When it's done well, strudel is one of the masterpieces of the Hungarian pastry kitchen. It is widely available in Budapest, but finding a good version is increasingly difficult. The offerings at the "First Strudel House of Pest," made from an old family recipe, are among the best in the city. Through the open kitchen area in the center of the restaurant you can watch the pastry chef filling, stretching, and rolling an array of the densely layered pastries, which are on display in a glass case (strudel can also be bought in boxes for takeout). The restaurant serves a full menu, focusing mostly on traditional dishes, and most main courses are served with a savory strudel of some sort. There's a back room, sometimes closed off for private events (including strudel-making demonstrations), that's decorated with old Hungarian kitchen utensils and equipment. The walls are lined with old black-and-white family photographs, including some of women in aprons and headscarves stretching the strudel dough, whose layers are meant to be so thin that you could read a newspaper through them. In warmer months there are tables set on the sidewalk outside.