Budapest Restaurants

There is an increasingly diverse range of eateries in Budapest as well as plenty of formerly state-owned restaurants and some of the more traditional favourites. You’ll probably want to sample authentic Hungarian food while visiting Budapest, but in recent years, ethnic restaurants have become more popular and you’ll find Indian, Middle Eastern, Greek, Mexican, Korean and Thai restaurants here as well. Budapest has a reputation for good dining options coupled with reasonable prices.

Local cuisine

Hungarian cooking is no more limited to goulash (gulyás) and heavily spiced paprika dishes than Italian cuisine is limited to pasta. Hungarian dishes do, however, have a distinctive character, often quite rich, featuring sour cream, eggs, butter and wine. There is an abundance of high quality local produce including meat and fish to provide the basis of dishes such as fish soup (halászlé), pan-fried goose liver (sült libamájszelet), pheasant stuffed with apples (almával töltött fácán) and venison stew with wild mushrooms (szarvastokány erdei gombával).

Vegetarians can find it a bit difficult here, as the Hungarian diet relies rather heavily on meat. There are a few vegetarian restaurants in Budapest, but they're not of the quality of other European capitals. You will find a few options in the traditional restaurants, such as fried mushrooms (rántott gomba), cheese in breadcrumbs (trappista sajt) and egg dishes. Hotel restaurants, although more expensive, are probably a better option for vegetarian fare. 

Where to eat

The word you’ll see most commonly used for restaurants in Hungarian is étterem, and it’s used for a wide range of options, from cafeterias to fine dining venues. Some types of eateries are referred to by distinctive words: vendéglo is a smaller and more intimate place (which translates as ‘inn’), often decorated in a folk motif; étkezde is a lunch-room open only during the daytime; önkiszolgáló is a self-service cafeteria, typically open only during lunchtime; büfé is a counter for snacks and quick meals, often found in bus and train stations; and cukrászda or kávéház is a classic and often elegant European-style coffeehouse.

In many spots around the city, there are establishments that primarily serve drinks, but also serve food. A borozó is a wine bar, usually found in a cellar and featuring a particular house wine. A sörözo is a beer bar, also often found in a cellar, serving the house’s special brew; sandwiches are usually available at both. A kocsma is a type of tavern found in residential neighbourhoods. You will find that the Buda Hills have many of these taverns, which mostly serve a dinner, but close early.