In the beautiful building that once housed the famous Pannónia Hotel just next to Astoria, XO Bistro is a fine example of bringing back the splendor of coffee house culture that once dominated the city in a manner relevant to today’s Budapest.
Having been renovated with care, XO Bistro has kept the stylistic details of the era, with a beautiful tiled floor, large stone arches and big windows that look out onto one of the city’s main arteries. One can imagine the days when this was a central meeting point for artists and thinkers, and yet it is not an old-fashioned or stuffy space. It is light with simple tables and modern touches like a kitchen that is open to one end of the dining room and a long shelf displaying a collection of wine bottles and serving the dual function of a space divider.
What truly stands out at XO Bistro, however, is the superior level of service. We were warmly welcomed immediately upon entering, and the service continued to meet a high standard without ever becoming overbearing. The small details often make the biggest impression, and the servers at XO Bistro have clearly been trained to a high standard.
We sat at one of the tables carefully arranged to be framed by a large window. While we browsed the menu, our server came to ask for our drink order, and seeing we had not yet considered our options, suggested home-made lemonade. We gladly accepted his choice and were served bright glasses full of orange and lime slices.
A fan of goat cheese, my lunch companion decided to start with warm goat cheese on crispy pastry, accompanied by green salad. I insisted on trying his dish, as I too love goat cheese. It was just melted enough, and the pastry was crisp and flaky.
Wanting to try a different starter, I chose the fresh green salad with fried seeds and gorgonzola. The salad was quite tasty, as the seeds added a nice flavor and texture and paired well with the crisp mixed greens and tangy gorgonzola.
From among the numerous fish dishes offered as main courses, my companion chose the Thai sole with vegetable fettuccine and dried tomato salsa. What arrived at the table was a sizable slice of fish atop a bed of al dente pasta. He remarked on the preparation of the pasta with satisfaction.
As the meat-eater among us, I decided on the duck breast over vegetable risotto in a red wine and tarragon reduction. The duck breast was tender and juicy, practically melting in my mouth. The risotto was a nice accompaniment to the light meat; however it was not what you might expect when imagining traditional Italian risotto. Nevertheless, it was tasty. There was also a nice assortment of steamed vegetables adding color to the plate. Tender and flavorful, they also complimented the duck well.
The drink menu at XO Bistro is fairly extensive, offering wines, beers, cocktails, juices, teas and coffees. We decided on an after lunch coffee to go with a sweet. The coffee is 100% Arabica, and was excellent. One could easily imagine stopping into XO Bistro for an afternoon coffee by the window with an old friend, much like the early days of the venue.
Our choice for dessert was to share the most tempting item among the sweet selection. We ordered the warm chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream, as this is nearly always a great choice. The presentation was lovely, and the cake came to the table hot and wafting a seductive scent towards our nostrils. It was a satisfying choice and an excellent way to end our meal.
XO Bistro is a place where you can get a taste of how the charm of the past mingles with the new in Budapest, creating the characteristic charm that sets this city apart.
Text by Meg George
Photos by Daniel Freeman
Starters
Fresh green salad with fried seeds and gorgonzola
Hot goat cheese on a crispy pastry with fresh green salad
Mains
Medium roasted duck breast on vegetable risotto with thyme red wine reduction
Thai common sole fillet with dried tomato salsa and vegetable fettuccine
Dessert & Coffee
Chocolate soufflé with hot creamy filling inside and vanilla ice cream
Melange
XO Bistro
1088 Budapest, R
ákóczi
út 5.
Tel.: +36.1.411.0111
