On Sunday, I wandered around the more touristy yet more beautifully renovated side of the river, in Buda, where the magnificent views of Pest and the Danube also sports some great restaurants such as Pierrot, where the cauliflower and shrimp soup was more than a little delicious and the chicken stuffed pancake left me beyond contented.
After a multimillion-dollar renovation, Gundel reopened in 1992, serving classics like sauerkraut baked with catfish and fish sausage; goose liver baked with onion; and palacsinta, the Hungarian walnut-stuffed pancakes in chocolate sauce.
But Russians eat buckwheat all day long, turned into a hot cereal for breakfast, a side dish with meat, stuffing, pancakes and in myriad other ways.
The brightly-lit restaurant recently doubled in size and pho is the main attraction, but if you visit on a Sunday you can also order banh xeo, an enormous stuffed pancake.
We all made vats of rice balls and piles of okonomi aka, stuffed egg pancakes.
On Sunday mornings, children can learn traditional Russian crafts, like pottery, weaving and doll making, at workshops run by Russian artists. 1 p.m. 12) PANCAKES FOR LUNCH Blini, thin pancakes stuffed with savory or sweet filling, are a Russian favorite.
Qatayef, an Egyptian sweet crepe stuffed with nuts or cheese (sweeten it for dessert); or 'ataif, walnut-stuffed pancakes.
RECOMMENDED DISHES Stuffed mushrooms, potato pancakes, stuffed cabbage, grilled Polish kielbasa, Polish platter, layer cake with whipped cream.
You might also sample some little saucer-shaped corn breads and tasty xiao bing, pancakes stuffed with scallions or meats.
BEST DISHES: Cold borscht, Odessa salad, pirogies, bigos, boiled beef with horseradish sauce, stuffed cabbage, potato pancakes.
