At this year’s Debrecen Gourmet Festival, one of the most talked-about newcomers was the Nyíregyháza-based Cvekedli Pasta Bar (Cvekedli Tésztabár), a small pasta bar with a big philosophy: take Hungarian comfort food, rethink it through a gourmet lens, and serve it with respect for local ingredients, tradition, and innovation.
The story of Cvekedli is rooted in experience far beyond Hungary’s borders. After years of working in Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, chef-owner Erik Gabulya and his team made a conscious decision to return home. Their goal was not to chase international fine dining prestige, but to rebuild something closer to home.
“Everywhere is good, but home is the best,” Gabulya says in his introduction. That idea led them back to Nyíregyháza, where they opened their pasta bar and began reinterpreting classic Hungarian dishes through freshly made pasta, local sourcing, and a strong zero-waste philosophy.
Today, Cvekedli works closely with regional producers, preparing pasta daily and building a menu that reflects both tradition and modern culinary thinking. Their approach is simple but ambitious: make Hungarian pasta dishes exciting again, while keeping them accessible and rooted in familiar flavors.
This philosophy was also on full display in Debrecen, where the team presented their concept for the first time at the Gourmet Festival. “We are really happy, this is our first time here,” Gabulya notes. “We hope it will be a beautiful weekend, with a lot of visitors and good feedback.”
Behind the stand, a small team — including Csilla, Levente and Ádám — worked continuously, preparing fresh pasta on-site and showcasing the brand’s core values: freshness, locality, and creativity.
Hungarian pasta, reimagined
These are the dishes Cvekedli Tésztabár brought to the Debrecen Gourmet Festival, where Hungarian pasta traditions meet Italian inspiration and are reinterpreted in a modern, creative way.
One of their signature dishes is a tagliatelle with cabbage, where the vegetable is not simply cooked, but slowly prepared with honey, thyme, and black pepper. The result is a surprisingly elegant balance between sweetness, earthiness, and tradition. Combined with freshly made pasta, it becomes a modern interpretation of a deeply rooted Hungarian flavor profile.
Another dish presented at the festival takes its inspiration from Italian culinary thinking, especially the bold, rustic character of southern flavors. The starting point is ’nduja, the spicy Italian sausage, which is reimagined through a local lens. In this version, the ingredient comes from regional producers and is paired with fermented chili, broccoli, sunflower seeds, and pickled onions. The dish delivers heat, acidity, and texture in a layered composition that reflects Cvekedli’s approach: Italian inspiration, but Hungarian ingredients and identity.
Perhaps the most unexpected dish brought to Debrecen is a sweet pasta interpretation of diós tészta, a classic Hungarian childhood favorite. Walnuts and raisins are combined with brown butter, which adds deep caramel and subtle chocolate-like notes. The result is a nostalgic dish elevated into a refined, dessert-like experience.
To complete their festival selection, the team also introduced a cherry gazpacho with tarragon, a refreshing and unconventional pairing that stretches the boundaries of a pasta-focused menu. Light, aromatic, and slightly surprising, it reflects their willingness to experiment beyond traditional expectations.
– Éva Bácsi –
