The Hidden Gem of Balatonfüred

If you, like myself, are the type of person that is all about the ’what’ rather
than the ’how’ in terms of your culinary experience, while at the same time
looking for a place to feed your hunger after an exhilarating stroll on the
Tagore Promenade on the shore of Balaton, this lesser known, but
nonetheless cosy little buffet right at the very end of the footpath may just
be the joint you will want to hit.

The view of the Tagore Promenade in Mid-Autumn.

Named after the cultic yet fictitious, run-down and secluded buffet
“Üvegtigris”, the atmosphere of this retro den bears a striking resemblance
to its eponym. The similarities, however, stop with that. This shabby-looking
diner really raises the bar in regard to hospitability. Were you to try and have
a chat with its local business owner or the service staff running the place or,
being more of a type that prefers seamless service, this local shack with its
open kitchen will suit everyone’s needs. Not only do you get the promise of
all of the above, but on a more important note, you will be in for the most
authentic and second-to-none fried dough – or lángos, as the locals call it –
with a wide range of toppings (from the classic combination of sour cream
and grated cheese to the extremities of Nutella and even fish or braised red
cabbage) to go for.
A more traditional choice of ‘lángos’ with sour cream, cheese and bacon.

As an added bonus, not only does its patio area offer a soothing view on the
lake itself, but it also allows for smokers such as myself to enjoy a cigarette
along with a tummy full of startlingly crispy-in-the-middle, not-drenched-in-
oil type, genuinely Hungarian delicacy, washed down with a cup of delicious,
truly Italian Segafredo espresso.

Enjoy your silky-smooth coffee and the fresh breeze of the Balaton lakeside.

On the basis of the principle of ‘the more the merrier’, instead of a more
private table of four, you may even decide to sit by the shared beer garden
tables, where mingling with the other guests is a given.
The patio area of Üvegtigris, with a view of a beer garden table in the front.

And by all means, they do offer other food on their menu such as schnitzel or
fried sausage with a splash of mustard, among others – all fresh off the grill
–, but it is the lángos crafted here that not only manages to live up to its
mostly word-of-mouth hype, but at the same time makes its nearby
competitors’ soggy excuse for a lángos all fade in comparison.

A steaming-hot plate of schnitzel with sweat pea noodles and slices of lemon
for decoration.