99 Best Restaurants in Hungary

Long a local favorite, Két Szerecsen keeps diners happy all day long with fresh and affordable soups, salads, and daily specials. The kitchen has a light touch with cold soups, especially the cucumber, dill, and gazpacho varieties. The menu is Mediterranean-Middle Eastern-influenced, but retains various typically Hungarian dishes and tastes. The cozy orange and burgundy interior has café tables and copper lamps with vintage posters on the walls. It can get a bit smoky inside in winter, but there's outdoor seating in summer. It's open daily for breakfast.

This restaurant's large outdoor terrace in the heart of the Inner Town makes it a popular lunch stop with tourists throughout the summer, who are also tempted by the good-value midweek lunch menus (3,950 HUF for two courses or 4,450 for three). Come later in the day and you will find a full menu of delicious international dishes, including pasta, noodles, burgers, soups, and salads—as well as an unbeatable cocktail menu and (very loud) live music.

This cozy, csárda-style eatery tucked away on a side street a 10-minute walk from the main square is warm and bright. The inner area has wood paneling and upholstered booths; the outer section has simple wooden tables covered with locally embroidered tablecloths and matching curtains. Food is heavy, ample, and tasty, whether it’s “outlaw” paprikas with barley-shaped, egg-based pasta; tripe stew with crushed potatoes; turkey breast; or goose liver. Request a plate of dried paprikas—usually crumbled into soup—if you really want to spice things up.

There are only a few tightly packed tables and a counter in this tiny, homestyle restaurant that draws an early lunch crowd and bustles well into the evening with downtown professionals and in-the-know travelers. The cuisine is the simple kind Hungarian grandmothers make: sour cherry soup, mushroom paprikash, and baked pork shank. Everything is tasty, reliable, and highly affordable given the quality. In the summer, alfresco tables on the cobblestone streets let diners indulge in Budapest's grand capital ambience.

Kispiac Bisztró is a tiny gem of a restaurant (its name means "little market") that specializes in huge portions of fresh roasted meat, sourced straight from nearby market halls. Delicious Mangalica pork chop, wild boar ribs, or the famed grilled duck is the way to go, along with a plate of homemade pickles. Eating here is a bit like being invited home for dinner by the local butcher. There's a lovely street-side terrace in the warmer months, and during winter no more than a couple dozen diners can fit inside at once, so reservations are a must.

Klauzál Café is a timewarp to a simpler era of Hungarian country-style cooking. In the thick of Budapest's party district, flanked by ruin bars at every side street, this quaint, old-fashioned restaurant holds an enviable position directly facing one of the area's few public parks. With its living room-styled decor, blackboard menus, and quick, friendly service, Klauzál offers a charming retreat from the neighboring rowdiness. Dishes are Hungarian standards like stews and game meats; none of them are particularly innovative, but they're simple, hearty, and wallet-friendly. Make sure to visit on a night when the live pianist or violinist play traditional Roma tunes.  

Here you’ll find French bistro classics done exceptionally well---escargot, steak frites, beef tartare---alongside Austro-Hungarian classics like Wiener schnitzel and goulash. This upscale restaurant is technically part of the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, but its separate entrance on pedestrianized Zrínyi utca allows it to feel distinctively independent, with gorgeous interiors plus a terrace offering views of the Danube and Basilica. Prices are steep for Budapest, but the quality speaks for itself.

Named after the famous Eastern European folktale Stone Soup, this popular restaurant serves flavorful Hungarian–Jewish staples elevated with modern touches. It's all served by chipper hipster waiters in a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere peppered with bric-a-brac paraphernalia. The poultry dishes (goose leg, chicken breast) are hearty and reliable, and there is always a rotating selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes on offer. Don't miss the restaurant's beer garden next door: as locals will tell you, no summer is complete without a Fröccs (wine spritzer) at Kőleves Kert.

Tucked away just off Bartók Béla út on Ménesi út, this lovely little tapas bar is run by a Hungarian-Spanish couple. Diners can choose from an array of meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes, as well as several cured meat and cheese platters to share. There's also an extensive Spanish wine menu, and service comes with a smile.

Located in a former chemical factory, Lumen Café's greenery-filled industrial setting with glass-covered ceiling, towering chimney stack, and steel frames makes for one of the city's coolest cafés, and a must-stop in the 8th District. For breakfast with a local flavor, try the Bundás kenyér, the local version of French toast, or the Hungarian Breakfast, which comes with Hungarian smoked sausage, ham, and eggs. You'll also find local craft beers and good local wine, which might inspire you to linger a little longer for some of the creative programming. The performance space, a big room in the front decked out with secondhand furniture and an old wooden half-stage, hosts regular jazz concerts, talks, and events.

The name perhaps overstates the Southern European influence on the menu, but this pleasant eatery is popular for generous portions of tasty, meaty Hungarian and vaguely international dishes. Meat lovers will appreciate a hearty duck leg or pork knuckle, fish fans will favor the baked salmon or perch, and vegetarians and vegans will find a limited selection of soups, salads, and side dishes. The menu in English is a plus, as is its location, a short walk from the town center in view of the bridge.

The decor at this high quality Inner Town restaurant is said to be inspired by the Piarist monastery that once stood here, but with its hip industrial lighting, plushly upholstered furnishings, and sleek open kitchen, it takes quite the imagination to picture monks dining here. Instead, you're likely to find a mix of hip locals and food-loving tourists tucking into the bistro's modern takes on age-old Hungarian dishes; think rabbit tenderloin with potato dumplings, duck breast with kohlrabi pottage, and catfish fillet with clams.

This warmhearted pub (look out for the picture of the American detective, Columbo, on the sign) serves a good range of tasty Czech beers as well as ten types---count 'em---of a traditional potato pancake dish with different stuffings and toppings. Family- and dog-friendly, it's cozy rather than rowdy.

This tiny spot serves up fresh, authentic Tibetan food and embodies the city’s growing multiculturalism. Named after its founder, Tsewang Namgyal—a political refugee who also happens to be an excellent chef—dishes include cattle meat with vegetables and a variety of soups, accompanied by fresh Tibetan bread.

The young and dynamic energy in this hopping Vietnamese spot in Újlipótváros feels a million miles (or, at least, a few decades) away from some of the more traditional dining options in the area. The menu features a wide variety of pho as well as great desserts. Seating is at communal tables with backless wooden stools. Oriental Soup House has two locations, but the one on Balzac utca is a local favorite. Reserve ahead if you want to visit as it is always busy.

This hip little cellar establishment, adorned with funky wall (and ceiling) art from Dalí prints to cigarette packs, is the place to have your fill of Hungary's famous rolled-up pancake, the palacsinta. You can choose from any of more than two dozen varieties, from the "Boss's Favorite" (with a filling of pork knuckle, beans, cabbage, and sour cream) to the "Spring Pancake" (sheep's cheese with dill and chives), to banana pancakes with vanilla cream. Servings are lavish and prices quite reasonable. If you order a meat- or vegetable-filled palacsinta, you might ask them to take it easy on the salt.

Meat lovers will be spoiled for choice at this dedicated steak house specializing in imported Argentine beef, where cuts difficult to find in Hungary (like rib eye and New York strip) are aged and lovingly grilled. Steaks can be ordered by weight and come with classic side dishes like jacket potatoes and creamed spinach. The mostly Hungarian wine list is affordable and well-suited to juicy beef dinners.

This kitsch, rustic Hungarian restaurant, with its wooden chairs and tables and village theme, offers a cozy place to have dinner after a long day of walking or bathing at Városliget. It's great value for money: the portions are as truly Hungarian-sized as the courses are authentic. The beefsteak with pepper sauce and almond-crusted trout fillet are evergreens and if you’re lucky they’ll have their roasted wild boar goulash on the chef’s menu that day. Try the classic peasant túrógombóc (sweet cottage cheese balls) for dessert.

The friendly staff in this cozy tapas restaurant serve authentic dishes. Pata Negra is not cheap, particularly as you may find yourself ordering rather more than you had planned (it's that good), but it makes for a quality meal out. There's another branch in Pest.

The colorful Spanish tiles on the wall, the chunky legs of ibérico jámon, and a full wall stacked with rioja tip you off to the authenticity of this tapas bar, just off Ráday utca. Pata Negra was one of the first tapas places in Budapest and it now boasts three spots around town. You can’t go wrong with its appetizers from Spain and beyond. There are all the usual suspects—bacalao (salted codfish), squid in black ink, and imported Spanish goodies like marinated anchovies and chorizo. The street-facing view is to the busy thoroughfare of Kálvin tér, but the charm of this place is its calm, warm environment and slow, Iberian pace.

The main draw of this popular French restaurant, set across the road from the French Institute in Víziváros, is the incredibly romantic summer garden, where wrought iron chairs and cloth-covered tables are bathed in the glow of fairy lights. But that's not all it has going for it: come for the ambience but stay for the delicious French fare, including bourguignon snails, ratatouille with comté, and crème brûlée, all served with a smile.

When touring the sights of Castle Hill, this elegant, long-established restaurant (once a medieval bakery) is the perfect stop for lunch or dinner. Sit in the romantic vaulted dining room or out in the wonderful, plant-filled "secret" garden to enjoy an array of delicious, beautifully presented dishes. It's mainly traditional Austro-Hungarian staples with inventive, 21st-century twists—think flavor-packed chicken paprikash with truffled nokedli (egg noodles) and sour cream foam, or moulard duck breast with pearl barley risotto—along with a good selection of local wines. Come in the evening to enjoy live piano accompaniment to your meal. Pierrot is the flagship for a group of high-quality Castle Hill restaurants, including 21 Hungarian Kitchen (directly opposite) and Baltazár Hungarian Grill (just around the corner).

Rock-bottom prices ensure a crowd most days for lunch and dinner at this well-loved neighborhood vendeglő (restaurant serving home-cooking). Big bowls of jókai bableves (bean soup) are sopped up with fresh white bread, and classics like borjúpaprikás (veal paprikash) are made the way Hungarian grandmothers used to make them—with plenty of lard.

Rock-bottom prices ensure a crowd most days for lunch and dinner at this well-loved neighborhood vendeglő (restaurant serving home cooking). Big bowls of jókai bableves (bean soup) are sopped up with fresh white bread, and classics like borjúpaprikás (veal paprikash) are made the way Hungarian grandmothers used to make them—with plenty of lard.

An elegant country dining room, a 16th-century vaulted wine cellar for tastings, a sprawling garden terrace with stunning views of the Danube, and a menu of enticing farm-to-table dishes: what's not to love? Perhaps the fact it's only open weekends. The rather limited menu highlights Hungarian game and fish, with traditional dishes such as venison goulash with potato fritters, crispy roast duck with baked apples, and pan-fried trout with parsley potatoes. The emphasis on food-and-fine-wine pairings keeps a multitude of loyal diners coming back.

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.

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).