The Italian cuisine is widely famous for justified reasons, hence we celebrate its existence every single year on 17 January, or whenever we get the chance to eat authentic Italian meals. A good bowl of pasta or a slice of pizza fresh from the wood-fired oven is a temptation hard to resist, but the Mediterranean country has much more to offer. Here are 4 meals Italians want you to know about!

Arancini

There is a deep fried, stuffed rice ball coated with breadcrumbs behind the name that means little orange in English. It is a popular street food in Italy that exists in a number of regional variants. The most common fillings are ragú, mozzarella, ham or besciamella (Béchamel sauce). The delicacy comes in different shapes: round and conical ones are also available, the latter resembling the form of volcano Etna.

Melanzane ripiene

Eggplant is the main ingredient of melanzane ripiene, an insanely delicious appetizer worthy of substituting a main dish. A meatball with a twist, it is a full-of-flavour, light but filling meal (especially if you can’t stop with one) made of minced meat, eggs, shredded eggplant, garlic and parsley, stuffed in eggplant shells.

Calzone

Resembling our very own lángos, calzone is another must-try street food when in Italy. It is stuffed with pizza ingredients (the classic recipe includes tomato sauce, mozzarella and/or ham) and can either be made in the oven or deep-fried in oil. Families usually make it in a smaller size at home, but the folded pizza size is also popular.

Parmigiana

Baked in layers like lasagne, parmigiana is layered eggplant (dried with salt and coated in a thin layer of flour) with ham, boiled egg (optional), and parmesan cheese covered with basil tomato sauce. The layers need to be fried before layered and then cooked in the oven. Warning: it is so filling that a little piece is enough, but you will want more!

10 Worth-a-try Italian Restaurant in Budapest

#1 Alessio

Situated in the green belt of Buda, Alessio’s owners are enthusiastic gastro-entrepreneurs led by Miklós Forrai. They brought to life a restaurant that serves huge portions for good prices, whose menu caters to traditional Tuscan tastes with ingredients straight from Italy, and where everyone can forget about the requisites of fine dining establishments and just kick back, unwind and enjoy the ride on the flavorful plains and hills of Italian cuisine.

#2 Pizza Manufaktúra

One of our most favourite (and closest to the office) downtown pizza spots is Pizza Manufaktúra, where thin-crust pizzas are served with all the classic toppings you can imagine. Heavenly smells (and flavours) invite dozens of people especially around lunchtime, but it is worth waiting in a line, because the pizza we are getting is madly delicious.

#3 Trattoria Pomo D’oro

Charming Italian melodies, thin-crust pizzas made in a wood-fired oven, more than 150 types of Italian wine, an open-kitchen and a lovely store – that’s Trattoria Pomo D’Oro, a beloved restaurant where you can hop in any part of the day; it’s your perfect location for a nice Italian breakfast, a filling lunch or a romantic dinner. From flavours to the ambiance and service, everything is professional and spot on.

#4 Tom George Italiano

Situated on October 6. utca, close to so many internationally known sights of the capital city, this restaurant is as authentic as can be. Run by a group of culinary enthusiasts, the place offers homemade, traditional pastas and Naples-style pizza made from premium quality ingredients including meat sourced from all around the world.

#5 Ristorante Krizia

A daily lunch offer costs 1500 HUF at Ristorante Krizia, consisting of divine pasta meals, light but filling salads, and of course, inevitable Italian dessert sensations like tiramisu. From time to time, the restaurant seasons its menu with a pinch of Hungary, offering tortelloni with foie gras, just to mention one of their latest culinary endeavors.

#6 Bellozzo

In several parts of Budapest, mostly in shopping malls will you bump into Bellozzo’s restaurants, as the Italian-themed fast food chain has conquered the whole city. Regardless of what you’d like to feed your hunger with, let it be a tasty pasta or a delicious pizza, you can get there. The waiting time is not too long, and in case you are interested in the cooking process, you can follow it thanks to the open-kitchen concept.

#7 Vini Cicchetteria Gastro Bar

The idea of opening a cicchetteria in Budapest was inspired by the owners’ many visits to Italy, where, especially around Venice, cicchetti (delicious bread pieces with special toppings) is pretty popular. Vini Cicchetteria Gastro Bar invites everyone willing to experiment with the enticing tiny sandwiches served with great wine, aperitivo or coffee.

#8 Jamie’s Italian

Sourcing the best quality ingredients from Europe’s most ethical and sustainable businesses, Jamie’s Italian is proud to work with a group of professionals. The enthusiastic team managed to create a restaurant where guests are welcomed in an environment that is modern and always on-trend. About the menu: an impressing list of rustic, authentic Italian meals are available to order.

 #9 Ape Regina

Budapest and Hungary’s very first restaurant to fuse the all you can eat concept and Italian flavours is fortunate enough to have a Sicilian chef behind the kitchen doors. Prices are wallet-friendly, you can eat as much as you wish for a fixed price. Ape Regina provides great opportunity for everyone willing to experiment with the highly acclaimed Italian cuisine, and let us confirm here that there’s a lot to experiment with…

#10 Belli di Mamma

An innovative street food restaurant that wants to be more than an average pizza place, Belli di Mamma introduces you to something you might not have heard about before: frittiti aka delicacies fried in oil. The light, flavourful and crunchy bites are mostly made of vegetables or seafood, and they are said to be mind-blowingly good!

As much as I love the narrow streets, castle ruins, and the beautiful landscape, the last time I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Calabria, I put most of my focus on food. And as a result, my pants don’t fit too comfortably now in the waist area.

Talking about Italian gastronomy, the second thing that usually comes to people’s mind after pizza is pasta, and I made sure to max my pasta experience out. Today many consider it an everyday meal all around the world, but did you know that once it was only available for the Italian nobles? The Americans only developed a love affair with pasta during the 20^th century, while in Italy, it was a beloved meal ever since the 14^th century, or probably even before.

Pesto trofie pasta

For Italians, food is religion. Considering their passion towards the act of eating and/or cooking I am not surprised that every single thing I’ve eaten (home-cooked and restaurant-style alike) was heavenly and of high quality. Some of their most amazing dishes are very easy to make like pesto trofie pasta; the locally-made fresh pasta is stored in fridges in the supermarkets, all you have to do is take it home and cook as requested on the package. When it’s done, mix the pasta with your chosen pesto – I’ve tried green pesto and the one with noci (walnut) and both are very delicious with a hint of parmesan cheese.

Spaghetti all’amatriciana

It is needless to say that the Italian cuisine wouldn’t be the same without tomato sauce. Being an essential ingredient, the very first reference to tomato and pasta comes from the 1800’s, when a recipe was written about pasta al Pomodoro in Naples. Today it is used in a variety of their meals, one of them being Pasta all’amatriciana, a reason why I would never become a vegetarian. The tomato sauce and the Guanciale (or bacon if you don’t have that at home) harmonize very well in the dish, and as a finishing touch, it is sprinkled with grated cheese (pecorino is the original ingredient but parmesan will also be fine). Note: I’ve tried it home-made, but it is available in restaurants too.

Linguine pasta alle vongole

If you love seafood, this pasta dish is going to be your new favourite. Not only is it mouth-watering, but also looks irresistible. The main ingredients are fresh clams, garlic, white wine, olive oil, finely chopped parsley, and of course linguine pasta. (No tomato sauce this time.) Don’t worry, there’s no need for any special skill to consume this dish, as the clams are already open when they get on your plate. Very delicious!

+1: Gnocchi alla sorrentina

Is there anyone on the planet who doesn’t like gnocchi? The small dumplings made from potato and semolina (or flour) are usually served with a sauce, tomato in the case of gnocchi alla sorrentina. It’s a summertime oven-baked dish, originated from Sorrento, Campania, prepared with basil leaves, a sprinkle of grated parmesan, and light & creamy mozzarella which, together with the flavourful sauce, make it very moist.

Earlier this month we have tasted the English breakfast between two buns, you can read about the English Breakfast Burger HERE; spicy Indian vegetarian burger called Spinach & Chickpea Burger which you can find details about HERE; and the Tennessee BBQ Burger that is described HERE. Last but not least we invite you to join us on our virtual trip to the country of pizza and pasta: When in Rome Burger is here from Italy.

The Italian Legendary Burger may seem a bit unusual at first, as between the buns you can not only find beef meat, pancetta ham, garlic aioil, crisp arugula, Sriracha Mayonnaise and  sun-dried tomatoes, but ricotta cheese as well. Writing down the ingredients makes it hard not to rush to Vörösmarty square. Tasting this Mediterranean hamburger was a real gastronomic pleasure: its seasoning perfectly reflects the authentic Italian cuisine.

As we said it before, in Hard Rock Café all burgers are served with seasoned French fries and sauce: they offer chili-seasoned French fries with chipotle ketchup, garlic-seasoned French fries with garlic aioli, herbs & garlic-seasoned French fries with Chimichumi mayonnaise and Parmesan-seasoned French fries with garlic aioli. The latter is in perfect harmony with the tastes of the Italian When in Rome burger.

Today you can experience the Mediterranean atmosphere in Hard Rock Café and try their Italian burger with a 10% discount. Check our their event HERE.