The story of Piroska Csárda in Balatonszéplak is as exciting as its menu. Built in 1963, it was practically burnt to the ground in 2009 and since its opening in 2011, it's more beautiful than ever. And visitors will be rewarded with unadulterated oven-roasted steaks, venison stew and palmfuls of veal fritters!
The owner, János Majoros, bought the Piroska Csárdá in the early 90s and it quickly became one of the most popular restaurants in the area. The recipe was simple, good food at good prices, and in huge portions. The success story was halted by a fire in 2009, when a thatched roof caught fire due to a presumably faulty air-conditioning system, spreading to the wooden beams and then to the entire restaurant, which was razed to the ground in a matter of hours. Fortunately, there were no personal injuries, but the biggest survivor was still the furnace matters, which miraculously remained intact. A year and a half later, the inn rose from the ashes to dazzle its guests once again.
From Scotland to Nice
The current operator, István Pilhoffer, has come a long way since becoming the restaurant's first owner. During university, he studied computer engineering and then tried his luck abroad during the 2008 crisis. Although he had no previous hospitality experience, he took a job as a waiter in Scotland. During his 5 years here, he slowly worked his way up the ranks until he finally found a job as a waitress in a restaurant in Scotland. fine dining restaurant manager has not been. After returning from Scotland, he moved to Lake Balaton and started working in hotel management. He took over the management of the restaurant in 2020, after developing a good friendship with the owner, who eventually put him in charge of the restaurant.
Hungarian gastronomy served up!
István then brainstormed several concepts with the team. After much deliberation, they finally decided to keep the local flavour in line with the interior and exterior design, and to prepare almost exclusively traditional Hungarian dishes. The menu has been shortened in the spirit of this, but the remaining dishes are made with the best quality ingredients. Of course, the oven-roasted and stewed dishes are the biggest favourites, so we have also reduced the menu to a smaller size. veal paprikash we voted for. The veal was falling apart in our mouths and the colour of the sauce was a clear sign that there was nothing to worry about. A special bonus point for not overdoing it at all. seasoning, allowing the unique flavour of the veal to come through.
Etyek snow white
While there were many items on the menu that were certainly worthy of not one, but several, masses, when I heard that they had (literally) world champion cheese, I couldn't resist. Etyek Goat Cheese Manufactory has been making cheese from free-range goat's milk for over a decade, using only natural ingredients and lots of fresh herbs. In 2019, their goat cheese, “Snow White”, won the Super Gold award at the World Cheese Awards in Italy, competing against 42 countries to be named one of the world's top 84 cheeses. To my delight, it was served at the Red Riding Hood with a salad that mixed fruit and vegetables. This allowed sweet and salty flavours to appear on the plate at the same time, creating a real explosion of flavours. A perfect choice if you don't want to eat yourself to death and/or are a real food lover!
Grape juice from around the world
They have also undergone a huge change to their wine list, which they have put together with their supplier. Obviously, they've put a lot of emphasis on wines from around Lake Balaton, but they also have wines from Chile, Argentina and my personal favourite wine region, New Zealand. I love the latter because, thanks to its absolutely unique natural characteristics, I think the world's finest wines are made in the cellars there. Thanks to the soil, most of their wines have mineral notes, which suits their Sauvignon Blanc best, so they are easily recognisable from a thousand. As for Lake Balaton, I can only speak highly of the Figula winery in Fured, so I can recommend anything from them with a good heart. The same applies to the Konyári cellar in Boglár, who have been a real hit with their red wines in recent years.
Family atmosphere and large spaces
The interior reflects the concept of the tavern. I, for one, love the red checkered places where the food is served in small pots. The environment is warm and cosy with lots of trees and children running around the tables, so it's a really family atmosphere. And if that's really what you're after, there's no problem: with 300 seats and a sumptuous menu, they're a very popular wedding venue. Unique to the area, they're open all year round, so you can come for a meal winter or summer. for a life-saving broth.
If you are not interested in fusion dishes and fine dining, but are more than happy to sit down to a good toast or gypsy steak, don't miss the most charming tavern of Lake Balaton!#
Address: 8600 Siófok, Zamárdi út 37.
