Located on the ground floor of Budapest's newest luxury hotel, the Hotel Clark, this offshoot of an international restaurant chain takes carnal pleasures very seriously: according to owner Hubert Hlatky-Schlichter, Beefbar offers only the finest cuts from selected cattle breeders.

Hlatky-Schlichter's name has importance in Budapest's catering scene. With his sense of style, his know-how and good contacts, the young entrepreneur has already brought hospitality projects such as KIOSK, Terasz and the upscale Babel Budapest to life. Now he brings one of the most renowned meat temples in the world to Hungary.

After Dubai, Hong Kong, Mexico, Mykonos, Cannes and Monaco – where the chain was born – Budapest is the seventh-largest metropolis in which Beefbar is available. The owner, Riccardo Giraudi, has known Hlatky-Schlichter personally for many years. "I was even a witness at his wedding," the latter said, "so it's a bit like a family business to me."

But that alone is not why he's behind the project: "When it comes to steaks and meat, this is simply the best restaurant you’ll find in the city," he says. Hlatky-Schlichter is particularly impressed by the outstanding quality of the ingredients: "Through Beefbar we are in close contact with some of the best producers in the world, our ingredients are organically produced and are very healthy."
 

Luxurious, yet leisurely casual

The restaurateur also appreciates the unique blend of elegance and informality that represents Beefbar both on its menu and in design.

As you enter the restaurant, you first see large refrigerators, where Beefbar displays some of its best cuts of beef like art objects. To the left is the lounge-like dining room.

The interior is modern but invitingly decorated with high-quality materials. Geometric patterns, elegant floor and wall tiles, sparingly used dark woods, rattan and golden accents, benches and armchairs with a velour cover as well as chic lamps in Art Deco style characterise the picture.

Floor-to-ceiling windows offer plenty of natural light and a view of the Chain Bridge, which practically ends at the front door. The only disturbing thing is perhaps the traffic: Clark Adam tér has one of the busiest roundabouts in the city, especially during the day.

Overall, the design of the restaurant follows almost seamlessly the other areas of the Hotel Clark, but even frequent patrons of the chain will feel right at home, as it also follows the kind of conceptual design mantra of Beefbar: it must be luxurious, yet leisurely casual.
 

Genuine Kobe beef

Beefbar obviously focuses on beef. From the premium Black Angus to the original Japanese Kobe beef, the menu offers unique delights.

Beefbar is currently Hungary's only restaurant licensed to offer real kibble meat. Known for its special marbling and crumbly structure, Kobe is the world's most expensive beef. Only a few thousand kilos are produced each year in Japan and most is destined for the domestic market.

So finding this rarity in Budapest is really something special. But that's reflected in the price, as it starts at a whopping HUF 17,500 per 100 grams. If you do not want to dig deeply into your purse, you can try the ravioli filled with Kobe meat, a pizza covered in cobs ham or a burger with meat patty from Kobe and Angus beef.

In addition, the Beefbar also offers various cuts of Angus cattle from breeders in Argentina, the USA and Australia as well as loins of calves from Dutch rearing.

With such valuable pieces of meat nothing is left to chance during preparation. The restaurant swears by a particularly innovative process, in which the cuts are first seared at almost 1000 degrees, but then allowed to rest for a long time. This "relaxes the meat and this way it stays very tender and juicy," Hlatky-Schlichter tells us.

Another specialty and just the perfect accompaniment to the juicy steak are the Beefbar mashed potatoes, which come in different variations such as peppered with mild jalapeno peppers, pickled cucumbers and capers or black truffles. But there are also other side dishes such as sweet potato puree with hazelnuts, grilled vegetables and mushrooms on the menu.

If you are looking for a starter or even a small snack, then you should stick to the raw bar section of the menu. Delights such as tuna tiradito (thinly sliced slices), Black Angus carpaccio or Black Angus tartar offer a perfect start to an almost indecently meat-filled meal.
 

Conclusion

The Beefbar is a great place for meat lovers who want to treat themselves to something special, but also for those who just want to enjoy a good meal in an elegant, informal atmosphere.

The selection is large and even vegetarians and lovers of fish and poultry will find something. But at least a small sample of the luxurious Kobe beef is necessary for an authentic Beefbar experience. Hlatky-Schlichter’s suggestion: share a portion at the table – "I do not just eat a whole can of caviar on my own."

Whether a visit to the Beefbar will max out your credit card mostly depends on the choice of food. According to Hlatky-Schlichter they are not an expensive restaurant. “We only offer a range of luxury meals that are expensive.

That, however, is not entirely true as you can only get away with paying less than HUF 10,000 per person if you stick with the lunch menu or the so-called street-food section of the menu.

Prices:
Cuts: HUF 5500-38,000
Sides: HUF 1150-2950 
Desserts: HUF 1550-3900
Three-course lunch menu: HUF 5500

Venue: 
Beefbar Budapest
1013 Budapest, Clark Ádám tér 1.
Opening hours: 7 am to midnight
Reservations: (+36) 70 520-4129 or reservations@beefbar.hu
See beefbar.com