Must-see restaurants in Budapest

  • Okay Italia

    Budapest

    A perennially popular eatery started by Italians more than a quarter of a century ago, Okay Italia does a full range of dishes, but most people come for…

  • Taverna Dionysos

    Budapest

    All faux Greek columns and a blue-and-white colour scheme, this taverna facing the river packs diners in on its three floors. Expect all the usual (and…

  • Café Kör

    Budapest

    Just around the corner from the Basilica of St Stephen, the 'Circle Café' is a long-standing favourite for lunch or dinner but a great place for a light…

  • Artizán

    Budapest

    A wonderful, very modern cafe with gallery seating upstairs, Artizán serves whole food only with no additives and bakes its own sourdough bread on the…

  • Bock Bisztró

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    An elegant and upmarket place recommended by Michelin, this place offers a good range of traditional Hungarian delicacies and wines from around the…

  • Pastrami

    Óbuda & Buda Hills

    In Óbuda’s Újlak district, this light, bright bistro-meets-New-York-style-deli does indeed serve its namesake in its many guises, including the celebrated…

  • Dear Budapest

    Budapest

    This gastro bar specialises in Danish open-faced sandwiches. Focusing not only on taste and the ingredients, Dear Budapest also takes care to create…

  • Trattoria Toscana

    Budapest

    Hard by the Danube, this trattoria serves rustic and very authentic Italian and Tuscan food, including pappardelle con porcini (pappardelle with a hearty…

  • Fióka

    Óbuda & Buda Hills

    This light, bright bistro and wine bar has a succinct, imaginative menu, featuring such treats as smoked goose carpaccio (4150Ft), salmon tartare (2450Ft)…

  • Maharaja

    Óbuda & Buda Hills

    This Óbuda institution was the first Indian restaurant to open in Budapest. It specialises in northern Indian dishes, especially tandoori ones (2490Ft to…

  • Iguana

    Budapest

    Iguana serves not the most authentic but decent enough Mexican food, with dishes such as enchilada and burrito combination platos (from 2890 Ft),…

  • FARM Gastrobar

    Budapest

    Much more a bar than a 'gastro', FARM specialises in craft cocktails (1750Ft to 3250Ft), with plates of cheeses and cold cuts and rather innovative takes…

  • Hokedli

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    This charming little 'pottage bar', mostly geared up for takeaways, serves vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free soups and pottages in pots as well as főzelék…

  • Momotaro Metélt

    Budapest

    This Taiwan eatery is a favourite pit stop for noodles – especially the soup variety – and dumplings (1200Ft to 2600Ft) when pálinka (fruit brandy),…

  • Abszolút Pho

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    There's nothing faux about this cubby hole of a Vietnamese place at the top of Kazinczy utca. But as its name suggests, don't expect to find much more…

  • Pándzsáb Tandoori

    Budapest

    It may not look like much, but get closer and your olfactories will tell you that this little hole-in-the-wall with seating upstairs serves some of the…

  • La Fabrica

    Budapest

    This enormous anchor tenant facing the Basilica of St Stephen serves elaborate (and expensive) grills in very stylish surrounds, but we come here for…

  • Bangla Büfé

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    This place, owned and operated by a Bangladeshi expat and now expanded into another room, has as authentic samosas (590Ft), vegetarian, chicken and lamb…

  • Parázs Thai Éttererm

    Budapest

    This branch of a small chain serves Thai food just off the Big Ring Rd and has all the favourites – from tom yum gung (1600Ft) and pad thai (from 2350Ft)…

  • Cirkusz

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    One of the more interesting choices along Dob utca, colourful Cirkusz – more of a cafe than a restaurant – serves breakfast and breakfast only throughout…

  • Artigiana Gelati

    Castle District

    This place sells some of the best shop-made ice cream and sorbet in Buda; its three-dozen unusual flavours include fig, pomegranate and Sachertorte. The…

  • Mezzo Restaurant

    Castle District

    A charming bistro between Széll Kálmán tér and Déli train station, Mezzo has upmarket international and Hungarian dishes – and jazz from 7pm Monday to…

  • Istanbul Kebab

    Budapest

    This enormous (and enormously popular) Turkish eatery at the northern end of Október 6 utca dispenses kebabs and grills almost around the clock to…

  • Donut Library

    Budapest

    Budapest's first bona fide doughnut chain sells dozens of varieties of both coated and filled fried dough. Great place for a quick hit of sugar and…

  • Okuyama no Sushi

    Óbuda & Buda Hills

    This tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant down from the courtyard of a mini shopping mall in Óbuda serves some of the best Japanese food in town, including…

  • A Presto

    Budapest

    Some people say this place serves some of the best pizza in Budapest. We're going to try it again before making a final judgement, though it certainly is…

  • Ring Cafe

    Budapest

    Excellent burgers, with lots of different varieties, are served in this small, modern joint that also does snacks, salads and breakfast, available to 1pm…

  • Budavári Rétesvár

    Castle District

    Strudel in all its permutations – from poppyseed with sour cherry to dill with cheese and cabbage – is available at this hole-in-the wall dispensary in a…

  • Chefparade Cafe

    Óbuda & Buda Hills

    This is a great place to pop in for lunch with shop-made soups, sandwiches, quiche and cakes. Hard to go wrong in an outlet run by a cooking school.

  • Govinda

    Budapest

    This vegetarian and vegan basement restaurant northeast of the Chain Bridge serves wholesome salads, soups and desserts as well as daily one-/two-course…

  • Duran

    Budapest

    This branch of the popular sandwich bar is by the Central European University and is always rammed with penny-pinching students. It's branched out into…

  • Butterfly

    Budapest

    This place is where to head for some of Pest's best ice cream in town, as you’ll be able to deduce from the queues. In winter, its cakes (395Ft to 750Ft)…

  • Solier Cafe

    Budapest

    In the centre of Gödöllő next to the post office is the upbeat Solier Cafe, with a wonderful cukrászda (cake shop) on the ground floor and a lovely…

  • Gelateria Pomo d'Oro

    Budapest

    This small shop sells genuine Italian gelato. It's located on a street that has become known as 'Via Italia' because of all the Italian restaurants and…

  • Napos Oldal

    Budapest

    This tiny cafe-restaurant inside a health-food shop on the ‘Sunny Side’ of the street serves fresh salads, pastries and soups. It's all vegetarian and…

  • Desszert Neked

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    This pretty place, all pastel colours (including the macaroons) and sweet things, serves ice cream and cakes to eat in or take away.

  • À Table

    Castle District

    Branch of a popular bakery chain that has charmed Budapest with excellent pastries, Danishes and savoury snacks, such as quiche.

  • Karaván Street Food

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    Just up from Budapest’s most famous ruin pub, Szimpla Kert, this outdoor courtyard with a dozen food trucks offers a variety of snacks from gourmet…

  • Zing Burger

    Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter

    Widely acclaimed as having the best chain burgers (there are a half-dozen franchises) in Budapest, Zing has the full range – from basic to fancy (loads of…

  • Édeni Vegán

    Castle District

    Located in an early 19th-century town house just below Castle Hill, this self-service place offers stodgy vegetarian and vegan platters, salad and pasta…

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