March 17th, 2011, a new steakhouse opened in Budapest, La Pampa. First we though this was to be a big opponent of Pampas Steakhouse, but later it turned out that the ownership is in fact the same. So, why open a new restaurant? Better to compete with yourself, than with someone else, probably! And La Pampa can in fact serve as an improvement of Pampas. The interior is much more modern and elegant, and this is probably more suitable for an important business dinner than Pampas. And since we quite often experienced that Pampas Steakhouse was fully booked during weekends, this can take some of the customers to La Pampa which will make it easier to get a table, maybe!
The menu is almost the same (with a few differences), and the prices are the same… and the quality, also the same!
Last week we visited the restaurant by many said to be the best restaurant in Budapest. It is extremely popular among tourists, and it has in fact been of the top of TripAdvisor’s list of Budapest restaurants for a long time. And what restaurant are we speaking of? It is not Gundel, Onyx or Costes… It is a small restaurant, in fact a very small restaurant with a great location near Vaci Utca.
The restaurant has an atmosphere very true to its name; Comme Chez Soi… it’s just like at home. The waitor’s are very polite, friendly and doing their uttermost to serve every guest with professionality and joy. The manager of the restaurant is also always around, making sure every guest are taken good care of. The quality is high and we were really satisfied after our stay in this restaurant.
Comme Chez Soi
But, there is something strange to it all. Because, as we first sat down in the restaurant it felt like nothing special, or maybe like a middle class restaurant somewhere. But, the joy of the waitor and the great service suddenly turned it all into a very delightful experience. The food did not disappoint us either, so we were satisfied and full as we went home after the visit.
You can read more about the restaurant at our Comme Chez Soi page, and if you would like a table reservation, visit our table reservation page. By the way; in this restaurant it is crucial, as it is almost packed throughout the entire day.
Budapest is the city of thermal water and hot springs, a beautiful city of great architecture and a history of oppression and revolutions. So, when you arrive to Budapest you will of course want to see the most important attractions of the Hungarian capital, get to know the history a bit and we all know the most effective way to do this is with a private guide.
On such a tour a typical question is though: Where should I go to check out the hot springs of Budapest? I have heard about the Gellért Thermal Bath and another one in the city park which has a name very hard to pronounce… We of course know that the guest is thinking of the Széchenyi Thermal Bath and even teach them how to say it in the beautiful Hungarian language. And after the little Hungarian lecture it is time to answer the question; Where to go: Gellért or Széchenyi?
Main hall of the Gellért Bath
Gellért Bath: The current location of the bath has been recognized as a place of hot springs for several decades. Though, the hotel and the bath was constructed on the spot between 1912-1818 in beautiful Art Nouveau style. The bath expanded in 1927 and 1934 with a wave pool and a bubble bath.
Today the bath is by many said to be the one with the most beautiful in Budapest. The interior design, especially the main hall with the glass roof and the gallery in Art Nouveau style is beautiful. The outside pools, especially the wave pool, can be a lot of fun for families and kids on a sunny day, but one big minus with the Gellért Bath is that the outdoor pools are often closed (especially late autumn, winter and early spring). Once arriving to the Gellért Bath the entrance fee is a bit above 4000 HUF. Once the swimsuit is on women will first enter into a pool for “women-only”, and men will enter into a pool for “men-only.” These are the only pools for one-sex only, and after this all other pools are for both men and women. The Gellért Thermal Bath is open every day from 6.00 – 20.00.
Buy tickets for the Gellert bath online today.
Széchenyi Thermal Bath – outdoor pool
Széchenyi Therml Bath: The Széchenyi Thermal Bath was first constructed in 1913 and extended in 1927. It is made up of two thermal springs, which temperature is 74 °C and 77 °C. The building is made in Neo-baroque style and it has a total of 3 outdoor pools and 15 indoor pools. Throughout the years the building of the Széchényi Thermal Bath has turned quite dirty, but in the last 5 years a lot of improvements have been made, and it is yet again almost perfect.
In the Széchenyi bath all pools are mixed, which means that the swimming suit needs to be kept on all the time here. The entrance fee is around 3500 HUF, and you will get a normal locker to put your clothes in while swimming and enjoying yourself in the pool. It is also possible to get a cabin for some hundred forints more. The outdoor pools stay open throughout the entire year, except for a few days a year when small work needs to be done. The Széchenyi Thermal Bath is open every day from 6.00 – 22.00.
Where to go? So far we haven’t really touched this question, as we have only been describing the different thermal baths. Below we will list some different arguments promoting either option:
Pro Gellért Bath arguments: – Beautiful indoor hall and architecture – Good location in the centre of Budapest, on the Buda side of the Liberty Bridge – Great outdoor localities (when pools are open), and the wave pool is great for children – One separate men/women pool (for someone this might be a plus)
Pro Széchenyi Bath arguments: – Great outdoor pools throughout the entire year, one with current, jacuzzi and other fun – A whole lot of indoor pools, and after renovation the indoor part looks nice as well – Cheaper entrance fee, and longer opening times – Great location in the City Park next to the circus, the zoo, the amusement park and Gundel (negative as well, as that means quite far from the centre). – All pools are mixed, so you can be together with your loved ones all the time – Even when many people visit, it is never too crowded…
Playing chess in Széchenyi
These were just some arguments. If you disagree or have other arguments, feel free to comment in the comment field further down on the page.
Final conclusion: If we would have to visit one thermal bath in Budapest, it would probably be the Széchenyi Thermal Bath. The outdoor pools are the major argument behind this conclusion, while the location might be the reason why we would recommend some people visiting the Gellért Bath (if the live in near the Gellért Hotel and only have little time in Budapest). In any case it is wonderful to visit these baths, but Széchenyi is in our eyes a bit better and more worth visiting than the Gellért Bath.
On our site presenting guided tours we also have an option named Winetasting. Since Hungary is a nation with an old and a very interesting wine culture we always recommend visitors to join us on one of our different wineprograms. The easiest program to join is the winedinner in the centre of Budapest. Here you get a delicious five course dinner (of course Hungarian dishes) accompanied by six Hungarian wines. Recently one of our Danish friends who reserved such a dinner through us wrote the following feedback:
The winedinner was totally fantastic. The place was extremely nice and the waitor treated us nicely and explained us thoroughly about the wines we drank and about the dishes we ate. The food was totally amazing and I don’t think I have ever gotten so much food for one meal ever. The menu was as follows:
Goose liver pathèe
Tarragoun ragout soup of veal
Grilled Catfish with fresh salad
Venison stew with potato croquettes
Crepes with fresh fruit filling with vanilla sauce
It was a fantastic evening and I will for sure recommend this program to others. There is though one thing that you need to pay attention to… be hungry as you arrive!
P.O.D. BudapestThe very popular American band P.O.D. will come to Budapest June 8th, 2011, to perform at A38. The concert boad will probably be packed as P.O.D. is a very popular band all around the world, and maybe especially in Christian circles. P.O.D. has released seven albumbs and sold more than 10 million cd-s worldwide, so they should for sure be able to fill A38 when they come to Budapest.
Planetshakers BudapestPlanetshakers will return to Budapest in May 2011. They were here some years ago performing at the roof of WestEnd Citycenter, and already then the arrangers promised a new Planetshakers concert in Budapest within shortly. The time has arrived, and May 13th Planetshakers will again play their worship music in Petöfi Csarnok, concert starting at 19.00.
Planetshakers Budapest May 13, 19.00 Petöfi Csarnok
For expats stranded in Budapest or other people in the capital of Hungary it can be nice to know that two new destinations can now be reached from Budapest. Jet2 has recently started their direct flights from Budapest to Edinburgh and since April 26th American Airlines has started direct flights from Budapest to New York.
So, if this sounds interesting, just fly and check out these new destinations!
If you should arrive in Budapest from Edinburgh, New York or maybe another destionation, why not let us take care of your airport transfer?
Did you know that the name of the newest shopping centre in Budapest is Europeum? It isn’t a big one, but the location is better than most other centres in Budapest. Europeum is located at Blaha Lujza Tér, at the same spot as the old Népszabadság building was located. The grand opening was on April 14th, and it is a nice place to drop buy if you need to do some shopping, or just to check out what it’s like.
There are not many shops inside Europeum, but there is one giga-Müller store, H&M and some other nice shops, cafes and a hairdresser.
Beneath you can find information given from the Labyrinth of the Buda Castle concerning their special easter program:
Buda Castle LabyrinthWandering in the maze lined with candles has become a tradition in the Labyrinth of Buda Castle on holidays. There are 1000 candles burning on the second day of Christmas, and 1001 candles on Easter Monday. One for a thousand.
Every year on Easter Monday between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. the mysterious halls and passages of the Labyrinth of Buda Castle can be wandered in the light of 1001 candles. There are little surprises hidden in the cave grottos: the Easter treasures of the Labyrinth.
The entrance fee is 600 HUF (children ticket) to everyone.
Easter is here and larger and smaller groups use this holiday to visit Budapest. We have written a few advices to help you get the most out of your Easter here in Budapest.
1) Our guides still have spare time, so do not hesitate to contact us for a private guided tour
2) The Szechenyi Thermal Bath in the City park is open every day throughout Easter
3) Normal shops are closed Sunday and Monday, but open every other day.
4) Restaurants have normal opening times and our wineprograms are available every day
5) The nicest church in Budapest, Saint Stephens Basilica, has services Friday at 18.00, Saturday at 18.00, Sunday at 10.00, 12.00, 18.00, 19.30 and Monday at 8.00, 10.00, 12.00 and 18.00.
These were just some advices. We hope you found them useful and wish you some great days in Budapest. If you should need any help, just write us an email!
