Il Pastaio — Restaurant in Budapest

A True Italian Experience in the Heart of Budapest

This charming Italian restaurant, perfectly nestled right at a beautiful square in downtown Budapest, truly elevated our evening with its warm ambiance and genuine hospitality.

We started our dinner seated outside, soaking in the pleasant atmosphere of the city. As the night got a bit chilly, we were kindly relocated to a cozy spot right between the indoor and outdoor space — the perfect balance of comfort and view.

Our experience was made even better thanks to Roxana, our incredible waitress. Her fluent English, attentiveness, and warm approach made us feel truly welcomed and understood from the first moment. She guided us through the menu and checked on us throughout the night, which added a personal touch that we greatly appreciated.

We began with shrimps and the zuppa frutti di mare, which were exceptionally fresh and full of flavor. Both dishes came out quickly and impressed us with their richness and balance. For the main course, we ordered mussels in white wine sauce and porcini risotto. Although both were tasty, they were slightly overcooked — not as perfect as the starters.

We shared this feedback with Roxana, who responded with genuine concern and professionalism. To our surprise, the restaurant removed both main courses from our bill as a kind gesture, which was completely unexpected but incredibly appreciated.

The restaurant truly stands out for its hospitality, dedication to guest satisfaction, and authentic Italian charm. Though the mains didn't fully meet our expectations, the overall experience was so positive that we're happy to give it a full 5 stars.

Next time I'm in Budapest, I’ll absolutely return — and this time, I’m definitely trying the pizza, which smelled absolutely divine from the open...

We visited this place since we had time for our dinner reservation, and we wanted to share some food before but there were not many options to share. There were some people eating burgers and pizzas next to our table and those seemed like the saddest burgers and pizzas I’ve ever seen. There are many nicer and cheaper pizza places nearby. This was one of the most expensive restaurants I’ve ever seen in Budapest, considering the quality of the food. We ended up ordering two Apperols after all. Staff were OK, kitchen is open so you can see the chefs. Even though they have quite long hair, they were not wearing a cap or hair net. Plus, the music was horrible. Worse than horrible. I thought this was a tourist place, but then noticed locals eating here as well. This is not an Italian restaurant for sure. If you are seeking nice pizza, there are way better...

We had a lovely meal at Il Pastaio, food was delicious and in generous quantities, and not too expensive (a pizza can easily be shared by 2 people). Our only complaint was that we came in a group of 9 (no reservations, as it was ojr first night in Budapest) and initially they wouldn't arrange for a table for all 9. The only option we were given was to be broken down into 3 groups at separate tables, even though there was a completely empty dining room upstairs. Eventually, after we'd already been sitting for 10 minutes, they offered to join the tables together but we still felt that the reception could have...