Goulash in Budapest

This month's Travel and Leisure magazine recommends Borbirosag as the place to go for goulash. The hotel concierge recommends a new restaurant Dio instead. Any opinions on either of these places? We are also going to Cafe Kor and Goa while in Budapest. Is Goa a good choice? Thanks

I haven't tried any of the places you mention -- not that I've spent a huge amount of time in Budapest. But I do have two places I'd like to recommend. Fortuna Restaurant, not far from the Fisher's Bastion, was wonderful -- great, classic Hungarian food and wine in a medieval setting.

http://www.fortuna-restaurant.hu/

And Gerbeaud, Budapest's most famous cafe (and once among the most famous cafes in Europe). Established in the mid-1800s, it's still a spectacular place with pastries that impress, even in a town with so many pastry options. (Dobos torte iwas ny top choice, though any of the Esterhazy cakes or cream cakes are good choices, as well.) There is a restaurant, as well, and a pub, but it was the cafe that gained Gerbeaud it's reputation.

http://www.gerbeaud.hu/gerbeaud_v2/e_index.php?id=1

We were in Budapest last fall and had a wonderful meal at Cafe Kor, which I would liken to new Hungarian cuisine. We had a great, more traditional meal at Rezkakas. They had a nice Gypsy band playing while I enjoyed a terrific Veal Paprikash. Make sure to take Cynthia's suggestion about pastries at Gerbeaud.

Cafe Kor is an excellent restaurant. It's one of my favorite spots in Budapest (I lived there for over five years from '98 - '03). I don't know anything about Dio, as it's been a bit over a year since I've last been in Budapest, and have never heard of the place until now.

However, I do give you this phenomenal English-language dining resource on Budapest:

http://www.chew.hu

The Top 33 list of restaurants there is solid. And here's a delightful article entitled Five Big Reasons Cafe Kor Will Probably Stay on the Top 33 Forever.

Personally, my favorite spots in Budapest were Cafe Kör and Chez Daniel (for French bistro cuisine). For street food, the flour-tortilla-wrapped döner kebabs or falafal from one of the ubiquitous "3 Testvér" ("Three siblings/brothers") chain always hit the spot. Also, there's plenty of great food being served at the markets for cheap prices. Make sure you try some lángos, which is deep fried potato-based dough, similar to elephants ears except savory, not sweet. They are sprinkled with salt and mopped with garlic water. Sour cream and shredded cheese (among other things) are popular additions, as well.

Oh, one more thing, if you like goose liver as much as I do, have the sampler plate at the Gresham coffee house. Even if you don't like goose liver, the Gresham is worth a visit for its architectural beauty and luxury. The Gresham Palace was in a sad state of disrepair when I arrived in Budapest, but now, after being acquired by Four Seasons, has been restored to its full former glory, and is considered one of the best examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Europe. Unfortunately, the Four Seasons drove out one of my favorite Hungarian restaurants, Mérleg, but given what they've done with the Gresham, it was a price worth paying.

Oh, and you can find Budapest's most expensive expresso there, which at about $9, ain't all that bad.