I know it doesn’t sound like a good idea to go to a fish restaurant in a land-locked country, but we had our best meal at Horgasztanya, a fish house near the Danube on the Pest side of the city. My husband really enjoyed his meal of deep fried carp served in a spicy paprika mushroom sauce. I had delicious turkey filets cooked in a white wine sauce with bacon and peas that was served with potato croquettes. Everything was excellent. The menu boasted eighteen different fish dishes and at least 10 poultry dishes in addition to various meats and stews. Of particular mention is the variety of soups, which include meat broth, onion soup and goulash soup.
Horgasztanya has a quirky "fishing" theme to its décor – fishing nets and a small boat are suspended from the ceiling of this little Mom & Pop place. It kind of looked like a typical little Hungarian corner restaurant decorated for the Under the Sea Ball. The walls are painted with nautical-themed murals and the cozy tables are covered with quaint checked clothes. The staff is wonderful and friendly – we thoroughly enjoyed our outgoing waiter, speaking with him in a mix of Hungarian, English and Czech. The place was filled with locals, many of whom appeared to be regulars. We’d go back to Horgasztanya in a heartbeat, no matter how far Budapest is from the sea.