Festive Saturday lunch at ARAZ Restaurant Budapest: customizable 2–3 course menu with drinks, holiday specials, and weekly chef updates. Downtown dining, 12:00–14:30. Book ahead for groups.
when: 2025.12.27., Saturday
where: 1074 Budapest, Dohány utca 42-44.
Budapest’s ARAZ Restaurant is rolling out an expanded weekend lunch on Saturday, December 27, 2025, featuring a two- or three-course menu with a welcome drink and coffee included. Perfect for a downtown break, it’s served from 12:00 to 14:30 and tailored to your taste: choose from three soups, five mains, and three desserts. December brings special holiday menus at higher prices, and Chef de Cuisine Áron Barka keeps things fresh with weekly changes. Your lunch includes mineral water or a soft drink, a glass of wine or beer, and a cup of coffee.
The Menu
Soups: catfish fisherman’s soup with matchstick noodles; beet cream soup with salmon crumbs and walnuts; lentil soup with smoked meat.
Mains: bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with marzipan-baked apple, spiced potatoes, Dijon mustard sauce; balsamic-fried duck liver with pumpkin–potato purée and Lyonnaise onions; catfish paprikash with dill–cottage cheese noodles; rosemary–orange chicken breast with roasted chestnuts, corn rice, mixed salad (lactose-free, gluten-free); pumpkin risotto with goat cheese and arugula (vegetarian, gluten-free).
Desserts: chestnut–sour cherry bejgli (nut roll); Christmas pudding; honey cream slice with eggnog.
Prices and Details
Two courses: 9,900 HUF (about 27.70 USD) per person. Three courses: 11,900 HUF (about 33.30 USD) per person. A 12% service charge is added to the final bill. For bookings of more than 10 people, inquire by email. If you arrive by car, show your bill at reception before leaving to validate your parking ticket.
Where and When
ARAZ Restaurant, 1074 Budapest, Dohány Street (Dohány utca) 42–44. Upcoming Saturdays: 12/27/2025, 01/03/2026, 01/10/2026, all in Budapest.
2025, adrienne
Pros
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Kid-friendly vibe with flexible two- or three-course choices and familiar options alongside Hungarian classics, so everyone from picky eaters to adventurous teens is covered
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Great value for a festive, upscale downtown lunch with drinks included (water/soft, a glass of wine or beer, and coffee), and prices that beat many U.S. city brunches
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ARAZ is in central Budapest, an area most tourists wander anyway, so it’s easy to fold into sightseeing
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Hungarian cuisine focus (fisherman’s soup, catfish paprikash, bejgli) gives you a tasty intro to local holiday flavors without needing deep cultural knowledge
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Solid for mixed-diet groups: vegetarian and gluten-free main available, plus clearly labeled options
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Easy logistics: clear time window (12:00–14:30), reservations possible, and on-site parking validation if you drive
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Simple to reach via Budapest public transit or by rideshare/taxi; Dohány utca is well-known and central
Cons
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Not a worldwide-famous “must-see” event, so it won’t carry the bucket-list cachet of a Michelin-star tasting menu or Christmas market spectacle
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Limited to specific Saturdays and a short lunch window, which can clash with day trips or spa bookings
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December menus are pricier than usual and there’s a 12% service charge, so the total may be higher than the headline price
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While staff in central Budapest usually speak English, menu nuances or specials may skew Hungarian-first, so zero Hungarian skills could mean you miss some finer points
