Happy new year from a freezing Budapest

We wish all our readers and visitors a happy new year from a freezing cold Budapest. Around midnight as 2008 turned into 2009 it was around -10 Celsius in Budapest, and as I checked out our weatherpage this morning it showed -8 Celsius. That is quite cold, so if you are in the city, or on the way to Budapest, make sure to dress up!

I am not sure if you have set any goals for 2009, but we have a goal to become an even better Guide to Budapest, so that we can serve our visitors with more and better information about what is going on in the city, and suggestions for programs, museums and attractions to visit in the city. Yesterday we also updated our page with information about concerts happening in big cities nearby Budapest (Prague, Munich, Vienna, Bratislava), and we hope to be able to keep this updated as well.

I agree; Munich is quite far from Budapest, but if you like driving (fast), it can still be done in a day to visit the city for a concert, and then drive back afterwards (you will arrive early in the morning the next day, but it can work at least).

Have you got any wish/desire for 2009?
Feel free to share it with us by posting a comment below telling us about it!

Blog now part of standard design

Today we updated the design of our blog, and from now it will be a part of the standard design of the "Guide to Budapest". We hope this will make it easier for you readers, and that you will find what you are looking for faster than before!

We daily receive emails from people wanting us to reserve tables for them at New Years eve. Some restaurants are starting to get full, so if you want us to reserve a table for you, we advice you to read our article about Budapest on new years eve, and send us an email as soon as you have decided where to go!

Picture of the Musem of Fine Arts (picture made 24 December, 2008)

Restaurants on New Years Eve in Budapest

New Years Eve is a special evening, and several people want to celebrate it in a nice restaurant somewhere, with nice music, delicious food and great people. We have received several questions lately concerning where people should go, so therefore we wrote this article with information and advices. We will list up some restaurants and the offers they have for New Years Eve, and then you can decide what restaurant you want to visit in Budapest on New Years Eve. Do not forget to book your table beforehand, and if you want some help, just send us an email, and we will do it for you!


Karpátia Restaurant
They will have gipsy music playing Hungarian folk music and famous songs in the evening, and at 23.00 they will have a 30 minutes folklore event. After midnight there will be dance music played and the guests will have the possibility to dance. The visitors can choose between two menus:

1) Duck liver pâté with smoked trout from Szilvásvárad, Calvados-scented green apple chutney, Sweet potato cappuccino, Grilled pikeperch, morel mushroom filled with light cottage cheese soufflé, tender paprika sauce, Mint-raspberry sorbet, Crispy piglet French racks, noodles roasted with cabbage and wrapped with bacon, sweet onion compote

2) Venison saddle and potato roulade filled with prunes and chestnuts, with roasted vegetables and piquant glace, Almond-chocolate cake with cinnamon-caramel mousse and Goat cheese platter

Price: 110 Euro pr. person, and 10% tip will be added to the bill

Pampas Steakhouse
They will not arrange any special arrangement, but will have their normal menu and the restaurant will be open until 24:00.


Sir Lancelot
They will have normal menus until 21:00, but from then their special New Years Eve program will start. They will have plates of food for two people, three people, four people and for six people. During the evening the guests will experience renaissance live music, fakir belly dancing and more surprises.

Price: 18.000 Ft,- pr. Person

Full program and menu can be downloaded in this pdf-file.


Gundel Restaurant
In Gundel the guests are accepted from 19:30 in the evening. In the start George Lakatos and his band will play gipsy music, from 22:00 there will be a special New Years Eve program with operette singers, professional singers and a magician, followed by dance music from 23:00. Around midnight there will be fireworks, the Hungarian national song, clinking of glasses and welcoming the New Year.

Price: 53.500 Ft,- per person (around 205 Euro per person)


Mátyás Pince
In Mátyás Pince the guests can enjoy gipsy music with Attila Vadász and a folklore and operetta show. They have two different menus and the guests can choose between the two of them.

1) Smoked Trout of Szalajkavölgy in a Honey- Mustard Seasoned Salad - bed, Pheasant Consommé with Julienne Boiled Vegetables, Grilled Goose Liver with Fried Apple, Cranberry and Mushroom - Rice, Lemon sorbet, Tenderloin Filet with Green Pepper Sauce and Spicy Potatoes.

2) Cold Goose Liver in it’s Own Fat with Roasted Onions of Makó, Consommee with Quail Egg, Fillets of Pike-Perch from Lake Balaton with Dill - Schrim Sauce, Lemon sorbet and Larded Deer Fillet with Forrest Mushroom Sauce, Potato Croquettes and bacon Rolled Green Beans

Price: 26.000 Ft,- (100 Euro) pr. person.


Trófea Grill
The restaurant where you can eat from buffet table and eat and drink as much as you want offers live music with the Véra Tóth, special meals prepared for the New Years Eve and opening times from 20:00-05:00. They have loads of different food, so this is a safe bet for everyone, since they for sure will find something they like.

Price: 20.000 Ft,- pr. person.

New Years Eve Opera Gala And Ball

A camel visiting the Opera

We have already written about the New Years concert of the London Philharmonic Orchestra taking place on the first of January, 2009. But, if you are looking for an event on the 31st of December this might be the one. If you want to finish the year in beautiful surroundings and with elite company, the Hungarian State Opera might be the place. The famous Gundel Restaurant will serve the food!

Program of the Gala Night:
20.00 Welcoming of guests in the aula with a welcome cocktail
20.30 Parts of the popular operetta of Johann Strauss, the Bat
21.30 GUNDEL dinner
Served on the stage, banquet halls and galleries of the Hungarian State Opera,
23.00 Performance by the popular Erox Martini
24.00 National Anthem
Champagne
Opening dance by professional dancers
Ball until early morning

There will also be an opera ball in Budapest the 21st February.


Other events in Budapest

New Years concert of the London Philharmonic Orchestra

With the aim of starting a new tradition, the Palace of Arts decided to celebrate the new year of 20008 not by the usual, light music played in other places but with the exquisite oratory of Joseph Haydn which involves the magic of the creation and which has been a constant favourite with audiences for 210 years.

The orchestra will be led by Ádám Fischer, who is the most experienced and most inventive representative of the composer’s music. The orchestra is the famous London Philharmonic Orchestra founded by Sir Thomas Beecham, accompanied by the London Philharmonic Choir. The invitation of the London orchestras and choir is not a coincidence: Haydn composed the Creation in London.

The large-scale composition took Haydn two years to complete; it was first shown in Vienna at the end of April 1798. It meant him a huge artistic acknowledgement and financial success. “Since then the Creation has become one of the emblematic masterpieces of European music, an icon. But the respect that surrounds the composition is not the only reason for gaining a place amongst the “compulsory” pieces – such as the passions of Bach, oratorio of Handel and the Missa solemnise of Beethoven of the repertoires in the music life of the world. We actually need the Creation. We need somebody to show us the beauties of the world and convey the message that living on Earth is a good thing.” (András Batta)

Ticket prices: 4000.- 6300.- 8300.- 9900.- HUF.
You can get hold of tickets from Interticket (be aware: the page is hard to use, and the english is not too good)
Source: Budapestinfo.hu

Other concerts and events in Budapest