21 promises Hungarian favourites updated to contemporary tastes, and proves there is much more to the national cuisine than the heavy, sticks-to-your-bone fare you might expect from Magyar dishes. The light, welcoming interior, which opens up in summer to the cobblestone Fortuna street, sets the scene for what is to follow.

Service is attentive, almost to a fault, but a reminder of how far the Budapest hospitality scene has come, especially in the last half-dozen years. As you'd expect from a restaurant in the castle district that has been included in Michelin guides, 21 does not exactly come under the "cheap eats" heading.

On the other hand, it's possible to eat well here without taking a second mortgage out just to get through to dessert. We opted for as three course menu option, at just a shave over 8,000HUF. For us that meant Hungarian fish soup with home made pasta, sirloin of Angus beef with roasted vegetables and truffle sauce (paired with an excellent, complementary glass of red), and a Tiramisu to add an elegant full stop.

The number of cities where you can eat that well for around $40US is fast diminishing, so book a table today while you still can.