A metropolis steeped in historical past and cultural range, Hungary’s capital presents 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 all the time wished to come back right here, to see the mighty Danube that cleaves this lovely historic place in two.
Monumental structure, a sophisticated historical past, a busy cosmopolitan metropolis and a really distinctive tradition, Budapest is a city everybody ought to include the very best of journey expectations and be ready to have them fulfilled.
From a meals perspective, nonetheless, 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 big selection of crammed pastries too. Christina’s pistachio and my ham and comte croissants have been wonderful. It could 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, nevertheless it’s not unhealthy.
At night time this road and the laneways past completely go off.
3. Szimpla Kert
One in all if not the largest and greatest identified of Budapest’s famed ‘spoil bars’. This large crumbling edifice has an excellent ambiance and attracts an incredible combine of individuals—even on a Monday night time.
It’s virtually like a division retailer of bars with every little room providing completely different drinks and a unique 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)
Exterior the principle doorways of Buda Palace, this place has in all probability the most effective views of any bar of the Pest aspect of the town from throughout the water. It’s a vacationer bar, nevertheless it’s additionally a welcome break when you’ve walked all the best way 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 totally beautiful. Additionally with unbelievable views of the river and the town, this cool little bar does nice drinks and meals.
Ebook a desk when you can, in any other case you’ll need to probability it on the bizarre reception at road degree.
6. Twentysix Budapest
This lovely bar in District II does wonderful cocktails and great 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 manufactured from panels of glass.
7. Ildikó Konyhája
For those who’re in search of an genuine Hungarian meals expertise, search for etkezda eating places. Normally run by older locals as a mom-and-pop cafe, the meals is all the time hearty and engaging, 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 great. 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 more durable and more durable 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 exhibits off Hungary’s worldwide aspect. From the crimson 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 type pizza, plump and oozy burrata and excellent vitello tonnato—a dish you not often see exterior 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 a number of 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
An analogous, 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 superbly made Mediterranean and fusion Center-Japanese 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. For those who don’t have a reserving, put together your self for the opportunity of a semi-long wait.
11. Retro Lángos
For those who’re actually hungry and need a scrumptious, heartwarming snack, you’ve bought to strive the normal Hungarian lángos.
This dish hits so a lot of our guilty-pleasure bliss factors and the busy Retro Lángos on Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Method (Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út), one of many 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 coated in your selection of toppings. These normally begin with a base of bitter cream and Retro Lángos presents every thing from turkey, tomato and mozzarella to spicy Mexican chilli.
The Hungarian lángos we each order, with bitter cream, roasted bacon items, crimson onion and grated cheese, are usually not solely formidable, however extremely satisfying.
12. Széchenyi Thermal Bathtub 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 when you’re in Budapest (right here’s our full assessment of the Széchenyi Thermal Bathtub Home).
Whilst you’re right here, you may choose up snacks and drinks from the cafeteria, however that’s not why we’ve included this venue right here.
One of many personal 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 simply’re soaking in your beery wood 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 could find throughout Budapest, principally from little meals vans.
In-built a spiral form, this tasty snack is in reality a form of cake that’s twisted right into a helix form then cooked till crisp. It’s known as chimney cake as a result of when it’s sizzling, steam pours out the highest like a chimney.
You may get a wide range of coatings on the surface of your Kürtöskalács and a few are crammed with issues like cream too. I can’t bear in mind what we had, nevertheless it was tasty and enjoyable to eat.
Kürtöskalács is – or was – particular to Transylvanian Hungarians (now Romania) and goes again to not less than the 1600s.
