Balázs Damniczki master confectioner looks back at the old recipes when preparing his cakes and ice-cream specialities but following fashionable trends he also renews them. And not just in any way! In 2013 his red wine raspberry recipe came first in the ‘Ice-Cream of the Year’ competition while the raspberry-lime curd cheese almond crispy came third in 2014. The Somló Revolution was selected to be the ‘Cake of Hungary’ at the competition of the Hungarian Confectioners National Guild. The maker created the traditional Somlói cake in the form of a mousse torte honouring the great figures of Hungarian confectionery and their recipes. The mousse is a light, elegant, airy-textured cream that is becoming  more and more wide-spread and a searched after product. The dark chocolate mousse layered onto the nut-brittle and then the vanilla flavoured white chocolate froth-cream covered with ganache placed over an orange layer gives such an experience for the taste-buds that can be rightly called revolutionary.

The novelty of Vörösmarty Theatre, the Vörösmarty torte is also a creation of Balázs Damniczki. It is a dark and a white chocolate mousse on a chocolaty pastry made from gluten-free almond and coconut flour. This light foamy filling can be found in the Somlói Revolution cake, as well with the difference that the chocolate layers of the Vörösmarty torte does not contain rum and redcurrant is used instead of orange. The Vörösmarty torte is the evolution of the Somlói Revolution.

The Vörösmarty Delicacy, a sponge cake based dessert filled with ganache and nut-cream is named after Mihály Vörösmarty who used to live in Székesfehérvár. It is on sale in most confectionaries. We can also mention Rigójancsi cake as being a local typicality. Jancsi Rigó, born in Pákozd, a world famous leader of a gypsy band wanted to impress his love, an American millionaire girl who ran away while in Paris, with this creamy cake with cocoa. The Rigójancsi commemorating this 19^th century elopement romance has since become a classic cake.

Fresh fruit and vegetables picked at dawn are more tempting than their prepacked foreign counterparts. The produce found at the local markets comes from the carefully farmed lands of primary producers and small holders in Székesfehérvár and its surroundings.

Would you like to feast on these at the local producers’ and organic market? Would you like to become acquainted with the culinary traditions of the city? The Jancsárkert local producers’ fair, market and community place is open to visitors in the centre of Székesfehérvár on a 5000 square metre outdoor and a 650 square metre indoor hall every Saturday and Sunday morning offering traditional and organic vegetables, carcase and smoked meats, fresh bakery goods, pastries and farm eggs, everything you might need in your pantry, home-made cakes and last but not least unique artisan products. Tasting-tickets are available in the Tourinform Office.

Every Wednesday and Saturday primary producers and merchants offer flowers, vegetables, fruit, mushrooms, honey and smoked goods while in the shops butchers and bakers get busy in the building of Alba Pláza at the Town Market. You can even ask for the opinion of our mushroom experts.

The Rosemary Award is given to restaurants that have won the approval of tourism experts and the jury of “For a Flowery Hungary” with both their culinary offers and their sophisticated surroundings.

Two restaurants in Székesfehérvár have already won this approval so we can be sure that in these restaurants we can enjoy a lot more than just culinary wonders.

The garden section of the Diófa (walnut-tree) Restaurant is an outstanding feat of landscaping which was awarded with the highest national award of the Hungarian National Culinary Association the József Venesz award! The Szárcsa Csárda is open to guests with its traditional, tasty cuisine, interiors in bourgeois style and homely atmosphere.

The Rosemary Award developed from the “For a Flowery Hungary” movement in 2006 is awarded to one of the catering establishments in each of the 9 tourism regions of Hungary every year. Apart from the quality work it is also necessary to provide cultured, flowery surroundings to win the award.

We have the only restaurant operating in the countryside that was listed amongst the 10 best restaurants for the second time in 2014 according to the Hennessy-Dining Guide Restaurant of the Year. At the heart of the city centre in the Hiemer House the 67 Restaurant & Bistro fits in well with the friendly and eclectic style of the building. The hundred-year-old walls house a kitchen that is special, modern and yet is based on traditions and is also creative. The chef and owner are dedicated believers of the pure flavours of the countryside and mixed the traditions of Hungarian cuisine with  light Mediterranean simplicity. Their credo: “I owe it to life to make it more complete through quality.”

Relaxing in the summer evenings is made even more complete by the unparalleled atmosphere of the garden sections of restaurants. The traditional courses, the flavours reminding us of the way Grandma used to cook do not change but thanks to the carefully selected ingredients and the ever developing technology healthier, easier to digest and fresher dishes appear on our tables with a more intense aroma. Surprising combinations, novel ingredients, creativity and a little imagination and the new recipes are ready. “To innovate while conserving, to insist on traditions while experimenting and discovering.” – this idea guides the chef of Magyar Király Hotel when compiling the menu. Most of the dishes are made in the show-kitchen as the guests watch. Astounding forms, well-known flavours of Hungary, from Hungarian ingredients, from Hungarian chefs.

A Szent Gellért Hotel földszintjén nyílt meg a város első kézműves sörözője, ahol 2015 augusztusától kaphatóak a székesfehérvári püspök sörei. A söröket Spányi Antal megrendelésére, egyedi recept alapján Német Antal sörfőző készíti Pein Ádámmal közös vállalkozásukban, a Monyo Sörfőzdében. A 10. jubileumi főzdefeszten közel 50 hazai kisüzemi főzde közül ők nyerték el az év sörfőzdéje kitüntetést. A Szent Imre búzasört, a Szent Gellért pilseni típusú sört és a Prépost portert kizárólag Székesfehérváron, a Szent Gellért Hotel földszintjén működő kézműves sörözőben lehet kapni.

Németh Antal sörfőző mester elmondta, nagy büszkeség, hogy a fehérvári püspök sörét készíthetik. „A kézműves sörök területén egyre inkább érezni lehet, hogy az egyház kezdi visszahozni azokat a hagyományokat, amelyek évszázadokig megvoltak. A sörökkel próbáltunk arra törekedni, hogy minél szélesebb rétegek ízlését tudjuk kiszolgálni. Háromféle sört főzünk, a Szent Gellért egy pilseni típusú sör, ami Csehországban népszerű, a prépost barna, angol típusú sör, de Magyarországon is nagy hagyományai voltak, ezen kívül egy bajor típusú búzasör, a Szent Imre egészíti ki a palettát.” – emelte ki Németh Antal, aki másokkal ellentétben örül annak, hogy a püspöki sörök kizárólag Fehérváron kaphatóak, mert „a sör hagyományosan mindig egy lokális dolog volt, a sörfőzdék a saját településüknek készítették a sörüket.” 

As a Responsible Culinary-hero the restaurant naturally uses only quality Hungarian ingredients that are bought from local producers. They do not keep any ready-made food or preservatives, they make everything themselves including jams, pickles and all the sauces and creams, too. They run a real artisan kitchen and they do this with high culinary sophistication.

The Responsible Culinary-hero network was created for the joining and helping of “green restaurants”. One of the conditions if you wish to join is that you have to be part of the local community. The Hatpöttyös Restaurant has chosen a lovely  way to do this: the employees of the restaurant are handicapped people.

The St. Stephen Wine-cavalier order of Noah Hill was founded at the ancient coronation place of our first king by 52 provincialists who enjoy wine. Their aim is to spread the culture of drinking wine and the revival of vine-culture around Székesfehérvár. At the 2013 Meeting of the Wine Order the “St. Stephen Jubilee Cuvée” wine rarity was introduced which filled only 975 numbered bottles in honour of St. Stephen.

The Wine-cavalier Order of Noah Hill can boast of members such as Zsuzsanna Vörös Olympic champion in pentathlon and Barbara Kiss who was the wine queen of 2013 and who was also the face and ambassador of Hungarian wine for a complete year. During the Székesfehérvár Kings Days in August the wine-cavaliers make a procession, too. Fehérvár is close to two historical wine-making regions. The wine cellars of Lake Velence and Mór can be easily reached. Get your wine pass for Mór in the Tourinform Office and in certain cellars you will be able to fill up your complimentary wine glass. Visit at least five wine cellars, collect five stamps and you will receive the certificate of being the “Friend of the Mór wine region”.