We went to a restaurant called Tigris near the Four Seasons. It is excellent.
Great wine list with all the Szepsys on the list and absolutely stunning foie gras.
All the foie is goose liver and fresh local product. The Hungarians sell foie gras to the French.
With you not eating meat and wanting fish , I know this might not be the best suggestion but it is one of the really nice places.
Budapest: Csalogany 26. Highly recommended. A bit out of the city center, but worth the brief metro ride. As mentioned, there are lots of good options in Budapest. For example, Borkonyha gets a lot of hype. It was very good, but if I had to plan my meals in Budapest again, I’d eat at Csalogany 26 more and skip Borkonyha!
Vienna: Gasthaus Poschl is a terrific, authentic spot for a casual lunch reasonably near the Spanish Riding School and Stephansplatz. It’s roughly equidistant between Stadtpark and the Palace. Filled with locals, they offer wonderful soups daily (we visited in February, so very welcome) as well as typical Viennese fare (schnitzel, sausages, etc…) and other specials.
I tried both Costes and Onyx about 3 years ago. Definitely liked Costes better (younger, more vibrant vibe). To be fair, I was feeling a bit under the weather when we were at Onyx.
For Vienna I would also add Do & Co restaurant - good food and a fantastic view of St. Stephen’s cathedral.
Right now my lineup in Vienna is
1)vestibul
2) opus
3)steirereck
4) Tian
5) Mraz
Any experiences with these (steirereck got props above)?
I looked at Do and Co; seemed too international at the time but it might be great for lunch. I know they have a good reputation; I’m flying Vienna airways and they are the caterers – it’s supposed to be one of the few really good airline meals.
Csalogany does get great reviews but it seems like it’s limited choices - or maybe the website is missing the a la carte menu.
I couldn’t tell if Gashsus Poschl had fish options - the pictures seemed like the food was pretty heavy. But all the recommendations are appreciated!
I know Steirereck fairly well. Been many times. Great people, I mean seriously nice. The place is all class and has terrific food. Go very hungry and let them feed you. Bring a mad bread and cheese appetite too. You’ll see. I recently told a friend I loved Steirereck and he put me on to Mraz for my upcoming trip in Dec. I cannot wait for that one now too. Have a great time!!