Hungary

A Dinner With “Family” in Budapest

by Daniel Smajovits

The Olive Garden famously coined the slogan: ‘when you’re here, you’re family’, but for this writer, it took a trip to Budapest and a night with Suzie Goldbach and her parents, Zsuzsa and Feri, to truly feel like welcome away from home.

Tucked in a quaint apartment overlooking the Danube River and Buda Hills, miles away from the crowds of central Budapest lies Eat, Meet and Greet Hungary. Much more than a restaurant, Eat, Meet and Greet is an experience, an evening like no other where one family serves up five-star cuisine with the warmest of welcomes.

For Suzie, after training as a chef in Italy, she struggled to find a job upon her return to Budapest. With the support of her parents, she took a gamble on herself and in 2015, began welcoming weary travelers into her home. What started as a concept turned into one of the finest restaurants in the city, creating memories for travelers that last a lifetime.

The notion itself is incredibly simple: a dinner party for strangers, but the execution is flawless. Ensuring that the traditional Hungarian dishes are authentic is matriarch Zsuzsa, who cooks alongside her daughter, while her husband, Feri, is a wine connoisseur and pairs each dish perfectly. Overseeing everything is Suzie whose energy is contagious. Throughout the evening, she keeps the conversation moving with her poignant questions and engaging stories, pausing only to explain the dishes, their origin and preparation.

Should you manage to get a reservation, the only rule is to show up and enjoy. Joining you for dinner will be eleven strangers in the midst of a bucket list vacation, at the end of a grueling work trip or simply passing through. Every dinner begins in the living room as homemade Pálinka helps strangers break through the occasional language barrier. Suzie joins the conversation, trying to get to know each and every one of her guests.

Like a calming wind, Suzie ensures that even the shyest of guests feel welcome, making this the ideal evening for a solo traveler. If you’re looking to meet new people, then look no further than your new friends around the dinner table, as by the time you finish your glass of Tokaji (dessert) wine, you’ll be exchanging phone numbers and making plans to meet up again.

For those looking to indulge in gulyàs, look elsewhere. Suzie rarely cooks up the stereotypical cuisine, firmly believing that travelers need to experience the vast array of Hungarian flavours, well beyond the clichés. The menu varies per season, depending on the ingredients available. The only constant is a three-course meal which is always fresh, unique and filled with love.

For most, the bold and exciting flavours on their plates elicited the delight and surprise that Suzie and her parents have come to expect. For the rest, their distant Hungarian roots simply reminded them of forgotten memories of dishes that their nagymama used to make.

Even if this meal is at the end of your trip, meaning you will be at home with your family within hours, you feel a tinge of sadness as this night draws to a close, not knowing when, if at all, you’ll be able to spend time with your new family again.

Suzie can be reached at: http://eatmeet-hungary.com
or via email at: info@eatmeet-hungary.com.
Reservations are required. The apartment building and Suzie’s apartment is wheelchair friendly.