most coveted in town, on account of the spectacular views. For multiple-customer paellas at knockdown prices, head for the Pelayo beach bar, one of the most alternative spots on the island, on Migjorn beach.
Snacks
Nothing better than a good yango, with your feet in the sand, as you wait for the sun to set on the beach at Ses Illetes. The best option, however, is to hop on board Sa Barca de Formentera, sail around the north as far as S’Espalmador, have a nice swim and, on the return trip, stop off alongside the vessel at the Beso Beach Club, a beach bar offering market cuisine and exotic sandwiches crafted by their chef, Carles Abellán.
Pizzas
If you’re surrounded by Italians and still fancy a pizza, the best are to be had at Macondo, in the town of Sant Ferran. Their variety is endless and you are advised to work up an appetite before you go, as the size of their pizzas and other dishes – like pasta – is considerable. Allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised by Macondo and go for the desserts, too, as they are home made. For afters, drop in on the adjacent Fonda Pepe, the centre of the island’s hippy movement, to order a mitjanet (chaser) of gin tonic or pomada.
Fish and Seafood
You will grow weary of seeing places offering seafood and fresh fish. The most select ones are in the area of Ses Illetes but, if you prefer something quieter and more genuine, try the day’s grilled fresh fish at Conxita i Xicu, on La Mola (Avinguda la Mola 36), a former pastry shop. Do have one of their pastries! You could also opt for lobster and fried eggs at the restaurant, Des Arenals, on the beach of the same name. You won’t be disappointed. And, speaking of eggs, neither can you go wrong with the free-range ones at Can Dani, the only Michelin star on the island.
If you can fit a good swig of wine in between so many snacks, the local fare at the Terramoll winery is highly recommended, as is a dusk cocktail at Piratabus.
Where to Sleep
The quaint Hotel Maisy, on Des Arenals beach, is known for its impeccable, family-style service and for its location next to Migjorn beach and the Caló des Mort. Its rooms with a view have been recently refurbished, as have the surroundings of their outside pool. It also has a restaurant and a bicycle hire service to move around the area.
Move it! Make haste and book your flight with Vueling to this wonderful island.
Text by Belén Parra of Gastronomistas
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