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8. November 2022, 5 min read

The new country-wide Michelin Guide Hungary is out!

Author: Birgitte Brøndum
Dessert at Michelin restaurant Platán Gourmet in Hungary
Dessert at Michelin restaurant Platán Gourmet in Hungary
Photo: Platán Gourmet

The Michelin stars were drizzling down on Hungarian restaurants when the famous gourmet guide revealed its first-ever country-wide selection in the beautiful and diverse Central European country.

This year seven restaurants each received 1 Michelin Star and two restaurants impressed the guide’s inspectors enough to be awarded 2 stars!  

The Michelin inspectors tasted their way across Hungary

According to The Michelin Guide, their mysterious, and always anonymous, inspectors had the pleasure of travelling far and wide in Hungary to dine in cosy cellars, inns and farmhouses; on sun-showered terraces near azure blue waters; at wineries, overlooking wine fields, and at sustainable retreats in the hills.  

After completing their gourmet journeys, the inspectors selected 62 amazing restaurants in 33 cities for the new Michelin Guide Hungary. On Thursday, November 3, the guide was revealed at a big ceremony in Budapest.  

The skyline of Budapest seen through three window arches without glass
Photo:Dale Pike

The Michelin Guide’s rating system 

Here’s a fast reminder of what the different Michelin ratings mean. 

As always, the guide also mentions other great restaurants that serve very good food — often referred to as Michelin-recommended restaurants. Moreover, the Michelin Guide Hungary 2022 includes the 3 special awards – the Welcome and Service Award, The Sommelier Award, and The Young Chef Award.  

If you’re in the mood for more Michelin-flavoured facts, you can find extensive information about the rating system on The Michelin Guide’s website.  

Someone holding the Michelin Stars 2022
Photo: Michelin

Let’s explore the Hungarian Michelin restaurants! 

Michelin Guide Hungary – 1 star

Rumour – New star

City: Budapest

Rumour is a new star in The Michelin Guide Hungary. The restaurant’s owner, Chef Jenő Rácz, was previously awarded a Michelin Star for his work as Head Chef at Taian Table in Shanghai. At Rumour, The 11-course tasting menu is prepared right in front of the guests, in an open kitchen surrounded by a counter. Guests who are lucky enough be seated at the kitchen counter can enjoy their dishes while watching the next courses being prepared. Rumour’s tasting menu takes guests on a modern and colourful gourmet journey via a long range of sophisticated flavours and rare Hungarian ingredients. 

Costes   

City: Budapest

Cotes is a restaurant that values elegance and sophistication in everything they do and are. This is something guests will experience from the moment they’re presented with the restaurant’s décor and service, and even more so when enjoying the modern 6-course tasting menu. The chefs at Cotes combine flavours from all over the world to create beautiful, artistic dishes that are as vibrant in taste as they are in colour. An impressive selection of wines, mainly Hungarian, is masterfully paired with the courses on the tasting menu. 

Salt 

City: Budapest

Restaurant Salt is small in size but large in flavour, creativity, and vision.  Housed within the walls of a Budapest boutique hotel, Salt is a place of gastronomic discoveries. Foraged fruits, herbs, and vegetables are lined on shelves in the open kitchen. Even the butter and ham served at Salt are produced by the restaurant’s own chefs. Along with its wide selection of wines from some of Europe’s best vineyards, Salt also pairs dishes with freshly squeezed juices. This year, Restaurant Salt was also awarded a Michelin Green star for its sustainability efforts. 

42 – New star 

City: Esztergom 

The skilled chefs at restaurant 42 unfold their culinary creativity in an Esztergom city-centre townhouse. Every dish brought out from the always-evolving kitchen is modern and playful while staying in touch with Hungarian roots. Guests who pay this colourfully decorated restaurant a visit can choose between the two tasting menus. Moreover, a broad range of Hungarian gems is to be found on the wine list.  

Babel  

City: Budapest

Babel is a stylishly decorated Budapest restaurant. The building housing the restaurant is still marked by the 1838 Great Flood of Pest, but thanks to interior designer Annamaria Dekany, guests can ejoy a chic atmosphere where Hungarian history meets contemporary style. Babel offers a multi-course tasting menu comprised of modern dishes that carefully balance flavours hinting at their Hungarian roots. 
 

essência  

City: Budapest

Restaurant essência is located in the heart of Budapest. It’s owned by Portuguese chef Tiago and his Hungarian wife Eva. At essência, it’s possible to choose between a Hungarian and a Portuguese menu, or a tasting menu that combines the best flavours from the two countries. From the tables near the open kitchen, guests can watch as the chefs prepare elegant and well-balanced dishes. 
 

Borkonyha Winekitchen 

City: Budapest

Borkonyha Winekitchen is located near St. Stephen’s Basilica. The walls in the restaurant’s traditional dining room are decorated with framed black and white photographs and blackboards. In the kitchen, chefs work only with quality ingredients and do their utmost to bring out the best flavours and textures. When enjoying the dishes on the menu, guests can experience delicate Hungarian influences among the carefully balanced flavours. 

Michelin Guide Hungary – 2 stars 

A dish from Hungarian Michelin restaurant Platán Gourmet
Photo: Platán Gourmet

Platán Gourmet  

City: Tata 

Platán Gourmet is the first Budapest-countryside restaurant to receive two Michelin stars. At Platán, a small team, led by Head Chef István Pesti, delivers creative dishes where all flavours and textures are well-balanced and refined. Platán Gourmet offers 10 or 12-course tasting menus paired with either wine or non-alcoholic beverages. The restaurant is without a doubt worth the 1-hour car drive from Budapest. Thanks to the talented team at Platán Gourmet, the valley-town Tata has now been placed on the world’s culinary map.

 
Stand 

City: Budapest 

Stand is an elegant Budapest restaurant where dining guests can admire the chefs working in the glass-enclosed kitchen. Stand’s menu offers dishes that are a treat for both eyes and tastebuds. Branching out from classic Hungarian flavours, the chefs conjure modern and skilfully balanced dishes. Stand’s extensive wine list include Hungarian wines as well as wines from other regions in Europe. The passionate Michelin chefs and minds behind Stand are Szabina Szullo and Tamas Szell.  

Hungary’s Michelin Green Stars 

Onyx Mühely 

City: Budapest

Salt  

City: Budapest

Almalomb  

City: Hosszúhetény 


Graefl Major Kétútköz

City: Poroszló 

Michelin Guide Hungary 2022 Bib Gourmand restaurants

Anyukám Mondta 

City: Encs 

Kistücsok 

City: Balatonszemes 

Macok 

City: Eger 

Mór24 

City: Balatonfüred 

Sparhelt 

City: Balatonfüred 

Three restaurants received special awards in the 2022 Michelin Guide Hungary

Welcome and Service AwardFlóra and Ferenc Kvasznicza 

Restaurant Pajta in Őriszentpéter 

“For their genuine warmth and their ability to anticipate guests’ needs.” 

Sommelier AwardTamás Langó  

Restaurant Clarisse in Tura 
 
“For his infectious enthusiasm for his carefully selected wine pairings, which are hard to resist and in perfect harmony with the seasonal menu.” 

Young Chef AwardJános Mizsei  

Restaurant Mák in Budapest 

“For his ability to create balanced, flavourful, original dishes, which come with a subtle sophistication.” 

Platán Gourmet celebrated with guests

Platán Gourmet is one of the Hungarian restaurants that received two Michelin Stars. This is how they described the experience when we asked them about it.

It was a huge surprise! We hoped that maybe we could get one star, but two… It’s still unbelievable. — Kitti Králl, Platán Gourmet

When asked what it means for their restaurant, Kitti Králl from Platán Gourmet says that it’s a huge honour to have received such a big trust from Michelin and also a confirmation that they’re on the right track. She adds that it’s also a big responsibility because they get to show what Hungarian gastronomy is capable of.

Platán Gourmet received the news about the star during the restaurant’s dinner service. They decided to celebrate this with the guests.

We are sure that we will be in a festive mood for a while. When we got the news during the dinner service we celebrated together with the guests. We hope that it was a memorable dinner for everybody. — Kitti Králl, Platán Gourmet

At Platán Gourmet they hope that the two stars will mean that their restaurant will become well-known abroad and not just in Hungary. Moreover, they’re proud that they have achieved this as a restaurant with a rural location.

“We are excited about what new specialities we can give our guests, who meet the Hungarian dishes at this level,” tells Kitti

We are proud that we reached this in the countryside because from the beginning our goal was to show what a restaurant in a rural location is capable of. We are very grateful for all of our guests, and we hope we can continue what we have started. — Kitti Králl, Platán Gourmet

Restaurant Salt — characterised by love and respect for the environment

In the 2022 Michelin Guide Hungary, Restaurant Salt in Budapest received a Green Star to complement their Michelin Star from 2021.

During the Michelin award ceremony in Budapest, one part of the Salt team was at the gala to prepare dishes for the attendees. The rest of the team was busy working in the restaurant, but they were keeping an eye on the live broadcast from the ceremony together with Máté Boldizsár, Restaurant Salt’s manager and owner.

We were overjoyed to learn that we got awarded a Green Star to complement our Michelin Star from 2021. Meanwhile, the team staying in the restaurant shared the news with our guests so we all had the chance to celebrate together — Máté Boldizsár and Szilárd Tóth, Restaurant Salt

Team Salt is very happy and proud that they’ve received recognition for their sustainability efforts. But according to them, neither the Michelin Star nor the Michelin Green Star will change anything about the concept or future of Restaurant Salt.

From the beginning, striving for sustainability has been a key part of Salt. The way we operate is characterised by our love and respect for our environment and our urge to protect nature. This is the spirit that defines everything we do from sourcing, picking, and preserving ingredients to preparing dishes, and juices and selecting wine pairings. — Máté Boldizsár and Szilárd Tóth, Restaurant Salt


Hungry for more Michelin Stars? Explore our blog posts about The Michelin Guide Estonia and The Nordic Michelin Guide.