The waiters in Kéhli can be a bit rough at the edges, eyeing you with a polite aloofness that suggests they expected more of you. Better knowledge of wine, perhaps; a more informed choice of side dish. The gypsy band interrupts their songs with idle chatter, they make plentiful cigarette and soup breaks. Their enthusiasm subsides if you're the only people in the restaurant early on a Friday and have made the beginner’s mistake of coming without cash -- card payments are possible, but obviously not to the band.
As we wait for our orders, lovely food scents escape the kitchen, the cooks bicker loudly, some locals arrive and are automatically served their usual drinks by the wordless waiter. The breeze ruffles the leaves of the tall trees shading the inner courtyard. This is obviously time travel, to the heart of an early 20th-century novel when this part of the world was still safely cocooned in the bosom of a confident empire. A book perhaps written by Gyula Krúdy, the novelist of noble origins whose table of choice is proudly marked in one of Kéhli’s indoors areas. He was a lover of food, drinks and leisure, and his presence hovers over the place like a gentle ghost.
It helps that the food is excellent (the pork medallions with blue cheese sauce are highly recommended), but the best thing about Kéhli, and it comes for free, is a fleeting taste of what it was like to live in the golden age.
Find your way with 171 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
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The cave is famous for its funny-shaped dripstones, significant differences in levels & narrow corridors. Let your fantasy run free at the Fairy Tale hall.
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You can try out various sizable musical instruments & jump on the inbuilt constructions that produce sounds, and it is accessible outside of working hours.
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The coolest part of the gallery is the secret garden that I cherish for its peace and possibility to experience arts and nature simultaneously.
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The first wall was erected around Pest in the 13th century, but it was soon deconstructed. Another wall around Pest was built a century later...
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Don't let appearances fool you, at Monori Center you will find some of the most authentic Chinese restaurants that serve seafood, hot pots, and dumplings.
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The plaques with water markers set in stone refer to the most devastating flood of March of 1938 when water levels reached up to 2,6 meters high.
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The greatest part? Here you will see not only happy children of any age but also smiling adults that enjoy the place at least as much as kids, if not more.
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Check their program, as they have a lot of fun activities ranging from concerts, queer drag shows and performances to board game evenings and conferences.
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The place was a nest of all the alternative folks of Budapest who were hanging out there, criticizing the politics, organizing concerts and discussions.
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