112 Best Restaurants in Budapest, Hungary

The facade of this upscale, family-run restaurant in leafy Buda is fashioned out of an old tram depot. The spacious restaurant includes a dining room to suit any season, including a söröző (beer cellar), a glass-enclosed room, a richly paneled dining room, and an outdoor terrace. There's a jungle gym and sandbox outside for kids, and that makes the terrace very popular in summer.

For a sweet treat any time of day, this tiny, tucked-away bakery in the heart of Castle Hill serves traditional homemade Hungarian rétes (strudel) in various flavors, from apple to plum, cottage cheese to cabbage, as well as delicious gingerbread, croissants, cheese scones, cinnamon snails, and other sweet and savory delicacies.

Krizia offers a truly authentic northern Italian experience, hidden on a Budapest side street. No pizzas here---think freshly made pastas, rich risottos, and finely grilled fish and meat. Opened in 1997 by a Lombardy native, it strives for elegant balance: simple yet delicious, decadent yet surprisingly affordable given the quality. Set down a softly lit, rustic basement with a dozen intimate tables, its discreet servers and refined wine list all add up to an experience you're hard pressed to find in most Italian cities, let alone outside the country.

Robinson lays claim to one of the most exotic locations in Budapest dining—it sits on wooden platforms atop an artificial lake, looking across to the delightful architectural folly of Vajdahunyad Castle. You can sit outside on the terrace during summer or enjoy the warm pastel interior in colder months. The menu includes Hungarian classics such as goulash, bécsi szelet (Wiener schnitzel), and veal paprikash, as well as a selection of pricey steaks. In business since 1989, Robinson was one of the city's premiere restaurants for well over a decade; to this day, it has maintained an excellent reputation.

Set inside the seemingly historic Főőrség (Guard House), though it was actually only built in 2020, this is a pleasant and convenient stop for a coffee or a light lunch while exploring the Királyi Palota (Royal Palace).

Splendid food and picture-perfect views across the river are on offer at this gorgeously situated restaurant attached to the baths of the same name. You can make a day of it with a soak and a feast, or come to the restaurant on its own to enjoy the peerless panoramic vista from the fairy-lit terrace, often accompanied by music.

This romantic café, a canopy of vines hanging over the Art Deco facade and surrounded by trees, feels like a charming Parisian corner. A range of gourmet delicatessen counters display a tempting and impressive selection of specialty cheeses, meat, and fresh bread, also available for takeout. It's perfect for a traditional European cold plate breakfast, a light lunch, or an early dinner.

With the Italian Cultural Institute down the street, you can bet this spot knows how to make a good focaccia sandwich. The interiors are hipster-sparse and the menu humble, but like the best Italian dishes, simplicity often yields the best results. Here, it’s generous focaccias filled with quality Italian meats, cheeses, and veg—the vegetarian caprese is particularly good, as are the grilled varieties.

Hungary has no culinary tradition in hot-smoking meat, but BBQ restaurants have quickly won over the hearts and stomachs of Budapest diners. Smokey Monkies is a mini-chain of fantastically authentic American barbecue.

The first European outlet of Wolfgang Puck's celebrated Beverly Hills restaurant, Spago Budapest's eclectic menu reveals a wide range of influences, from Hungarian and American to Mediterranean and Asian. Expect everything from spicy sushi rolls to buffalo steak tartare, corn-fed roast chicken to house-smoked salmon pizza—all immaculately presented and full of flavor. The gorgeous interior includes an open kitchen, allowing you to see the dishes come together, but the best seats are to be had out on the large terrace, which runs along Duna utca. Start or end your meal with a signature Spago cocktail like the Sakura Manga (made with rum, cherry liqueur, mango, and coconut).

The closest you’ll get to a New York-style chophouse in Budapest. Stex oozes old world charm, from its dark wood furniture and soft table lighting to its pared-back menu of aged steaks, grilled fish, and red-sauce pastas. Contrary to what one might think, the name doesn’t refer to its cuts of meat, but to its founder: Alfred Stex, a Hungarian gambler who found success in the U.S. before the war brought him home. Be sure to sample the fresh, unpasteurized Dreher beer, served straight from their massive copper tanks.

Szamos is a household name in Hungarian chocolate confectioners---their café here has a stunning vista of the Parliament and the picturesque tram lines that run along it. It's a great place to grab breakfast or relax with a coffee and a chocolate bite in-between sights. Try the signature Sacher, Dobos, or Eszterházy cakes. There's also a museum on the first floor featuring a history of the Szamos chocolatier.

Fresh, quick breakfasts and light lunches are offered in this cheery little street-side café, open 9 am to 4 pm. As the name suggests the menu is simple, but the ingredients are good, the food looks beautiful, and the service is great. There are plenty of vegetarian options, too. You'll find Szimply down a small, café-packed alleyway known as Röser udvar; it's between Semmelweis utca and Károly körút.

Tasty, traditional Buda grub—from beef goulash to pork schnitzel, perch fillet to duck thigh—is the order of the day at this popular restaurant. Expect hearty portions, good prices, and quick service. Save space for a classic Hungarian dessert, from pancakes stuffed with poppy seed to the chocolate-walnut sponge cake.

This popular hole-in-the-wall vegan street food joint sometimes has lines all the way out onto the street, a sure sign that you should get on that line. Healthy salads and soups are on offer but it's Tökmag's burgers that have people raving and coming back. Be sure to order a side of tasty deep-fried veggie chips, too.

Real Italian pizzas from a brick oven attract a hungry business crowd during the week. Weekends see just as many people indulging in pastas like ravioli with Gorgonzola and walnut sauce or the "priest strangler"—homemade pasta in tomato ragout flambéed with Parmesan. Rustic tables fenced in by wrought iron, exposed bricks, and hanging plants all give the place a Tuscan patio feel. There's a pizza bar next door, an upscale osteria across the street, plus a popular gelato shop, all from the same owners.

Visiting Italians tell us this popular trattoria feels pretty authentic, with its bustling waiters, rustic interior, and wooden tables filled with families on Sunday. An antipasti bar in front overflows with marinated artichokes, white-bean salad, and other classic Tuscan treats, and there's a well-worn brick pizza oven in back. The extensive menu boasts some of the best fish in town, including several sea bass options. The little understood mozzarella ventigli pasta with San Marzano tomatoes and fresh oregano (homemade cheese-filled ravioli with garlicky tomatoes and lots of oregano) is a dish to die for.

This elegant café and restaurant has a delightful lakeside view of the Vajdahunyad Castle and great service. Just next door to the ice-skating rink and boathouse, its wall-to-wall windows assure views for its patrons and the lovely waitstaff are tolerant of weary ice-skaters gutsy enough to come in just for a forralt bor (mulled wine) and a moment of peace in a warm, romantic setting. In summer, the lakeside terrace provides even better views.

With its focus on goulash and rich meats, Budapest hasn't always been the most welcoming place for a vegan—but this gem is one of the places helping to change all that. A perfect, quick refueling restaurant with such good vegan and veggie burgers, hot dogs, and salads that even committed carnivores are tempted.

One of the city's loveliest breakfast and brunch places, Villa Bagatelle is set in a charming refurbished villa in the Buda Hills, replete with a terrace and winter garden. Entreés include Hungarian, German, and French specialties that range from simple egg dishes to the full Champagne breakfast, as well as a tasty seasonal lunch menu.