I finally arrived and love love love my flat. I stayed at Hilton in castle district buda sidefirst night and rented a flat in Central pest for three weeks.
I've only navigated my hotel and apartment so far. All saints day all closed, so grocery at a small store for eggs and a few items.
Open to many suggestions. Preference is less touristy as I want to practice speaking hungarian!
Ps hi james- I finally made it!!!!
Oh - your friends wine bar?
Jette
I've stayed on the Buda side when I've been in Budapest, so that's where these are located:
If you're craving something meaty, like a good burger or steak, Meat Boutique, Lánchíd utca 7-9
Just down the street from there, Marvelosa, Lánchíd utca 13. Best roast duck I've had, and warm apple cake for dessert, also nice breakfasts. www.marvelosa.eu
Csalogány 26, Csalogány utca 26, Rough Guide to Budapest calls this "undoubtedly one of Budapest's finest restaurants". Delicious food and impeccable service.
If you're near Battyány tér and just want a snack, Steamhouse Cafe on the 2nd floor of the market building. You can sit by the window and look across the river at the Parliament.
Another cafe in that area, Coyote, Markovits Iván u. 4, good for a sandwich and great coffee (but I don't think there's anywhere in Budapest that doesn't make good coffee)
And right near there is an adorable little cupcake bakery, called (what else) Cupcake, Iskola utca 34
Pavilon de Paris, Fő utca 20-22, in an historic building, esp. nice in summer when you can eat out in the garden surrounded by trees and flowers. A bit pricey, but very good food.
Krystia - excellent I am taking notes.
I have these on my notes - please inform me if these are too touristy. I am ok with touristy for a great place, but I am not interested in Gundel whaterver etc.
Last night I stayed in castle district and ate at 21 Madgar Vendeglo. I really enjoyed the food and wine and it was a block or two from the hilton in buda side.
now I am in central pest for 3 weeks and have written notes to try the following. Not in any order, except the first 3 are recommended by my apartment host and DK guide alike. He also recommended where I went last night - which was a fluke.
After that, my DK guide highly recommends these...
Aranyszarvas Vendeglo intl (gellert and taban area)
Cafe Bouchon - (french) parliament area
Central Kavehaz Cefe (central pest)
Borbirosag (central pest)
Bock Bisztro (near varosliget area)
La Perle Naiple Intl (varosliget area)
Further out - Rosenstein - highly recommended - not in area that you would expect - but excellent per guide.
Additionally, my host at apartment highly recommended Andante for food and fine wine.
Let me know ;)
I will eat sometimes here, but out for 10+ days for sure.
In 2011, there with my kids, we found the Marxim Pizza. It is a pizza place with retro-kitsch commie-stalgia pizza names. On the Buda side.
We ate in Menza on that trip, and it was fine. I don't remember the meal, but generally good.
My 500th post, and the super-valuable green-square decal!!
I think any place listed in a guide book will be "touristy". But Csalogány 26 is definitely worth a visit. I was there with my daughter, we had the four-course menu and tried 4 different wines. My daughter wanted to get the names of the wines, when she asked the waiter what they were instead of just repeating the names (he had told us when he served them) he made a copy of the menu and wine list for her, marked everything that we ate and which wines went with what course. Also told us about the different vineyards that they came from. That's why I said the service was impeccable.
welovebudapest.com has lots of lists of various types of restaurants.
We just went into whatever looked interesting in whatever area we happened to be in.
thank you
The wine bar is called Kadarka. It is at the corner of Vasvari Pal utca and Kiraly utca which is very near the Opera House.
Here are some of my favorites. They all are mostly Hungarian on the menu except for Zing Burger, Café Vian, Lancelots and Hachaupri. And I could make the list 5 times longer. Most of these are an easy distance from the Opera House. Another new one that I like a lot is a Spanish place called El Asador de Pata Negra at Paulay Ede u. 39, Reservations: patanegra.hu
Phone: +36 1 406 2728
EXCELLENT HUNG / JEWISH ($$)
1 MACESZ HUSZÁR
District VII, Dob street 26.
+36 1 787 6164 / +36 30 499 5585
www.maceszhuszar.hu
ALL YOU CAN EAT HUNGARIAN ($$$)
2 TRÓFEA GRILL
District VI, Kiraly utca. 30-32.
+36 1 878 0522 / +36 20 999 8797
http://kiraly.trofeagrill.eu/
GYPSY MUSIC & GOOD FOOD ($$$)
4 RÉZKAKAS BISTRO
District V, Sas utca 3
+36 1 318-0038 / +36 1 267-0349
http://www.rezkakasbistro.hu
IF CHILI’S OPENED A HUNGARIAN RESTAURANT THIS WOULD BE IT ($$)
5 VAKVARJÚ ÉTTEREM
District VI, Paulay Ede utca 7
+ 36 1 268 08 88
www.vakvarju.com/
I NEED! A HAMBURGER . BUY THE CATSUP ACROSS THE STREET ($)
6 ZING BURGER
District VI, Kiraly Utca 60
+36 70 639 7917
NEW IN-PLACE IN TOWN ($$)
8 HUNGARIKUM BISTRO
District V, Steindl Imre u. 13.
+36 30 661 6244
http://hungarikumbisztro.hu
VERY GOOD HUNGARIAN FOOD FOR THE PRICE ($$)
9 BELVÁROSI LUGAS
VENDÉGLŐ
District VI, Bajcsy Zsilinszky u.15
+36 1 302 5393
http://lugas-etterem.com/
MY FAVORITE WINE BAR HAS GREAT FOOD. ($$)
10 KADARKA BÁR
District VI, Király utca 42
+36 1 266 5094
GOOD BREAKFAST ($$)
11 CAFÉ VIAN
District VII, Király u. 13
+36 1 878 1350
GOOD HUNGARIAN BREAKFAST ($$)
12 FRAPPANS
District VII, Király u. 15, www.frappans.com
+36 1 798 5030
SWORD FIGHTS & BELLY
DANCERS ($$)
13 SIR LANCELOT
District VI, Podmaniczky u. 14
www.sirlancelot.hu
+36 1 302 4456
GOOD CHEAP TYP. HUNGARIAN ($)
14 FRICI PAPA KIFŐZDÉJE
District VI, Király u. 55
http://www.fricipapa.hu
+36 1 351 0197
YOU CAME FOR EXOTIC SO EAT
GEROGIAN VERY GOOD ($$)
15 HACHAPURI
District VI, Andrássy út 3
http://www.hachapuri.com
+36 1 317 5479
If you would like a change from Hungarian food, I highly recommend Taverna Dionysos on the riverbank in Pest. The food was fantastic and the service was excellent. My wife especially liked the desserts. You won't go wrong here if you like Greek food. We ate there two weeks ago on our last night in Budapest and was sorry that we didn't have one more night in town to return there.
thank you James
robert - i love greek food. i am also looking at the many restaurants offering gluten free. not sure about hungarian foods yet. I had wheat accidentally the first night - excellent dinner but prefer to stay well ;)
My favorite restaurants:
My favorites ---
Bock Bistzro - Love Love Love! Gluten free options
Hachapuri - excellent ( thanks James) gf options
Dorumba or rumdoba- I need to look up! Gf options
Hummus bar- inexpensive and excellent food gf options
Ok Italy was pretty good.gf options
Menza was pretty good/ but better to have a drink at menza and go to Bock for dinner. Gf options
New York cafe- nice to look at but not impressed with food
Astoria Hotel- not impressed, but nice for a coffee or drink.
Still have a few days left- Indian food tomorrow!
Yes on travel pass!!!! Everyone- thank you- it is awesome!
Still want to try Csalogány 26 and Kadarka wine bar- running out of time!
I spent a few days in Budapest this past September. I would highly recommend the restaurant Barack és Szilva (Peach and Plum) in the Jewish quarter. It had an informal atmosphere, very pleasant service, great food and wonderful live music (I think it is called a hammered dulcimer). I'd definitely return.
