Probably many of you know the classic „Gloomy Sunday” song, and maybe many of you know that originally, it’s a Hungarian song by Rezső Seress. In the last decades Billie Holiday, Björk, Sinéad O’Connor, Sarah Brightman and even Ray Charles sang this beautiful song among others. Well, the songwriter Seress had a favorite place in the city: this was Kispipa, a nice restaurant, where Gloomy Sunday often could be heard in the 60s. The restaurant functioned until the millennium but could not compete with the challenges of gastronomy revolution with its traditional menu of Hungarian dishes.

That’s why we were more than happy, when heard that this cultic place has new owner, who wants to revive the former atmosphere. The place became the taproom of Synthesis brewery, who regard it as a kind of inheritance, and want to promote the role of culture. The aim is three events per week: concerts on Friday and Saturday, a book presentation on Wednesdays. They also want to host a Seress-Week next year, on the 130th birthday of Rezső Seress, and a memorial plaque is also planned.

As for the place itself: the piano keys wall decoration and the contemporary newspaper articles are recalling the urban legends surrounding the composer and the Gloomy Sunday, but the reason why Kispipa is worth visiting is not the story, but the kitchen. Be it the sweet potato cream soup with truffle oil, the beef ribeye steak with baked garlic mashed potatoes or the carrot cake with cardamom cream cheese, orange and Cointreau gel, they are all on the highest level one can expect. There are not too many choices, three kinds of appetizers, four main courses and one dessert, but this is understandable because this level can be achieved only with such a commitment. There is also a simpler snack on the menu: the Kispipa dish is served with sausages and cheese from Hungarian producers, and it’s a perfect choice if you want to taste some tasty bites next to your beer.