I’m definitely not alone when I say I’ve been a fan of M Étterem for a while. Great atmosphere, great location, great service and great food. I’m not going to bang on about it all at length again here, but the reason I’m bringing it up is that, before last night, the last time I’d visited had been winter. There had also only been two of us. This time, I was given the task of choosing a restaurant (which often ends up being the case, given my line of work) for seven of us, two of whom were friends of a friend visiting from America. It was their last night here, and everyone else was after somewhere to sit back for a catch-up and a good bite to eat before another American (I do mingle with other nationalities, promise) headed Stateside for the summer.
Soaring city temperatures and the demographic of the nibblers concerned considered, after weighing up a few options, M’s number was dialed. Well, super-friendly and passionate about the place, co-owner Marci’s to be precise – who, by the way, arrived just after we did with two large crates of freshly-picked figs from his uncle’s garden. After giving me a figgy gift (which I obviously lost later in the night in-between the restaurant and Instant) he made a B-line for the kitchen. I’ll explain how the figs fitted in later.
M’s interior is an experience in itself (think hand-drawn wall daubings, brown paper and fairy lights), but this time this wasn’t the focus of the visit. Instead, we’d reserved a table outside, and it was the right choice. By the time we’d arrived at around 8 p.m., the city was still throbbing with heat, and the quiet, breezy street (just on from Liszt Ferenc tér) was perfect.
The service at this place is, to me, spot-on – friendly, relaxed but attentive and delivered by young, breezy folk with smiles and a good knowledge of and passion for the menu and wine list. Oh, and this is where the figs come in. The menu’s changed daily – based upon the results of a market rummage or whatever happens to be in season in a friend or relative’s garden. As the courses arrived, we encountered sliced fresh figs with our salad, sweet, baked figs with some mains and superb flambéed figs for dessert (which seem, so far, likely to remain on my mind all day!)
We went for a range of goodies – including baked camembert, which was, hands down, some of the best I’ve ever tasted (considering I used to live in France, that’s quite an achievement). When asked where it hailed from, Marci let us into a little secret – a little cheese shop on the top floor of Lehel Csarnok. A few of us went for the “Vegetarian Surprise” (it doesn’t matter how many times you ask, they won’t tell you what it is). Coming up with a daily “Vegetarian Surprise” must be quite a challenge, and yesterday they’d really rose to it. The result was a bang-on combination of baked eggplant, warm chick peas, fresh salsa, a cheesy, Spanish tortilla-like slice, roasted tomato and some kind of chick pea or other pulse patty. The lot was topped off with a slice of some of the freshest, sweetest corn on the cob I’d ever eaten. Others opted for steak (which was served with some particularly stealable chunky potatoes), duck and chicken. The one thing on the menu that never changes is the signature M Salad (available with or without duck). Sublime. Do it. Hardly anyone in the crowd had been there before. Everyone (apart, perhaps, from the unlucky Americans who were heading home) will be going back.
If you’re looking for some well thought out food put together with top-quality seasonal ingredients, a truly varied and imaginative menu, great Hungarian wines and fair prices in a relaxed, quirky atmosphere, take my July eat-out advice, book a table outside and head to M. Which of the many, many great bars nearby you stroll to after that is up to you… I’d just advise you against carrying a fig.
Amy Weston
1073 Budapest, Kertész utca 48.
Open daily from 6 p.m. to midnight.
Tel.: +36.1.322.3108
www.mrestaurant.blogspot.com