Essência Restaurant - Tiago & Éva

A fantastic tasting menu with my friend especially enjoying the quail dish. Service was a bit slow compared to previous experiences but a positive experience overall The juice pairings were also extremely well-matched to the dishes

991aishai

We visited the restaurant (Dad + 2 sons...) in lunch time where you can select from the a la carte menu (that is if you do not want a 5-6 courses set menu), we enjoyed all dishes but especially the Strawberry gazpacho, cereal risotto & for desert the white chocolate , wines suggested by the sommelier were also very good !! Service was professional and friendly and all questions were fully answered. will definitely return when back in Budapest

maozre

While dining at Rumour we were fortunate to be seated beside Eva and Tiago. The loveliest couple that we found out had a restaurant too. We made reservations right away for lunch the next day. Hungarian (Eva) and Portuguese (Tiago) food. Along with the food the restaurant has so much of their relationship in this space. Loved it all and would love to experience dinner next time we’re in Budapest.

traceyvalgal

We really loved the spring menu, so we had to try the summer menu. I absolutely loved the beef tartare and the lamb palóc way.

lovrencsicseva

We were here three times because love it very much. It is our favorite Michelin star restaurant in Budapest.

lovrencsicseva

This lunch was a wedding gift from a couple of friends, and we did not before we arrived that it has a Michelin Star! Actually, my husband did not know until we part from our friends and I told him because the only indicator was a sticker next to the entrance. Before we got anything, they brought a small plate with some sort of fried mash potato wedges as complimentary gift from the chef! We ordered appetizers, I had the Caldo Verde potato soup, and my hubby had the onion consommé(soup) with black garlic and cottage cheese (túró). Both of our bowls arrived without the actual soup, the waiters poured them into the bowls after they told us what we get and what is in each food(they did that with every course). As main, I ordered the lamb sided with green peas and caramelized yogurt. The meat has a very thin slice of bacon on top, and it was really tender. The caramelized yogurt was exquisite, never tried anything before! My husband ordered the mangalica(pork) with coriander „açorda”(kind of a bread pudding with coriander) and clams. It was really good, looked like a thin slice of steak. For dessert, I tried apple pie with rhubarb. It was that kind of deconstructed food where they use all the traditional ingredients but in a different way. They used bow fresh apples and cooked and mashed apple puree for the filling, with fresh rhubarb, rhubarb puree, "biscuits" made of pie crust, white chocolate pieces, and a really airy white stuff that sadly I don't remember what was made of. But tasted really good :D Hubs ordered the "Azores" pineapple with basil, which was a basil sorbet with thinly sliced pineapple shaped like a rose and some sort of bready-spongey crust pieces. Both of our desserts came with edible flowers. After everything, we got another complimentary gift, four little pastel de nata, and we ordered coffee to pair them with. The whole experience was really pleasant, the staff was super friendly, helpful and kind. We had a bottle of white wine fro the four of us, it was really fresh and tasty. Also still and sparkling water and lemonades. Great experience, highly recommended.

Lakatos D

Solid 1 star Michelin experience- we loved the concept of the Hungarian and Portuguese mix. Prices are definitely good for the experience, location, food and service. The wine pairing was decent for the price and we guess that’s the maximum the restaurant can charge their customers… but maybe an optional upgraded flight would be a great addition.

742christiank

Fab experience - food, drink, staff, ambience were all excellent. Had the 6 course tasting menu with wine pairing. Particularly loved the clear passion of all of the staff

gemmasE1881VL

Culinary experience of the year. The lunch tasting menu was amazing. The staff fantastic we got an explanation to each course on the menu. We had the mixed (Hungarian or Portuguese or mixed) and it was amazing. The various flavors in each dish are something for it self. Highly recommended by us. If you love food and you are visiting Budapest you must! try this place. Even got a Michelin star (well deserved). Price range is ok considering it has a Michelin star and is located in the center of Budapest. Absolutely loved it

579AdamS579

We jumped out of hotel in simple clothes to walk around town. Then we saw this restaurant. It offered only degustation meniu for about 75euros (without drinks) and we thought okay, why not. They also offered a vegetarian degustation option, which was really nice. We looked quite poor and not ready for this Michelin star restaurant. We actually saw it in some of the workers eyes. I could say, even though there were some free nicer tables to sit us, we were given a table by the door. Whatever, we didn't really care. The first impression was not so nice - somelje was really unfriendly. He came and I asked something about the meniu - he didn't mention that he is somelje. He got quite frustrated and said, not in a nice way, THAT HE IS ASKING ABOUT DRINKS AND HE IS SOMELJE, like we are some stupid young tourists with no class or money. Well, he was wrong about that. At that point I was humbled and got quite sad:) the more interesting thing is that SOMELJE didn't came back to our table to introduce the wine or something. And one time he brought chef's compliment - so are you a waiter, somelje, or what? Anyways, I would recommend to change your attitude. Just because we were dressed casual, doesn't mean we don't tip or we are poor. FOOD - - - - - - - - Food was amazing. It was so interesting, unique and filling. We loved every bit of it. The quality and taste of food is very good and price is reasonable for what you get. If you want an amazing experience - this is the place. You can see that the Chef loves this place and his staff are working amazing then introducing the dishes. Staff were quite attentive. Especially our waiter and hostess. She was really nice, informative, friendly and helpful. I would like to personally say thank you. You make this place feel very professional. We had one more misunderstanding. This left me feeling scammed. I thought that maybe, just maybe this place wasn't looking at us as stupid tourists. But I think in the end, they did. I came privately to the hostess and asked her if I could leave a tip for her on the card. She said yes. I then said that I will enter the tip and pay for it and the guys will pay for the food. When she came to the table, without looking at the check I asked her to enter 35euros for a tip, I paid. And then I looked at the check - there was a service fee added, about 40euros. That is absolutely fine with us. But why not mention it when I was talking about the tip? Was it okay to take 35euros knowing that there is a service fee in the check as well? I felt so stupid and yes, I asked to get the 35 euros back, cause we didn't think that the service, all in all, deserved 75euro tip. I felt. Well. It was sad. Because if we hadn't noticed it in the bill, nobody would have told us. I would recommend this restaurant for a nice dinner. It was a good night. I would recommend to dress nice for it and double check the bill.

Avocadoslice

It has been an Amazing experience. We took,the four of us,the 5 meals menu(with wine pairing). Everything was PERFECT. Excellent food,excellent explanations by the staff(dishes and wine). Staff was efficient and kind,especially KITTI and ZSOLT. Thanks again.

Fenuaroa

We really loved the tasting menus. Especially the Portuguese tasting menu. Staff is very kind and helpful. The lemon tart and the pistacchio frizz cocktail are exceptional.

lovrencsicseva

Combining two such great cuisines as the Hungarian and the Portuguese is no small undertaking but Essencia delivers is beautifully with tasty, creative yet sumptuous dishes. The mangalica pork with coriander acorda was a particular highlight as was the cod and caviar dish. The service was impeccable from the last minute booking to the welcome and the waiting staff. The wine pairing is also worth the try but their wine list is also more than satisfactory from light and easy vino verdes to hearty tempranillos and more.

344blankas

As this is a 1 michelin star restaurant, the expectations were pretty high yet was pretty disappointed, several reasons: 1. The main waiter began by asking us for allergies. My wife said that is doesnt like to eat onions, not an allergy but doesnt like. one of the served dishes clearly had big chunks of onions in it for which the waiter apologised. 2. Waiters were wearing jeans/sneakers. 3. When cleaning the table from bread crumbs, one of the waiters simple wiped them off the table - right on my knees. 4. It seem'd that the restaurant was pretty empty, yet we were seated between 2 tables and it felt like I was sharing conversation with them. It is a good restaurant but in my personal opinion, does not deserve a michelin star. Without it, I would rate it higher.

YuryKissin

While visiting foreign countries i try to dine in a Michelin restaurant. Essencia was one of the two that had availability and a more affordable price on the menu for the entire party so we booked a table there. The restaurant is nice, not very formal which gives a more relaxed vibe. Now about the food, we tried both of the 5 courses menu. Each menu had a better plate for each stage. Meaning there is not a clear winner in regards to the menus. Food was nice and tasteful but i did not find anything innovative that i have not seen or tasted before (maybe the mangalica was something i had not tried before). Overall i think someone will leave satisfied by the food quality and portions but wont remember the menu after a long time. The wine list was pretty nice and the wines we tried, were very nice. However i am not a wine expert myself. Therefore hard to judge Now one negative thing that happened, was with the welcoming plate. The fish croquet. The piece were served on a plate with rocks and under the croquet there was a piece of paper so you can pick it up. We found only in one of the plates folded pieces of paper. We assumed that they were from previous dinners which ate their piece and judge folded it and placed it in the plate. We mentioned it to the sommelier since he was the one that picked up our last plate. The response we got is that it was intentional and that they fold papers and put them in the rocks. This made no sense, since only one of the plates had such papers and also the papers seemed dirty (with oil probably). I find such excuses really bad for a restaurant that has a Michelin star and where we paid 40+ Euros just for service Tip. So yeah restaurant might be worth a visit, not sure thought how it could compare with other Michelin restaurants in the city

nikosg780

We tried to fall in love with this place, but it wasn’t delivering on our Michelin star expectations. No doubt the food was delicious and the wine selection amazing, but it seemed to leave a little wanting when it came to the details (water marks on the wine glasses, etc). We ordered both the Hungarian and Portuguese menus and agreed mutually that the actual food was less impressive than what we had anticipated. One staff member was especially kurt, which we typically wouldn’t even notice, but it made the service feel a little tense. Overall, we would still recommend, but it’s just not as good as we had hoped. You will still love the ambiance and Portuguese/Hungarian flare they offer. We were thrilled to have green wine and enjoy a great 5-course tasting menu.

ruths985

Fantastic modern quality food With excellent service and great wines we tried 2 menus all was great and we got some extra tastings

57avi

An amazing Portuguese-Hungarian culinary discovery. Congrats to Tiago 👨🏼‍🍳 and his brigade and well deserved ⭐️! I strongly recommend the pulpo!

guillonvernet

It is a great restaurant in the city center. The staff was very kind. The food was excellent too. I recommend to everybody who loves high quality and tasty food.

CsabaS1977

This restaurant is an excellent choice for fine dining in Budapest. Both 5 dish menu that we tasted were perfectly balanced in flavour and texture. The service was professional, while people were friendly and polite. Prices are a little bit on the high end, but overall it it is a really good value for money.

dgpapazoglou

This restaurant recently opened and is now certainly one of the best in Budapest already. Short uncomplicated menus with 5 dishes. You can choose amongst a Portuguese flavours or Hungarian flavours. The selection costs around 55 Euros per person.

Andre B