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Mayday celebrations / Restaurant reservations

Posted by (USA) on

Hi all,
I've been lurking and enjoying past conversations but my trip is finally starting to feel real -- and I can work on details now!

We're coming in on a Friday evening and will be there 5 nights. I'm wondering how far in advance I need to make a restaurant reservation , and for which restaurants it's necessary. I see reservation phone numbers on many websites. If there is an email reservation, that is simple. But some just have a phone number.

We are not going to the highest-end places, but I'd like to treat my daughter to 2 or 3 memorable restaurant experiences. She is vegetarian but as long as there are a couple of choices it should be fine. A couple places on JamesE's list really appeal to me. Paprika Etterem and RÉZKAKAS for the music.
Other times we'll wing it and go to a place like the Karavan, pubs, etc.

One of the days is May 1 - May Day. It looks like there could be something interesting happening that day. Does anyway have info on where to look or where to show up?

My adult daughter (21) and I will spend 5 nights + 4 full days in Budapest! We have train tickets to Prague on day 5.

Posted by
2669 posts

One of my most favorite trips to Budapest included being there for the May 1 celebrations…this was in 2017, and I just looked at a website called We Love Budapest to find out what was happening where. I started with a few hours in the Varosliget (City Park, end of Andrassy ut, metro line 1 which was very crowded in the afternoon), mingling with the Hungarians, who love a reason to celebrate—music, displays, great food and beer that was very cheap. Later I headed to Deak Ferenc ter to watch the Formula 1 races on Andrassy—totally not something we would see in the US, think race cars on 5th Avenue for context.

I travel solo so I just pop into restaurants and haven’t made reservations anywhere, can’t help you there.

Posted by
19773 posts

AS christa pointed out, its generally a celebration day in town. I will have to say the last couple of years prior to COVID they did cut back a bit. At one time there was a true Formula One type race trough town and that was replaced with more of a demonstration up and down Andrassy ut. The Air Show has also been gone for a few years. But Andrassy ut is closed off, lined with vendors and concerts and it’s a lot of fun.

Its odd, I cant find anything published, but I wills suggest in the past the activities have been in front of the Basilica, on Andrassy ut, and in front of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

May Day runs concurrent with the Spring Festival, so a great time to be there. https://budapestitavaszifesztival.hu/en/

Posted by
8 posts

Thank you, both, for the replies!
That We Love Budapest website is wonderful. It highlighted an Art Deco exhibit at the Hungarian National museum which is very interesting to me.

May Day sounds wonderful! There's nothing I like better when travelling than coming upon a local celebration.

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