This has been an incredibly exciting period for us: our restaurant and team have received several prestigious professional recognitions. We not only retained our Michelin Star and Green Michelin Star, but Szilárd has also been included in the Two Knives category of the Best Chef Awards. In addition, the Gault&Millau guide rated our restaurant exceptional and awarded us four chef hats.
We are proud to receive these prestigious recognitions as all three awards reinforce a belief we held dear since the foundation of SALT: Hungarian peasant cuisine provides the perfect foundation for an internationally-recognised contemporary restaurant.
Michelin Star
In the latest Hungarian edition of the Michelin Guide, SALT continues to hold one star — a recognition we have proudly maintained for four years. It is often said that keeping a star is more difficult than earning one, and we can’t agree more.
Each year, Michelin inspectors revisit every kitchen anonimously, focusing solely on quality, technique and consistency. This award reassures us that over the past few years, we have succeeded in keeping a standard that provides a truly unique experience to all our guests.
Michelin Green Star
The Michelin Green Star, awarded to sustainable and environmentally conscious restaurants, is incredibly meaningful to us. We stand by the principle that food reflects the relationship between people and nature.
We forage and cultivate some of our own ingredients, maintain a close relationship with local suppliers, constantly experiment with new kitchen technologies, and strive to cook every day with the smallest ecological footprint possible. The Green Star confirms that we are on the right path.
Four chef hats in the Gault&Millau guide
After an eight-year break, Gault&Millau returned to Hungary. In their evaluation system, 13-14 points are considered good, 15-16 great, and from 17 upwards we speak of culinary art that holds its own on the international stage.
In the first new Hungarian edition, SALT earned 17 points and four chef hats — the highest possible recognition. According to the reviewers, our restaurant offers “a dialogue between Hungarian traditions and modern gastronomy”.
World Class recognition at The Best Chef award ceremony
Szilárd entered the prestigious list of the world’s top 100 chefs in 2023 as the only Hungarian contender. Last year, this recognition was elevated with a World Class title and two knives, which he has successfully retained this year. This is the second out of three categories, awarded to chefs with exceptional skills and international influence.
It is an honour in itself to be counted among the best chefs in the world, but this award also reaffirms the philosophy of SALT. In fact, The Best Chef Awards do not simply evaluate technical expertise — they recognise the impact on the community, unique vision and the courage to shape rather than follow culinary trends.
Though these three awards celebrate SALT for different reasons, they all share one common thread: they honour consistency. Each day, we devote the same care to our ingredients, flavours and guests. These recognitions affirm our beliefes that traditional Hungarian kitchen can be honest, contemporary, international and sustainable — all at once.
