If there’s one thing that Budapest is not lacking for, it’s restaurants, particularly Hungarian restaurants. Especially in the city center, every other street seems to be overflowing with places to eat, each attempting to entice tourists and locals in for a taste. But how to tell the good from the bad? The top-notch from the tourist trap? To make things easy for you, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite restaurants serving Hungarian cuisine in the Hungarian capital. Here, then, are some of the best Hungarian restaurants in Budapest. From lángos stands to Michelin stars, these are, for the most part, very different types of restaurants. What they have in common, though, is far more important: they all serve great food!
Hungarian Restaurants in Budapest
Fricska
Tucked away in a side street of the city’s Jewish Quarter, Fricska offers up delicious Hungarian cuisine with a special culinary twist. From cauliflower soup with just a drizzle of flavored olive oil, to chicken paprikás with simply indescribable tweaks, this is Hungarian cuisine reimagined in a truly delicious way. Be sure to check out their three-course lunch menu, which rotates daily, and which also comes with optional wine pairings. It is truly an affordable gastro gem, if you would like to try really good Hungarian food on a fair budget. And don’t take my word for it: for the past several years, Fricska has been the recipient of the Michelin Bib Gourmand award, a distinction granted to restaurants that the legendary dining guide feels are a great meal, for a great value.
Cottage-cheese dumplings and apricot, with a twist! Just one of the many inspired Hungarian dishes you’ll find at Fricska. (credit: facebook.com/fricska)
Budapest traditional restaurants: Stand 25
To make traditional Hungarian cuisine, the way you remember your grandmother making it, but to make it truly outstanding: that was the dream of Stand 25 founder Tamás Széll. Following his victory in the 2016 European Bocuse d’Or competition, the culinary world’s equivalent of the Olympics, the young chef returned home to open what would quickly become one of the best Hungarian restaurants in Budapest. While he has recently opened a Michelin-star winning restaurant, Stand, that takes Hungarian cuisine in a more abstract direction, his original spot, Stand 25, continues to serve up award-winning renditions of classics such as Gulyás soup, paté, and potato casserole (rakott krumpli) that will your taste buds begging for more.
Getto Gulyás
Looking for a hip, affordable take on Hungarian classics, one that manages to remain true to traditional dishes while making them feel fresh and new? Then be sure to check out the provocatively-named Getto Gulyás! Located in the Jewish district, this restaurant, formerly one of the city’s hottest ruin pubs, has quickly become, despite its youth, one of the best traditional restaurants in Budapest. In addition to the soup that gives the restaurant its name, don’t forget to check out Getto Gulyás’ daily lunch menu, which serves up a different classic dish each day of the week.
A bowl of traditional Hungarian pörkölt, a stew that is served at many of the best Hungarian restaurants in Budapest. (credit:pixabay.com)
The Retro Lángos
Don’t let the humble exterior fool you. Sometimes, simpler really is better. While not a restaurant in the strictest sense of the word, this Lángos Stand located near the entrance to the Arany János Square Metro Stop in the heart of downtown Budapest is, without question, one of the city’s best spots for authentic Hungarian fried flatbread, known as lángos. Similar to a savory version of American elephant ears, the lángos here are served in a wide variety of ways. From plain, to the traditional cheese and sour cream, to lángos that have been filled with a delicious mix of ham and cheese, this is one spot you simply cannot miss.
Just one of the many mind-blowingly beautiful (and delicious) dishes served at Borkonyha, one of the best Hungarian restaurants in Budapest. (credit: facebook.com/borkonyha)
Borkonyha
If you’re in the mood for a truly awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping culinary experience, Borkonyha, or Winekitchen, is the place for you. Boasting a coveted Michelin star, this is where gastronomic dreams come true. While it may be a tad pricey, Borkonyha’s tasting menu, featuring dishes paired with some of the best wines that Hungary’s outstanding vintners have to offer, can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This, then, is Hungarian cuisine reimagined, Hungarian cuisine seen through the eyes of a culinary master bringing modern techniques to bear on traditional dishes. The result is something you have to taste to truly comprehend.
Budapest Accommodations
After a day of gorging yourself on some of the numerous delights that the best Hungarian restaurants in Budapest have to offer, it’s important to have a place to head back to where you can simply relax. Luckily for you, with its great location, comfortable rooms, and luxurious accommodations, ESCALA Hotel and Suites is the perfect choice.
Found on the Pest side of the city, in the Corvin Quarter, ESCALA is ideally situated for your stay in the Hungarian capital. This means that, rain or shine, you’ll go from your rooms to sampling some of Budapest’s many culinary delights in no time at all.