A Mediterranean Wonderland in the Heart of Budapest: Tapassio will Dazzle You
Are you looking for a place near the Basilica where you can eat something light and delicious that you can share with your partner or friends? Do you love Mediterranean flavours and are you ready to try something new? Then come to the Tapassio restaurant, where you will be instantly transported to the Mediterranean.
"We didn't want to go overboard with the decoration, so there are no giant bull heads on the walls, but the yellow, orange and red palette itself evokes this world," says Mihály Kártyás, who set out to create Tapassio with co-owner Áron Vermes. They both have several years of foreign and international restaurant experience. Áron had his own restaurant in Barcelona and Mihály had worked as a restaurant manager in luxury hotels in Cyprus and Bermuda, so they both bring their own professional experiences to Tapassio.
One thing they didn't expect was the pandemic and the lockdowns, just a few months after opening the place in December 2019. But after overcoming the difficulties of the first period, Tapassio is now a bustling but comfortable and family-friendly restaurant in the centre of Budapest.
Mediterranean flavors for everyone
"We are a tapas restaurant and we are different from the others in that our menu is mainly Mediterranean. In addition to Spanish dishes, we have Italian, Greek, Turkish, Moroccan and Lebanese dishes, but we have made sure that since the vast majority of people think of Spain when they hear the word tapas, we have a strong Spanish base to which we have added the rest," explains Mihály.
You can also try some Hungarian dishes at Tapassio, and they are very popular. For example, beef cheek, mini langosh or wild boar stew. The latter is not on the menu, but is part of the "Trust the Chef" offer. This is a 9-course menu for two, with selected delicacies such as tuna tartare on cream cheese and zucchini or one of the guests' favourites, Steak Diana.
“A third of the guests, or maybe half, choose this. It’s a good selection, there are good pairings in every round, so it’s perfect for those who are open-minded and love delicious flavors,” adds Mihály.
Quantity and quality
How big are the portions? The owners have tried to put just the right amount on the plates so that you can enjoy the full flavour of each dish, but just enough to fill you up so that you can try several. If there are two of you and you are not very hungry, you can be satisfied with 4-6 tapas, but if you are hungry, it will be more like 8-9.
As for the quality, Tapassio has nothing to complain about. Their excellent ingredients come from Spain and Italy. They make the bread and ice cream themselves, the latter of which they learned from one of the best Italian ice cream masters. This was so successful that they also opened a small ice cream shop – it is called Partisan and if you walk towards Arany János Street after the tapas dinner, it is worth stopping there. They offer 10 types of ice cream at a time, including their signature pistachio and mango – these are always available in the restaurant, too.
Not serving: guiding the guests
Speaking of quality, Tapassio also places great emphasis on service.From the very first moment, they guide the guest, explain the concept, and then not only recommend a few dishes, but actually put together the dinner with the guest. In fact, the waiters often recommend programs, such as the Legenda Cruise’s one-hour boat tours, during which they explain the sights and historical points of interest in 30 languages.
The drinks menu also harmonizes with the menu
Tapassio's drinks menu is a good reflection of what you see on the menu. "We have a very good selection of cocktails and a wine list of around 100 bottles, half Hungarian and half Mediterranean. But those who don't want to drink alcohol won't go thirsty either: we also have non-alcoholic white wine, champagne and gin and tonic," adds the owner.
From 1 May, you can enjoy delicious food, drinks and unparalleled service not only in the cosy interior of the restaurant, but also on the 30-person terrace, where you can enjoy tapas and cocktails in the pleasant early summer weather. Cheers!
Photos: Tapassio and Mia Balogh
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