Stand

Excellent cooking

It is no exaggeration to say that the eyes of the culinary world are on Szabina Szulló and Tamás Széll. Tamás achieved unprecedented success for Hungary at the Bocuse d’Or, both European and World Finals, while Szabina, as team president, has also represented her nation in the competition. Together, they form a legendary pairing, and following the runaway success of Stand25, the opening of their first “grand restaurant” was a landmark moment on the Hungarian dining scene. Their fine-dining venture on Székely Mihály Street is further strengthened by gastronomic authority Zoltán Hamvas and co-owner Ibolya Csahók, forming a perfectly balanced quartet. Stand embodies the distilled essence of the attitude they have brought to Hungary’s culinary landscape: calm, assured, and without ostentation. Even the entrance conveys this spirit: mere steps from the bustle of Andrássy Avenue and Király Street, yet discreetly elegant, it welcomes only those who come with intent. For this is not a place for casual passers-by. Rather, it is a stage for world-class cuisine, an experience to live long in the memory. On our visits, some three and a half hours flew by from arrival to farewell. Fine dining is often accused of being overly formal, yet at Stand the impeccably trained team strikes quite the opposite note: warm, approachable, and quietly attentive. In the subdued lighting, they even offered a pair of reading glasses to a guest struggling with the menu’s finer print. The interior, cosmopolitan and harmonious, serves a single purpose: to centre upon the culinary experience. The expansive open kitchen evokes the atmosphere of world competitions – a technical theatre where military precision unfolds, and a joy to watch. Strikingly, those behind the glass wall often exude a serenity greater than the guests relaxing on the other side. The whole evening is guided by discipline, and, of course, by the unmistakable presence of Szulló and Széll. Two menus await – the chef’s and the vegetarian – each accompanied by wine pairings of varying depth and sophistication. The menus are printed personally, intended to be taken home as a keepsake of the evening. And then there are the dishes themselves: each a marvel of majesty in flavour and presentation. Langoustine, bathed in beurre blanc, so fresh as to feel almost surreal; divine duck rillettes, deceptively dessert-like, beneath a snowfall of cold foie gras shavings from a warmed grater; goulash elevated into emblematic form, drawing diners into the story of Bocuse d’Or competition dishes. What Stand offers is a homage to Hungarian gastronomy.