BABEL Budapest

The story

Babel Budapest: Contemporary Hungarian Cuisine in the Historic Center

The chef and the kitchen

At Babel Budapest, contemporary Hungarian cuisine meets a disciplined kitchen led by executive chef Kornél Kaszás. Founding owner Hubert Hlatky-Schlichter relocated the venue in 2015 to a historic building near the oldest inner-city church. Kaszás took command during the 2022 reopening, partnering with Swedish consultant Daniel Berlin to refine the service model. This ingredient-first philosophy secured four Gault&Millau chef hats and sustained a Michelin star.

Signature dishes and technique

The menu shifts between eight and thirteen courses, anchored in regional produce and continental technique. Guests encounter a warm and cold silky foie gras course, followed by a nostalgic cold platter reimagined as deviled eggs floating in egg foam beneath French sturgeon caviar. Layered potato appears as a precise expression of modern Hungarian cooking, leading into matured beef served with cornelian cherry jus and tableside shaved truffle. A chocolate and blackcurrant finale closes the progression with a single layer of salt from caviar.

The dining room and wine program

The forty-seat space occupies a neobaroque hall where original plaster still shows marks from the 1838 flood. Cool concrete meets polished wood, mirrored panels, and calibrated lighting to frame bespoke ceramic plates designed specifically for the current menu. Head sommelier János Fogarasi-Frank continues a balance-driven pairing philosophy that previously earned the venue the Decanter International Restaurant of the Year award. The list focuses exclusively on white varietals and champagne to mirror the kitchen’s emphasis on texture.