The Best Hungarian Restaurants in Budapest

No visit to the Hungarian capital is complete without having a meal in one of the numerous Hungarian resturants in Budapest. Our list includes the best of them. Of course "best" means slightly different to everyone. We included in our best Hungarian restaurants in Budapest list those places that have the right combination of quality food, friendly and attentive service and the atmosphere.   Most restaurants offering traditional Hungarian dishes have live gypsy music in the evenings. You'll also find international dishes on the menu.

Elegant Hungarian Restaurants in Budapest
Unpretentious Hungarian Restaurants
Fish Restaurants in Budapest

Price Guide to Hungarian Restaurants in Budapest

To help you we indicate the price category (prices are per person for a three-course meal, without tip) after the name of the restaurants listed here:

Elegant Hungarian Restaurants in Budapest

This list includes some of the "must visit" places. These established restaurants usually have long time traditions, fine cuisine and service and their name ring a bell in foreign countries too.

Needless to say that prices are usually high, though they offer discount for certain occasions (e.g. sunday brunch).

Try a meal at these places if you don't mind digging deeper in your purse and if you want to impress your friends and relatives at home telling them about your culinary experiences in Budapest.

Otherwise Budapest has some less pretentious and pricy restaurants with the same level of quality dishes and service.

Gundel $$$
Address: Állatkerti körút 2., XIV. district
Tel: +36 1 321 3550

Perhaps the best known Budapest restaurant by foreigners. The elegant, turn-of-the-20th-century decoration, the fine cuisine and service make your dinner unforgettable.

You can admire masterpieces by Hungarian painters on the wall while you're waiting for your meal. Because of its fame Gundel is one of the most expensive restaurants in Budapest.

Try the Gundel pancake (palacsinta in Hungarian)., it has rich walnut stuffing and is served with velvety chocolate sauce. Elegant dress is required.

Kárpátia Restaurant & Brasserie $$$
Address: Ferenciek tere 7-8., V. district
Tel: (+36 1)

Another big name on the palette of Budapest restaurant scene that boasts with great experience in authentic Hungarian cuisine (has been operating since 1877).

Besides its cuisine other reasons that make Kárpátia a "must-see" place are its rich inside decor and the charming terrace in the courtyard tempting to have your meal outside. 15% discount for Budapest Card holders.

Százéves Étterem $$$ (100-year-old Restaurant)
Address: Pesti Barnabás utca 2., V. district
Tel: (+36 1) 318 3608

Opened in 1831 the Százéves Étterem is Budapest's oldest inn. The beautiful baroque building has a rustic interior that provides an excellent atmosphere to taste Hungarian dishes.

In the evening candlelight and gypsy music make it a fine place for a romantic dinner. The building is a protected monument. Some of the kitchen utensils are historical pieces too.

Vadrózsa Restaurant $$$
Address: Pentelei Molnár utca 15., II. district, on Rózsa domb (Rose Hill) in the Buda Hills
Tel: (+36 1) 326 5817

An up-market restaurant in a baroque villa favoured by Hungarian and foreign politicians, artists and other famous people (view their guest book).

If you really want to impress someone, take it to Vadrózsa, but you'd better don't look at the price list.

Nádor Wine Restaurant $$$
Address: Nádor utca 30., V. district
Tel: (+36 1) 302 3086

A new wine restaurant opened in the heart of Budapest offering a selection of 70 Hungarian wines, hearty Hungarian dishes and gypsy music. It was surprisingly empty on a Saturday evening when we had a pleasant dinner there.

The food was very tasty both my husband and I ate dishes made from Hungarian grey cattle. The pancakes filled with fresh cottage cheese and vanilla sauce was fabulous.
If you go there to taste Hungarian wines you can easily go bankrupt because you have to buy the whole bottle.

Only two types of wines are offered by the glass (for around 750 HUF/100 ml).

Unpretentious Hungarian Restaurants in Budapest

Bagolyvár (Owl's Castle) $$

If Gundel is too expensive for you, taste Hungarain home-style cooking in Bagolyvár next door.

Address: Állatkerti körút 3., XIV. district
Tel: + 36 1 468 3110

Náncsi Néni Vendéglője $$ (Aunt Náncsi's Restaurant)
Address: Ördögárok u. 80, Budapest, II. district, take a taxi to get there
Tel: (+36 1) 397 2742

This familiy-run restaurant is a bit out of the city center, way up in the Buda Hills. If you want to have home-style Hungarian dishes in rustic surroundings and enjoy the peacefullness of the leafy hills, Náncsi Néni is the place for you.

The restaurant received its name after the niece of Budapest's first mayor. You can have your meal in the garden under shady trees from spring till autmn

If you have a baby or little kids, you have all the facilities here to enjoy your meal: baby dresser, high chair, playground, swing, washroom and considerate staff. To make your Hungarian dining complete, you can listen to live gipsy music in the evenings.

See other fine garden restaurants in Budapest.

Aranyszarvas Restaurant $$
Address: Szarvas tér 1., I. District
Tel: +36 1 375 6451

The place to have game dishes, wild boar, hare, deer, fish specialities. The strudel with various stuffings make a dinner here a complete culinary indulgence.

The restaurant operates in a 300-year old building, at the foot of the Castle Hill. In summer you can enjoy the stunning panorama from the terrace.

Kéhli Restaurant $$
Address: Mókus utca 22., III. district, Óbuda
Tel: (+36 1) 368 0613

Although Kéhli is a bit out of the city centre it's worth the effort of getting there to try its traditional Hungarian cuisine. The Kéhly family opened it at the end of the 19th century.

Do try their speciality the bone marrow on toast, though it might not seem tempting, it's delicious.

Kisbuda Gyöngye Restaurant $$$
Address: Kenyeres utca 34., III.district, Óbuda
Tel: (+36 1) 368 6402

Kisbuda Gyöngye represents another "pearl" of traditional Hungarian cooking (literally translating the name means pearl of small Buda).

A small but charming restaurant in the outer Óbuda district in Pest that offers excellent food and wines and old-world ambience. The chef, Péter Buday is a well-known by Hungarians from a popular gastronomy television program.

Búsuló Juhász $$$
Address: Kelenhegyi út 58., XI. district, on the top of Gellert Hill
Tel: (+36 1) 209 1649

A perfect place to have delicious meal after strolling on Gellert Hill. The quisine is a combination of traditional Hungarian cooking with a touch of modern gastronomy.

Víg Kalmár Restaurant $
Address: Fő utca 78., XV. district
Tel: (+36 1) 308-0023

An inexpensive restaurant with tasty home-style cooking.

Wide variety of soups, game dishes, and outstandingly rich desserts selection (try the dumplings stuffed with plum or apricot and covered with sugary poppy seed) make up for the out of the way location.

Even vegetarians will find good food here.

Borbíróság Restaurant $$$
Address: Vámház körút, next to the Great Market Hall
Tel: (+36 1) 219 0902

An excellent wine restaurant offering 60 quality Hungarian wines. The menu offers a culinary travel through Hungary, because it introduces the typical dishes of the various country regions.

Regős Vendéglő
Address: Szófia utca 33., VI. district,
Tel: (+36 1) 321 1921

A very good and cheap traditional Hungarian restaurant, here you can eat a whole range of Hungarain specialities.

Where to Eat Authentic Hungarian Fish Soup?

Régi Sípos Halászkert $$
Address: Lajos utca 46., III.district, Óbuda
Tel: (+36 1) 368 6480

Undoubtedly the best fish restuarant in Budapest title must go for the Régi Sípos Halászkert.


Horgásztanya $
Address: Fő utca 27., I. district, not far from the Chain Bridge
Tel: (+36 1) 212 3780

If you want to stay in the city centre you can have delicious fish soup at Horgásztanya at the price of sligthly grumpy service and kitch decor (fishing net hanging from the ceiling and a boat at the back of the room).

Öreghalász Étterem $$
Address: Árpád út 20., IV. district
Tel: (+36 1) 231 0800

Offers a variety of fish soups (you know that every region in Hungary has its own style of making fish soup, don't you?

See our Fisherman's Soup recipe on our Hungarian Christmas Recipes page.), wide selection of meat dishes and some vegetarian courses too.

Don't miss the Wine and Gastro Days in Budapest in mid-September.

Where Did You Eat the Best Goulash in Budapest?

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Related Pages from Our Website

Budapest Restaurants - an introduction to the city's rich restaurant scene.

Best Restaurants in Budapest - a list of carefully selected resturants that we think deserve to be called best restaurants based on factors like food, service and atmosphere.

Hungarian Cuisine - history and characteristics of Hungary's gastronomy.

Hungarian Dishes - introduction to typical Hungarian meals, including soups, main dishes and desserts.

Hungarian Paprika

Hungarian Goulash

Indian Restaurants in Budapest

Italian Restaurants in Budapest

Gerbeaud Cafe - learn about the history of the legendary coffee hosue.

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