Photo of
March 2, 2018

Magna Hungaria Magna Hungaria: authentic Hungarian cooking. Pic: Facebook.

5pm Dining is always adding new restaurants in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Magna Hungaria is one of the latest to join the roster.

Simply decorated but cosy and welcoming, Magna Hungaria is on West Maitland Street in Edinburgh's West End.

White-washed walls are decorated with pictures of Hungary while the bar has been made to look like a forest cottage.

Combine it all with a wooden wagon wheel chandelier and the overall effect is pleasantly rustic.

Couples, lunching office workers and home-sick Hungarians are all welcome.

Magna Hungaria: traditional Hungarian cooking

Open from breakfast - try the full Hungarian - through to lunch and dinner, Magna Hungaria serves traditional, home-style dishes that your Hungarian gran would be happy to produce.

Interesting, hearty soups; fresh salads - many of them pickled; pancakes and platters play the supporting roles for main courses of stews, casseroles, goulash and roasted meat and fish.

If you feel the need for a plate of kárpáti borzaska, or fried chicken breast mixed with shredded potato, you know where to come.

From the Hungarian speciality of lángos, a topped and filled deep-fried flatbread, to more familiar Stroganoff dishes, the menu at Magna Hungaria ensures that no-one leaves hungry.

Rightly or wrongly, Hungarian food has the reputation for being served in generous portions. This is borne out by their Facebook reviews which also underline how authentic the food is at Magna Hungaria.

Hungarian wines, spirits and beers

The drinks selection has plenty to pique the interest.

Palinka fruit spirit lines up alongside Hungarian wines including the noble Tokaji Aszú, Hungary's most famous wine.

They also serve a small range of Hungarian beers.

Dreher Bak is a new one for this 5pm blogger. A dark beer with an ABV of 7.3%, we suspect that it could be just the sort of brew needed to help shrug off the remains of winter.