Restaurant Review

Alabárdos
WRITTEN BY Linda Vadász

I have walked by the Alabárdos Restaurant in Budapest’s Castle District scores of times, and have always assumed it was one of those restaurants catering to tourists who want the ”authentic” Hungarian dining experience, chiefly featuring paprika and pálinka. Boy was I wrong! Yes, they feature classical Hungarian cuisine, but many dishes have been updated by award-winning chef, Lázár Kovács, to reflect the current trends in healthful, but flavorful gastronomy. Aside from the regular menu available in six languages, there are special menus featuring goose liver, the chef’s selections, seasonal specialties and the eight-course gourmet menu. The chef is eager to accommodate individual dietary needs and tastes with his creative approach. General Manager László Jakabffy, restaurateur of the year in 2002, is a gracious host, and the well-trained staff is attentive but discreet. The medieval décor of the intimate dining room reflects the special ambience of the Castle District with elegant, traditional table settings and comfortable chairs reminiscent of a bygone era of comfort and civility. The intimate courtyard allows for al fresco dining in season, and there is an enclosed terrace for additional seating.

For a cold starter, the homemade goose liver terrine garnished with bits of dried apricot macerated in Tokaji aszú on a swirl of orange sauce is magnificent. Norbert Varga, a most knowledgeable sommelier, recommended the Tokaji Hárslevelű late harvest 2002, from the cellar of János Árvay, the current vintner of the year. A perfect choice.

The chef’s special fish course, fresh marinated tuna, which I requested to be seared, was served in a home-made brioche filled with ricotta and surrounded by a chunky fresh tomato and basil sauce, accompanied by a wedge of lime. Tuna can be tough when overcooked. Here it was superb. The wine recommendation to go with it was the surprising choice of Vylyan Kékoportó Barrique 2000. While white wine is most often served with fish, this mediumbodied red wine with lively acids and light, silky tannins has a bouquet with aromas of red berries, cherries and currant that complemented the seared tuna.

For a main course, try the lamb chops with rosemary sauce served with layered potatoes and topped with puréed peas and mint, and accompanied by Gál Tibor’s excellent Egri Pinot Noir 2001. The generous portion of perfectly prepared lamb ribs was so good, that even though I vowed to eat a small quantity, I picked up the bones and finished off every last morsel. According to Emily Post, the doyenne of American etiquette ( see note), it is perfectly allowable to pick up lamb chops and eat from the bone, but she would prefer that the diner ask for a finger bowl. “The real objection to eating with the fingers is getting them greasy or sticky, and to suck them or smear one’s napkin is equally unsightly.”--E.P. Post, Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home (Funk & Wagnalls, New York, 1922), XXXV, ¶49.

The poppy seed pudding with hot blueberries and basil-flavored ice cream was garnished with a little pastry cup filled with fresh strawberries in Cointreau. The presentation of this new take on a Hungarian classic was beautiful. The restaurant’s wine cellar stocks 130 vintages, including 18 French wines. Many fine wines are available by the glass. The main dining room is a smoke-free zone, but smoking is permitted in the courtyard. You may also dine at the chef’s table in the kitchen. While it may be a bit hectic, you get a chance to see the behind-the-scene hustle and bustle and you might even pick up a few cooking tips. While Jakabffy said that 80% of the guests at Alabárdos are local Hungarians, I would not be surprised if more members of the international community soon discover the first-class dining experience that awaits you at the sign of the knight wielding a halberd. I believe those who hold Emily Post’s standards in esteem would approve.

INFORMATION
Restaurateur László Jakabffy
Chef Lázár Kovács
Sommelier Norbert Varga
1014 Budapest, Országház utca 2.
TELEPHONE 356-0851
www.alabardos.hu
OPEN Monday-Saturday 12:00-16:00,
19:00-23:00; closed Sundays
AVERAGE COST OF A DINNER FOR TWO: 20,000 HUF + wine

NOTE
Emily Price Post (1872-1960) wrote the first edition of her best-selling Etiquette in 1922. During the course of her lifetime, 10 editions of her lively guide were published. The first edition reflected an era of gentility in which the dinner hostess had the services of a secretary, cook, maids and butler. However, she did adapt to changing times. The original chapter, “Chaperones and Other Conventions,” evolved into “The Vanishing Chaperone and Other New Conventions,” in later editions of the book. The Emily Post Institute, created in 1946, is managed today by third generation family members.
Click onto their website at www.emilypost.com