Gluten-Free Budapest

Sorry for not updating for a while - I've been away in the U.S. on holiday (updates of my food experiences here will follow shortly).

Anyway, Budapest....

Budapest's impressive Parliament building - well worth having a tour!

The three days I spent in Budapest were definitely a highlight of my trip through Europe - there was so much to do and see with Budapest's fascinating political history, beautiful architecture and thriving atmosphere that although we crammed as much as possible into our time there, we could spend another three days there and do a completely different but equally enjoyable itinerary. Even better, I found it straightforward to manage eating gluten-free here and enjoyed two absolutely fantastic dining experiences:

KOLEVES

This restaurant was ideal for the gluten-free traveller - nearly all items on the menu were gluten-free (clearly labelled 'GF') so it was exciting to have a huge choice for once. Since being diagnosed I have nearly always felt a bit left out of the "what are you going to have?" discussion that always precedes a meal out. As I'm sure many of you have found, the period before ordering can be an isolating experience as your dining companions debate and drool over the various options open to them whilst you have decided in a few seconds as there is only one or two GF options.
Not the case with Koleves - even Coeliacs with lactose intolerance would also have some choice as lots of dishes were also marked 'DF' for dairy-free. My 3 friends without dietary requirements also all rated this meal as one of their best of our trip.

Roast chicken breast with a grape, carrot and nectarine salad
 

Meals were reasonably priced and staff seemed very knowledgeable - the waitress read my dietary card properly rather than scanning over it quickly as I found sometimes happened in other establishments and fully understood my requirements. Her confidence along with their informative menu helped me to relax and fully enjoy my delicious chicken - often, I find that even if places can deal with dietary requirements, they are so tentative or vague in their service that I'm on edge for the whole meal.

My non-Coeliac friend's G/F goose, potatoes and red cabbage. Picture doesn't really do it justice as unfortunately I'm no food photographer but he rated it very highly!

Koleves also has an excellent outdoor bar complete with swinging hammocks and a camper van to move on to once you have finished your meal - a fantastic evening out all round!

ASZU ETTEREM

Centrally located, this busy restaurant had a great atmosphere whether you sat outside watching the world go by or inside with the accompaniment of the live pianist. Although the restaurant was what we would classify as 'fine dining' in the UK, it was a lot cheaper than the UK equivalent would be and so was still just about affordable for a group of 4 students as a treat.
The menu wasn't labelled with G/F options but our waiter took my dietary card to the chef and explained to me which dishes I could have or could be adapted. Like with Koleves, there was quite a reasonable choice as the majority of dishes compromised naturally gluten-free ingredients such as meat, potatoes and veg.

The waiter brought a bread basket for my non-Coeliac friends but this was quickly followed with a separate basket of warm gluten-free rolls for me! This was only the 2nd time that I had ever been served g/f bread before a meal and so I was verrrry excited!! The rolls were delicious and remain the best g/f bread by far I've had to date - it did taste slightly different to 'normal' gluteny bread, but not in a negative way - for once, I even thought my bread might be better than that of my fellow diners as these really were delicious!

For my main, I had a duck breast with potato rosti, blackberry sauce and cauliflower puree.

Home-made warm G/F rolls in their very own basket (also came with separate butter)
 

Duck breast and potato rosti

Aszu Etterem

Overall, a really fantastic experience and in fact better than anything I have thus far experienced in the UK.

I also found that supermarkets had a good gluten-free selection:

Gluten-Free (plus diabetic range) in a small 24 hour corner store in Budapest

So, any Coeliacs considering Budapest as a potential destination - do it!