In December 2006, the District 1 Local Government announced a public tender for the renovation and utilisation of the northern sections of the Fisherman's Bastion, which is owned by the District. Our company's predecessor entered a bid and was awarded the contract. The contract, covering both the renovation as well as the utilisation of the Bastion, was signed on 13 August 2007. Under the contract, the lessee agreed to carry out a comprehensive renovation of the structure under the supervision of the owner and lessor (the District 1 Local Government), and to establish a first-class restaurant inside the Bastion. In exchange, the lessee became entitled to lease the property for a period of twenty years from the signing of the contract, with the Local Government providing a discount of fifty percent of the lease fee for the first ten years, in exchange for the renovation of the property. In practical terms, the Local Government subsidised the project to the tune of 350 million HUF over the first ten years of the lease. To date, our company has invested 590 million HUF in the property. We intend to launch several smaller scale projects in the near future, providing the Fisherman's Bastion Restaurant with additional attractive vendor areas. On the financial side of the project, the company owners’ personal loans were supplemented by a project loan provided by MKB Bank Zrt.

The process of obtaining the necessary permits took longer than expected, and working on a historic monument posed further challenges. The project was finally completed in August 2010. The hard work and considerable investment in the project finally paid off: the official opening of the restaurant took place on 23 September, 2010. Restored according to the original designs of architect Frigyes Schulek, and now outfitted with state-of-the-art gastronomic facilities, the beautifully renovated establishment covers over 1800 square meters and offers patrons an innovative gourmet culinary experience in a unique setting.

Since its opening on 23 September 2010, our restaurant has had the pleasure of serving many guests. With its striking venue and unmatched panorama, paired with attentive service and fine food, our restaurant leaves patrons with delightful memories that last a lifetime.

At the outset, the project was divided into two parts. FŐMTERV Zrt developed the plans for the project, assisted by the architects of Kertész Építész Stúdió. In the first phase of the renovation, ÉPKŐ Kft, senior contractor for the project, conducted a painstaking and expert complete refurbishment of the much deteriorated stonemasonry elements on the northern side of Fisherman's Bastion and the Lookout Tower. Sz-Építők Kft managed the second – shorter but more complex – phase of the project, while architect/artist Ágnes Bálint provided the plans for the interior design of the building. The following companies took part in the project: Várépítő Kft (architecture), ÉPKŐ Kft (stonemasonry), Síva-Mont Kft (mechanical engineering) and Electroszer Kft (electrical works). The six-passenger freight lift and the two dumbwaiters installed in the building were manufactured by ThyssenKrupp Lift Kft, while the beautiful external doors and windows were made in period style by István Pátkai. The period style internal doors and other woodwork are the craftwork of carpenter Botond Szmola. The breathtaking, sparkling chandeliers were produced by Aladdin Lux Kft according to designs provided by architect/artist Ágnes Bálint. Custom-designed interior furniture was provided by Manna Trade Kft, while the glass doors and display cases were produced by ERLA Kft. We worked with ASSUR Kft in designing and installing the kitchen equipment. We are much indebted to HGPartner Kft, and to András Kocsis in particular, who provided the hardware and software for our computer network.

In sum, Magyar Halászbástya Kft, with the support of its partners – primarily the District 1 Local Government and its mayor, Dr. Gábor Tamás Nagy – has completed a first-class renovation of the northern sections of Fisherman’s Bastion, and has established a world-class restaurant in the building, offering an unforgettable culinary experience.