Gastronomic experiences in Onyx Restaurant, Budapest - Part 1

I was in Budapest with a friend for three days in mid-December, and this post (as well as the next) is a review of the dinner we had at Onyx Restaurant in Budapest on the 14th. Situated round the corner from the central Vörösmarty square, it is one of two restaurants in Hungary to have been awarded a Michelin star (and one of only three such restaurants in Eastern Europe, the third being in Prague). Naturally, we arrived with rather high expectations. The restaurant is fully owned and helmed by Hungarian chefs Szabina Szulló and Tamás Széll, and promises an authentic dining experience, especially with the creation of its Hungarian Evolution Menu (sounds tacky, I know, but no harm trying!).

Opulent interiors

Table setting

Bread trolley - quite an impression!

Impressive selection of breads and pastries to start - everything was delicious and we just had to finish them!

3 different spreads for the bread - Hungarian pork terrine, natural butter and crème fraîche. I found the first to be the most appealing - extremely creamy and savoury with just the right proportion of lean meat and fat.

We wanted to try some authentic Hungarian cuisine so we went with their 'Hungarian Evolution' tasting menu.

Amuse-bouche: breaded margarita pork cheek with potato salad and vinaigrette. Delicious and comforting - a crispy thin layer concealing a substantial filling of tender pork cheek (a severely underused but succulent part of the pork if done right) with indulgent slithers of smooth fat.

Accompaniment for the amuse-bouche: potato soup with sausage foam. Posh take on a savoury winter classic.

First starter: goose liver torte with coffee-orange gelée and goose liver royal with brioche.

This made an amazing impression with the most unusual ways of treating foie gras. In the background, a generous ballotine of rich and creamy foie gras was encapsulated by a translucent layer of orange jelly that balanced the former with sharp citrusy tones. The subtle coffee infusion in the jelly provided additional frangrance and a hint of bitterness. In the foreground, a heavenly parfait - salted butter caramel top layer which worked perfectly with the main body of foie gras, then finished by a layer of light sponge at the bottom. In the middle is a juicy apricot compote with a violet petal. Absolutely divine.

The accompanying toasted brioches looked huge, but they were so light and fluffy, with an intense buttery fragrance, that we finished them in no time.


Second starter: lamb soup with cutlet, diced tongue, green bean purée (hidden beneath the soup) and tarragon foam. Very rich and intense soup balanced by the refreshing presence of tarragon (both the foam and the real stuff underneath). 

Third starter: suckling pig shoulder with sour cabbage foam and quail egg. 

A posh twist on the typical roast-and-sauerkraut, this version came extremely well-cooked and tender. The runny quail egg with a perfectly-maintained yolk provided a further touch of richness, sprinklings of fried shallots were crispy and fragrant, and a small apple-and-red-cabbage mixture (Apfelrotkohl in Germany) in the centre of the pork (hidden) provided a healthy balance to this rather indulgent dish. 


First main course: filet of rabbit served with creamed corn and sage. 

The creamed corn really stood out in its taste - sweet, thick and consistent without any fibrous hint; amazing. Equally outstanding in terms of presentation was the violet potato sliced so thin you could see through to the rest of the dish! The rabbit itself was nice too, a rather thick slice yet remaining tender and juicy - but it couldn't have existed alone without the excellent accompaniments!


Second main course: tenderloin of beef and ravioli stuffed with confit shoulder of beef, served with goulash jus.

Extremely juicy and tender slab of beef served simply with black pepper and sea salt. The ravioli with goulash jus was nice too, but not particularly outstanding. Vegetable accompaniments were very good - a small piece of fresh and slightly spicy paprika with a mushroom reduction, a baby carrot in the middle, and a braised garlic clove in the right foreground provided additional aromas and sweetness to this heavy dish.


Pre-dessert: chestnut purée with vanilla cream and morello sour cherry soup - a very popular winter dessert. 

This was somewhat disappointing compared to the one I had at Gerbeaud coffeehouse (next door) that very afternoon - chestnut was a tad bland and the sour cherry soup was a bit too watery (and I wonder what those patches on the surface of the soup were due to!). The vanilla cream was nicely rich and fragrant though.


Cheese course: a trio of goat's cheese - brûlée with plum jam, fresh cream cheese presented like spaghetti with tomato confit and basil oil, blackened natural goat's cheese with walnut praline. 

The brûlée was rich and well balanced with plum jam. I am somehow reminded of the dessert version served in Ramsay's flagship restaurant.

This was for me the best part of the trio - excellent taste and presentation. Very thick and creamy, garnished with refreshing basil oil and a sweet and juicy tomato confit, almost like what one might do with an actual spaghetti dish. Surprisingly light.

A slice of natural goat's cheese, complemented by a thick praline with tiny bits of walnut within to provide an additional bite.

Dessert: 21st-century Somló sponge cake - a traditional Hungarian dessert with layers of dark & milk chocolate and walnut cream, over dark chocolate sponge laced with rum (hidden) and topped with whipped cream and a sprinkling of walnut streusel. Utterly rich and decadent, as a dessert should be. I haven't figured out what was so '21st-century' about it though! (maybe just the presentation?)

It's very difficult to photograph anything through glass - hope this gives an adequate impression of the rich layering!


This Hungarian Evolution menu was a real eye-opener, though most of the dishes were on the heavy side (as the cuisine of this region normally is) and we were extremely stuffed by the end of the dinner.


I should also add that the two tasting menus they offer are incredibly good value - you won't be getting food of similar portions and quality anywhere else in the world for only £50!