ÉS Bisztró — Restaurant in Budapest

I stayed at the kempinsky Hotel in Budapest and had a mixed experience that I feel is worth sharing. After a long journey from the Western hemisphere, I arrived at the hotel around 2 a.m., only to be met by a rather unwelcoming reception at the front desk. The staff there seemed rigid and bureaucratic, requesting documents and deposits in a manner that felt more like passing through immigration control than arriving at a supposed five-star hotel.

However, the experience took a completely different turn the following morning. Jet-lagged and having overslept, I arrived at the ES Bisztró just one minute after breakfast had officially closed. A waiter told me it was too late to be served—perhaps understandable—but what followed truly surprised and delighted me.

The manager, David, appeared and changed the entire tone of the morning. With warmth and genuine hospitality, he invited me to sit and enjoy the buffet, offered to have an omelette prepared on the spot, and personally brought over a thoughtful plate with cheese and cold meats. He also offered extra coffee and fresh orange juice, creating an atmosphere of care and generosity that stood in stark contrast to the previous night’s reception.

David’s welcoming and considerate manner made a world of difference, and I left breakfast feeling truly valued as a guest. I hope the hotel’s leadership recognizes the importance of people like him—especially in a city where hospitality can be a true...

Terrible service and very bland, mediocre food:

First, the service. I have never had service like this at a restaurant, and not in a positive way. We had five different people serve us and yet, the quality of service was less than what one person could have provided. No one asked us if we needed anything after the food arrived or even how our meal was when we were finished (and it was the manager who cleared our plates!!). We asked for a glass of ice to go with our warm bottle of water and the server brought it to the wrong table... It took her about ten minutes and dissatisfied looks from us to realize her mistake before it was corrected. We were immediately rushed to order our food and drinks after being seated and then continued to be asked incessantly by the plethora of servers, who may have well just rolled their eyes at us when said we needed a few minutes. Next, the food. Underwhelming, bland and overpriced pretty much sums it up. Adding salt was required, as there was zero flavor, and using the table salt is something that any good chef would be appalled at. The incredibly overcooked salmon tasted like it was frozen and the pumpkin puree was likely from a...

Nice place and terrace, and good tasty good (we've had the burgers). But very disapointing service. The waiters are not paying attention to most guests. They are very busy with each other. We saw some guests leaving after waiting for a long time, and even after asking the service lady if they could order. Strangely the service lady wasnt able to take the order or even send a waiter. After 5 minutes they left. We noticed also a difference in service level between tables. A table with some, i guess well known, guest was serviced very fast, friendly and even with two waiters. After lunch getting the bill and getting it paid takes way too long. And putting 12% service charge on top of the bill is rediculous, there was no service! Therefore a 1-star rating, compensating all the 5-star ratings. It's 4 star food with...