Tigris, restaurant of Budapest: gourmet yes, but perhaps the royalty of Foie Gras

Foie Gras draws on strong opinions: people either love it hate it. Yes, there are always those in-between, of which may be be one, but I definitely like it…a lot. We ate here on our last night in Budapest at the recommendation of the concierge.

At Tigris, a block or two from the Gresham Palace, you have reached Tigris the capital of Foie Gras; self-described as a Magyar traditional gourmet restaurant, it is known (and worthy of it) for great Foie Gras. The dish dominates the menu and, with with advice from the Concierge, we took the four-type sampler. This one dish was a celebrated range of tastes and unusual, surprising versions which make the restaurant what it is.

• Natural goose liver, camomile gel, apricot pearls

• Mangalica ham goose liver, pepper, strawberry pear

• Truffle goose liver, prunes, dark chocolate

• Cold goose liver taste

• Roast goose liver, pumpkin cake, chestnut

• Grilled goose liver, polenta, dried cherry

While the food is the “foursome” there are a few more. The waiter, Robert, extremely knowledgeable as a waiter, was a jovial and demure man who had traveled parts of the world and as now home. The wine he served — a Cabernet mix from the southern region of Hungary, was superb. But the Merlot, label shown in photo was outstanding for a great table red.

This is an outstanding restaurant. We had the pork belly and rack of lamb as entrees. The lamb was red as it should be but garnished with paprika, the national spice. And yes, if it is really that good you do pick up the bones, even in a fine dining establishment, and dig in.

We passed on desert, but he bought us something anyway. We had asked about sorbet, but they only had cinnamon. He left, and we expected the check. He came back with a plate of sorbet and sprinklings of persimmon seeds, and poured percseco on ot in a narrow bowl that had a large outer ring. It was luxurious in its presentation and delicious.