Apparently, there is life amidst the never-ending planks of the Metró 4 construction site. And almost at the heart of it all, Intenzo Restaurant is blooming. Although the terrace of yore’s no more, the café and restaurant’s pleasant interior and calming, charming garden do go somewhere towards making up for it.

The easy to miss spot, tucked away from the bustle of Ráday utca, has got a warm, family-like atmosphere, where you can expect a welcome even warmer than these unusually mild October afternoons. In fact, Intenzo’s a family affair, and it’s been run by a father-son team from the beginning. Not always without a little friendly competition though – they claim to compete with one another concerning who serves the guests best.

The menu’s wide-spanning, covering the likes of light Caesar salad and Italian pastas a la Naples, through to Magyar greats, like paprika chicken (particularly good here, and great served with that other Hungaricum, cucumber salad). We all know Budapest’s not a city of beef eaters, and it’s not always easy to find a good steak in town. Here, the beef steak’s mature, juicy, huge and, we reckon, reasonably priced: a Budapest steak costs 3,000 HUF. If you find yourself finding room, take our treat tip – the apple cake with vanilla sauce is heavenly, in itself it’s worth swinging by.

As with most restaurants in the area, Intenzo do a three-course daily menu, which is served from noon. The selection ranges and changes regularly, and is also decently priced. Join people grabbing lunch from the surrounding offices and neighbouring districts, a little off the beaten tourist track.

After all that, we all know a good coffee’s the proper way to finish any lunch or dinner – especially if you’re whiling away a lazy afternoon. And, if you’re after the likes of one with fresh, creamy froth on top, David, the barista, always delivers. Oh, and if you’re not in a hurry to get back to work, their wine and pálinka selection’s great.

Café Intenzo Coffeehouse and Restaurant

1091 Budapest, Kálvin tér 9.

Tel.: +36.1.219.5243