Eat like a Russian Tsar, is the motto of this restaurant. But even though royal rule ended abruptly with the murder of Nicolas II in 1917, time has definitely not stood still in Arany Kaviár since it opened in 1990, offering evolving Russian cuisine and fish and caviar dishes.

The noble restaurant has continuously changed its look with expansions and reorganisations. It awaits diners today not only with an artistically arranged glass front, which allows you to get a look inside from the street, but also with a new modern interior: bright colours in primarily beige and champagne tones, light decoration and numerous light sources directing spotlight on each table.

Arany Kaviár still retains its aristocratic flair, of course: precious wallpapers, noble fabrics, crystal chandeliers and elegant furniture make sure of that. The boudoir, as they call the dining room, is covered with red velvet and has not lost its intimate festivity after the renovations.

All in all, the interior gives an airier impression and looks a bit like the fairytale-like backdrops of the latest Anna Karenina adaptation. If you have been before, you will surely feel the contrast with the previous decoration, which was dominated by heavy brocade curtains, rustic armchairs, Russian folklore objects and rich colours.

It is hard to imagine that in the early 1990s Arany Kaviár was only a small basement restaurant with a single guest space. All the hard work and a lot of investment by the two owners, Attila Molnár and Szása Nyíri, have made sure that this has changed.

Molnár comes from a restaurateur family. His uncle inherited the restaurant in the basement of the residential building at 19 Ostrom utca, but Molnár and his business partner Nyíri took over management a couple of years later.

While Molnár mainly deals with the management issues, chef Nyíri is responsible for the culinary aspects. Russian cuisine is in his blood, as a matter of fact. As the son of a Russian lady who migrated to Hungary, he collected his gastronomic experience while still a youth in Moscow. The chef likes to blend traditional Russian recipes with international influences, thereby making the kitchen fine-dining proficient.

Arany Kaviár gained its present size step by step, as the two businessmen bought and renovated the rooms lying next to the restaurant over the years. In 2007 they built the Dom Pérignon Terrace. A couple of years later it was made winter-proof and now can be used all year. The highlight of the terrace is the enjoyably calm and discrete atmosphere.

Arany Kaviár’s kitchen has changed along with its outward appearance. Molnár and Nyíri have led their establishment with ambition and passion that has taken them up high up the Mount Olympus of fine-dining. There have always been more and more sophisticated creations that meet high international standards, and always with top-value ingredients.

Of course, this does not mean that you have to renounce classics such as borscht, beef stroganoff or Russian-type vodka. They are the exact reasons why both Hungarian and international visitors and even critics value Arany Kaviár so much: it has been included in the recommendations of the Michelin Guide for six consecutive years, and Dining Guide lists it as one of the “Top 10 restaurants in Hungary”.

Molnár and Nyíri even introduced their own popular caviar brand, the “Arany Kaviár Gourmet Selection“. Instead of sitting back and enjoying their success, they keep working on perfecting the restaurant.

We pay a lot of attention to the details,” the manager tells us. This is reflected, for example, in the attentive eye of the highly qualified service staff, who work with the utmost care. Their moves are almost like art.

With so much dedication and attention to detail it’s surely only a question of time until the cherry – the award of a Michelin star – crowns Arany Kaviár’s success story.

Arany Kaviár
Address: 19 Ostrom utca, District I
Open: Tuesday to Sunday noon to midnight
(Kitchen is closed from 3-6pm)
Reservations at (+36-1) 201-6737 or
www.aranykaviar.hu

Prices:
Appetisers and soups: HUF 2500-4500
Main dishes: HUF 4900-18,900
Desserts: HUF 1200-2500
Caviar: HUF 4900-59,900
Set menus: HUF 3900-24,900

Source: The Budapest Times

Republished with permission