The recently opened Hy5, a restaurant, jazz club and culture centre, lies between the two ring roads and can be reached easily on foot from the Blaha Lujza tér (square), Kálvin tér and Astória metro stations. The beautifully renovated building is an artists’ colony in itself with many small workshops where Hungarian fine artists and graphic artists work and the A.P.A Gallery puts on regular exhibitions on the first floor.
Hy5 essentially has the ground floor to itself. Upon entering guests find themselves in a hall leading to a light-flooded atrium with a bar, from which the garden in the inner courtyard with garden furniture and an awning is immediately visible through large windows and doors .
The atrium features an interesting collection of different furniture styles, with well-cushioned chairs and tables with an antique look that together create a harmonic whole. Light colours and bright coloured glass lamps with animal motifs round off the design and make it modern and youthful. In the corner a piano marks the stage, where jazz, blues, acoustic and world music are performed from 9pm.
The internal section of the restaurant is accessible from two sides and, with a bar, dark red leather chairs, bookshelves and a few tables by the windows, brings to mind an English gentlemen’s club. Newspapers and magazines will soon be laid out to complete the concept.
The menu is kept fairly short, which is intentional. Small additions are planned but the restaurant management places more emphasis on quality fresh, seasonal and local ingredients than on having a long menu. It can happen for this reason that one or other of the dishes is not available. In this case the friendly waiters recommend something else.
The selection is supplemented by a set menu that changes daily and weekly. This tends to consist of Hungarian dishes: soups, desserts and various types of fõzelék (vegetable stew) with beans, peas, lentils, potatoes, pumpkin or cabbage
As a starter or a snack the crisps made by the restaurant with a fresh herb and cream cheese dip can be recommended.
The garlic soup is served hot with a dash of olive oil and large, not particularly crispy croutons and could do with more cream. The borscht is an excellent, rich vegetable soup, though it only contains a few thin strips of meat, unlike the large chunks with which it is usually served.
The fresh caesar salad, which can also be ordered with salmon, is, however, an excellent choice with crunchy salad and a tasty dressing.
Among the main courses, the mangalica fillet with grilled vegetables is a successful combination. The breaded mangalica cutlet with potato salad is also tender and succulent but the plentiful vinegar applied to the potato salad may not be to everyone’s taste.
For dessert, the pancake filled with jam and the cheesecake are both delicious, not too sweet and very well presented.
The portions are typically generous but half portions are available on request. Guests with special requirements, such as for vegetarian and vegan food, lactose intolerance or other allergies, can be provided with dishes adapted to their needs on request.
Price points
Starters HUF 450-2,900
Main courses: HUF 1,500-2,500
Dessert: HUF 750
Set meal: HUF 550-1,300
Wine (1.5 dl): HUF 200-2,500
Hy5
District VIII, Horánszky utca 5
Open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 2am. Closed Sundays.
Live music each evening from 9pm
www.facebook.com/pages/Hy5/517992858263472
