If Balaton had a living room, this would be it.
Kishableány isn’t a place you just discover – because it’s actually always been there, you just had to stop and notice it. It’s a bit bohemian, a bit artsy, but it’s also very Balaton. The whole place feels like a dear friend has opened up a laid-back patio with good wine, artisanal burgers, chill music, benches, colourful lanterns, laughter and clinking glasses.
The best thing about this place is that it doesn’t push anything on you. It doesn’t want to cram experiences down your throat, it doesn’t want to give you a role. You can be there as a couple, with friends, with a dog or alone – everyone has a good time. And you get to make your own night.
One of my most memorable moments there was on a cool summer evening. I sat down on a bench, ordered a glass of sheep’s tail, a burger (which, by the way, any artisan place in Budapest would be envious of), and just people-watched. A little boy ran around, a couple danced barefoot, someone played guitar in a corner. It was like a summer movie I was part of – completely spontaneous.
There is something about The Little Mermaid that cannot be taught. Something atmospheric. A kind of Balaton homeliness that makes you feel that it’s good to be here, that you don’t need to go any further, that you don’t need another place. This is the place.
