Must-see restaurants in Hungary

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

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…

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…

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…

This cute, spick-and-span cafe in the heart of the Jewish district serves Israeli-style kosher food, from couscous and shakshuka to hummus and pasta…

A classic fish restaurant by the Danube where freshwater-fish soup (from 1550Ft) is served in bowls, pots or kettles, and your carp, catfish or trout…

This odd place, filled with communist memorabilia and kitsch, is a joke that's now almost three decades old. Top marx (sorry) for the Gulag, Snow White…

This attractive cafe-restaurant serves international cuisine that is not especially inspired but is of a certain standard – and it's there in the Allee…

Ignore the lakeside ice-cream stands and head uphill to this elegant cafe for scoops of the best ice cream in town (including local favourite, poppy-seed…

This wine restaurant takes pride in its silver service and venue; the Zsolnay Room evokes past grandeur. Formerly one of the town's best restaurants, the …

This Thai eatery on two levels offers dishes with a base of rice or noodles (1290Ft) with accompanying toppings (390Ft to 890Ft), and sauces free of…

This unpretentious little bistro on the Big Ring Road, courtesy of Wang Mester out by City Park, has delighted Asian foodies and disappointed others in…

Visit this neighbourhood restaurant on the corner of Pozsonyi út for the ultimate local Budapest experience: gargantuan portions of Hungarian classics,…

Less well-heeled sister restaurant of the ESCA Studio next door, 'Blackboard' (yes, it has one of them) is now open for breakfast and brunch only. Expect…

The service can be a little haphazard here, but there's a pleasant garden terrace. Park serves the likes of pork medallions with garlic sauce and paprika…

This is the place to head when you really could eat a horse (which may or may not be on one of the tables). It’s an enormous buffet of more than 100 cold…

This brightly coloured cafe that used to be on Roosevelt tér is a modern take on a Hungarian önkiszolgáló (self-service restaurant) where, along with…

If like us you need a fix of pork dumplings and fried rice every once in a while, the 'Nine Dragons' at the southwestern end of City Park can oblige…

With fabulous views of the lake from its enormous terrace, this thatched-cottage restaurant attracts the attention of many passers-by. The food (mostly…

A convivial pizza/pasta joint away from the flashy waterfront, Arany Csillag is a local favourite that attracts a mix of people from every age group. Its…