Buda’s recently opened Allee Shopping Center’s been touted as different from others in the city. Modern, bright, breezy and with plenty of interior space interacting with outdoor areas, it’s pretty indisputable that in many ways it makes for a more pleasant indoor shopping experience than many other spots in town. But what of the dining on offer? We headed to Aldente, dubbed a “Bistro Italiano”, on the ground floor of the center.
Let’s be honest, you’re not that likely to head into a shopping center solely driven by a restaurant inside, but that’s what the guys behind Aldente are hoping for. The restaurant itself has been decked out in the attempted style of a rustic Italian piazza, complete with tall vintage street lamps, foliage, artificial balconies, multi-colored window shutters, retro posters and red checked table cloths. It’s the large glass frontage that give the space most of its al fresco feel at this time of year, though, opening out onto the modern, bustling square outside. We visited mid-March, but come April there’ll be rows of tables out there in the sunshine.
The essence of the menu is typically Italian simplicity, composed of straightforward national staples and refreshingly without a whiff of fusion food about it. It’s a reliably Italianate combination of fresh ingredients (many of which are brought in from Italy) used in the combining of simple, clear, uncomplicated flavors. Traditional Italian recipes are used, the menu was designed by an Italian chef and the resident Hungarian chef is a member of the Italian Cookery Association – a rarity here.
Around 10 “home made” pastas – not made on-site but in their own kitchen nearby, within 24 hours of serving – can be combined with a selection of sauces, from the most clear cut tomato based ones to the more complex likes of gorgonzola, walnut and mascarpone. Pizzas are made in the kitchen itself, and while you could head in for a basic 1,000 HUF margarita job, it’s possible to opt for a truffle topped variety for 3,000 HUF, too. All sauces are made fresh, with no tinned tomatoes involved, and fresh herbs and other ingredients prevail. A grill selection is available, too, as is fish and seafood shipped from Trieste.
While the latter is perhaps not Aldente’s forte – as fish rarely is in restaurants here – fresh pestos, tapenades and sauces stood out in both our bruschetta selection and pasta dishes. Unfussy, clear flavor combinations made up for the off-the-mark fish mains, but then, this is an Italian, and they seem to be doing what they should be doing well.
During the day, the restaurant’s obviously peopled by shoppers and workers, and an express lunch menu is available from Monday to Friday, from midday to 3 p.m. for 1,300 HUF. A late night crowd who haven’t headed in for the shopping center itself has also been aimed at, with a New York “music selector” spinning tunes every Thursday and Friday night until late. Italian and new wave lounge, with touches of swing and jazz, dominate. The cocktail menu’s large, too, with some unusually designed using fresh herbs, and while the rustic Italian square themed elements are there, the space, with its contrastingly modern design elements, seems to have the potential to dim its lights and become a pretty slick nightspot – despite the red checked tablecloths.
So, what’s Aldente good for? Well, now the summer’s on its way, while it may not provide a Danube view, its tables will be spilling into the sunlit square outside. Ingredients are honest, dishes reasonably priced and the menu doesn’t have any airs about it – it’s a straightforward Italian selection played out using authentic ingredients, put together and prepared by people who know what they’re doing. Take our advice, and sample dishes showcasing Aldente’s apparent strongpoint: simple dishes with fresh, Italian flavors. And accompany it with one of the well-priced Italian vintages on the menu. Or the unusual Green Tea Daiquiri we sampled, which was surprisingly good.
During April, if your register at www.aldentebistro.hu or register your name and email address at +36.20.779.3356, you’ll be entitled to a 50% discount on everything throughout the entire month, for as many visits as you like.
From the Menu
Starters
Bruschette tricolor 770 HUF
Vitello tonnato (thinly sliced veal with tuna cream and capers) 1,950 HUF
Mains
Verona Pizze Bianche (Mascarpone, Verona ham, avocado, mozzarella, parmesan) 1,990 HUF
Desserts
Panna Cotta 750 HUF
Aldente
1117 Budapest, Október huszonharmadika utca 8-10.
Allee Shopping Center (entrance on ground floor from Váli utca)
Tel.: +36.20.779.3356
Open: Daily, 11 a.m.-midnight
www.aldentebistro.hu