18 Best Restaurants in Hungary

"Auntie Nancsi" has built a loyal following by serving up straightforward, homestyle Hungarian dishes in the rustic surroundings of a converted 17th century farmhouse. Chains of paprika and garlic dangle from the low wooden ceiling above tables set with red-and-white gingham tablecloths. Big tables of local families can be found here on summer weekends enjoying well-prepared Hungarian food. Sunday chicken soup and catfish paprika are well-loved by regulars. Try the popular túrógombóc (sweet cheese dumpling) dessert; it's the biggest and best in town. There is a garden dining area open during warmer months, when reservations are essential.

Locals line up each morning for the delicate, light pastries made by this local confectioner. Even a novice can taste the real buttercream in the famous Eszterházy torta, which is a truly magnificent cake. Locals say the Sacher torte is every bit as good as it is in the famous Sacher Hotel in Vienna. It's usually crowded on weekends with families.

Situated on Óváros tér (Old Town Square) at the foot of Castle Hill, this charming little bistro offers an extensive menu of Italian favorites, including pizzas, pastas, and risottos, alongside some distinctly Hungarian grilled and fried meat dishes. If you come at lunchtime, you'll also find a great value daily menu, with main courses typically priced below 2,000 HUF. The interior is cozy and charming, with arched ceilings and, oddly, a built-in aquarium of tropical fish. In nice weather you can sit outdoors on the lovely terrace.

There are a few ice cream parlors in Budapest worthy of mention and Fragola is one of them. A locally owned shop featuring 120 original homemade flavors, Fragola is famed for the the quality of the ingredients. With several locations in town, you don’t have to venture to Szent István Park to try it but if you are in the neighborhood, don’t pass it by.

With its checkered tablecloths and rustic style, this sweet and cheery restaurant has all the charms of its retro theme without the cobwebs. The traditional dishes are served with a modern flair and excellent service, making it feel like the best of both worlds. Though the menu isn't particularly extensive, the Hungarian classics like crispy duck leg and beef goulash are well prepared, using products from local farmers' markets. You can't go wrong, unless you forget to follow dinner with a pálinka. Make sure to reserve online. 

Need something to take the taste of Kossuth Spring water out of your mouth? Stroll to this nearby café and patisserie, once a popular haunt of actress Lujza Blaha (who lived opposite), to sample its fine selection of homemade cakes, pastries, and pies. As well as offering excellent coffee and baked goods, Kedves is also a popular spot for breakfast and brunch; try the fried bread with blue cheese and pears. In the summer there's a lovely tree-shaded terrace that blocks almost the entire sidewalk.

Kürtőskalács (chimney cake) is a traditional Transylvanian spit cake and popular street food, as pervasive in Budapest as Belgian waffles in Western Europe. This charming little shop offers tasty homemade kürtős kalács and classic sweets from an adorable gazebo-style shop in the middle of the park.

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 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.

An extremely cute and colorful little café where the focus is on elegant, delicately constructed cakes, along with other desserts, pies, puddings, and cookies. The sweet treats are baked daily by the owner and make for fun energy boosters for weary travelers.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.