Rural catering is slowly but surely catching up, as the Michelin Guide has noticed and appreciated. Only rural restaurants in our country have been awarded the Bib Gourmand label, and there is a noticeable trend towards a shift in culinary experiences away from the capital. If you look a little closer, you can find treasures in every region of the country. One of the great harbingers of this is the recently opened Újváros Bistro in Szarvas, which is top quality in every respect. We asked creative chef Péter Várvizi about the restaurant's concept.
The basics of a bistro
The restaurant, owned by Csaba Szin and Bence Szin, is definitely a step forward in terms of localism. Szarvas is an outstanding tourist destination, rich in attractions, but now, thanks to the owners, it is a unique gastronomy has also become a target. The company, which represents the Gree air conditioning brand in Hungary, has given Csaba and Bence the foundation to achieve success in the hospitality sector. Újváros Bistro, an unconventional luxury restaurant, is located in the office building of Gree Hungary. Nothing has been left to chance, with an internationally renowned team running the kitchen. Food engineer Péter Várvizi and executive chef Zoltán Piltz, with their experience in fine dining restaurants, are sure to make the restaurant a success.
Tamás Budafoki: How did you get to run Újváros Bistro?
Péter Várvizi: Gastronomy is my profession. I look for solutions, create concepts, design and implement. I was asked to do a job, and everything I had put on the table at my previous jobs pleased the owners, so they put their trust in me.
BT: You used to work at Onyx in Budapest, which is a completely different environment. What challenges did you face there?
VP: I was born in the countryside, grew up in Komlo and have lived in the countryside for 15 years, so I have an accurate picture of the Hungarian countryside. A challenge? It is much easier to get to know the producers and the ingredients here than in the big city. And the human resources, the opportunities for students and the low quality of education are more noticeable in the countryside.
BT: How much can you count on the local audience and how much on the gastronomic travellers?
VP: We are open to both audiences and welcome everyone with the same warm welcome.
BT: How would you describe the essence of the concept?
VP: The menu has been designed to make the meal an easy accompaniment to a pleasant conversation, an experience and a surprise for those who come to New Town Bistro. Here, on the banks of the marsh cypresses and the Körös River, we have sought to showcase the ingredients and values of the region we have discovered. And to all this we add a touch of the magical East.
BT: As you and Zoltán Piltz both come from top gastronomy, how do you ‘bistro’ the many specialities you are able to do?
VP: In high-end gastronomy, you learn the techniques, you become precise - and you do it with pinpoint accuracy. If a car can go 300km/h, it can still do 130km/h on the motorway. Knowledge is much more focused. For Zoltán, as he mentioned in another interview, it's the bistro kitchen that gives him the freedom and the feeling of well-being in the kitchen.
BT: Can we talk about fine dining on any level in the case of Újváros Bistro? This is important because the term covers a broad spectrum.
VP: Unfortunately, in Hungary there is a stereotype that if something is sophisticated, delicious and good, it can only be fine dining. fine dining or haute gastronomie, - because the French vocabulary is a much better description of this world much more complex, as many people think. It brings together a wide world of traditions, customs, arts, science and technology. It is constantly renewing its efforts for progress and innovation. A bistro or a restaurant does not necessarily have to meet all the fine dining -to perform to a high standard.
BT: The presentation of the food and drinks, the serving is also specially composed. What unique solutions do you use to ensure the perfect guest experience?
VP: The complex restaurant experience includes not only the cuisine, but also the service, from the moment the guest arrives to the moment they leave. This requires regular training, study tours, evaluations, a high degree of honesty and harmony between both the kitchen and the sales floor.
BT: It's been said in several places that András Ódor is behind the cocktails. What unique drinks do you serve?
VP: The drinks list is well thought out. There are also real specialities in wines, coffees and cocktails. And all of this is looked after with special care by the trained bar staff, who are also an important part of the experience.
BT: Despite the difficulties, the New Town Bistro offers a full package. All-day opening is not common these days - how do you manage that?
VP: All-day opening is based on a tried and tested hotel recipe. We also have an autumn-winter and a spring-summer opening. Our job is to work with perseverance and humility.
