A slice of Communist pizza

I’m all for quirky. Give me somewhere different, with a twist, over conventional design any day of the week. Throw in some good pizza and some half-decent wine, and you’re on a promise. Make me cross the river to Buda… well… that’s a different story.

I don’t have an aversion as such to crossing the Danube and going out on the other side. I’ll do it. But I’ll rarely instigate it. Not one to generally refuse an invitation, I was happy to apply for the requisite mental visa and join the lovelies for pizza one night last week, having been promised an experience.

It was somewhat amusing to think that my Aussie/Irish mates, after a few months in Budapest, have sussed out places I’d never heard of. But I swallowed my pride and went forth into lands unknown. I’d never realised that at the back of the two Mammuts, a couple of blocks up from Millenáris, there’s a pedestrianised area lined with pubs and restaurants. A lot like Liszt Ferenc Tér but without the pretentiousness; and a lot like Raday utca, but less pricey. I was in my element, but this was only the warm-up.

20140403_195533_resized (800x600)

20140403_195204_resized (600x800)

Our pizza was being served at Marxim Pizzéria és Pub on Kisrókus utca, a cellar bar/restaurant in the II district. Decorated with barbed wire, chicken wire, flags and 1950s murals, the place does Communism to a C. The menu is creative and cleverly done, offering ewe cheese vs the usual mozzarella. I laughed out loud at the piss-taking pussy-pussy Monica and Bill but settled for sharing the Maximalista – with  tejföl (sour cream), sonka (ham), brokkoli (broccoli), sajt (cheese), bacon, and fokhagyma (garlic).  I had a little plate envy though – I’m quite partial to a fried egg on my pizza.  They come in two sizes – 23 inch or 30 inch – the latter nicely sized for sharing, the former not big enough to worry about doggie bags.

Across the aisle, four lads drank beer, ate pizza and played cards. From a side-cellar came the echoes of birthday celebrations. At the back, a table of ten were sorting out the world’s problems. Out in the garden the early summerers braved the chill. The murals, posters, and the graffiti were a great distraction. The place had it all. The service was friendly but not intrusive. The prices were reasonable. The wine was a little warm but nothing that a few cubes of ice didn’t fix. And the pizzas were the best I’ve had that side of the Danube… actually, come to think of it, either side of the Danube.

4/6 tram to Mechwart Liget and then walk towards Széna tér taking the second turn on the right. It’s up on the right, No. 23,  just past the Feny utca intersection.

Share:

Sign up here to get an email whenever I post something new.

Never miss a post

Give stories, not stuff.

Do you need to find a gift for a traveling loved one? The best gifts are experiences. Stories and memories last far longer than ‘stuff’. Try Tinggly for thousands of great experiences and gift ideas.

More Posts

Staying local at Kányavári sziget

We dream of islands in the sun. Exotic places where we can get away from it all. We spend hundreds if not thousands of whatevers

Bunce Island, Sierra Leone

I’m big on bearing witness to history. The slave market in Zanzibar left a lasting impression and I was expecting something similar at Bunce Island.

Tasso Island, Sierra Leone

Tasso Island is one of the islands that dot the Sierra Leone River Estuary. Home to a relatively new ecotourism project, its beach-side chalets and

Kabala, Sierra Leone

The distance by road from Freetown to Kabala is about 300 km. The drive took more than 5 hours. Some of the road is good,

Freetown, Sierra Leone

About 60% of Sierra Leone’s 10 million or so people are under the age of 25. That’s young. Very young. Only about 2.5% are over

0 responses

  1. I was down on that streeet on saturday night myself – just passing through though. My impression was the same as yours, Liszt/Raday but by & for the locals, definitely merits further investigation!

  2. My children are frequent patrons of Marxim! Beware of it on Friday nights, though. It’s overloaded with international school kids who are happy to have found a place where minors are served. Now that you’ve made the leap to Buda, come and visit me! 🙂

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 responses

  1. I was down on that streeet on saturday night myself – just passing through though. My impression was the same as yours, Liszt/Raday but by & for the locals, definitely merits further investigation!

  2. My children are frequent patrons of Marxim! Beware of it on Friday nights, though. It’s overloaded with international school kids who are happy to have found a place where minors are served. Now that you’ve made the leap to Buda, come and visit me! 🙂

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.