Enso is a trendy Asian-inflected fusion restaurant located outside of downtown, in the working class part of Budapest’s District 8. Part of Enso's coolness stems from its premises: you enter the rundown pre-war building on Baross utca, then schlep through the nondescript interior courtyard just to arrive at the dim, exposed brick dining room where good-looking servers scurry under the high ceilings decorated with hanging paper lanterns.
The food is a mishmash of global dishes: there's duck ramen, chicken taco, oysters, marinated trout, Brazilian cheese bread (pão de queijo), and Wagyu beef. Most plates are meant for sharing. Although on the small side, they're very tasty, especially those treated on the charcoal fire, such as the grilled broccoli coated in a pungent white sauce. Vietnamese coffee, cocktails, Japanese beers, sakes, whiskeys, and Hungarian wines are all available.
Prices are on the higher end – a few small plates with a drink can quickly add up to €30-40 per person. A word to the wise: Plan on a relatively early dinner here as Enso closes at 10 p.m. Open only Tuesday to Friday.
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