About us · Dorothea Restaurant
We started out as two. It grew into a whole community.
We are Anita and Joe. For us, Dorothea is more than simply a restaurant: it is the continuation of everything we have learned over many years about our guests, flavours, and what gives a place a genuine soul.
Anita & Joe
The year we opened our first place together in Szentendre
Our story
First, we fell in love with hospitality. Then we created a world of our own.
We both came from the world of hospitality. Anita began her career in Székesfehérvár, while Joe started in Szentendre, and later we met in Sopron. That was where not only our lives came together, but also the idea that one day we would create a place of our own.
We always longed to return to Szentendre. In 2011, we opened Kedves Kávézó, which was part of our everyday lives for nearly ten years. During that time, we built not only a business but a community. We got to know our guests, learned what they loved, and discovered that it is often the smallest details that make a meeting truly memorable.
Dorothea grew out of this story. We wanted to carry forward the warmth and personal atmosphere of Kedves, but in a place that gives us more room to create, cook and welcome our guests.
The home of Dorothea
In an old building in Szentendre, we found our new place together.
When we first stepped into the nearly three-hundred-year-old building overlooking the Main Square, we immediately felt that this was where we wanted to continue our story.
We opened up the former crystal shop and small post office into one space. It was important to us that the building's past would not disappear during the transformation. We preserved its character and added objects, colours and details that also feel close to us.
We wanted an elegant restaurant, but never one that felt stiff or distant. We imagined a place where dropping in for an everyday lunch feels just as natural as settling in for a long dinner or celebrating an important family occasion.
How we cook
Fewer dishes. More attention on every plate.
The market, the seasons and memories from our travels all shape our kitchen.
Our kitchen
We do not believe in overly long menus. We prefer to offer fewer dishes, prepared thoughtfully and consistently from fresh ingredients.
We pay attention to the market, the seasons and what kind of food simply feels right on a given day. Together with our chefs, we think, experiment and refine our dishes. From our travels we bring home spices, flavour memories and new combinations, while always making sure that every dish remains approachable, enjoyable and honest.
Our aim is not unnecessary complexity. We want every plate to reflect the care with which it was prepared.
Together with our guests
Dorothea's story is not only about us.
A place truly comes alive when shared memories are created there.
Many of our guests have known us since the days of Kedves Kávézó, and today they celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other important occasions here with us.
Some people first met at our place and now return with their families. Others regularly stop by for an ordinary weekday lunch. To us, both are equally important.
Our literary evenings and other shared programmes have also shown us that a restaurant can be more than a place to eat. It can be a meeting point where conversations, memories and new stories begin.
This is what we want to preserve: a place in Szentendre where it feels good to arrive, spend time and meet again.