Once the borders of Óbuda stretched as far as Gül Baba street. This was the site of the old monastery and later it was here that the Hospital of the Sisters of Charity was built. Opposite it, on the other side of this plot of land, Silher, the innkeeper once measured out the sweetish red wine of Buda and the harsher version, into earthenware mugs or silver goblets. The Kisbuda restaurant was built on this pub's foundations. For centuries there has been an inn on this site.

Queen Elizabeth - who became the spouse of King Nagy Lajos at the age of 14 - purchased the house and plot, together with the wooden buildings, the cellars and garden, from Silher, the innkeeper, for thirty two forints outright. This site was next to the newly built convent of the Sisters of St Clare of Óbuda. The queen donated the above plot and buildings belonging to it, to the nuns.		  

(This document, dated 1363, is in the Buda archives.)    

 

    

The beginning, the past:

    

Once upon a time there was a restaurant called KISBUDA (Little Buda).
Built towards the end of the 14th century on the border between Buda and Óbuda, the building was once an inn. In the second half of the 1970s it became a disreputable 'standing only' pub.
Alice Mezõdi and Zsuzsa Szabó rented the place in 1976 and within no time, made it into a congenial, friendly, family restaurant - a real artists' haunt.
They went their separate ways; Alice stayed and little by little, together with her husband József Mezõdi, star of the Apostol band, succeeded in making the Kisbuda one of the most popular meeting places in Budapest. Well-known members of the Hungarian art world, filmmakers, musicians, journalists and actors became regulars and more and more foreign guests appeared. Everyone was enchanted by the home flavours, the fast and attentive service and the informality and charm of the "restaurateur". The place itself was small, but the fact that it was crowded didn't bother anyone - even in summer, when you could keep cool in the courtyard in the shade of the old chestnut tree. From the extensive menu, the fish soup, the wedding feast of goose, the Mátra salad, the soft, white bread, always fresh, and the real home-pickled cucumbers in dill, became legendary.
The Kisbuda had to close down in 1992 due to the renovation of the building. The last, farewell day was a heartrending success. Not long afterwards, the Kisbuda Gyöngye opened in a new location, in a new style, but with the old hospitality and a few months later the Remíz (literally tram-depot) opened in turn. Both are a credit to the work of architect and interior designer, Gábor Gereben and Dóra Pataky.

In time, József Mezõdi's two sons: Gábor, who became the chef's right hand and Zsolt, who became restaurant manager, joined the two-restaurant family business.