A metropolis steeped in historical past and cultural range, Hungary’s capital provides a tantalising array of culinary delights that replicate its heritage, from conventional ‘mom-and-pop’ cafes to eating places with clear worldwide influences, right here’s the place to eat in Budapest.
From the hilly slopes and crenelations of Fisherman’s Bastion in Buda to the flat, bustling Pest aspect of the town, Hungary’s capital is an excellent metropolis to discover. We’ve at all times wished to come back right here, to see the mighty Danube that cleaves this lovely historic place in two.
Monumental structure, an advanced historical past, a busy cosmopolitan metropolis and a really distinctive tradition, Budapest is a city everybody ought to include the best of journey expectations and be ready to have them fulfilled.
From a meals perspective, nevertheless, we weren’t certain what to anticipate.
What we discovered although, was a wealthy range of cuisines and a metropolis that prides itself on what it places in your plate and into your glass.
Every heading has a hyperlink to Google Maps to indicate you precisely the place these locations are. 🙂
12 Locations To Eat And Drink In Budapest, Hungary
1. Freyja—The Croissant Story
In the course of funky District II, this neighbourhood-style cafe does good espresso, however as you’d hope, even higher croissants.
They do a wide array of crammed pastries too. Christina’s pistachio and my ham and comte croissants have been wonderful. It may possibly get fairly crowded right here although, so be ready for a queue.
2. My Little Melbourne Espresso
This cute little cafe, serving presentable espresso and pastries, was near our lodge on Madách Imre út and caught our coffee-hungry eye with the phrase ‘Melbourne’. It’s not fairly as much as the elevation of Victorian espresso, however it’s not dangerous.
At evening this avenue and the laneways past completely go off.
3. Szimpla Kert
Considered one of if not the most important and finest identified of Budapest’s famed ‘destroy bars’. This large crumbling edifice has an excellent environment and attracts an incredible combine of individuals—even on a Monday evening.
It’s virtually like a division retailer of bars with every little room providing completely different drinks and a distinct vibe. Undecided what the meals is like right here, however come right here for a few drinks and absorb the vibe.
4. Savoyai Terasz at Budvári Palota (Buda Palace)
Outdoors the principle doorways of Buda Palace, this place has in all probability one of the best views of any bar of the Pest aspect of the town from throughout the water. It’s a vacationer bar, however it’s additionally a welcome break if you happen to’ve walked all the way in which to the highest of this hill as an alternative of utilizing the close by funicular rail. Like us.
Nice for a cheeky beer with a view—very cheeky really at $10 a pint, however value all of it the identical.
5. Leo Rooftop
Additionally on the Buda aspect close to Budvári Palota, the rooftop bar above the Clark Lodge is completely pretty. Additionally with unbelievable views of the river and the town, this cool little bar does nice drinks and meals.
Ebook a desk if you happen to can, in any other case you’ll must likelihood it on the bizarre reception at avenue degree.
6. Twentysix Budapest
This lovely bar in District II does wonderful cocktails and fantastic meals. Set in an enormous constructing—or extra the atrium of 1—Twentysix feels extra like an arboretum with tables surrounded by crops and a triple-height ceiling product of panels of glass.
7. Ildikó Konyhája
Should you’re on the lookout for an genuine Hungarian meals expertise, search for etkezda eating places. Normally run by older locals as a mom-and-pop cafe, the meals is at all times hearty and attractive, and the costs are normally very low.
This—Ildikó Konyhája—one is only a block again from the Danube on the Buda aspect and is fantastic. Christina’s creamy hen stew and my beef stew have been each nice. Each got here with nokedli—gnocchi-esque dumpling squiggles.
In addition they have kaplinka right here, a conventional Hungarian digestivo spirit. It’s potent, however tasty.
Sadly, etkezde eating places have gotten tougher and tougher to come back by. Right here’s an fascinating story on how and why they’re dying out.
8. Millennium Da Pippo
Within the energetic metropolis suburb of Terézváros, Ristorante Millennium da Pippo reveals off Hungary’s worldwide aspect. From the pink and white gingham tablecloths to the prosciutto slicer, this place is about as Italian because it will get.
The meals is great serving actual Neapolitan fashion pizza, plump and oozy burrata and excellent vitello tonnato—a dish you not often see outdoors Italy.
9. Gettó Gulyás
This pleasant but upmarket restaurant in District II serves conventional Hungarian dishes, however on the different finish of the culinary spectrum to an etkezde, the place the kitchen is eager to indicate off actual flare.
We shared just a few dishes to take advantage of the menu. Entrees of grilled bone marrow left within the half-bone, beef tartare and goulash have been scrumptious. Then mains of beef tenderloin particular and veal paprikash.
The skilled service guiding us by menu felt like we have been being up-sold at first, however really resulted in a greater meal. This was our final dinner in Hungary—an acceptable spotlight to complete on.
10. Mazel Tov
The same, although extra down-to-earth vibe as Twentysix Budapest, this cavernous eatery is filled with greenery and is topped with a excessive glass ceiling.
Serving fantastically made Mediterranean and fusion Center-Jap dishes, Mazel Tov is one other nice instance of Budapest’s broad meals vocabulary.
We shared a mezze choice (the hummus was excellent) and a meat platter of sausage, patties and pittas, and an enormous pile of chargrilled hen items. In case you have a desk reservation, ignore the queue and go straight in. Should you don’t have a reserving, put together your self for the potential of a semi-long wait.
11. Retro Lángos
Should you’re actually hungry and desire a scrumptious, heartwarming snack, you’ve received to attempt the standard Hungarian lángos.
This dish hits so a lot of our guilty-pleasure bliss factors and the busy Retro Lángos on Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Manner (Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út), one of many most important arterial streets by the Pest aspect of Budapest, is a lángos specialist.
Someplace between a pizza, a donut, a pancake and okonomiaki, lángos is a flat puffy crunchy disc of deep-fried dough lined in your alternative of toppings. These normally begin with a base of bitter cream and Retro Lángos provides all the things from turkey, tomato and mozzarella to spicy Mexican chilli.
The Hungarian lángos we each order, with bitter cream, roasted bacon items, pink onion and grated cheese, aren’t solely formidable, however extremely satisfying.
12. Széchenyi Thermal Tub Home
Strictly talking, not a bar or restaurant per se, this magnificent thermal bathhouse contained in the Neo-Baroque palace constructed particularly to accommodate the baths in 1909 is a must-visit whilst you’re in Budapest (right here’s our full overview of the Széchenyi Thermal Tub Home).
When you’re right here, you may decide up snacks and drinks from the cafeteria, however that’s not why we’ve included this venue right here.
One of many non-public bathing choices right here is the Thermal Beer Spa, the place you may loosen up in 36°C water infused with hops, yeast and malted grain. And for the 45 minutes that you just’re soaking in your beery picket tubs, you may pour your self as many glasses of native lager from the faucet subsequent to you as you want!
Bonus meals!
Kürtöskalács (you would possibly’ve seen it as kurtosh) or ‘chimney cake’ is a well-liked candy you’ll find throughout Budapest, principally from little meals vans.
In-built a spiral form, this tasty snack is in actual fact a form of cake that’s twisted right into a helix form then cooked till crisp. It’s referred to as chimney cake as a result of when it’s scorching, steam pours out the highest like a chimney.
You will get a wide range of coatings on the skin of your Kürt?skalács and a few are crammed with issues like cream too. I can’t keep in mind what we had, however it was tasty and enjoyable to eat.
Kürtöskalács is – or was – particular to Transylvanian Hungarians (now Romania) and goes again to a minimum of the 1600s.
