"Cuisine: Gourmet with Gallic and Magyar influences for unprecedentedly low prices. Just as much effort is put into the extremely good value lunch menu as the evening á la carte offering. The lunch menu changes weekly, the evening menu daily, according to the best ingredients that can be picked up at the market.“It’s important that the person who puts the salt in the food is an owner and not just a chef,” says co-owner László Pollok, who teamed up with former LuLu chef Balázs Pethő to open Csalogány 26 this March.
Atmosphere: Packed during the lunchtime with those looking for a gourmet experience in an intimate but not elaborate setting where everyone seems in on the Csalogány 26 secret. Italianate touches with water coming in jugs and fresh bread regularly supplied. You can watch your food being prepared on the screen without the distraction of the smell. Wide arched windows take away the dinginess of the previous restaurant that stood on this spot. Diners can sit outside in the summer.
Whom to take: Csalogány 26 is not particularly swanky in appearance and is a place to take people who are not that worried about plush surroundings but like good food. The relatively speedy service is a plus on a busy working day and you can get in and out in not much more than an hour and still manage three courses prepared on the spot. It’s ideal for a business lunch but rather as a follow-up than a first meeting and a great place to visit with friends and colleagues. Booking is recommended unless you come after the peak periods.
What we ate: We chose a pair of the weekly menus, supplemented by an extra main course from the á la carte “evening menu,” a few items of which can be ordered at lunchtime. My celery purée soup oozed a fine smooth taste and, although I’m not crazy about celery, this certainly hit the spot. My lunch partner was very satisfied with his carrot and coriander soup in which the carrots were ideally done and the delicious stock taken further with the piquant coriander.
I chose chicken breast with oyster mushrooms for my main course and the mushrooms were fresh and well prepared with the chicken done just right. It came with mash potato but not any old mash potato for this was given a crispy cake-like finish. Partner was impressed with the nicely textured butterfish that was well complemented by buttery tagliatelle. The rabbit leg with bacon and squash (Ft 2,500) was both creative and tasty with squash prepared in spaghetti-like strips and the bacon adding a richness to the flavorsome rabbit.
The consistency continued right through to the dessert. We both had apple pie that was well presented and made from perfect pastry.
Wine list: The house white, dry Furmint from Tokaj producer Patricius, was outstanding for a house wine and all the more impressive at Ft 200 a deciliter. The full-bodied and robust Chardonnay from the 2001 vintage by Sándor Tóth was recommended by our waiter to go with the white meat of the rabbit, and this almost extinct wine proved an excellent match. Although well satisfied with its relationship with wine distributor Bortársaság, Csalogány 26
is set to procure all its wines directly from the winemakers themselves, a move that is expected to secure the rare and highly sought product of Eger’s Imre Kaló.
Service and value: The waiters are polite, efficient and highly knowledgeable. Our bill came to Ft 8,000, including tip, which represents outstanding value for money and is as good as it gets in Budapest, and just about anywhere else for that matter.
From the menu:
Starters and soups
Coriander carrot soup Ft 500
Celery purée soup Ft 500
Mixed salad with fresh vinaigrette Ft 500
Main courses
Chicken breast with oyster mushrooms Ft 1000
Sea fish fillet with green peas Ft 1000
Butter fish with lemon sauce Ft 1000
Dessert
Apple pie Ft 500
Vanilla mousse Ft 500"
Source: Budapest Business Journal
09.11.2007