113 Best Restaurants in Hungary

Whatever you do in Tihany, don't miss this extraordinary hilltop bakery-café. Not only does it have the best coffee and cake anywhere in town, with many of the brews and bakes incorporating Tihany's signature crop lavender, but its terrace offers breathtaking views across the shimmering blue waters of Lake Balaton. And they don't only do cakes: there's also a great choice of ice creams—including, you guessed it, lavender flavor—as well as light bites from sandwiches to salads. Located just below the Benedictine Abbey, Apátsági Rege is rightly popular, so prepare to wait for a table in high season.

A favorite of early-20th-century Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy, the Golden Dragon restaurant has been welcoming locals and tourists for decades. Set within a small, sloped-roof house, it's known for its charming Hungarian decor and its meat- and fish-heavy menu; highlights include the velős pirítós (bone marrow on toast), sárkányerøleves (dragon's bouillon) with quail eggs, and mézes-mázas libasteak (honey-glazed goose steak). The extensive wine list offers the inquisitive palate a good sampling of local Hungarian viniculture.

For dinner with a view, it's hard to beat the Owl Castle, an unusual pseudo-cellar restaurant that is not only aboveground but situated high up on the hill in the Tettye district of Pécs. Take a seat in the brick-vaulted interior to enjoy the carved columns, decorative furnace, and folksy bric-a-brac, or sit out on the terrace surrounded by orchards—the fruit from which is used to make the potent house pálinkas—for spectacular city views. The food is traditional Hungarian fare, from beef goulash to chicken paprikash, but uncommonly tasty and beautifully presented. Don't fancy the drive back down the hill after dinner? Then stay in one of the restaurant's five comfortable suites (unrelated to the nearby, but separately run, Bagolyvár Hotel).

This modern European bistro is considered one of Hungary's best restaurants, so it's well worth the 25-minute walk from the lakeside. The stylish, stripped-back interior—all exposed brick walls, wooden-beamed ceilings, and distressed leather chairs—makes the perfect setting for a culinary adventure. Chef Balázs Elek offers a succinct à la carte menu that changes with the seasons, as well as a comparatively good value five-course tasting menu (21,800 HUF). Dishes might include duck leg with potato gratin, tomato fish stew, and beef cheek with forest mushrooms. The menu suggests wines to complement each dish, but there's an extensive list with many more if you prefer to choose your own.

This bustling former butcher shop is filled with hanging plants, eclectic artwork, and trendy locals who come as much for the atmosphere as for the food. The menu changes seasonally, but expect café standards given contemporary uplifts: heaping tapas platters, Asian fusion meat-and-veg, plus a popular assortment of burgers and comforting sandwiches. Snag a table outside in the summer, or up in the gallery when it's cold out.

A classic turn-of-the-20th-century gathering spot for Hungarian writers, this coffeehouse has endured two wars and a communist closure. Today, it offers 19th-century grandeur in 21st-century luxury: coffees are served on silver trays with glasses of mineral water like in the old days, but in air-conditioned comfort. Open early until late, the café's menu spans everything from light, international breakfasts to substantial Hungarian dinners like crispy duck leg and chicken paprikash.

With its hearty Hungarian fare, rustic atmosphere, and unbeatable location in full view of the basilica, the Pork Knuckle Tavern has long been popular with locals and visitors alike. Knuckles are, of course, the specialty here, and if you've never tried this succulent dish, now's your chance. Bean soup with knuckle is enough for a small meal but to really fill up, try the Baking Dish Knuckle: smoked, sliced pork knuckle fried with potatoes and smothered with a garlicky sour cream sauce and served in a baking dish with bacon bits sprinkled on top.

Cheap, fresh, and tasty, Duran's open-faced sandwiches are the ideal quick lunch or snack to power your day. Choose from cured meats or smoked fish, local cheese or vegetable spreads, all on sliced soft white baguette. The family dates its baking history to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and its first Budapest sandwich spot to 1968.

On a quiet side street a block from Várkerület, away from the main tourist drag, this excellent restaurant serves delicious, inventive dishes in a choice of beautiful settings: take your pick from the wood-beamed rooms upstairs, the beautiful 18th century brick-vaulted wine cellar below, or the leafy garden terrace outside. The menu features high quality, overwhelmingly meaty and fishy Hungarian fare, like roasted duck leg and paprika catfish, though some vegetarian options do exist. If you find yourself too deep in the extensive wine list, there are 18 comfortable rooms available to rent.

Pre-COVID, Fricska was a rare example of casual fine dining in Budapest, elevating Hungarian classics in a spacious underground spot on a quiet street in the Jewish district. Two years after it closed, Fricska 2.0 has reemerged to fill a significant void in the city’s dining scene. The menu is concise and constantly evolving—just a few starters and half a dozen mains—but everything is exemplary, unifying fresh local ingredients with haute cuisine techniques. Expect staples such duck, boar, and various river fish. Prices are steep for the area, but reasonable given the quality.

For lively, contemporary takes on Hungarian classics, there’s nowhere better than Gettó Gulyás. "Gettó" refers to its inspired setting, in the heart of the Jewish ghetto, and "gulyás" to the country’s most famous culinary export: goulash. Here, rich, hearty stews are served alongside daring seasonal offerings including game meats, river fish, and even rooster testicles. It's all paired with a curated list of fine, affordable Hungarian wines. Save room for the homestyle desserts.

A restaurant since the late 1800s but most recently refurbished in summer 2019, Hableány remains a Badacsony favorite for its delicious Hungarian dishes incorporating fresh, local ingredients—think slow-cooked Mangalica chuck, or squash with grilled paprika and dill. As well as a bistro, the building incorporates a state-of-the-art winery; you can take the factory tour, sample a glass at the wine bar, or pick up a take-out bottle in the wine shop. "Hableány" means "mermaid," and there's a large mural outside that depicts the local legend of a hill god who fell for a mermaid; he leapt into the lake, creating a splash that extinguished the volcanic Mt. Badacsony.

Run by three young Vietnamese-Hungarians with a passion for cooking and a background in fashion and design, this trendy Asian-fusion restaurant is a sister restaurant to popular Sáo in the Jewish Quarter. The stylish setting features contemporary art, concrete columns, and Vietnamese ceramic bowls, and the menu includes all the expected (slightly overpriced) pan-Asian staples.

The Art Deco facade of the Little Cuckoo restaurant evokes the history of this fashionable residential neighborhood street. The setting today is comfortable; wood-paneled walls and leather-upholstered chairs give the place a sophisticated, albeit homey, feel. Sunday finds multigenerational Hungarian families enjoying the familiar and attentive service. All the classic Hungarian poultry dishes are well done, including goose and duck leg with cabbage, and there are a few refined dishes, too, such as veal medallions in cream sauce and lamb with rosemary.

This elegant Győr restaurant is widely considered one of the best in Hungary, renowned for its refined dining room—all dangling chandeliers and white tablecloths—and its distinctive dishes, which take the conventions of Hungarian cuisine and give them subtle Mediterranean twists. Think beef tenderloin strips with pappardelle and gorgonzola, or duck breast with port wine and roasted gnocchi. Everything's beautifully presented and servers are happy to help with wine pairings. Room for dessert? If it's on the menu, opt for the flódni, a traditional cake of Hungary's Jewish community that has five layers of dough filled with plum jam, walnut, poppy seed, and apple.

This traditional Viennese-style coffeehouse has one of the most beautiful interiors in Kecskemét, with elaborate wall frescoes, gorgeous mosaic floors, and gold-framed mirrors. Come for the decor, stay for the decorative cakes and pastries, from distinctly Hungarian creations like somlói kocka to French patisserie classics like éclairs and macarons. There are vegan cakes and pastries, too, as well as a small selection of sandwiches and other savory options.

Considered one of the best restaurants not only in Eger but in the whole of Hungary, Macok is the city's most coveted dining experience. Yet it isn't formal and stuffy: this is a playful, colorful, and elegant bistro offering a menu full of upscale comfort food, including confit duck leg with cabbage-flavored pasta, toasted rabbit with potato donuts, and risotto with porcini mushrooms. As this is Eger, wine also plays an important part on the menu, with vintages culled from the best Eger has to offer.

On the very edge of District 6, you'll find Menza, one of the city's best Hungarian restaurants, incredibly consistent and serving international spins on classic local cuisine. Hearty, Central European favorites like goulash, lecso (ratatouille), and schnitzel sit comfortably next to cauliflower steak, pulled lamb in Moroccan spices, and fresh pastas. Drinks affordably showcase Hungary's finest wineries alongside contemporary cocktails. The servers are quick and chipper, and it's all very good value. No wonder a line of eager diners forms outside every night.

"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.

In the heart of downtown Veszprém, this restaurant is a little tricky to find—look for the covered alley off the southeastern edge of Óváros Tér—but it's as charming as they come, with dim lighting and stylish decor, fine Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, and unfailingly friendly staff. The interior of the establishment is decorated in soft Mediterranean colors, including olive-green banquettes and funky artworks, while the lovely, leafy terrace has live music several nights a week. There's also a hotel here, offering 20 comfortable rooms and good wellness facilities, including an outdoor Jacuzzi.

This little bakery serves some of the best bread in the city, as well as lip-smacking savory and sweet pastries. It's popular with locals, so don't be surprised to find queues outside at breakfast and lunchtime.

Its dramatic setting under soaring vaulted ceilings in the old basilica's cellar is just one of this contemporary dining room's many attractions. Add an enticing menu of Hungarian and international dishes, the city's best wine selection (with information boards on all of the country's distinct wine-growing regions), and surprisingly low prices, and you've got the top choice in town. Dishes change seasonally, but there is always a good mix of delicious meat, fish, and vegetarian options that aspire to something beyond your average fare, always fresh and well prepared. If it's on the menu when you visit, opt for the fluffy pancakes stuffed with paprika chicken, spinach, and sour cream. Though popular, the space is big enough that it never feels crowded.

A favorite local lunch stop for more than three decades, and recently revived by enthusiastic owner Dániel Andrusch, this cozy streetside restaurant serves the most authentic Hungarian food in Víziváros. It's deliciously hearty, meaty stuff, from thick goulash stews to fist-sized schnitzel cordon bleu, but make sure you save space for dessert—particularly the giant, lip-smacking túrógombóc (cottage cheese dumpling).

Rosenstein is where Hollywood stars dine when they visit Budapest, and it's probably the best place to experience Hungarian cuisine—if you can get a table. The family-run restaurant offers an extensive menu, from classic dishes including goulash and paprikash, to more Jewish-tinged favorites such as cholent and matzo ball soup. Don't let its rundown neighborhood location fool you: inside, it's bow-tied waiters, white tablecloths, and fine wines, but the prices are affordable given the quality. 

Tucked away in a pretty valley to the west of Castle Hill, Villa Medici is widely considered to be one of the region's best restaurants—and for good reason. The setting is simply beautiful, whether you dine in the attractive interior, featuring walls lined with original artworks, or out on the charming lamplit garden terrace, set around a lily pond. The service from the formal white-gloved staff is impeccable, and the food is superb. Choose from a selection of five-course set menus (prices range from 23,900 to 26,900 HUF) to enjoy well-presented dishes à la carte, including porcini cream soup, smoked red tuna steak, and quail breast and thigh. Villa Medici also has a few hotel rooms, though some old-fashioned decor means they don't reach the standard of the restaurant.

A classic turn-of-the-20th-century gathering spot for Hungarian writers of the Nyugat (West) magazine, this coffeehouse has endured two wars and a communist closure. For 19th-century grandeur in 21st-century comfort, this popular café can't be beat. Coffees are served on silver trays with glasses of mineral water just as in the old days, but these days they are enjoyed in air-conditioned comfort. The menu includes substantial dishes like hortobágyi palacsinta (meat pancakes with paprika sauce) and borjú paprikás (paprika veal stew) all day. Don't miss the excellent cakes and pastries, on view in a glass display case.

The recently renovated Széll Kálmán tér has become a hub for young and fashionable Buda residents, which in turn has prompted new restaurant openings, such as that of 101 Bistro. It’s a Taiwanese-influenced lively restaurant with excellent dishes; the braised sweet-sour pork is especially good.

This bustling Italian restaurant and pizzeria, with a huge terrace that opens onto the bustling Jókai Square, is a perennial Pécs favorite. The menu includes some 20 kinds of pizza, all cooked in an authentic wood-burning stove, along with a huge choice of pastas, risottos, and salads. Not an Italian enthusiast? There are plenty of traditional Hungarian meat, poultry, and fish dishes, too.

It doesn't look like much from outside, but this conveniently located downtown diner has gained a loyal following for its simple but satisfying cuisine. The menu mainly comprises delicious grilled meat and fish dishes, though there are some other Balkan specialties on offer, including lepények (a pizza-like pastry stuffed with meat or cheese). Service can be gruff and unsmiling, but that's almost part of the charm.

Sometimes you just need a good burger and a great beer, and Bölcső delivers. For that reason, and its proximity to the nearby university buildings, it can be busy with students in the evening, but for lunch it's a relaxed stop. In warm weather, you can sit out on the street.