A tough competitor for best Italian cuisine in the city and on every top-10 list created since it began in 1993, Fausto’s Ristorante is of a truly impeccable standard. After the recent move of the original restaurant, the owners have now turned their energies to a simpler, pared down version that retains the quality standards and refined tastes of the original in a more relaxed and accessible setting, called Fausto’s Osteria.Located in the original restaurant’s space, in the shadow of the Great Synagogue, Osteria joins its older sibling on Michelin Guide’s definitive list of worldwide excellence in cuisine as a fresh and simple reiteration, with stylish and unobtrusive décor suited to a romantic date or any but the heaviest of business-dinners. A renovation of the space includes floor-to-ceiling windows and two levels of fine woods bathing in natural light. While the tablecloths have disappeared, classy accoutrements such as fine oil and vinegar carafes and salt and pepper grinders adorn each table.
While it’s true that compared to the original restaurant, Osteria may be casual, this is no pizza-and-spaghetti type of place. Indeed Osteria is intended as a starting point for the uninitiated into the finer side and tradition of Italian cuisine. Here you can partake in a traditional sequence of aperitif accompanied by appetizer, then soup, pasta dish and finally main course before a memorable dessert. A look at the menu as well as the daily specials board reveals an emphasis on fresh seafood and whatever happens to be in season. No sooner had we begun to realize the difficult task of choosing our dishes than our waiter offered to suggest something; in minutes he had outlined a multi-course dinner made specifically to each of our tastes (mine pescal-vegetarian, hers carnivorous), with accompanying wines. Yes, they’re happy to do it for all customers, he confirmed.
Suitably impressed thus far with the service, we confirmed that this is one of the restaurant’s points of pride through small touches, such as not having to ask for our mineral water (imported from Italy) to be refilled, or having a plate taken away before all diners had finished. The staff speaks (at least) Hungarian, English and Italian, and was pleasantly attentive, though not overbearing.
It’s almost pointless to go into much detail about the food; needless to say it was excellent. My starter of king prawns and main of codfish were cooked to a delightful balance of tenderness and succulence, while my companion happily reported her lamb shank as one of the best she’d had in memory. Both of us found the pasta dish (mine with artichokes, sundried tomatoes and grilled salmon, hers with duck ragout) to be our favorites of the bunch, perhaps due to the fact that the noodles are made on the premises daily and illustrate that the Italians truly do it better. The wine list is an abbreviated version of Fausto’s typically world-class selection, comprised of Hungarian and Italian wines of a relatively recent vintage but still finely accentuating the complex-yet-simple flavors of the food.
While it’s obvious why this place would be popular among Italian expatriates and tourists, another reason why it should be appealing to visitors and residents of all stripes are the prices. Though certainly not cheap, for such high-quality ingredients, preparation and service one should still not expect to break the bank. A business lunch of pasta, main and dessert costs Ft 3,000, while dinner would be an excellent choice to impress colleagues, friends or a special someone. For a taste of what a true Italian kitchen can produce, without the formality of its big brother, put Fausto’s Osteria at the top of your list of places to dine.
A Selection of:
Starters
Squid with artichokes and olives
Beef Carpaccio with parmesan cheese, arugula, and sundried tomatoes
Pastas
Pappardelle with deer ragout
Linguine with kingprawns and zucchini
Mains
Veal loin with sage butter and potato sauté
Codfish with pumpkin and balsamic vinegar sauce
Desserts
Chocolate mousse with blackberry sauce
Pineapple basket
1072 Budapest, Dohány u. 5.
Tel.: +36.1.269.6806
www.fausto.hu
Open Monday to Saturday noon to 11 p.m.
Closed Sunday