Written by Amy Weston

Friday, 05 February 2010 15:46

You don’t need us to introduce Café Déryné, Buda’s French-inspired, bistro style institution. What you may not realize, though, is that a few doors down sits its classy little sister, Mini, opened in January of last year.

Mini’s equally good-looking – but in a different way. Bold light features, slick black surfaces, leather accents and warm, red tones dominate, alongside dramatically silhouetted spiraling trees and a sense of Japanese style warmed up and softened around the edges. But don’t let that fool you into thinking this is little more than a slick spot to be seen. Look closer, and you’ll notice the cozy fireplace area, reams of books lining wooden shelves and scattered magazines. Mini’s more that a pretty face – it’s out to be your second living room… but we’re guessing one that’s decidedly better presented than your first!

Owner and TV producer Kristóf Kovács explained that he’d like the restaurant to be thought of as anything but chic. Though it’s hard not to deem it as such, the aim was to create a space offering the same degree of high-end surface and fine food as Déryné, in an atmosphere far more intimate than its bistro sized big brother. Not aimed solely at well-heeled socialites or the moneyed set – though they do undeniably flock here – Kristóf went on to describe the crowd they aim to attract; which included pretty much everyone in the city. If you’re just after breakfast or somewhere to sip a coffee for a few hours while using the restaurant’s wifi, that’s fine. If a well-priced lunch menu’s your thing, mix and match from four finely crafted courses – at 990 HUF, it’s amongst the cheaper spots in town. It also, and most obviously, lends itself to drinks and snacks with the girls or a romantic multi-course meal for two.

Unique in Budapest, Mini’s partly a running table restaurant, with no sushi in sight. Arrive for dinner, and you’re greeted straight away by a waiter with a silver tray stocked with daily-changing appetizers and desserts. We helped ourselves to a king prawn on a bed of fruit, chicken confit on French salad, Mediterranean tomato soup with pesto and cheese and Mediterranean seafood soup, all variously priced, starting at a mere 250 HUF. You can also sit beside one of the running tables, selecting similar dishes throughout the night, and leave it at that. If you’re after more, choose starters and mains from the menu card. True to its name, both can be ordered in taster portions – we chose a mini version of the ‘Giant Burger’ with argentine beef and gorgonzola, along with salmon pave with citrus aioli and risotto. The benefits of being able to forego whole portions are twofold; the first obviously being financial, with taster portions coming in at just over 1,000 HUF. The second? Well, it’s far more lady-like to avoid tucking into a huge steak at times, no?

Mini’s also a popular cocktail spot, particularly at weekends and on Tuesday nights, when their live jazz or swing concert series is held. A resident DJ plays similar every night of the week, but expect chilled swing rather than jumping house. On busy nights, you might find yourself perched at the bar or around the DJ booth with your food or tipples, but that’s half the fun at Mini – an air of real dynamism.

I think it would be superfluous of me to mention that the food was fantastic; that comes as standard where the Déryné team is involved. What’s worth pointing out, though, is the origin of ingredients used. Virtually everything’s brought in from Italy, weekly, after scouring markets in both Trieste and Padua. There’s also a patisserie behind the scenes, where all pastries, breads and desserts are made, fresh and on-site.

I think the main thing with Mini is that you shouldn’t be intimidated by it. Yes, it looks flash, but who wants to sit in a romkocsma every night of the week? It’s a place stocked with arguably some of the best food in the city at surprisingly reasonable prices, along with a truly eclectic crowd, unmarred by armies of tourists, topped off by what seems to be the jewel in its crown – impeccable service, delivered unstuffily with genuine smiles, by a team obviously immensely passionate about what they do.

FROM THE MENU

Daily changing appetizers from trays or the belt

STARTERS

Foie Gras Vin Santo with wine reduction

Pumpkin risotto

MAINS