On the border of the Jewish Quarter, just behind the Ballet Institute, El Asador de Pata Negra is one of the places as popular during the week as at the weekend. Glass doors with the iconic bull figure lead to a restaurant that mixes traditional Spanish elements with its contemporary minimalist interior design.

Posters of bullfighters adorn the rustic brick walls above modern tables, and hams hang from the ceiling above wine racks. While wood tones are generally dominant, the terracotta tiles are decorated with chic patterns in the colors of Spain. However, the centerpiece of the restaurant is the gigantic charcoal oven in the open grill kitchen.

The kiln comes from Mibrasa, one of the leading manufacturers of charcoal kilns, and was delivered direct from Barcelona. The sophisticated fireplace is not only optically dominant in the atmosphere of the restaurant. The sound of hatches opening and closing, the shimmer of charcoal, the flying sparks and the smell of smoke and meat combine in a complex sensory experience.

Asador’s “embers”, as the Spaniards call these kind of charcoal grills, never cool – or hardly ever. “We only let the fire go out once a year, during the Christmas holidays,” explains owner Szilveszter Mókusz. “The 27^e it has rekindled and it continues to burn for another whole year.

The grill oven also plays a central role from a culinary point of view – almost everything is prepared there, or at least refined, from meat and fish dishes to garnishes and vegetables, to desserts. For Mókusz, it’s not just a cooking process: “Smoke is a spice and it’s just as important to use it in the right amount, as in the case of salt, for example. Too much will dominate the taste of the dish.

He and his business partner, Vilmos Losits, discovered their affection for Spanish cuisine in the early 1990s. It was around this time that Mókusz, a young student, moved to the Spanish port of Valencia: “Since then, I ‘m craving Spanish cuisine, ”he says. Mókusz shared his envy with his school friend, Vilmos Losits. They began to consider the idea of ​​introducing Spanish cuisine to their home country of Hungary, but import restrictions at the time made it difficult to bring the authentic ingredients, wines and other necessary accessories to the country of l former Eastern bloc.

“The extension of the European Union in 2004 brought about the necessary changes, which made all of this possible,” Mókusz told us. “Hungary joined the union on May 1 and on May 4 we were already in Spain looking for suppliers. He and Losits opened their first tapas bar, the original Pata Negra in Kálvin tér, already in September. Thanks to its great success, the opening of a second branch followed in November 2009 – this time in Buda.

The two restaurateurs already thought in 2009 that in addition to a tapas bar, they should also open a modern Spanish grill restaurant. However, El Asador de Pata Negra did not finally open its doors until February 2017.

Unlike the Pata Negras on either side of the Danube, this is not about taking a few fine bites in a cozy atmosphere, while rubbing your elbows. El Asador promises full classes and entertainment all night long, and the place is spacious – they also host weddings with up to 80 guests in almost 300 square meters. The range of cuisine is also wider: many Spanish specialties fill the menu.

The house steaks contain a special surprise. The meat comes from “an old fat cow”, as Mókusz explains. Although “old” and “cow” are not necessarily the first associations many of us would make when thinking of a juicy steak, according to restaurateurs and connoisseurs of Spanish cuisine, it is a typical specialty. Basque.

And who said old dairy cows can’t provide good meat for a juicy steak? On the contrary. Age means maturation, it allows sufficient time for fatty tissue to form, so that the typical marble patterns that are known as the hallmark of a good steak can form. In short: meat improves its taste and character over time. And it can be noticed. Only a little sea salt can be added to the pieces of meat once they are prepared in a charcoal oven, at high temperature in a short time.

On the other hand, when they talk about lamb chops or whole chickens, they use surprisingly young animals. “Our lambs have only eaten breast milk their entire lives,” explains Mókusz.

Iberia’s pork neck is a great tip for anyone who likes their food juicy. In addition, El Asador has a wide selection of seafood: one of customer favorites is the salmon, grilled on a separate small oak board in the grill oven. Even the Saint Jacob mussels, which are offered as an aperitif, achieve their particular taste in the charcoal oven.

You will see special specialties even on the restaurant’s drink menu. It is immediately obvious that you will not find the usual brands of mineral water here. El Asador instead offers its bottled water, in sparkling and still versions. However, this is not just tap water.

The water is filtered using BWT’s most contemporary technology, and magnesium is added so that unpleasant odors and tastes are neutralized and chlorine remains are minimized. The water tastes milder. Mókusz and Losits swear by the high quality of the product and also use the treated water to brew their coffees.

Mókusz enthusiastically explains: “We are following a trend that introduces more sustainable solutions in gastronomy. We don’t use any plastic bottles for our bottled water, this way less waste is produced, we save on emissions and of course on transport too.

The restaurant charges the same price for self-produced mineral water as for traditional products. However, 30 HUF from the price of each bottle is donated to a Hungarian charity that helps children.

In addition, El Asador’s drink menu is also distinguished by the exclusive wine selection, where 18 of Spain’s 78 protected wine regions are represented: as the two restaurateurs assure us, “80 percent of our wines are found nowhere else in Hungary. ”They of course only offer Spanish wines.

Mókusz and Losits travel regularly to Spain, always in search of new and exciting wines, visiting promising vineyards in many different regions, and they report only products that are 100% satisfactory, even for their refined tastes. Mókusz shows us some of his current favorites, including a wonderfully palatable white wine made from Albariño grapes, produced by the small growing cooperative Paco & Lola. The cava rosé from the Bohigas cellar is also very popular with restaurateurs at the moment.

The offer is complemented by other soft drinks and beers, always all from Spain.

Evaluation

If you want to relive the good times of your last summer vacation or if you fancy a culinary salvation from sunny Spain in the middle of the cold season, you will be in the right place in El Asador de Pata Negra. A visit to the restaurant with the Mibrasa oven, unique in this region, is also a must for grill lovers. The spacious rooms, which allow the placement of longer tables, make El Asador also an ideal place to visit for dinners in larger groups.

For more photos, see our gallery.