We have selected 15 of the best restaurants in Budapest, which we have listed under five categories: Gourmet, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. These restaurants are listed alphabetically within four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over Ft8,500)
$$$ (Ft4,500 to Ft8,500)
$$ (Ft2,500 to Ft4,500)
$ (under Ft2,500)
The prices quoted above are for an average three-course meal and for half a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent per person; they do not include tax or tip.
GourmetFaustoFausto is considered by many as Budapest’s
finest Italian restaurant. The setting here is elegant, with antique furniture and large round tables covered in crisp white linen, and the food first class. The menu includes a variety of soups and traditional Italian starters, followed by primi and secondi piatti of meat or fish. The fresh seafood is truly excellent.
VI Székely Mihály utca 2
Tel: (01) 877 6210.
Website:
www.fausto.huPrice: $$$$
GundelThis has long been regarded as one of the city’s fanciest restaurants, and it is certainly one of its most famous. Gundel has been serving traditional dishes here since 1894, and some have become city institutions, including the Gundel pancake and goose liver specialty. The wine list is extensive and the art nouveau interior is a feast for the eyes too.
XIV Allatkerti utca 2
Tel: (01) 468 4040.
Website:
www.gundel.huPrice: $$$$
KacsaDecadent cuisine from old is Kacsa’s specialty. Its menu is filled with the likes of lobster, quail, grilled goose liver and venison, but most dine here for duck (Kacsa is ‘duck’ in Hungarian). There are eight duck dishes available, all wonderfully cooked, and the wine list is top rate, if a little expensive. Service is also old school, Hungarian old school - don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed.
II Fő utca 75
Tel: (01) 201 9992.
Website:
www.kacsavendeglo.huPrice $$$$
BusinessKárpátia
It’s hard to find a more elaborate interior than Kárpátia’s. Its walls and vaulted ceilings are richly painted in zigzag patterns and its stained-glass windows look as though they’ve been removed from a medieval church. The menu is heavily influenced by traditional Hungarian cuisine, and there is a healthy selection of Transylvanian dishes too. Live gypsy music is featured most nights.
V Ferenciek tere 7-8
Tel: (01) 317 3596.
Price: $$$-$$$$
Premier
Premier, a cellar establishment bedecked in art nouveau style - is only a quick stroll from the City Park in the heart of Budapest’s embassy district. It’s no surprise, then, to find this fine restaurant frequented by diplomats and media types, all eager to avail themselves of the excellent service, quality Hungarian and international cuisine, and discreet surrounds.
VI Andrássy út 101
Tel: (01) 342 1768.
Website:
www.premier-restaurant.hu Price: $$$-$$$$
Robinson RestaurantSituated on an island on the edge of City Park, Robinson Restaurant enjoys an exotic location, a welcome escape from the buzz of nearby Andrássy Street. The restaurant itself is spacious, with a lakeside patio and a rooftop terrace that are very popular in summer and there are plenty more seats in the downstairs dining room; the huge windows boast views of Vajdahunyad Castle in the distance.
XIV Városligeti tó 1146 (City Park Lake)
Tel: (01) 422 0222.
Website:
www.robinsonrestaurant.huPrice: $$$
TrendyGoa
Goa has been a perennial favorite with Budapest’s trendy crowd for years. Its international menu, which swings from Argentinean steak to Thai green curry, fails to include anything Hungarian, but nobody seems to mind. The décor is suitably un-Hungarian to match, featuring serene water installations, Buddha statues, and tropical plants. Evening reservations are essential.
VI Andrássy út 8
Tel: (01) 302 2570.
Price: $$$
Malomtó
The ’Mill Lake’ (the restaurant overlooks a tiny pond) caters to locals eager for international cuisine with an imaginative twist. Choose from a wide selection of seafood options and such delights as Cajun steak in thoroughly modern - and comfortable - surroundings before taking a stroll around the pond for a glance over the adjacent Turkish bathhouse ruins.
II Frankel Leó út 48
Tel: (01) 336 1830.
Price: $$$-$$$$
MenzaLiszt Ferenc tér is one of the hottest spots for drinking and dining in Budapest, and Menza is at the square’s core. Anyone from business lunchers to in-vogue celebs can be seen dining here, which makes this a place to book ahead. The menu is filled with modern takes on traditional Hungarian dishes, and most are surprisingly affordable considering Menza’s popularity.
VI Liszt Ferenc tér 2
Tel: (01) 413 1482.
Website:
www.menza.co.hu Price: $$-$$$
BudgetCafé KörThe ever popular Cafe
Kör first opened several years ago as a miniscule bar but has since occupied more spacious premises, complete with a terrace, near the Basilica. The interior here has a relaxed and cosy cafe-like atmosphere, and the light, airy bistro is very popular with young expats, students, and Hungarian yuppies seeking lighter fare.
V Sas utca 17
Tel: (01) 311 0053.
Price: $-$$
Gerbeaud
This landmark Budapest cafe-confectionery is a must-see. The interior is gorgeous, done up in Austro-Hungarian opulence, complete with rich plaster work, magnificent chandeliers, marble tables, lavish fine wood panelling, and brocade wall coverings. Among other decorative items is the piano that was intended for use on board the
Titanic.
V Võrõsmarty tér 7
Tel: (01) 429 9020.
Website:
www.gerbeaud.huPrice: $
Napos Oldal
Half health-food store, half cafe, ’Sunny Side’ is a spot to find scrummy food that is both easy on the waist and wallet. Spelt-based pastries, vegetarian salads, and a daily lunch menu of soup and main are made fresh on the premises Monday to Saturday and are available to eat in or take away. Napos Oldal also runs an organic produce store across the road.
VI Jókai utca 7
Tel: (01) 354 0048.
Price: $
Personal RecommendationsChez Daniel
Chez Daniel serves arguably the finest French cuisine in the city. There is a menu available but you’re best skipping it and focusing on the daily specials on the chalkboard, or simply consulting the friendly owner/chef. Its inner courtyard is perfect for warm summer days, as is its cosy interior for dark winter ones. Evening reservations recommended.
VI Szív utca 32
Tel: (01) 302 4039.
Price: $$-$$$
KéhliAt first glance Kéhli appears just another tacky joint focusing its business towards tourists with rural paraphernalia, regular live gypsy music, English menus, and clichéd Hungarian cuisine. But a quick glance at the clientele, and a sample of the food, reveal an authentic restaurant that attracts far more locals than tourists and serves hearty dishes Hungarian mothers have been cooking for generations. The house is a gem too; it looks like a 19th-century rural dwelling.
III Mókus utca 22
Tel: (01) 250 4241.
Price: $$
Kisbuda GyöngyeLocated in Óbuda, Kisbuda Gyöngye is well worth seeking out. The restaurant, which offers an elegant setting full of old world charm, is perfect for a romantic dinner, as the room, with its antique furniture and its beautiful hand-painted ceiling, has a warm and intimate atmosphere. The menu features both traditional Hungarian dishes and more international offerings.
Kenyeres utca 34
Tel: (01) 368 6402.
Website:
www.remiz.huPrice: $$$
Nightlife:New clubs and discos are constantly sprouting up all over Budapest especially around VII Liszt Ferenc tér and IX Ráday utca. The bars offer something for everybody (from sleazy sex bars to calm cafes) and there is plenty of space to experiment. Many bars are open until dawn, although most close at around 0400. Borozós are cheap wine cellars, where it is rare to see women, especially unaccompanied. Sörözős are beer houses that will also serve good and moderately priced food. The minimum drinking age is 18 years.
The best sources of nightlife listings are
The Budapest Sun (website:
www.budapestsun.com),
PestiEst (website:
www.est.hu),
Exit (website:
www.exit.hu), and
Pesti Műsor (website:
www.pestimusor.hu); only the first is in English.
Bars: Karma, VI Liszt Ferenc tér 11, draws the crowds with its buzzing bar area at the front and cozy corners to the rear, while
Negro, II Szent Istvar tér, is the place for cocktails.
Szimpla Kert, Kazinczy utca 14, is a fun and funky squat-style venue with a great beer garden in the warmer months, and
Trafó Bár Tangó, IX Liliom utca 41, in the basement of Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, attracts an artistic crowd and regularly features DJs.
Paris,
Texas, IX Ráday utca 22, is known for its pool tables, strong cocktails, and pizza deliveries from the restaurant next door.
Clubs: Fat Mo’s, V Nyáry Pál utca 11 (website:
www.fatmo.hu), is always busy and the dancefloor is usually filled, during and after the live jazz concerts.
Sark, VII Klauzál tér 14, is popular with the alternative/student crowd and has regular clubbing events in the basement, and nearby
Fészek Club, VII Kertész utca 36 (website:
www.feszek-muveszklub.hu), resembling a bordello with its cushioned booths and small stage, is jammed with revelers between 0200 and 0600.
Angyal Bar, VII Kazincy utca 2, is
the gay club in Budapest, specializing in good old-fashioned high-NRG dance remixes.
A38 Hajó, XI Mügyetem rakpart (website:
www.a38.hu) is a trendy floating club over the summer months, but it’s better known as a live music venue.
Live Music: Kultiplex, IX Kinizsi utca 28, is a major venue for lesser known bands and is often full to overflowing.
The Old Man’s Music Pub, VII Akácfa utca 13, although crowded, is one of the city’s most fun night-time hotspots, with live music from 2100 to 2300.
A38 Hajó, XI Mügyetem rakpart, once a Ukrainian stone-carrier barge, now plays host to a plethora of live acts.
Wigram Rock, XI Fehérvári út 202, is a center for rock, blues, and heavy metal, while
Jazz Garden, V Veres Pálné utca 44A, focuses its attention on jazz. The
Petofi Csarnok, in Városliget (website:
www.petoficsarnok.hu), and
Budapest Sportaréna, XIV Stefánia út 2, are the two favorite venues for international stars.
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