THE REVIEW
Cuisine: Budapest’s only Persian restaurant. It is owned and run by an Iranian family, and its Hungarian chef was trained by the owners.
My companion had just returned from Iran and brought all the advantage of recent experience and insight to the meal – although she confided that the best culinary experience she enjoyed while in that country was the local fast food.
Atmosphere:
Named after the famous wine variety, Shiraz is easily accessible in the renovated pedestrian Ráday utca, a key center of modern Budapest high life. But you forget where you are when you enter the place. Twilight and exuberance of red suffuses everything you see.
The Persian experience is reinforced when you discover that you could have your lunch sitting on the floor. We finally decided to go for one of the tables.
Whom to take:
I would not recommend it for a key decision-making business lunch, but it is good for a nice chat with friends or colleagues. The place has a languorous atmosphere, so don’t come here for lunch if you have a lot to do during the rest of the day.
What we ate:
The menu is not excessive, which is a virtue these days.
While some of the starters are familiar to any fan of Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern food, there is plenty on the menu to indicate that Persian cuisine is a little different from its neighbors.
Notably, our two main courses showed evidence that Iranians are related to Indians. I enjoyed a lamb dish served with a simply fantastic rice. My companion supped a sweet duck stew.
I enjoyed the tzatziki-type sauces, made with eggplant and spinach.
We were unable to try any of the desserts, but took the saffron tea, which is a kind of national drink for the Persians.
We also treated ourselves to a narghile – water pipe – which was professionally presented by staff. That enabled us to enjoy another 30 minutes of Eastern idleness in the middle of Budapest.
Wine list:
We tried the Iranian red wine, which was strong, with some balance in its taste, but with an extremely high sugar content. The wine is made in Austria, from grapes harvested in Iran.
Service and value:
The whole place is a special cultural experience, right down to the belly dancers who entertain guests every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Well worth it.
FROM THE MENU FT
Starters & salads
Mastakhiar (cucumber and sour cream) 750
Panir (fried feta cheese) 750
Dolmeh (stuffed grape leaves) 850
Caviar plate 7,900
Main courses
Khoreshe gademjan (eggplant, meat, tomato & saffron, rice with vegetables and eggs) 1,950
Mahi Polo (fish, herbs, spices, rice with walnuts, plums and dills) 1,850
Kebab Menu (selected kebabs on one platter: Shis, Kubide, Tabrizi, Jouje, Barg, Bareh) 7,900
Desserts & drinks
Halva (Persian pudding) 410
Shiraz (honey and raisin muffin) 320
Besides a selection of Hungarian wines from the Villány, Eger and Tokaj wine regions, Shiraz also offers some exotic wines:
Homemade Persian wine served Persian style 3,300/7 dl
Makedonikos red 2,950/bottle
Makedonikos white 2,950/bottle
Resina 3,100/bottle
House red 210/dl
House white 210/dl
The Reviewer
While Marcell Németh has little time to travel these days, he makes up for it as a frequent visitor to restaurants with international cuisine.
Lawyer Németh, 34, has been partner heading the banking and finance group in Hungary at international law firm Allen & Overy since 2003. He specializes in banking, project finance, corporate and commercial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and privatization deals.
He received his law degree from the Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences (ELTE), Faculty of Law, in 1993.
Before joining Allen & Overy in 2000, Németh worked as an associate at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, Budapest, between 1998 and 2000.
Németh is a devoted horse rider, and in summertime often participates in yachting races at Lake Balaton.
Dist. 9, Ráday utca 21
Tel: 218-0881
Open daily,
noon–midnight
– Judit Zegnál
Click here for Budapest Business Journal subscription offers!
17.05.2004