“You wouldn’t cope without dairy,” Emese says with a grin in the living room of Zabola Hódmezővásárhely, sliding a vegan cottage cheese dumpling across the table. “At least that’s what most people think – until they try it.”
I pierce the dumpling with my fork, and Emese watches my reaction, still smiling. The texture is surprisingly soft, and the taste… just like the real thing – even though there’s not a drop of dairy in it. No actual cottage cheese either. The secret? Millet, which acts as though it’s been grandma’s go-to all along.
Zabola in Hódmezővásárhely isn’t just a free-from restaurant – it’s a little culinary revolution tucked into the heart of town. Everything here is gluten-free, or egg-free, dairy-free – and there’s always a fully plant-based option among the daily specials. You’d think it was all part of some grand gastronomic mission, but the truth is far simpler.
“There was nothing like this around here. That was the whole idea,” Emese explains. “Just a gap in the market. No truly gluten- or dairy-free options. We thought – maybe there’s a demand.”
SPOILER: There was.
And when you walk in now, it’s like someone blended Scandinavian minimalism with a pinch of homeliness and stirred in a generous breath of fresh air. It’s spacious, bright, and effortlessly elegant.
It doesn’t take long to realise that Emese isn’t just the manager of Zabola – she’s the soul of the place. And soon, a qualified dietitian too. Her mom works her magic in the kitchen – quite literally. When they brought out a Buddha bowl with quinoa, tofu, and grilled cheese, I honestly wasn’t sure whether to eat it or have it framed.
But there’s something else here: Zabola is not only free-from, it’s in constant motion. “Our guests need to train themselves to keep up with our agile business model,” Emese laughs. “The menu changes all the time. At first, we had soups and salads – now, no salads at all. And we’ve not even gotten round to putting our menu on the website or socials – we only post the daily offer.”
The concept is still evolving, shaped by what guests enjoy. The menu shifts, the kitchen experiments – but the audience remains. In fact, it’s growing.
“Half of our guests are actively looking for free-from meals, the other half are just curious and open to new, healthier flavours,” she says. “And we love that. The best feeling is when someone pops in just to try us out, and a week later they’re waving like regulars.”
So what kind of dishes rotate through the ever-changing lineup? Yesterday it was strawberry soup with coconut yoghurt (vegan, gluten-free), today it’s beef bourguignon (gluten- and egg-free). If you’re after Mediterranean flavours, you might find chicken cacciatore with polenta (dairy-, gluten- and egg-free) – or, if you return next week, something entirely different.
The takeaway? As Emese puts it: “Change isn’t an obstacle – it’s an opportunity. Free-from dining isn’t about what you leave out, it’s about what new experiences you bring to the table.”
Zabola
Hódmezővásárhely (near Szeged), Zrínyi utca 7.
