Szentendre is a small town about half an hour north of Hungary's capital, Budapest. It's a picturebook place, a haven for artists, and one of its restaurants is worth visiting. In fact you could spend more than just a mealtime here and not see it all.

Entering Rab Raby Restaurant, the visitor is greeted by an amazing sight, on the walls one can see objects of old times – just like the display of an ethnic  exhibition, including a welcome from a knight’s medieval armour. The curiosities hanging on the wall show a wide scope of themes and times. 

If you wish to have a drink at the bar, there you will see a coffee maker made of Herend porcelain with its hand-painted Victoria motif. This chinaware still could make you an aromatic drink. The walls are ornamented with scutching machines, the tools of a smith, scales, yokes, legionary hats or dozens of fireman helmets.

In case you think this place is just another tourist gimmick, you need to know that the food alone is worth stopping for. The tables in this room are named after famous people who had dinner or lunch in Rab Ráby Restaurant. For example, JenÅ‘ Barcsay, Marcello Mastroianni, Hilda Gobbi, Mikisz Theodorakisz, Csingiz Ajtmatov, Anita Ekberg, body building world champions, Sato Muneyuki and the board of directors of the FBI.

Some of the tables have a small mirror with a small drawer underneath, in which there are messages from guests left for future visitors.

Hungarian flavours are presented by the chefs according to Aunt Teri's recipes which are kept in the owner’s safe. Very old recipes of several Croatian, Serbian and other specialities are also on offer.

The Raby Ráby Restaurant received the Védnöki Tábla (Table of Patrons award) in 1996, and enjoys the patronage of the Hungarian Cook and Confectionery Association and the European Catering Association (ECA), acknowledging the restaurant's high quality gastronomy.

In one part of the restaurant there is almost an orchestra of musical instruments hanging from the ceiling and walls including a hurdy-gurdy and special kinds of violins as well as traditional wind, string and percussion instruments, even a harmonium. The American Heating stove from the beginning of the 20th century, still in working order, will catch your eye sooner or later too.

Important pieces of this collection are the National cash register, an operable polyphone, a camera from the beginning of the last century or a copper diving helmet.

The restaurant was founded by Németh János and his family while the Iron Curtain still existed in 1982. It was named after ’Rab Ráby’, a novel by Jókai Mór, the protagonist of which fought against corruption during the reign of Joseph II and lived in Szentendre.

The building was a forge more than 100 years ago. Németh János has been changing the antiquities and bric-a-brac on show continuously since the opening of the restaurant. Apart from an ethnical collection there are other old curiosities on exhibit, such as the grape press from 1838.

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