There is one Thursday every year that is different from all the others. In Hungary we know it as Torkos Csütörtök and expats know it as Gluttonous Thursday. On this day you can visit more than 1000 restaurants in Hungary and eat and drink at half price.
The concept has been a success from the start and on this Thursday restaurant are packed with people from lunch time until closure sometime after midnight. On this day you can visit some of the nicest Budapest restaurants and dine at places you could not afford during the rest of the year, or you can visit your favorite restaurant and eat your favorite meals, just at half price.
Not all restaurants in Budapest and Hungary join in on this offer, but quite a lot of famous places can be found on the list of participants. If you want a table in any restaurant on this Thursday make sure to book a table beforehand, because if not it will be no chance at all to get a free table (at least in the evening).
Every year there are stories of restaurants trying to trick their guests and not giving half price on both drinks and meals, but according to the official rules you are to get everything at 50%, so in case of problems you can refer to the rule and if they do not listen, make sure to write down the name of the restaurant and tell them that you will spread the word.
We encourage you to share both positive and negative comments in the comment feel on this page, we love hearing what you guys think and what you have to recommend!
Gluttonous Thursday 2013 – Torkos Csütörtök 2013
Date: January 31st, 2013
Some of the restaurants participating:
Karpátia, Mátyás Pince, Nobu, Apostolok, Columbus, Jerney Italian Bistro, Negro, Ötkert, Paris Budapest, BorLaBor, Il Basilico, Trattoria Mamma, Baraka, Chez Daniel, Araz, Noir et l’or, Szeged Vendéglő, Alabárdos – and many, many more!!
I went with some friends to Kisrabló, not far from the Gellért hotel. They can not have been prepared for Torkos Csütörtök, because service was so slow that our company of 8 only got our soups after 90 minutes (and only 3 of us got it then). We had to wait just as much for the main course so we left the restaurant around midnight. Due to the terrible service the restaurant told us that we only had to pay for the drinks.