Budapest’s ARAZ Restaurant is turning Sundays into a no-fuss feast: pick a two- or three-course lunch, add a complimentary drink and a coffee, and let Chef de Cuisine Áron Barka and his team do the rest. Each week they roll out a fresh menu in the city center at 42–44 Dohány Street, where classic Hungarian flavors meet modern technique without losing their soul.
How It Works
Build your own menu: choose from three soups, five mains, and three desserts. Go for two courses or level up to three. The weekend lunch offer includes one mineral water or soft drink, one glass of wine or beer, and a cup of coffee. Service runs on weekends between 12:00 and 14:30, so it’s ideal whether you’re in for a leisurely catch-up or a quick refuel between museum-hopping.
This Sunday’s Lineup (2025.11.02.)
Soups set the tone with familiar, comforting profiles. There’s lebbencs soup with smoked meat (LM), a rustic noodle-and-potato classic boosted by rich, smoky depth. The white bean cream soup with honey bacon chips (GM) delivers silkiness with a sweet-salty crunch. And Jókai bean soup (LM option) channels the beloved, hearty Hungarian staple associated with the writer Mór Jókai—robust, warming, and deeply satisfying.
Mains lean crowd-pleasing but composed. Csáky steak with buttered nokedli and beet salad brings old-school elegance—tender meat and pillowy dumplings offset by earthy-sweet beetroot. The BBQ pulled chicken lángos loads the golden, garlicky fried flatbread with smoky chicken, melted smoked cheese, and spiced sour cream—Hungarian street food meets backyard barbecue. Temesvár-style turkey ragout lands with roasted potatoes and pickled gherkins for bite and balance. Vegetarians get a proper plate: breaded fried cheese with hazelnut rice, cinnamon plums, and mixed salad—crispy, nutty, aromatic, and fresh. Another nod to offal lovers: grated balsamic poultry liver over mashed potatoes with Lyonnaise onions—sweetness, tang, and comfort.
Desserts don’t take a back seat. Chestnut–sour cherry pancakes with milk chocolate sauce lean sweet-tart and nostalgic. The pumpkin–poppy seed strudel with vanilla ice cream turns a seasonal duet into a crisp, aromatic finale. And the Hawaii pineapple cheesecake swings tropical and creamy—a sunny sign-off after hearty courses.
What You Pay, What You Get
The two-course menu is 6,200 HUF (about USD 17.10) per person. The three-course menu is 7,700 HUF (about USD 21.25) per person. In both cases, you get one mineral water or soft drink, one glass of wine or beer, and one coffee included. A 12% service charge is added to the final bill. For bookings of over 10 guests, the house asks that you reach out via email for arrangements. Arriving by car? Before you leave, show your receipt at reception to validate your parking ticket.
Dates to Book
The Sunday lunch runs weekly, with upcoming dates set for: 2025.11.02., 2025.11.09., 2025.11.16., 2025.11.23., 2025.11.30., 2025.12.07., 2025.12.14., 2025.12.21., 2025.12.28., 2026.01.04., and 2026.01.11. The organizers reserve the right to change times and programs, so a quick call before you go is smart—especially around holidays.
The Space: Heritage Meets Design
ARAZ sits inside Continental Hotel Budapest**** Superior, a four-star design hotel where Art Nouveau lines up with contemporary interiors to create a distinct look and feel. The property, in the city’s historic core, holds 272 rooms including 13 suites, all with broadband internet and tailored business services. Expect five well-equipped conference rooms, an underground garage, Wellness and Fitness areas, and massage services. The restaurant shares the address with the Galéria Café & Corporate Lounge, inner courtyards, and a panoramic rooftop garden—nice options if you want a coffee before lunch or a stroll after.
Galéria Café: Where the Past Lingers
Another thread in the venue’s culinary tapestry, the faithfully restored Galéria Café is easiest to reach from the main entrance and channels the golden age of the Pest Coffee Houses (Pesti Kávéházak)—the great cafés that defined urban life at the turn of the 20th century. Back in the day, the old Continental Hotel drew artists and writers; Attila József was among the names who passed through. Regulars from the famed Hungária Café also frequented the Hungária Baths nearby, weaving a cultural and social fabric that today’s café honors in spirit and setting.
ARAZ’s Culinary Angle
Beyond Sunday lunch, ARAZ keeps a varied weekly menu, a Sunday brunch offer, seasonal specialties, and one-off wine dinners. The kitchen’s signature is a playful fusion of time: the old and the new combining into something fresh, never straying far from classic Hungarian gastronomy but using cutting-edge kitchen tech to bring the past into the present—and sometimes, cheekily, into the future.
Practicalities
Weekend service runs 12:00–14:30. Phone reservations are encouraged, especially for larger groups, and table booking is available. The two- and three-course offers include your soft drink or mineral water, a glass of wine or beer, and coffee, with a 12% service charge added at the end. If you’re driving, remember to validate your parking ticket at reception with your receipt before heading out.
Bottom Line
If your Sunday needs a reset—something tasty, relaxed, and right in downtown Budapest—ARAZ’s lunch hits the brief with hearty soups, generous mains, sweet finishes, and the kind of extras that make a set menu feel like more: a drink in hand, a coffee to linger over, and a setting that tells a good story while you eat.
