Temporary: Where Budapest’s Pizza Pioneer Goes Thin and Wins

The Man Behind Budapest’s Pizza Revolution Opens His Third Act

Márton Tagscherer has been quietly shaping Budapest’s pizza scene for years. His Pizza Művek brought Detroit-style square slices to the masses, becoming a cult favorite for thick, cheesy, industrial-chic comfort food. Then came TEGLA, doubling down on that rectangular obsession near Corvin negyed. But Tagscherer’s pizza dreams never stopped at thick crusts.

In December 2025, he finally opened Temporary on Sütő utca—a love letter to the thin-crust Neapolitan style he’s been perfecting behind the scenes for years. The name works on multiple levels: it’s a play on “contemporary” (the pizza style), a reference to the idea that you’re temporarily escaping everyday life when you’re here, and perhaps a gentle joke about how nothing in Budapest’s restaurant scene feels permanent anymore.

The location is almost suspiciously good. Sütő utca runs parallel to Váci utca, steps from Deák Ferenc tér—the nexus of Budapest’s three metro lines. Somehow this prime real estate flew under the radar gastronomy-wise, with most foot traffic rushing past toward more obvious destinations. Temporary is betting that hungry people will pause long enough to notice there’s excellent pizza happening here.

Contemporary Neapolitan: Breaking Rules Respectfully

If you’ve been to Naples, you know the drill: specific flour, specific technique, specific fermentation time, specific oven temperature. True Neapolitan pizza is almost religious in its adherence to tradition. Contemporary Neapolitan takes that foundation and says, “Okay, but what if we also tried this?”

Temporary’s dough ferments for 48-72 hours, made with four different Italian flours blended for optimal texture. The result is that characteristic leopard-spotted crust: charred bubbles that look alarming to the uninitiated but signify proper blistering from intense heat. Yes, there are burnt spots. No, that’s not a mistake—just pop the biggest bubbles before eating so you don’t get an accidental mouthful of char.

The team slices pizzas with scissors rather than a traditional wheel or rocker. There’s a technique: puncture the crust edge first, then cut, preserving the air pockets in that magnificent puffy rim. It feels slightly absurd until you realize it actually works better.

The Menu: Classics Plus Whatever You Want

The base menu offers familiar Neapolitan templates with Temporary’s spin. **Margherita** (3,490 HUF / ~$9) delivers the standard-bearer: tomato, mozzarella, basil, olive oil. It’s a litmus test for any pizza place, and Temporary passes confidently. The crust has chew without being gummy, the sauce is bright and acidic, and the cheese melts properly without pooling into sad liquid.

**Cotto** (3,990 HUF / ~$11) adds generous ham slices—not those thin, sad deli slivers, but proper cuts with substance. **Piccante** (3,990 HUF / ~$11) brings gentle heat for those who want their pizza to bite back a little.

But here’s where Temporary distinguishes itself: you can add basically anything. Ham, mushrooms, corn, olives, onion—the menu explicitly invites customization. This isn’t just tolerance for modifications; it’s encouragement. The kitchen doesn’t judge if you want corn and red onion on your Margherita. In fact, they’ll probably build it with enthusiasm.

The Monthly Special: Where Things Get Weird (Good Weird)

Each month, Temporary introduces a limited-time signature pizza that showcases Tagscherer’s more adventurous side. December 2025’s debut special was a calzone-style creation stuffed with smoked sausage, sauerkraut, and sour cream. Hungarian Christmas market meets Italian technique—it sounds bizarre but captures something genuinely novel.

The monthly rotation keeps regulars coming back to see what the team has dreamed up. It also provides a low-risk sandbox for experimentation: if a wild combination doesn’t work, it’s only on the menu for 30 days.

Dessert: The Túrógombóc Revelation

Dessert at a pizza place typically means either tiramisu or forgettable options that exist only because menus “should” have dessert. Temporary takes a different approach with **Cold Túrógombóc** (1,990 HUF / ~$5), reimagining Hungary’s beloved cottage cheese dumplings as a chilled dessert.

Instead of the traditional warm, boiled version, this cold interpretation features creamy túró (Hungarian curd cheese) with a hint of sweetness, breadcrumb topping, and sour cream. It’s refreshing after tomato-forward pizzas, not too sweet, and a reminder that comfort food doesn’t require a specific temperature. The portion size is reasonable enough to order even if you’ve crushed an entire pizza solo.

Drinks: More Serious Than Pizza Places Usually Bother With

Most pizza joints treat beverages as an afterthought—sodas, maybe beer, perhaps wine from a box. Temporary takes drinks seriously without taking itself seriously.

**Aperol Spritz** on tap provides the obvious choice for those who want their pizza experience to feel like a European vacation. Classic cocktails—vermouth and soda, gin and tonic, various long drinks—cover the standards. The natural wine selection is curated rather than encyclopedic, with staff happy to guide if you’re unsure.

For those who want it simple: **Kőbányai beer** arrives cold in a proper korsó (mug), delivering Hungarian unpretentiousness alongside Italian ambition.

The Space: Industrial Lighting, Festival Vibes

Temporary inherited the former Cserpes Tejivó location, which sat vacant since May 2025. The transformation kept things intentionally rough around the edges: exposed elements, an imposing lamp supposedly salvaged from INOTA Festival, red lighting that photographs dramatically (whether you’re trying to or not).

Unlike Pizza Művek and TEGLA, which lean into quick-service counter models, Temporary offers proper table service. You sit, someone takes your order, someone brings your food. It’s a grown-up experience that justifies lingering over a second drink rather than grabbing slices and rushing out.

The space works for various occasions: weekday lunch solo, weekend dinner with friends, late-night snacks after drinks elsewhere. The location near Deák means you’re never far from transportation home, and it makes a great stop during your Budapest itinerary, regardless of how many Aperol Spritzes turned into “just one more.”

Tagscherer’s Pizza Empire: How the Pieces Fit

Understanding Temporary benefits from knowing where it sits in Tagscherer’s broader vision. **Pizza Művek** on Bartók Béla út pioneered his thick-crust, Detroit-inspired approach—square slices, caramelized cheese edges, industrial aesthetic paying homage to Budapest’s factory heritage. **TEGLA** brought similar energy to the Corvin negyed area.

Temporary represents the opposite end of Tagscherer’s pizza spectrum: thin crust instead of thick, round instead of square, table service instead of counter grab-and-go. The three concepts don’t compete—they complement, offering different experiences for different moods.

If you’ve loved Pizza Művek’s maximalist approach but occasionally crave something lighter, Temporary is the answer. If you’ve never visited any Tagscherer establishment, Temporary works as a first impression precisely because Neapolitan-style is more universally familiar than Detroit-style.

Why Sütő Utca Might Finally Wake Up

Sütő utca has languished in relative anonymity despite its location. Váci utca tourists rarely venture one block over; Deák Ferenc tér commuters race past toward their destinations. The street lacks obvious draws.

Temporary’s arrival might change that calculus. A destination-worthy restaurant creates gravitational pull, and if Temporary succeeds (early signs suggest it will), other businesses may follow. This is how neighborhoods transform: one good thing opens, attention follows, momentum builds.

For now, the location benefits visitors—you’re getting prime downtown real estate without the crowds that usually accompany it. Enjoy the relative quiet while it lasts.

The Pizza Technique: What to Watch For

If you’re a pizza nerd (no judgment—we all have our obsessions), Temporary offers plenty to appreciate:

**The Cornicione:** That puffy, charred edge should have visible air pockets when you tear it open. It’s not just aesthetic—the fermentation creates those bubbles, and they’re your proof that the dough had time to develop flavor and texture.

**The Leopard Spots:** Those black-and-tan patches on the crust come from high-heat blistering. If your pizza arrives uniformly golden without any char, something went wrong. The spots are intentional, not accidental.

**The Flop Test:** Proper Neapolitan-style pizza should have some flexibility in the center—you might need to fold the slice slightly to prevent toppings from sliding off. If it’s rigid as a cracker, it’s overcooked.

**The Scissors:** Yes, it feels weird to cut pizza with scissors. But it works, and now you have something to discuss at dinner.

FAQ

Is Temporary connected to Pizza Művek?

Same founder—Márton Tagscherer—but different concept. Pizza Művek is thick-crust Detroit-style; Temporary is thin-crust contemporary Neapolitan. Both are excellent; neither makes the other redundant.

Can I customize my pizza at Temporary?

Absolutely, and they encourage it. Add whatever toppings appeal to you—the kitchen doesn’t gatekeep. Want corn on your pizza? Go for it. Want everything? They’ll make it work.

Is Temporary good for groups?

Yes, the table-service format and decent spacing between tables make it comfortable for groups. Just be aware that everyone will want to order their own pizza—sharing doesn’t really work with this style.

Why are there burnt spots on my pizza?

Those leopard spots are a feature, not a bug. They result from proper high-temperature cooking and indicate good fermentation. Pop any large charred bubbles, but the underlying flavor is correct.

What’s the best value at Temporary?

The Margherita at 3,490 HUF offers the purest expression of their technique. Add a beer for around 1,000 HUF and dessert for 1,990 HUF, and you’ve got a complete meal for under 7,000 HUF—hard to beat in downtown Budapest.

Prices verified: February 2026