Where to Eat in Budapest: A Food and Wine Lovers Guide for Every Meal Discover 02 Best Craft Cocktail Bars

When Caleb and I lived in Budapest, we were on a mission to identify the top restaurants in every category since we love to eat. It’s why we travel, and Budapest is a foodie’s paradise. SO MUCH TO EAT!

So, if you enjoy eating and want to know where to eat in Budapset to make the most of your vacation, you’ve come to the correct place! Honestly, this instruction made us want to write, so I’m warning you.

In this guide, we’ll go over the greatest and second-best gastronomic venues in Budapest in each category, so you can organize your holiday around the tastiest eats, just like us! Let’s get started with a preliminary glance at the restaurants on this list!

A Quick Guide to Budapest

When and how long to go: 2-7 days in April, May, September, or August.

Where to stay: We enjoy staying at the 7Seasons Hotel because of the affordable, spacious rooms, nice staff, and fantastic, central location. It is in one of the nicest areas for first-time tourists!

How to get around: walk or use the tram.

Must-do gourmet activities include wine tasting (see more below). This local cooking class with flowing wine, or this culinary tour if you’re short on time but want to sample all of the best traditional delicacies.

Our Favorite Breakfast And Brunch Places:

The Winner: Dobrumba, For Creative, Middle-Eastern Eats

Middle Eastern food lovers, cancel your brunch plans and RUN to Dobrumba! It’s a trendy Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant that serves lunch, supper, and a special brunch menu. Brunch selections include hummus bowls with lentils, eggs, vegetables, caramelized tahini and banana, lamb sausage with pomegranate glaze, hummus, and toast. I know you are drooling.

Caleb had the lamb sausage, while I had the challah bread with labneh, sage butter, za’atar, poached eggs, vegetables, and spicy pickled peppers. These meals explode with incredible taste! It was one of the greatest brunches we paid for in Budapest!

The atmosphere inside is elegant and trendy, making it an ideal location for a brunch date. The personnel were also really friendly, nice, and helpful, which made the trip much better! We got in immediately at 10 a.m. on a Sunday with no wait because it’s a lesser-known brunch spot, and most people go for dinner!

📍 Budapest, Dob u. 5, 1074 Hungary

Runner-up: Cork Breakfast and Wine

We almost didn’t come here because we were wondering, “What kind of restaurant specializes in breakfast and wine?” We were thinking, “But we love breakfast and wine, so maybe this is genius?”

Yes, pals. It is.

The interior is sleek, dark, and seductive, with exposed brick and wine bottles throughout, and the food is unique and current. It was quite difficult to decide between Hungarian scrambled eggs and poppyseed cottage cheese DONUTS with pistachio sauce.

I ordered the savory zucchini pancakes with sour cream and smoked salmon, and I nearly licked my plate. Garlicky, herby, wonderful! Caleb ordered the tomato, poached egg, and halloumi cheese toast, which contained BRICKS of halloumi cheese and was pure taste-bud heaven.

We like that you get a complimentary coffee if you order breakfast between 9 and 11 a.m.!

📍 Budapest, Hajós U. 17, 1065 Hungary

Honorable Mention: Deszka – For Very Interesting And Instagram-Able Food

Deszka is a hidden gem just outside the city center, and we adored their incredibly creative dishes, such as the seasonal pumpkin spice eggs benny. They are also quite lovely!

I chose the gravlax eggs royal, which was similar to an egg benny but served on cheese scones (!!!) with freshly poached eggs, ginger gravlax, pear, and pesto sauce. Caleb sampled the Deszka toast, which featured soft-yet-crunchy thick bread, cheese, and crispy Serrano ham chips.

The Americano, like all excellent breakfasts, was strong and smooth, served in grandma-style tea cups that complemented the vintage yet modern atmosphere.

It appears little from the outside, but there is a hidden upstairs room with additional seating, so don’t be concerned if you go in and find it filled! Plus, the owner comes with his dog most mornings, and he’s the true star of the show. SO CUTE.

📍 Budapest, Veres Pálné u. 31, 1053 Hungary

Our Favorite Bakeries:

The Winner: Artizan, For Life-Changing Pistachio Cheesecake

Honestly? Did you require more information than that? The artisan bakery is good; we’ve visited there several times and stood in line with locals for pastries and bread to prove it.

Even though they’re really busy, the staff here is incredibly kind and willing to assist you, and each pastry we’ve had has been a true flour-and-butter masterpiece.

Caleb enjoys their famous custard Danish with cardamom and berries, and I always get their rich pistachio cheesecake with a pistachio sour cream topping. Don’t share it because you’ll want all of it for yourself.

📍 Budapest, Hold U. 3, 1054 Hungary

Runner-up: NOR\MA (For Scandinavian Goodies)

We fell in love with Scandinavian sweets while in Copenhagen, so Caleb and I were thrilled to locate Norma. The downtown site is extremely small, with only one table, but they also have a spacious, gorgeous location on the Buda side named Norma Grande.

The Cardamom bun is the must-have here. We tried various ideas but decided not to bother. The cardamom bun is similar to a cinnamon bun but contains cardamom. It’s gooey, and I’m starting to cry just thinking about it because I want it to be right in front of me.

📍 Budapest: Kecskeméti u. 11, 1053 Hungary
📍 Budapest, Margit Körút 75-87, 1024 Hungary (Grand)

Honorable Mention: Butter Brothers – Intriguing And Savory Selections

When we first stepped in, we almost left because the pastry selection was limited, but we chose to stick around for the sake of bakery exploration, and we are pleased we did.

We tried a savory ham and pumpkin twist, a cheddar jalapeno and chorizo twist, their best-selling chocolate swirl, and a cinnamon swirl. The chocolate was the right kind of melty, not simply a hard piece of chocolate, which worked perfectly with the crispy pastry. The savory one was crisp and crunchy, and it tasted like fall pizza.

The pastries are butterier and flaky (thus the name), not doughier, and the prices are lower than at many other restaurants!

📍 Budapest, Lónyay u. 22, 1093 Hungary

Avoid: Crocante

You’ll see (and smell) it as you stroll down the main road, and we got sucked in and instantly regretted our decision. The pastry was frozen and then baked, and it was so awful that we threw our croissants away.

Our Fave Langos Spots:

The Winner: Langos Papi, A Genuine Hole In The Wall

Okay, Langos is perhaps the most well-known and greatest street food in Budapest, and Langos Papi is a true hidden gem. It’s only a small window on the street that’s easy to overlook, but the Langos will blow your taste buds away.

We ordered the fully loaded version with sausage and bacon, and the meat was quite smokey and tasty. It truly made the langos. Furthermore, the Langos were larger than our heads, so we could share them and still be full.

The dough here was our favorite since it was spread so thin that it was crunchy rather than gooey as at other langos eateries.

📍 Budapest: Madách Imre út 3, 1075 Hungary

Runner-up: Retro Langos

We were told this was the greatest in Budapest (we disagree, but it’s good!). The langos are puffier, smaller, and less crispy than Papi, therefore it fell short in comparison. But the traditional Hungarian version, with sour cream, cheese, and onion, was still outstanding.

We appreciate that they offer gluten-free and lactose-free options if that is what you are searching for!

Try both, since are you truly in Budapest if you don’t load your face with deep-fried Langos? No, you’re not.

📍 Budapest: Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 25, 1065 Hungary

Favorite Chimney Cake Spots:

The Winner: Gelateria Pichler Fagyizó – For Pistachio Lovers

Hello, my name is Taylor, and I’m crazy with pistachios. So, when we saw that Pichler specializes in chimney cakes stuffed with PISTACHIO CREME, I was overjoyed. We’re talking about a thin, crispy, fire-grilled cake slathered with pistachio Nutella and coated with pistachios or cinnamon sugar.

The cakes are baked when you want them, so you have to wait 10 minutes, but that’s what makes them good, unlike the sidewalk booths that serve a hard, dry cake prepared yesterday. Yes, no, thank you. Our best advice for Budapest is to avoid those.

📍 Budapest: Kossuth Lajos u. 4, 1053 Hungary

Runner-up: Kiraly Kalacs (Kurtokalacs)

This tiny blue business is about the size of a closet, making it easy to miss. Inside, one man is creating fresh-to-order chimney cakes ranging from the usual cinnamon sugar to coconut and walnut.

The chimney cakes here were so huge and fresh that I could only hold them for a few minutes since they were so hot. The outside was crispy, but the inside was pillowy and soft, and we loved the flavor of nutmeg with the cinnamon sugar. I am starving.

📍 Budapest: Király u. 57, 1077 Hungary

Our Favorite Places for Traditional Food in Budapest:

Winner: Cafe Kor – For A Local, Hidden Gem

WE LOVE CAFE KOR, OMG. It was silent inside and felt unexplored! It’s fancy without being arrogant, and the server knew English and was quite pleasant.

They offer a HUGE menu and two distinct menus: one for “always available” and one for a parchment paper menu that varies weekly (which you can view on their Facebook page). They serve all of the typical foods, as well as some innovative selections that sound Asian.

We shared the Hungarian beef strips, which had a rich stroganoff flavor and were paired with the crispiest potato croquettes. We also had duck legs and red cabbage, which were wonderful. So crisp, juicy, and tasty. Plus, you got two, which was a great value!

📍 Budapest, Sas u. 17, 1051 Hungary

Runner-up: Hungarikum Bizstro – For The Overall Experience

Reservations are required here, otherwise you will not be able to get in. We enjoy Hungarikum because it’s so active and the servers are like friends. You start your dinner with complimentary smoky toast and bacon, which is delicious, and conclude it with a free shot of palinka, which is terrible. But it’s still fun!

We chose the pork loin wrapped in bacon and duck legs with cabbage (we like a duck, right?), and everything was properly seasoned and wonderful. This place offers both an experience and a meal!

📍 Budapest: Steindl Imre u. 13, 1051 Hungary

Our Favorite Romantic Dinner Places:

The Winner: Szaletly – Feel Like A Local

This location is outside of the city center, but it is well worth the effort! The atmosphere inside is very local, with everyone speaking Hungarian. It’s trendy, yet quieter and more romantic than the restaurants downtown, so we think it’s an excellent choice for couples visiting Budapest. You should add it to your Budapest itinerary!

Caleb had the winter venison, which was well cooked and served with pumpkin puree, graham cracker-like cake squares, cherry sauce, and pears. He described it as one of the best dinners of his life! I ate some wonderful fish in a creamy sauce with grapes. I’d term this “modern Hungarian food” because they served some traditional dishes as well as some more unusual ones!

📍 Budapest: Stefánia út 93, 1146 Hungary

Runner-up: TATI Farm to Table

This restaurant is in the 2023 Michelin Guide, and we appreciated that the menu listed which local farms they utilized to acquire certain foods! The inside has a rustic-farm-chic vibe with hay bails, industrial details, and dim, seductive lighting, making it ideal for date night.

The menu is limited, but they excel at what they do! We served the beef stew with spaetzle, which was tender but chewy. It had soft dumplings and a perfectly seasoned and extremely rich flavor. We also got the starlet (like a small sturgeon), which was well cooked and juicy and tasted slightly smoked over perfectly seasoned parsnip puree and a great pesto, with some apple or pear sauce as an accompaniment.

📍 Budapest, Dohány U. 58-62, 1076 Hungary

Our Favorite Wine Bars:

The Winner: Wine. The Gap Offers The Best Experience In Europe. Hands Down!

We sing Wine The Gap’s praises everywhere. We rarely go to the same spot more than once or twice, but we were at Wine the Gap nearly every night. Mickey, the owner, is the friendliest and most knowledgeable man we’ve ever met, and he wrecked our ability to enjoy any other wine.

Hungarian wine is very amazing, and if you’re planning a trip to Budapest, you must do his wine-tasting experience. We still talk about it today, and it’s both enjoyable and enlightening. GO HERE. It is also our most popular gourmet experience for couples!

📍 Budapest, Tompa u. 26, 1094 Hungary

Runner-up: Kadarka, For Relaxing With Wine

If you want a low-key wine bar with a large selection of local wines at reasonable costs, Kadarka is the place to go. We ended up returning several times and enjoyed the helpful staff, who made fantastic choices when they saw our glazed and bewildered expressions because we had no idea how to order Hungarian wines.

📍 Budapest: Király u. 42, 1061 Hungary

Honorable Mention: WINE OR NOT? – For A Romantic Evening

This is the most expensive option on the list, but it has a peaceful, attractive, and romantic ambiance, making it ideal for couples like us! The wine list is short, but it contains some wonderful alternatives, the majority of which are Hungarian!

📍 Budapest, Nádor U. 20, 1051 Hungary

Our Favorite Craft Cocktail Bars:

The Winner: Warm Up Bar, When You’re Feeling Brave

This is one of our favorite cocktail bars throughout Europe! The interior is dark and vibrant, resembling a cocktail bar crossed with a club, but without the dancing or inebriated youngsters.

But what we appreciate is that there is no menu (well, there is, but it’s little and generally unused), so you just tell the waiter what you like and don’t like, and they surprise you with a drink they create just for you.

📍 Budapest: Nagy Diófa u. 26, 1072 Hungary

Runner Up: Tuk Tuk Bar, For A Vacation To Asia

Tuk Tuk Bar serves Asian-inspired cocktails that are distinctive and excellent! Inside, it feels like you’re in a sophisticated Asian bar, and it’s small and snug – make a reservation on weekends!

We had the same waitress all three times we came here, and she was always nice and friendly, remembering us and the beverages we enjoyed. I can’t say which dishes were our favorites because the menu changes frequently, but everything we tasted was delicious. Dang. Good.

And strong. Just how we like it!

📍 Budapest: Paulay Ede u. 31, 1061 Hungary

Phew! We made it to the end of our Budapest cuisine guide! These are our best suggestions for where to dine and drink in Budapest, as discovered while living there. From one gourmet pair to the next, we are convinced that you will have an incredible dinner if you dine at any of them! If you have any questions, please leave a remark.

Locals told us to go here because it was cheap, so we waited in line. WHY ARE PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE? Yes, it is cheap. But it’s the worst lunch we’ve ever had. Caleb’s meat was greasy, cartilaginous, and low quality.

Conclusion:

Phew! We made it to the end of our Budapest cuisine guide! These are our best suggestions for where to dine and drink in Budapest, as discovered while living there. From one gourmet pair to the next, we are convinced that you will have an incredible dinner if you dine at any of them! If you have any questions, please leave a remark.

Locals told us to go here because it was cheap, so we waited in line. WHY ARE PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE? Yes, it is cheap. But it’s the worst lunch we’ve ever had. Caleb’s meat was greasy, cartilaginous, and low quality.