In 2020, following the retirement of the original owner, the legendary Cica, a young team decided to revive Róma Ételbár. Róma had been one of the last bastions of Budapest étkezdes: no-frills, affordable, lunch-only eateries once widespread in Hungary. Today, Róma’s dishes once again exclusively revolve around Hungarian classics and they are still pretty solid.

I can recommend the goulash soup, the liver dumpling soup, the goulash variations (pörkölt and paprikash), the layered cabbage, the rice pilaf (bácskai rizses hús), the schnitzels, and the the dessert specials such as the rice pudding (tejberízs) and the cottage cheese dumplings (túrógombóc). In line with étkezde standards, service is quick, the crowd diverse. For a post-meal drink with similar vibes, head to the nearby Bambi Eszpresszó.

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