Legendary dishes that are worth traveling a long way for

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• Lavender Cream Slice – Apátsági Rege Cukrászda, Tihany
• Traditional Beef Tafelspitz – Platán Bistro, Tata
• Cottage Cheese Dumplings – Macok Bistro, Eger
• Goulash Soup – REED Bistro, Siófok
• Pickled Cucumber Cream Soup – Kistücsök Food & Room, Balatonszemes
• Brassói – Ikon Restaurant, Debrecen
• Cottage Cheese Pancakes – Morzsa, Pécs
• Focaccia – Anyukám Mondta, Encs

When it comes to lavender, think about Tihany. And when it comes to lavender desserts, think about Apátsági Rege Confectionery. With one of the northern shore’s most beautiful panoramic views as a backdrop, you can sample divine lavender specialties, including the lavender cream cake – made from flaky puff pastry and filled with light vanilla cream and Tihany lavender mousse. This iconic pastry has been a staple of the 65-year-old pastry shop’s menu and is rightly considered the shop’s “signature” dessert. While you’re here, it’s worth trying the other sweets, as well; furthermore, you can also stop by for a sit-down breakfast. Pizzas are also popular at lunchtime, and you can round out your day with the café’s own house-roasted Apátsági coffee.

Perhaps we don’t need to introduce one of the defining spots in Hungarian gastronomy: the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand-rated Platán Bistro. At this restaurant, located on the shores of Öreg-tó (Old Lake) in Tata, Chef Donát Mogyorósi reinterprets classic Hungarian dishes with a contemporary twist; a prime example of this is the traditional Tafelspitz. This complex dish, which appeals to all the senses, serves as a starter, soup, and main course all at once. The rich beef broth, butter-tender beef, and marrowbone are served with potatoes, sauces, toast, and vegetables. Dating back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, this dish – great in its simplicity – is a true icon, and worth a visit to Tata all on its own.

One of the country’s best curd dumplings can be found in Eger, at Macok Bistro, which holds a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand distinction. Chef János Macsinka’s now-legendary dessert didn’t start out as a signature dish, but it has become one over the years. Made from Eger’s coarse-grained cottage cheese, these light dumplings are rolled in sweet almond crumbs and served with whipped sour cream and raspberry sauce. The fruits may vary by season, but this in no way detracts from the value of a dessert that has been on the menu for decades. Once you taste it, there’s a good chance you’ll remember it for a long time.

Gábor Krausz, executive chef at REED Bistro in Siófok and Hilaris Hotels, has created one brilliant dish after another for the menu, including such iconic Hungarian dishes as goulash soup. This familiar, hearty classic delivers traditional flavours, yet it’s a dish worth traveling a bit farther for. You can sample the chef’s “signature” goulash soup at REED Bistro on the south shore, as well as at various pop-up locations.

Although this is likely not the first time soup has been made from the summer favourite – pickled cucumbers – Chef László Jahni was among the first to create Kistücsök’s now-legendary “signature” dish in Balatonszemes more than twenty years ago. This refreshing, silky soup is made with pickled cucumbers and fresh herbs, and while the recipe is refined year after year, its distinctive flavour profile remains unchanged. This iconic dish returns to the menu every summer, so if you’re visiting Lake Balaton, this refreshing classic is practically a must-try.

At Ikon restaurant in Debrecen, classics of Hungarian cuisine are prepared in a fine bistro style. Chef Ádám Thür’s team works primarily with local ingredients, so familiar, homey flavours are preserved alongside modern presentation. Since the restaurant opened, Ikon’s Brassó has been on the menu, and it has rightfully become the house “signature” dish. Made from Mangalica pork belly and seasoned with garlic, pork knuckle stew sauce, and marjoram, the dish also features tender green peas – a regional specialty – making for a truly Debrecen-style experience.

Zoltán Benkő and his team have been – without exaggeration – perfecting their cottage cheese pancake recipe since 2010. There was a time when this iconic dish was nearly removed from the seasonally changing menu, but regulars fought tooth and nail to keep it. This dessert – which is at once crumbly and crispy, fragrant and juicy – could easily become one of your favourites. It’s worth stopping by this MICHELIN Bib Gourmand-rated progressive bistro for brunch, lunch, or dinner; you can also take home their excellent baked goods, and their Copenhagen specialty coffee is definitely worth a try.

For more than three decades, Szabolcs Dudás and Szilárd Dudás’s restaurant in Encs, Anyukám Mondta, has been a defining presence in Hungary’s culinary scene. Over the years, many of their dishes have become iconic, among which the traditional Italian focaccia stands out as one of the restaurant’s signature items. The light, rosemary-flavoured focaccia with its thick crust can be ordered with burrata, Parma ham, or Parmesan. At this MICHELIN Bib Gourmand-rated restaurant, in addition to the focaccia, be sure to try the wood-fired Roman-style pizzas, meats prepared on the grill and in the smoker, delicacies from the pantry, as well as the divine desserts.