Here’s my new hangout! Well, it’s not new at all, actually – there’s been at least a coffee place here since even before Andrássy Avenue was built! But now the “Two Saracens” is a bistro bubbling with new ideas, a new menu, and a new outdoor terrace.
Arriving for lunch on a warm day, I took a seat under the linen-y canopy on the wood-floored outdoor area and ordered an icy lemonade with homemade elderberry syrup – if you haven’t tried this flowery drink, do… it’ll become a favorite thirst-quencher. Pairing it with lime and basil was Két Szerecsen’s twist – simply yummy.
Eager to try lots from the new menu, I chose a selection of tapas – sumptuous oyster mushrooms in butter with garlic and parsley, plus crispy-edged meatballs in a zingy sweet chili sauce, and seared sirloin slices with pico de gallo (a lovely tomato salsa with fresh coriander, my favorite herb).
I could’ve made a meal out of these tasty treats and the other tempting tapas, but alas, I had to move on to a chilled cucumber soup with yogurt, sprinkled with roasted walnuts (my other favorite). It was just the right temperature for a warm day, refreshing but not too filling, with a surprising garnish of chopped walnuts on top. I’m planning to try (in vain) to replicate it at home…
A basil courgette (that’s zucchini) risotto followed, made with white wine and butter! The courgette was grilled and arranged with beef slices on top, and shaved parmesan that I could even say was superfluous. Yum.
If you can believe it, I went on to have breast of duck with green peppercorn-spiced strawberries, because I just had to try that combination – and what a revelation! The salty smoothness of the pink duck and its crispy top complemented the sweet, soft strawberries and the piquant green peppercorns.
And yes, I had dessert. (Did I mention that I got small portions of everything?) The creamiest Mascarpone cream dessert ever, with a strawberry jam-coulis running through the middle. It went perfectly with my second drink, an orangey-lemony-minty-cool lemonade.
Now that I’ve gone on and on about the food, drinks and the terrace, I really should mention that Két Szerecsen is reasonably priced, serves breakfast (hooray!), offers the best of Hungarian wines, and is just two steps away from the Opera, Liszt Ferenc Square and Oktogon. Need I say more?
Adri Bruckner
FROM THE MENU:
Tapas:
Assortment of seafood tapas: baby calamari, Venus clams in butter and white wine, prawns with chili oil, prawns in a crispy coat
Salads:
Grilled smoked ewe cheese with lettuce leaves
Salade Niçoise
Pasta:
Homemade fettuccine with three types of mushrooms and white wine
Main courses:
Trout stuffed with bacon and mushrooms, with lettuce leaves and vinegar dressing
Beef steak with green peppercorns, fresh spinach and new potatoes
Desserts:
Crème brûlée
Chocolate soufflé with raspberry jam, served with vanilla ice cream and almond slices
Két Szerecsen
1065 Budapest, Nagymező utca 14.
Tel.: +36.1.343.1984
Email: szerecsen@t-online.hu
www.ketszerecsen.hu