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. Gluttonous Thursday (Torkos Csütörtök) in Budapest Restaurants 23rd February 2012 - Pay 50% less - eat and drink half price in the participating restaurants. An excellent opportunity to try the Hungarian cuisine and wines. Reservation is highly recommended because the program is very popular among locals. More information on participating restaurants is at Torkos Csutortok. 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 pricey restaurants with the same level of quality dishes and service.

21 Magyar $$$-$$$$
Address: Fortuna utca 21.
Tel: +36 1 202 21 13
Open: every day 11.00-24.00

A friendly, bistro-style place in Buda castle with traditional Hungarian dishes prepared in modern way. Some great wines from Hungary's best wineries are offered, a few of them by the glass.

Aranyszarvas Restaurant $$$-$$$$
Address: Szarvas tér 1., I. District
Tel: +36 1 375 6451
Open: 12.00-23.00 every day

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. The wine list contains some fine wines form Hungary's major wine producing regions. There are wines from Transylvania (Feketleányka -1 200 HUF/1.5 dl). All wines are available by the glass.

Búsuló Juhász $$$ Address: Kelenhegyi út 58., district XI., on the top of Gellert Hill Tel: (+36 1) 209 1649 Open: every day: 12.00-24.00 Búsuló Juhász is a classy restaurant within a relaxing, green surrounding. A perfect place to have delicious meal after strolling on Gellert Hill.

The cuisine is a combination of traditional Hungarian cooking with a touch of modern gastronomy.

Csalogány 26 $$ - $$$
Address: Csalogány utca 26., district I., M2 metro, Batthyány tér station
Tel: (+36 1) 201 7892
Opening hours: Tue-Sat: 12.00-15.00 and 19.00-22.00, Sun, Mon: closed

Despite its unassuming look and non-creative name (named after the address) Csalogány 26 offers some of the best Hungarian food among Budapest restaurants. The menu changes frequently according to the season's offerings.

Hunyadi Restaurant $$$-$$$$
Address: Hunyadi J. utca 17., district I.
Tel: (+36 1) 212 7740
Opening hours: 12.00-23.00 daily

A lesser known eatery with mainly Hungarian meals on the menu: goulash, paprikás, duck, lamb, beef, pork dishes. Around 20 Hungarian wines are on offer all of them available by the glass.

Fülemüle $$$ - $$$$
Address: Kőfaragó utca 5. VIII., M2 metro or trams 4, 6 Blaha Lujza tér stop
Tel: (+36 1) 266 7947
Website: Fülemüle

A more homey than sleek place favored by locals, expats and tourists alike. Large protions of hearty Hungarian and Jewish fare are served.

Márgál $$$
Address: Király utca 53., district VIII.
Tel: (+36 1) 789 9807
Opening hours: Tue-Fri: 11:30-15:00, 18:00-23:30,
18:00-23:30, Sun-Mon: closed

The interior of Márgál (formerly Ráspy Étterem) evokes elegant countryside atmosphere. Only fresh and natural ingredients are used for preparing local dishes. Even the bread and pasta are made on the spot. Some great wines form Hungary and abroad are on the wine card.

Százéves Étterem $$$ (100-year-old Restaurant)
Address: Pesti Barnabás utca 2., district V.
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.

Dió Restaurant & Bar $$$-$$$$
Address: Sas utca 4., district V. near St. Stephen's Basilica
Tel: (+36 1) 328 0360
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 12.00-24.00

A sleek resto in a street near the Basilica on Szt. István Square. The best of traditional Hungarian cuisine dominates the menu prepared and served in inventive way. The 3 set menus cost cc. 7 000-8 500 HUF, but you can also sample a la carte. You can choose from a list of delicious wines to go with your meal.

Vadrózsa Restaurant $$$$
Address: Pentelei Molnár utca 15., district II., on Rózsa domb (Rose Hill) in the Buda Hills
Tel: (+36 1) 326 5817
Open: 12.00-15.00 and 19.00-24.00

An up-market restaurant in a baroque villa favoured by Hungarian and foreign politicians, artists and other famous people (view their guest book). It's a bit far from the city center tucked away in the Buda Hills. If you really want to impress someone, take it to Vadrózsa, but you'd better don't look at the price list.

Gundel $$$$
Address: Állatkerti körút 2., district XIV.
Tel: +36 1 468 4040

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.

The wine list is quite impressive including some 20 wines by the glass, the Gundel wines from Tokaj region, other wines form Hungary's main wine regions and some imported wines. Elegant dress is required.

Nádor Wine Restaurant $$$ - $$$$
Address: Nádor utca 30., district V.
Tel: (+36 1) 302 3086
Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 11.00-24.00, sun: closed

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).

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Unpretentious Hungarian Restaurants in Budapest

Vár: A Speiz Restaurant $$$-$$$$
Address: Hess Andráss tér 6., district I., Buda Castle, across the Hilton Hotel
Tel: (+36 1) 488 7416

A fairly new place in Buda Castle known for traditional Hungarian dishes with a touch of

It is a cozy place with a modern vibe where you can have a relaxed lunch or dinner after exploring the sights in the castle district. They have a special menu of breaded and deep fried meat dishes. The wine card includes some lesser known bottles by Hungarian wine makers. Quite a few of them can be ordered by the glass.

Városfal Vendéglő $$-$$$
Address: Bakfark Bálint utca 2., district II., opposite Mamut II. shopping center
Tel: (+36 70) 311 3000
Opening hours: 11.00-23.00 every day

The name means "City Wall" and refers to the fact that parts of the building incorporate the original wall surrounding the historic city of Buda and pest. It is a simple yet relaxing place with reasonably priced dishes. The daily menu of a soup and main course costs 990 HUF.

They have a wide selection of potato pancakes (tócsni) for 990 HUF. Seafood dishes are also on the menu. There's a lovely garden.

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 Open: Mon-Sun: 12.00-23.00

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.

Kéhli Restaurant $$-$$$
Address: Mókus utca 22., district III., Óbuda
Tel: (+36 1) 368 0613
Open: 12.00-22.30 every day

Although Kéhli is a bit out of the city center 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. The hearty Hungarian soups in cup (chicken broth, goulash, fisherman's soup, bena soup, cc. 700-900 HUF) are also worth a try.

Kisbuda Gyöngye Restaurant $$$
Address: Kenyeres utca 34., district III., Óbuda
Tel: (+36 1) 368 6402
Open: Tue-Sat: 12.00-23.00, Sun, Mon: closed

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 well-known by Hungarians from popular gastronomy television programs.

Borbíróság Restaurant $$$ Address: Vámház körút, next to the Great Market Hall Tel: (+36 1) 219 0902 An excellent wine restaurant offering approx. 100 high-quality Hungarian wines. The menu offers a culinary travel through Hungary, introducing the typical dishes of the various country regions.

Regős Vendéglő Address: Szófia utca 33., district VI., Tel: (+36 1) 321 1921 A very good and cheap traditional Hungarian inn where you can eat a whole range of Hungarain specialties. The daily menu (soup and main course) costs 850 HUF.

Hunyadi Kisvendéglő $$
Address: Hunyadi tér 10., district VI., near Oktogon, tram 4 and 6
Tel: (+36 20) 450 1648

A pleasant inn offering no-nonsense, tasty Hungarian dishes. The wines are not remarkable but inexpensive (240-300 HUF/1 dl). A very good-value place especially if you don't feel like going in a fancy, expensive restaurant.

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Where to Eat Authentic Hungarian Fish Soup?

Régi Sípos Halászkert $$
Address: Lajos utca 46., district III., 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., district I., 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., district IV.
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.

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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.

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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

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