FELIX Kitchen&Bar — Restaurant in Budapest

This review is both good and bad.

First the good part: great location on the Buda side by the river, quiet and away from the busier section north of the Adam Clark Square. The restaurant is very stylishly decorated. Both indoor and outdoor spaces take full advantage of the riverside location and the building's unique characteristics. We were there for brunch, so we did not sample the more refined dishes on the menu. Still, we enjoyed our avocado toast and Eggs Benedict which were well prepared and presented.

Now for the bad part: when we asked for the bill, the waiter gave us a spiel about the included tip on the bill being "for the restaurant, not the staff" (I'm quoting the waiter verbatim). Having been in Budapest for 3 days already and visited other restaurants that also included the tip on the bill, we knew this to be false. It was clearly a pressure tactic to get more cash tips out of us. We did not argue (why do that when on vacation?) and gave him 5€ in cash.

We won't miss the 5€, but I feel compelled to:

1. bring this to the attention of the restaurant's management - this reflects poorly on your establishment. We stumbled on this restaurant by chance. Given the excellent reviews about the food, we might have been tempted to return for a more extensive meal. But now I seriously doubt we will if we're going to be pressured to double-tip the staff. I will give management the benefit of the doubt and assume you were not aware of this. Well, now you are and I hope you will stop this practice. It really makes your establishment look shady.
2. make other diners aware of this, not in the spirit of warning you off this restaurant. However, be aware that you may be put in a position where you will feel pressured to give extra tips. It's one thing to tip more than the norm for excellent service, but that should be on the diner's initiative, not the staff's.

NB: I did not give a rating in service, since I don't know how to rate service that was actually pretty decent, if not for the dishonesty and...

Sometimes, you think you have met the right person. They care for you, they make efforts, they provide, they accompany. You feel satisfied, content. Life is good. One step at a time, and all will be fine.

And then, you meet Felix! You are swept off your feet—a rocket in a fireworks-lit sky! From a satisfactory ordinary, you are lifted to the sublime!

How can one describe an evening with Felix?

Felix stands at the door of the temple, already expecting you. And once you have passed the lion’s vigil, he greets you with an amused smile. The grand curtains are drawn open by magical hands, and you step onto the stage, set for an evening of splendour. Lights! Mirrors! Gilded frames, soft greens and smooth, dark greys, poetic ceilings and twirling staircases! Guests and hosts performing a subtle ballet, weaving between mobile tables and awaiting chairs, on gentle floors, amidst the clinking sounds of golden cutlery and crystal glasses.

Ah, Felix, all this! All this for us all?!

Felix leads the way and takes us to our seats, while Christian, our knowledgeable yet discreet guide, whispers menus into our listening ears, promising flavours and combinations one had never dared wish for.

Felix, how many angels, fairies, and wizards do you summon to treat us in such an admirable way?

How does one describe what only the gods may have once tasted? Foie gras mi-cuit sur pain d’épices dans sa sauce au cacao, bisque de gambas dans sa sauce diabolique, reinvented sushi jewels and purple salads, meringues and pistachio ice cream with its pearls of olive oil! Breads and cups of butter! Hungarian champagne and New Zealand wines, carrying the fragrance of apricots and long afternoons in the sun!

Felix! Your name precedes you indeed—a promise of bliss, and blissful indeed!

One cannot describe the experience we have had this week—twice! One can only taste the divine and hope to taste it again and again, in the presence of our magical host, Felix the Great!

Thank you to all, seen and unseen, for an...

We’ve been there for a supper during formula 1 weekend. We’ve booked the table week before because we’ve heard good things about it. Unfortunately for us it was the worst evening from all 5 we have had in Budapest. Starting with service, the waitress did not inform us anything about food we have ordered neither did she say anything about waiting time. We have been waiting for 1 hour 15 minutes for our food! We didn’t get anything to eat while waiting, not even a single piece of dried bread!

Food. We ordered Wienner schnitzel with sides of potatoes and this is exactly two things we get. Dry schnitzel and dry potatoes. That’s it. No garnish, sauce or a piece of green. For over a 10000 huf

Friends ordered stakes and got exactly same thing. Meat and sides on the other plate. And that’s for roughly 17000 huf a person.

After the very average tasting meal with ordered a bill. Couple of times. Been waiting 30 mins to get the bill that was over a 110 000 huf.

It was also including service charge of 16 000+ huf.

Staff. They have host who welcomes and sits guests. Then there is someone who takes order. Another person brings drinks. Another bring food. When we wanted to ask something they all been running and looking for someone who knew something i guess… no one came. No one asked how was our food.

No waitress said sorry or something.

But have to say: lady host that was welcoming us was very nice. Later was just …

And let’s be clear. I saw the menu before. The prices didn’t scare me. It actually attracted us because we wanted to have the best experience of Budapest. But this single place was the worst from all the places we visited in Buda. DON’T GO THERE!!! Waste of time and money. Every other place we visited was better. Honestly guys, not worth it. I would happily put here list of places better than this. Best...