Pajta — Restaurant in Körmendi járás

Pajta

One grows accustomed out here in Vas Megye to restaurants with as their top-of-the-line menu item csontos csülök sültkrumplivel, hog knuckle with French fries. The PAJTA is rather different. Its owners and chef are not all that interested, I'd bet, in local clients, who will say, "All very well, but I certainly couldn't eat that sort of thing eery day, and the portions ! I want to pack home two days' worth of food when I go out to eat ! "

No, it aims for the Budapestis who for their children's sake are for two weeks picking their way -- with a faint expression of distaste -- through The Nature out here in the Õrség and who grow tired of pizza / the everlasting schnitzel - szelet / deep-fried mini-Camembert with steamed rice. They need, they absolutely require, a proper meal. Thus the Pajta. Maybe its offerings are nothing special in the capital, but in Õriszentpéter, what marvels to encounter !

So check the home towns of the other reviewers. I'm a local boy, from Körmend, thirty klicks up the road. And I think that the Pajta is just wonderful.

Living large (at least for lunch). With tip, two persons, £80 (no wine, two litres of water, two coffees). A perfect late-autumn Saturday with long views of green and gold, the meadows down to the Õriszentpéter brook, the tree-clad hill beyond.

The food ?

Ebéd 12:00 – 15.00 november 4. – november 8. A Degusztációs Ételsor valamint az Őrségi Kóstoló ebédidőben is választható.

ELŐÉTEL dödölle • vöröshagyma • tejföl • szalonna 2800 Ft* mangalicamáj • lilakáposzta • mogyoró 3800 Ft

LEVES csicsóka • tojássárga • hajdina • sonka 1800 Ft húsleves • hajdinás cérnametélt • gyökér zöldségek 1900 Ft*

FŐÉTEL vasi pecsenye • káposzta • tarhonya • bab 5300 Ft* szürkeharcsa • hokkaido • gesztenye • gyöngyhagyma 5600 Ft fürj • zeller • fenyő • erdei gombák 6300 Ft

DESSZERT túrógombóc • fehércsokoládé • tök 1800 Ft*

Asterisked items, one each as part of the Õrség Tastes menu, and an extra to share (I was curious) of the wild-mushroom / white-chocolate / walnut tart, also *, below --

vargánya • szőkecsokoládé • dió 1900 Ft* kecskesajt válogatás 2700 Ft házi kenyér 700 Ft

The Hungo names (quail, celery stalk / celeriac -- can't tell which till the plate arrives -- pine, forest mushrooms, from a non-asterisked example above) are ingredients only, of course. You find out, again, when the plate arrives just how the chef has used them, combined them.

Megérte az utazást, certainly....

We visited the restaurant for a four-course lunch menu and were truly impressed by the culinary experience. The food was exceptional – every dish was prepared with incredible attention to detail, where each element had a purpose and elevated the overall composition.

The flavors were rich, well-balanced, and deeply satisfying, often showcasing a strong Hungarian identity in a refined and modern interpretation. From start to finish, the meal felt thoughtful and well-curated, with surprising and delightful touches that made the experience special.

The only area that left room for improvement was the service. We had ordered bread (offered as an optional addition to the menu), but it was never brought to the table. After the aperitif (a glass of sparkling wine), we were not asked if we’d like to continue with another wine pairing, nor was our water refilled during the meal. There were noticeable gaps where we were left without any drink for quite some time.

While the food easily deserves a 5-star rating, the service unfortunately did not match the same level of excellence. With some refinement in attentiveness and follow-through from the staff, this could become an outstanding all-around...

The food was excellent and also found some great wines. Renting wine a-la-cart seems a better idea than the winelist offered. 15 minutes before the start of the fine-dining menu we could not enter. The extras (caviar, cheese) and the international wines seem well overpriced. Strange to have South American taste courses in the very traditional region of Hungary. The waiters (except the boss, who was really friendly) seemed monotonous and mechanical albeit polite and professional. And the last thing I never understood completely in fine-dining places: While it is clear that making so many courses with so many different elements is a very labor intense job and hence need to be priced, most of the ingredients were inexpensive (apple, pear, mushroom, pumpkin, etc.) so the size should not matter, still the portions were so small, that after 10 courses, we could still eat a...