Platán Bisztró

good quality, good value cooking

Set in beautifully restored heritage surroundings beside Lake Öreg, shaded by Tata’s 250-year-old giant sycamore (platanus in latin), Platán Bistro is an independent-minded restaurant with a distinctive style and concept – and the remarkably talented Donát Mogyorósi chef at the helm. For a bistro, the interior is strikingly polished, yet the menu itself is textbook bistro: three starters, three soups, and a core of eight main dishes. Desserts, crafted in the in-house pâtisserie, round out the offering – shimmering invitingly like little jewels by the entrance. The drinks list is equally indulgent: around 50 wines, 30 champagnes, and a plethora of spirits. Mellow lighting and plush velvet chairs create a welcoming, homely feel. The staff are attentive, the service well-paced, never missing a beat. We open with a bold reinterpretation of tartare – soba at its base, with cucumber kimchi bringing effervescent acidity to the premium Angus. The house speciality, tafelspitz, is a nod to Austro-Hungarian tradition. The broth is dense and richly hued, and the marrow toast is served with outstanding bread from their own bakery, just 100 metres away. The vegetables were, quite simply, fantastic – snappily al dente to maintain their true flavour. The beef was tender without falling apart, and among the accompaniments, the spinach stood out. No smoke and mirrors here, just top-quality ingredients prepared to showcase their full potential. Platán even has its own garden to supply the stellar veg. The pâtisserie is so strong that choosing a dessert becomes a delicious dilemma – but let that be the biggest problem we have to face in a restaurant.