Bicycle, wine, Baja: Get off your bike and eat

On the one hand, there is the Sugovica, the actual river of Baja (which is in reality a branch of the River Danube) with its sandy beach, rowers, yacht port and restaurants. And then there is the Sobri. At the suggestion of Károly Gundel, The name was given to the restaurant as a bequest by József ‘Sobri’ Farkas, the ‘All-time Fish Cooking Champion of Hungary’ before his death. The Baja fish sour and all the other dishes made from fish are excellent here.

A turquoise couch and a bicycle on the wall in a modern speciality café where the ingredients are sourced directly from the roaster of the CrackerJack Coffee Roasters in Pécs. There is also a wide selection of raw, vegan, free from everything and appetising pastries and cakes, and you can even taste burgers and all kinds of fantastic juices, as well as the excellent home-made pastry.

This is a cute little place spiced up with classics and some boldness. Everything is made by hand on site, and there is plenty of substance in everything you can buy here. The cake called Isler brings old memories right back riding on the back of the future, the Rigó Jancsi cake is very chocolaty and tasty, the strudel is home-made, the walnut cake tastes of salty caramel, the Dobos (meaning ‘drum’ in English) cake has a drum-like top, but the coconut cake comes with a mango flavour. You will definitely be unable to resist the temptation of one of these great desserts.

A pilgrimage site for gastro bloggers, this restaurant is highly appreciated by restaurant guides, and is hidden away from the busy traffic on the bank of the Danube. The view of the river from this restaurant is breathtaking, and on a cold day you can warm your feet by the fire of the open hearth. If you want to try the ‘fish soup of fish soups’ only served fresh and made in a cauldron, you will have to wait 50 minutes (minimum order: 2 portions), although while you wait you can dive into the appetizers on the menu which though limited in variety, are rich in fish, e.g. the fish paste with lemon grass on sourdough bread. The gastro sanctuary created by Gábor Tinusz in honour of the fishermen of the Danube is a must-visit destination of every tour to the southern part of the country.

Bátmonostor is not the centre of the universe, it is more a forerunner village for the town of Baja. We suggest trying the Szenátor, mainly because of its collection of homemade strudels consisting permanently of 25 items.

The main attraction of the tavern in Nagybaracska is the fact that the all-time fish cooking champion, József ‘Sobri’ Farkas started as chef in this tavern in 1952 and this also where he ended his career in 1996. Artists, politicians, celebrities and fans from all around the world flock to this place if they want to eat fish soup. Only the non-initiated think that there is nothing to Baja fish soup, except that it comes with noodles cut in the shape of a matchstick. It is seemingly easy to cook, but definitely requires some serious expertise, knowledge of the ingredients and materials, and this expertise was improved to perfection by József Sobri and then passed onto his successor, Márkó Jelasity who then added some dishes to the menu selected from the Serbian and Croat cuisine of the Délvidék region.

Császártöltés also has a row of cellars, one of which is the Pincelakat, a sophisticated and nicely designed combination of a guesthouse, a wine house and a restaurant where people are proud of their ancestors. Consequently, here you will be able to enjoy ‘gegele’ and ‘ongris’ (diced meat or tenderloin with a pepper and tomato sauce spiced up with mushrooms and sausage), as well as Swabian pork loin with roasted onions and cheese dumplings. And last but not least, this is where you will find the only wellness facilities in the neighbourhood with its salt water pool and outdoor wooden bathtub.

Kecel is not a town that is usually listed in restaurant guides, but if you decide to ride here on your bike route from Baja, you will want to eat, and your best choice would be the Fürtös. A comprehensive menu (with nine types of soup and twelve desserts on offer, even churros) and the huge portions are reminiscent of old-school country hospitality, but the chef is open to serving up lobster on a skewer, sous vide meat, sweet potatoes and baby carrots.