Just imagine: you’re sitting on the cosy terrace of a boat, the gentle summer breeze is caressing your skin, you’re marvelling at the beautiful panorama that portrays the Buda Castle, the Chain Bridge as the blue waters of the Danube silently rippling underneath – now add a top -notch lunch to that picture and you get the lavish experience we had during our lunch at Spoon the Boat Restaurant.
We arrived to the 75 meter long floating restaurant in the early afternoon hours on an ordinary Thursday. The place, consisting of three kitchens, five bars, is open all year to serve both local and foreigner visitors with a deluxe representation of what the leading players of the region’s gastronomic scenery are able to provide: a sophisticated atmosphere that delivers a sense of relaxation even on the busiest weekdays, an attentive service, and, of course, a set of meals that are not only pretty close to perfection, but assembled in a fascinatingly creative way, too.
We started our lunch with a plate of baked paprika, goat cheese with pumpkin seed oil, arugula and a bowl of chilled mango soup, coconut espuma, marinated shrimp – both turned out to be vibrantly colourful and tasty. The first was simply magical with the crispy bites of goat cheese, baked paprika along with the seeds and the soup was like a Billie Holiday song: you could simply never get enough of it.
For the main course, we chose to go with two of their attractive fish meals: codfish, wilted spinach, mascarpone flavored venus clam and black spaghetti, salmon, caper with tomato. I have to say, I couldn’t recall the last time I had such a flawlessly made codfish and clam: they were soft in just the right way, lying on the bed of creamy spinach that give a real grand touch to the whole compilation. The black spaghetti with salmon topped with crispy cheese flakes was a course designed to gourmets and adventurous tasters alike. Then came the point when we seriously had to reconsider our capabilities of consuming the desserts we previously picked, because the first two rounds were not only rich in taste, but quite big, filling portions as well. Obviously. there was no way to resist the finishing touch to our boat trip: a cup of Ferrero – Raffaello and another scoop of sweetness called Pistachio, Sesame, Peach. The trinity of those was something I, an admirer of everything that has pistachio in it, became interested in, the minute I had first laid eyes on the menu and the creamy green composition didn’t disappoint me. As the manager stepped by to welcome us, we got a little background information on how the pistachio used in the mousse comes all the way from Italy, where it is regarded as one of the best ones in the world to ensure that the guests of Spoon have the full taste of what the little culinary nut has to offer. The Ferrero – Raffaello was also a real treat with its smooth and velvety texture and a whirl of savours nested in the cup of complete seduction.
With a full belly, we decided to stay inside our happy bubble of this soothing environment to take a glass of Vylyan Winery’s rosé and we let the view put our mind at ease. You simply can’t get tired of this feeling that mixes the architectural beauties with a sense of freedom, as if you were about to break free from your daily tasks.
If you would like to find the most magical spot to spend the night of 20 August at, Spoon the Boat Restaurant is a great choice by all means. You won’t complain about the meals or the waiters’ attentiveness and the fireworks will surely be quite a spectacle, too. So, bid farewell to all your troubles and hear the sweet melodies of the Danube, while having a spoonful of brilliance in your mouth!
