Restaurants in Budapest
Feast on hearty helpings of gulyás (goulash, or stew) and goose liver in the traditional dining-rooms of the Jewish Quarter. Modern eateries like Pest's Gundel and Buda's Vadrózsa put contemporary freshness into heavy Magyar dishes, while Callas leads in fusion cooking. Between meals, order coffee and cake at a grand café. It is usual to tip 10%, but check service hasn't already been added.
Top-end
Expand all1. Gundel - Paintings and pancakes
Show more Paintings by Hungarian masters adorn the walls at this elite Budapest dining institution, set next to Pest's City Park. Gundel serves refined Hungarian dishes, washed down with Hungarian wines, including Gundel's own from Eger and Tokaj grapes. Desserts include the Hungarian palacsinta, a stuffed pancake, served with chocolate sauce and flambéed.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 12pm-4pm & 6.30pm-12am
Address
2, Állatkerti út, Budapest 1146
Telephone
+36 (1) 468 4040
2. Vadrózsa - Old world luxury
Show moreThe Vadrózsa, or Wild Rose, is housed in an elegant Baroque villa in Buda's Rószadom area. Plush dining is on offer under the crystal chandeliers, or out in the lush gardens. The produce on the Hungarian menu, including melt-in-the-mouth goose liver, is presented to the smart diners on chilled trays to aid decision-making.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 12pm-3pm & 7pm-12am
Address
15, Pentelei Molnár utca, Budapest 1025
Telephone
+36 (1) 326 5817
3. Alabárdos - Gothic for gourmets
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Alabárdos creates gourmet versions of Hungarian classics. Dishes like juniper-seasoned wild pig stew, and truffle and thyme pasta pull in Budapest's smart foodies. Set in the Castle District on the foundations of a 15th-century palace, the dining room has arched walls and heavy furniture. There's also a Gothic-styled terrace and garden tables in summer.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 7pm-11pm; Sat 12pm-4pm & 7pm-11pm
Address
2, Országház utca, Budapest 1014
Telephone
+36 (1) 356 0851
4. Baraka - Fusion food and glamour
Show moreIn the Bauhaus-influenced Andrássy Hotel on the boulevard of the same name, Baraka's fusion food has won fans in Budapest. The compact menu features creations such as caramelised Belgian endive with fresh peaches, and blue-cheese and sweetcorn bisque. The dining room is sleek, with chandeliers, black tables, and fashionable Pest diners.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 12pm-3pm & 6pm-11pm
Address
111, Andrássy út, Budapest 1063
5. Gresham Kávéház - Dining on the Danube
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The interior of Gresham Kávéház, inside Budapest's Four Seasons Hotel, is modelled on a sumptuous fin-de-siècle coffeehouse. The frequently-rotating menu includes innovative meat and fish dishes - such as chicken paprika and galuska noodles - as well as daily specials. A table by the window provides spectacular views of Budapest's Chain Bridge.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Sun-Wed 12pm-10pm; Thu-Sat 12pm-10.30pm
Address
5-6, Roosevelt tér, Budapest 1051
Telephone
+36 (1) 268 6000
Mid-range
Expand all6. Callas - Grand venue for breakfast
Show moreWith its high arches, chandeliers and view of the Pest Opera House, Callas is a grand affair. It served as a ticket office, but these days attracts fashionable Budapesters for everything from hearty breakfasts to cocktails. Try dishes like Wienerschnitzel with green pea risotto, or the house goulash.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-12am
Address
20, Andrássy út, Budapest 1061
Telephone
+36 (1) 354 09 54
7. Dunapark étterem és kávéház - Neighbourhood favourite
Show moreA favourite with Budapesters since 1938, Dunapark étterem és kávéház overlooks District XIII's Szent István park and the Danube. The impressive Art Nouveau dining room serves the fashionable set with coffee and wicked cakes, or Hungarian lunches and dinners.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 8am-12am; Sat 10am-12am; Sun 10am-10pm
Address
38, Pozsonyi utca, Budapest 1137
Telephone
+36 (1) 786 1009
8. Klassz - Bistro with homely menu
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A choice of 130 wines, served on Pest's elegant Andrássy utca, make Klassz popular among Budapest's business fraternity. Lamb knuckle, foie gras and native mangalica pork are fixtures on the menu. The bistro dining-room is decorated with homely floral wallpaper; there is a wine shop at the back.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 11.30am-11pm; Sun 11.30am-6pm
Address
41, Andrássy utca, Budapest 1061
9. Soul Café - Traditional Hungarian
Show moreIntimate and welcoming on the inside, but bursting forth during the summer onto pavements outside and opposite, Budapest's central Soul Café serves traditional Hungarian and international dishes. From delicious soups and roasted cheeses to mouth-watering puddings such as ginger pears with lemon sorbet, your taste buds are in for a treat.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 12pm-1am
Address
11-13, Ráday utca, Budapest IX
Telephone
+36 (1) 217 6986
10. Tom-George - Trendy Italian restaurant
Show moreTrendy Tom-George, close to St Stephen's Basilica in District V, attracts the in-crowd. A makeover in 2009 turned it into one of Budapest's hottest Italian restaurants, serving salads, fresh pasta and meat dishes. The dining-room has also been renovated, with a new-look exposed-brickwork interior. Some come just to be seen sipping cocktails at the bar.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 12pm-11.30pm; Sat & Sun 12pm-12am
Address
8, Október 6 utca, Budapest 1054
Telephone
+36 (1) 266 3525
Budget
Expand all11. Ko Leves - Good Jewish eating
Show moreKo Leves means 'stone soup', but the menu here is far more delicious and features duck à l'orange and Jewish dishes. A young crowd comes here to chat and line their stomachs before heading off to one of District VII's many bars. The shabby-but-chic dining room is romantically candlelit at night.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 12pm-12am
Address
26, Dob utca, Budapest 1075
Telephone
+36 (1) 322 1011
12. Csalagány 26 - Lunch with business people
Show moreCsalagány 26 in District XI is nothing special to look at. But, the Buda business crowd keeps coming back to this bistro for the creative local Magyar dishes on the bargain lunchtime menu. Groups of friends meet for the pricier dinner here, washed down with good Hungarian wines.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Tue-Sat 12pm-3pm & 7pm-10pm
Address
26, Csalogány utca, Budapest 1015
13. Menza - Kitsch canteen
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Menza, which means canteen, is a kitsch recreation of the basic restaurants of socialist Hungary. Set on fashionable Liszt Ferenc tér in District VI, old favourites like Jókai bableves (bean soup), stuffed cabbage, and veal paprika with dumplings are on the menu. The trendy crowd eats here, unafraid of the hefty dishes.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-12am
Address
2, Liszt Ferenc tér, Budapest 1061
Telephone
+36 (1) 413 1482
14. Gerloczy Kávéház - Homemade pastries
Show moreThis grand Parisian-style café has big windows that look out onto a hidden square in District V. Tables are set outside in summer. Gerloczy Kávéház serves delicious homemade croissants and pastries to cake-loving Budapesters, and visitors. The lunch and á la carte menus make it an all day venue.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Daily 7am-11pm
Address
1, Gerlóczy utca, Budapest 1052
Telephone
+36 (1) 501 4000
15. Kádár Étkezde - Food from regimes past
Show morePhotos of yesteryear's celebrities adorn the walls of this dingy Jewish Quarter lunch-only venue. It shares its name, Kádár Étkezde, with Hungary's long-time former socialist leader. The food is also old-fashioned. Hungry Budapesters cram in to order the trademark goose leg with potatoes and cabbage. Remember what you've had and pay on the way out.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Opening Hours
Tue-Sat 11.30am-3.30pm
Address
9, Klauzál tér, Budapest 1072
Telephone
+36 (1) 321 3622
Transport
Tram 4 or 6 tram to Dohány utca
