Review: Goulash in Aberdeen is Hungarian hospitality at its finest

Did you know that you can travel from Aberdeen to Hungary without your feet leaving the ground?

Forget passports though, all you need is an open mind, a versatile palate and a rumbling belly for this trip.

Tucked away in Adelphi, just off Union Street, is where you will find the departure gate to another world in the form of Goulash.

Exterior of Goulash restaurant in Aberdeen. — Outside Goulash restaurant in Aberdeen.

For the past 30 years, this small but mighty restaurant has been transporting customers to Hungary through their authentic cuisine, great wines and their wonderful sense of hospitality and charm.

As Hungary has forever been on my bucket list – particularly the thermal baths in Budapest – I was excited to travel there through my tastebuds by putting the hearty and wholesome dishes at Goulash to the test.

Inside Goulash in Aberdeen

Stepping foot inside Goulash feels like you’ve stumbled into a cosy and welcoming Hungarian living room complete with a fireplace, alcoves brimming with Hungarian ornaments and the walls adorned with paintings and maps.

Warmly greeted by the friendly owners Maria and Enrico, my partner Andy and I were given a range of seating options before we settled on a table near the window.

Apart from us, there was a large group of tourists who appeared relaxed and happy as they got stuck into their food.

To the sound of jaunty traditional Hungarian folk music, we ordered a bottle of Talisman Egri Bikaver (£28.70), a deep ruby red wine often described as ‘bulls blood’.

Interior of Goulash restaurant in Aberdeen. — Heartwarming and homely, Aberdeen’s Goulash restaurant enjoys an unpretentious and friendly atmosphere.

Luckily instead of bulls blood, the wine was beautiful as it was dry and full bodied yet as smooth as velvet.

More than happy with our wine selection, we moved onto the most important part, the food.

The food

Minds open and stomachs ready, we studied the menu with gusto.

After swithering over the meatballs with blueberry jam and the savoury Hungarian pancake with minced chicken, I eventually settled on the Hungarian village welcome (£7.45).

Beautifully presented, my starter was a mix of Hungarian salamis, cured ham, goose liver pate and cheese served with traditional Hungarian bread and butter.

In just one mouthful, I could instantly see why they call this a village welcome as the delicious mix of cheese, ham and pate certainly made me feel at home.

The Hungarian village welcome dish, with a mix of Hungarian salamis, cured ham, goose liver pate and cheese served with traditional Hungarian bread and butter. — The Hungarian village welcome certainly made me feel at home.

Across the table, Andy was loving life with his meat strudel (£7.45).

A golden pastry parcel of joy, the strudel brimming with a spicy meat mix served with garlic sour cream and cheese.

Plates polished clean, we sat back and imagined we were on holiday as stunning images of Hungary were projected at us from a TV screen.

Intrigued by the neighbouring table of tourists, it was heartening to overhear them talk about their love of Aberdeen and their excitement at visiting Scotland.

The meat strudel at Aberdeen's Goulash. — The meat strudel was a pastry parcel full of flavour.

Between the starters and the main course, there was a bit of a wait but Andy and I actually embraced this as dinner should be a relaxed event not a rushed affair.

For my main, I opted for carpathian borzaska (£18.50), a chicken fillet covered in grated potatoes, a homemade garlic and sour cream dressing and grated cheese, served with sauté potatoes.

It’s safe to say that I absolutely adored everything about this dish.

From the melt in the mouth chicken and the garlicky crispy topping to the golden sautéed potatoes, it was a simple yet stunning dish.

The carpathian borzaska at the Hungarian restaurant in Aberdeen. — For mains, I enjoyed carpathian borzaska, a chicken fillet covered in grated potatoes, a homemade garlic and sour cream dressing and grated cheese, served with sauté potatoes.

Andy’s traditional beef goulash stew (£18.50) also hit the spot.

Describing it as rich and hearty, the stew consisted of tender rump steak seasoned with paprika, herbs and spices, and served with homemade pasta and salad.

Adding a bit of crunch to proceedings, Andy also ordered some mixed Hungarian pickles (£3.95) with hot yellow peppers, sliced gherkins and cabbage salad.

The traditional beef goulash stew. — Rich and delicious, the traditional beef goulash stew went down well.

More than satisfied but with space for dessert, Andy topped off the evening by ordering a Hungarian pancake (£7.45).

Served with a creamy vanilla custard and dark chocolate crème, the pancake was a sweet sensation.

It was so good in fact that I miraculously managed to find enough room to enjoy a few mouthfuls.

The Hungarian pancake was quickly devoured.

The verdict

Dinner at Aberdeen’s Goulash is an experience like no other.

From the quirky décor and unpretentious atmosphere to the rich and hearty homecooked food and amazing wines, this little gem of a restaurant is a beautiful celebration of Hungarian hospitality.

And to be able to sit and take our time over our food without feeling rushed nor neglected is all part of this restaurant’s charm.

So here’s to the next 30 years of this wonderful Aberdeen/Hungarian institution.