Must-see restaurants in Budapest

  • Borkonyha

    Budapest

    Chef Ákos Sárközi's approach to Hungarian cuisine at this Michelin-starred restaurant is contemporary, and the menu changes every week or two. Go for the…

  • Krak'n Town Steampunk Saloon

    Budapest

    Like something out of a Jules Verne novel, Krak’n Town Steampunk Saloon certainly lives up to its name, with giant hot-air balloons, brass accents and a…

  • Pierrot

    Castle District

    This stylish, long-established restaurant, housed in what was a bakery in the Middle Ages, specialises in dishes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, revamped…

  • Pesti Disznó Bisztró

    Budapest

    Punters would be forgiven for thinking that the 'Pest Pig' was all about pork. In fact, of the 10 or so main courses more than half are beef, poultry,…

  • Kispiac

    Budapest

    This small retro-style restaurant – an absolute favourite – serves seriously Hungarian things like stuffed csülök (pig's trotter – and way better than it…

  • ESCA Studio

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    One of the best new modern Hungarian bistros, this place offers both excellent cooking and superb value. With internationally trained chef/owner Gábor…

  • Barack & Szilva

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    This is the kind of perfectly formed restaurant that every neighbourhood wishes it could claim. Run by a friendly husband-and-wife team, the 'Peach & Plum…

  • Impostor

    Budapest

    Now in a new, more central location, elegant Impostor serves hybrid dishes that echo the owners’ passion for Asia and Latin America. Though there are more…

  • Gettó Gulyás

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    This new spot is just about the best place to try pörkölt – what we call goulash (it's paprikás when you add sour cream) – with everything from chicken,…

  • Csalogány 26

    Castle District

    The decor is spartan at this intimate restaurant, which turns out creative and superb food. Try the roasted lamb with butter squash lecsó (a kind of…

  • Mák Bisztró

    Budapest

    The award-winning 'Poppy' offers inventive international dishes that lean in the direction of Hungary from a chalkboard menu that changes daily. Casual…

  • La Bodeguita del Medio

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    Anchor tenant of the Fészek Club, meeting place of artists and intellectuals since 1901, La Bodeguita del Medio is a Cuban restaurant with such favourites…

  • Dobrumba

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    This affable new restaurant in the heart of Party Town is a veritable geography lesson and a smorgasbord of tastes – from the Middle East and the…

  • Baraka

    Budapest

    If you only eat in one fine-dining establishment while in Budapest, make it Baraka. You're ushered into the monochrome dining room, where chef André…

  • Múzeum

    Budapest

    This very suave restaurant is the place to come if you like to dine in old-world style with a piano softly tinkling in the background. It’s still going…

  • Babka

    Budapest

    Babka has fast become the go-to dining option in Újlipótváros for its excellent dishes, friendly service and hip crowd. It calls itself 'Mediterranean',…

  • Rosenstein

    Budapest

    A top-notch and cosy Hungarian restaurant in an unlikely location, with Jewish tastes and super service. Family-run – the owner is also the chef – it has…

  • Kőleves

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    Always buzzy and lots of fun, the 'Stone Soup' attracts a young crowd with its Jewish-inspired (but not kosher) menu, lively decor, great service and…

  • Leo Budapest

    Castle District

    There are rooftop bar-restaurants and then there's His Highness Leo, who will put you in the lap of the gods in the warmer months on the 8th floor of the…

  • Rudas Bistro

    Budapest

    We love, love, love this place with its turquoise interior and stunning views of the Danube and bridges. It sits above the Rudas Baths Wellness Centre …

  • Wall decoration at Firkasz Restaurant.

    Firkász

    Budapest

    Originally set up by former journalists, retro-style restaurant ‘Hack’ has been one of our favourite Hungarian 'nostalgia' eateries for years, thanks to…

  • Borssó Bistro

    Budapest

    Cosy, classy and welcoming corner restaurant set over two levels, with dark-wood furniture and romantic candlelight come evening. There's clear attention…

  • Bagolyvár

    Budapest

    With reworked Hungarian classics that make it a winner, the ‘Owl’s Castle’ attracts the Budapest cognoscenti, who leave its sister restaurant, Gundel,…

  • Sushi Sei

    Óbuda & Buda Hills

    This stylish restaurant is one of the best spots in Budapest for a wide spectrum of authentic Japanese cuisine. Apart from beautifully presented nigiri,…

  • Monk's Bistrot

    Budapest

    With its vaguely industrial decor, an open kitchen and hip serving staff, this ambitious restaurant specialises in bold pairings of ingredients that…

  • Mandragóra

    Castle District

    With a hint of black magic in its name and a cosy location in the basement of a residential block, this family-run restaurant has earned loyal local fans…

  • Oriental Soup House

    Budapest

    Though it's far away from central Budapest, this authentic Vietnamese joint is regularly packed. Customers squeeze around the communal tables beneath…

  • Édesmindegy

    Budapest

    Come to this desszertbár for some of Budapest's best and most imaginative cakes. Temptations include cherry cheesecake with Sichuan pepper, chocolate tart…

  • Olimpia

    Budapest

    Traditional Hungarian with a twist is on offer at this brilliant restaurant that offers a table d’hôte set-lunch menu of two or three courses and a dinner…

  • Fröhlich Cukrászda

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    This kosher cake shop and cafe in the former ghetto, dating back to 1953, makes and sells such Jewish kosher favourites as flódni (a three-layer cake with…

  • bigfish

    Budapest

    Select your fish or shellfish type from the ice trays, choose the cooking method and a side or two, and then sit back and wait for super fresh seafood to…

  • Curry House

    Budapest

    This richly decorated and well-run Indian restaurant offers a warm welcome, attentive service and a wide range of authentic dishes. There are lots of…

  • Pagony Kert

    Budapest

    Set up in and around the disused pools that were once part of the neighbouring Gellért Baths complex, Pagony Kert is an unusual warm-weather venue…

  • Costes Downtown

    Budapest

    The fourth restaurant in Budapest to be awarded a Michelin star and the second Costes one, Costes Downtown calls itself a 'fine-dining bistro’. Watch the…

  • Klassz

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    Permanent fixtures on the menu here include foie gras in its various avatars and native mangalica pork. More unusual (and fleeting) dishes are lamb and…

  • Hemingway

    Budapest

    This very stylish eatery, in a fabulous location in a small park overlooking legendary Feneketlen-tó (Bottomless Lake) in south Buda, has a varied and…

  • Fausto's

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    Elegant Fausto's offers a top-class dining room in its ristorante and a cheaper osteria (open without afternoon break) just up from the Great Synagogue…

  • Fuji

    Óbuda & Buda Hills

    It's well worth travelling into the hills of posh district II for the most authentic Japanese food in town. Apart from super fresh sashimi sets and…

  • Alma & Körte

    Budapest

    Sister-restaurant to the wonderful Barack & Szilva (Peach & Peach) in Erzsébetváros (the restaurant names have more to do with pálinka than fruit) this…

  • Kisharang

    Budapest

    Centrally located 'Little Bell' is an étkezde (canteen serving simple Hungarian dishes) that's top of the list with students and staff of the nearby…

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