SZÉK Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Budapest

We were there yesterday, as it was advertised as the best goulash in Budapest. Little did we know that it would be the worst experience of our stay in Budapest. When you enter the place the feeling is pleasant, as it does look stylish and clean, but everything after that is the worst you can imagine. We were a party of 16 people, 10 adults and 6 kids. The waiter was way over his head with a table that large. He mistook the orders, he brought more soups than we ordered, then he forgot to bring some of the main dishes and sides. Then at the end, as me and my husband were the only ones that ordered desert, we asked twice if it was still coming anytime soon, after wainting for at least 25 minutes. He said it's on the way and then after another 10 minutes he only brought one desert ( papanash), even though we have ordered two. The food is, to say the least, tasteless and bland. The goulash is absolutely dreadful, no resemblance to what a goulash should be. The chef there has no connection with any kind of spices. Even the desert was nothing we expected. Very oily and stale.Also, very expensive and with no reason other than the location, which is very central.And then, the cherry on top was the bill. The service charge is mandatory. 12%. That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard and I've worked in hospitality for 20 years, out of which 8 in London in very classy restaurants and everywhere the service charge is optional. Nevertheless, if you have a mandatory service charge you have to offer a high level of service and food. To summarise the experience there is only one word: dreadful!!! I will never go back and I will never recommend...

Excellent experience at Szék restaurant, real homemade flavors and a little playful surprise!

Szék restaurant was a very pleasant surprise, both the service and the food are top-notch! The homemade lemonade selection is truly creative: the mango-chili lemonade is both exotic and spicy, a real flavor bomb, while the elderberry-cucumber lemonade was refreshing and refreshing, the perfect complement to lunch.

We had two types of soup, a hearty homemade bean soup, and a fresh, slightly sour csorba soup with meatballs. Both were excellent, characterized by Hungarian and Transylvanian flavors, which can rarely be tasted at such a high level. The gypsy roast chosen as the main course was fantastically prepared, the meat was juicy and spicy, the side dishes were tastefully served, every bite was an experience. The trout deserves special praise, crispy on the outside and crumbly on the inside, with fresh herbs and baked to perfection. A real culinary experience! The dessert couldn't be left out either, we tasted a slice of cheesecake which was light and creamy and was the perfect ending to the meal, it was just the right amount of sweet and beautifully served.

And at the end came the surprise: we participated in a little dice game, in which I rolled a four and we got a 40% discount on the total! You rarely get to see such cheerful billing!

The place itself is very cozy, the grounds are beautifully kept, and the terrace is perfect for a quiet lunch or dinner. I heartily recommend it to everyone who loves sophisticated, homemade Hungarian and Transylvanian cuisine, special drinks, and doesn't mind a meal becoming...

updating post to add photos since the owner seems to have the same behaviour has his staff. He just commented that I was not there yet I was there on 22nd October 2023 * 😆😆

We had reserved this place for dinner with my partner and our 5 months old baby. The waiters took forever to bring our food and after all the waiting the soup they brought was wrong- not what we ordered. When we complained he tried to argue with us instead of apologising and changing it. The food was tasteless and was not worth the price. After the main course they never showed up to clear the table and bring desert. We waited 40 mins for desert and decided to leave because our baby was getting tired. When they saw us stand up they quickly brought the desert. Again I asked why the desert took so long and the guy argued with me that they were waiting for us to finish eating. Once again the waiter was rude.No apology and in the bill we were charged 12% service charge. Better to go to Robinson restaurant and eat better quality food with far much better ambience and food for equally the same price. Never again!!! Our date was so ruined and...