Alessio Restaurant

If you like Italian food and would like a break from the bustle of the city center, head over to Alessio. With densely carpeted floors and crammed tables, this charming neighborhood restaurant is tailored to the local residents of this elite Buda neighborhood. Little about the interior will evoke the Tuscan countryside, but the dishes can hold their own. Alessio’s claim to fame, the garlic shrimp, is actually a Spanish classic (gambas al ajillo), arriving in a sizzling sauce of olive oil, chili, and garlic. It's impossible to stop eating (use the bread to mop up the rich leftover sauce to the last drop).

Other standouts include the grilled octopus and the tender and moist branzino fillet. The only dud I came across was the tiramisu of all things — it was too crumbly and the ladyfingers weren't integrated in the mascarpone — but it was much better on a later visit. Mains are €15-20.

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