Okay Italia Szt. István krt — Restaurant in Budapest

AVOID AT ALL COSTS. The service at this restaurant is appalling. We walked in and received blank looks from the three members of staff behind the bar. After 2 minutes or so a young girl approached and without smiling showed us to our table.

After another 5 minutes she reappeared with two menus. Approximately 15 minutes later a bald gentleman who we took to be the owner came to take our order.

The attitude and level of ignorance was incredible. After being told that the combination of toppings which I wanted on my pizza was not acceptable to him and would apparently never be fashioned in an Italian kitchen, mercifully he would allow me to have garlic oil, but It was explained to me after his impromptu and quite dramatic disappearance mid conversation, and his return to the table moment’s later, that I would need to add it myself after the pizza had been served; the statement having been punctuated with the slamming of a jug containing the oil in front of me.

We ordered garlic bread to accompany our main courses and found it to be very cold and very stale. I had noticed that a basket which had been mostly untouched had been cleared away from the table next to us and although I could not prove it, I feel that they had recycled that bread to us. When we explained that it was cold, the girl who had seated us originally, snatched it and took it away. A few moments later she returned with about half of the bread missing with the remains slightly warmed up.

The food was very poor generally and we did not stay for anything further.

During our meal there was also a conversation taking place between the owner and what we assumed was another patron which was so spirited as to be very distracting. Bearing in mind our initial interaction with him, it was not clear (as it was in Italian) if this was banter or an argument, but it really did top the experience off nicely.

I would not recommend anyone visit...

Delicious food, good location, so-so staff I have been to the Okay Italia restaurant in Budapest several times, as it is sadly the only thing really available, reasonable in price and open when I'm in town. I have been to this location the most, and once to its neighbor.

The food is really outstanding for Italian cusine abroad, but the wait staff has never been the best (staying true to Hungarian hospitality form). Don't expect any smiles when you walk in the door, and I don't recommend tipping unless they went above and beyond their call of duty, which they very rarely do. They would prefer not to answer questions, re-do any mistakes they may have made in the kitchen and would rather tell you you're wrong.

That having been said, I can understand why someone would ask, "Then why do you keep going back?" Well, because the food is really delicious, the prices for big city Budapest are not altogether bad, and it's usually close to where I'm staying when I'm there. The staff isn't all bad, but some bad waitresses do come to mind from the several experiences I've had there.

The atmosphere is nice enough, although nothing special. They do have their menus in all three languages: Hungarian, English and Italian. It's a very LARGE menu, almost too heavy to pick up in one hand. There must be about thirty pages in that thing, full of appetizers, wines, beers, pastas, entrees among other things. You will pay roughly between 10-23 euros, depending on what you order, and I would recommend staying away from appetizers, as they are highly over priced and come in very small portions.

All in all the food is worth going and the only reason I would rate the place as simply average, is because the staff and the ambiance do not do enough to merit...

I have been a frequent visitor to Okay Italia restaurant in Budapest, and while the Italian food offered is consistently good, I must admit that my overall experience has been somewhat mixed. One of the significant downsides I've encountered is the lackluster service, which often fails to match the quality of the cuisine. However, despite the satisfying culinary offerings, I have become increasingly disappointed with the recent price hikes at Okay Italia. The inflated prices have unfortunately made the dining experience feel overvalued. Of particular concern is the astonishing increase in the price of beer, which now exceeds 2,000 Forint. This exorbitant price point for a beverage in Budapest seems unreasonable and out of touch with the local market. As a matter of principle, I have decided to refrain from dining at this establishment any longer due to this pricing issue. In summary, Okay Italia restaurant in Budapest offers good Italian food, with flavors that satisfy even the discerning palate. However, the recent increase in prices, especially the exorbitant cost of beer, has made the restaurant feel overpriced and out of touch with the local market. Furthermore, the lackluster service fails to enhance the overall dining experience. Considering these factors, I have made the decision to explore other dining options in Budapest that provide better value for money and a more...