The Tomato Salad Bar is, for the moment at least, primarily aimed at the lunch crowd, i.e., salads, light sandwiches and soups. It’s open from 10 AM until 6:30 PM, Monday through Saturday, serving late breakfasts, mid-day meals and early evening repasts.

I went for lunch. The Tomato’s specialty is its salads, which can be ordered from a list of standard ingredients or can be built to order by the customer. And there are a lot of salad fillers to choose from, including deli, pastas, meat, veggies, seafood, etc. Plus, the eight dressings include old favorites and some surprising newcomers I can’t wait to try. I could probably eat here every day for several months and never have the same salad twice.

Anyway, for my first visit I started off with a really wonderful tomato soup, made with roasted tomatoes. Yummy, thick and tasty and worth savoring. Next came the medium leaf-based salad (there’s also a large size) with bunches of goodies, including chicken, tomatoes, cheese, olives, onions and I’m sure a few I forgot. Scrumptious, everything a good salad should be, with crispy lettuce and crunchy veggies and soft cheese and fresh everything, covered lightly with a flavorsome Ranch dressing. A salad with a definite “WOW Factor.”

The Tomato also has a nice list of teas and coffees, along with beer and wine for the discerning luncher. And with a salad bar it’s easy to leave room for the good-looking cakes on display.

Owners Kim Hopkins (a ‘semi-retired’ documentary film maker) and Margaréta Szábo (a well-known local actress) combine forces to bring to Budapest an upscale salad bar, also offering a wide selection of tea and coffee. Business is good, says Kim, and the restaurant may expand into dinner hours. You can even order online and the Tomato also delivers to nearby office workers and apartment dwellers too warm to venture out into the coming cold weather.

As for me, my first taste of the Tomato Salad Bar was so inspiring I plan to be a regular in the weeks and months to come. A salad a day keeps the megrims away, as we always said.

Plus, you have to check out the Tomato’s great website at: www.tomatosalatabar.com.

Words by Gary Lukatch for XpatLoop.com