THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Cafe Budapest

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Cafe Budapest Restaurant Review:

Here’s a time-warp quality to this 30-year veteran of Hungarian cuisine. Tart iced cherry soup; goose liver with truffles; chicken gulyas (goulash) with fried mushrooms; sweetbreads with cucumber salad; home-fermented sauerkraut with pork chops; and stuffed cabbage have been on the menu since opening day. The food is heavy and sour cream is the chef’s best friend, but in an odd way we find charm in a place that steadfastly sticks to what made it famous. For many, it’s more than the food that’s the draw. The violinist who strolls the decidedly Old World dining room has a definite fan base. At one time this was where young couples celebrated anniversaries and birthdays; today, it looks like those who came 20-plus years ago are the only ones who still make this the destination for their romantic night on the town. One rarely sees many young diners, although the small bar has quietly become a dessert and coffee spot for younger couples looking for something new and even a bit campy. While updated Eastern European cooking has taken Manhattan with a bit of a flourish, in Boston, our most famous entry in the category doesn’t seem interested in changing. Long live schnitzel and chicken paprikas.