What to Eat, Drink and See in Budapest, According to Locals

It was Budapest’s bohemian soul that first gripped me when I moved to the Hungarian capital from New York City 10 years ago. Although that underground allure has given way to a decidedly more polished sheen in recent years, the city continues to crackle with an inviting quirkiness.

Traditional no-frills Hungarian restaurants are still beloved for their paprika-laden chicken (csirkepaprikás) and cabbage rolls filled with minced pork (töltött káposzta), but now they mingle with equally sought-after newcomers that mix more inventive dishes with fashionable interiors.

Likewise, the once wildly popular “ruin bar” concept, which revolves around compellingly mismatched furniture set in a dilapidated building, now shares the nightlife landscape with a rising cocktail scene and natural wine haunts that exude enthusiasm for food pairings.

A long weekend offers only a taste of Budapest’s treasures, but with this food- and drink-fueled 36-hour itinerary—balanced with a smattering of cultural destinations—you’ll become acquainted with the city in one of the most vibrant ways.

Cabrio exterior. Image Courtesy of Cabrio

Friday

3 pm Settle in with a late lunch

Hidden away in District II, on the Buda side of the Danube river, Mandragóra attracts locals for its ever-changing contemporary menu. There’s the sphere of roasted goat cheese topped with apricot, for example, as well as the salmon tartare enlivened by a mess of tomato, rhubarb and raspberry. Mark Csepreghy, co-owner of the District VI bar Parlé, likes dining here because it’s “unpretentious and maintains a neighborhood restaurant feel,” he says. “It’s Hungarian-inspired cuisine, but the kitchen is always tinkering with modernist elements.”

5 pm Wander the Castle District

It’s a 15-minute walk to the atmospheric Castle District and the hypnotizing sculpture garden that awaits at Koller Gallery. Nearby are the striking neo-Gothic Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion, the enchanting—albeit tourist-packed—neo-Romanesque monument that flaunts one of Budapest’s most panoramic views.

Cafe Pebbles interior. Image Courtesy of Cafe Pebbles

7 pm Explore the natural wine scene

Begin at Parlé, Csepreghy’s laidback, community-driven bar where films animate the ceiling and wine tastings abound. Morph into evening mode with a glass of Pinot Noir from Slovakia’s Kövesd winery, founded by Hungarian pals Attila Sánta and Zoltán Varga.

Then, keep the natural wine vibes flowing at Pebbles, a homey space down the street founded by Turkish native Merve Ilgım Deprem that puts the spotlight on vegetarian cooking from Anatolia, the peninsula comprising the majority of Türkiye. Don’t miss the grape leaves stuffed with sour cherry-tinged rice or bottles from small producers like France’s Les Errances.

As an alternative, Deprem is a fan of the constantly rotating natural wines and imaginative dishes served at Cabrio’s flower-bedecked tables. “Chef Tomi has his own style, using seasonal, humble ingredients to create small yet impressive plates,” she says. “The burnt celeriac is my all-time favorite.”

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10:30 pm Close out the night with a beer

Budapest’s craft beer scene is booming, and Beer People, owned by American writer Duncan Robertson, is just the cozy spot to unwind with a crisp, floral Brew Your Mind lager made in Szekszárd, one of Hungary’s renowned wine regions.

Budapest, Hungary. July 2018. Palace of the postal savings bank in Budapest, Hungary. Getty Images

Saturday

8:30 am Kick off the day at one of Budapest’s best bakeries

Artizán—not far from the majestic dome-topped Hungarian Parliament Building and St. Stephen’s Basilica—deftly turns out pastries that star the likes of plum jam, jalapeño and cardamom. Bonus for architecture fans: Lechner Ödön’s Royal Postal Savings Bank, a Secessionist profusion of color, is across the street.

10 am Experience a booze nerd’s dream

Sipping or shooting Unicum, Hungary’s centuries-old bitter, herbal liqueur, is a national ritual. At the intimate Zwack Unicum Museum in District IX, riveting memorabilia provides insight into the visionary Zwack family that brought it to life.

12:30 pm Have brunch at a beautiful restaurant

A half-hour tram ride away, located in the gleaming MOL Campus skyscraper, Zazie Bistro&Bar is decked out with greenery and curving forms that emulate the Danube River below. Skip the usual eggs for refined takes on goulash (gulyás) soup and crepes folded with chicken (Hortobágyi), Hungarian staples.

3 pm Take an oenophile excursion

A 12-minute cab ride away from the bistro is Budafok, Budapest’s District XXII, dotted with thick stone-walled wine caves. Arguably, Sauska’s is the most prominent of the bunch. The family-owned winery has outposts in Tokaj and Villány, but Budapest is where the sparkling wines are produced, including the signature non-vintage brut born from Furmint, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sampled on one of the cellar tours. (The grapes are from Tokaj and then brought to Budafok where they are aged and undergo méthode traditionnelle.)

Muzsa in the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest. Image Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest

5 pm Imbibe in an old palace

Located in the center of the Four Seasons Gresham Palace’s lobby, MÚZSA evokes Art Nouveau grandeur. Take it all in with the Gloria, a gin and bergamot cocktail buoyed by jasmine-scented bubbles, whipped up by bar manager Ádám Rédli. Order the lángos tempura, an upscale riff on Hungary’s classic deep-fried flatbread, too.

7 pm Peak at a masterpiece before dining

Fleischer Restobar Small Plates for Sharing Close Shot — Fleischer Restobar small plates for sharing. Image Courtesy of Nora Puskas

From the Four Seasons, walk up elegant Andrássy Avenue and gawk at the neo-Renaissance Hungarian State Opera House before dining at one of Sauska co-founder Andrea Sauska’s go-tos.

“Két Szerecsen offers delightful daily specials, a smart wine list and classic Hungarian comfort food that truly warms the heart,” she says. “The same owners, with their impeccable taste, also run Fleischer Restobar, where you can enjoy small and shared Mediterranean-style plates, along with a strong wine selection.” Try the duck leg with braised reg cabbage at the former and the popcorn prawn bao at the latter.

9 pm See the classy side of District VII

There are plenty of rowdy bars in District VII. Instead, opt for minimalist cocktails at chic and intimate bars. Start off at petite CoolDown and ask affable founder Sebestyén Mihalik for the riff on a Paper Plane, brightened with Japanese cherry blossom-inflected vermouth and peach.

Afterwards, walk two blocks to Elysian, where the ambitious libations presented underneath a mesmerizing driftwood installation are centered on fresh, local ingredients. The Bloody Mary, however, which gets an umami jolt from fermented shiitake, is a deserved mainstay.

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Elysian interior. Image Courtesy of Elysian

Midnight: Satisfy late-night cravings

Csirke Csibész always garners queues for its crispy fried chicken cutlets tucked into rolls. Thankfully, the weekday lunch hotspot is also open during the wee hours on Saturdays. “It’s nothing fancy—actually, at first glance, you probably wouldn’t even consider stopping to eat there,” admits Elysian founder Máté Szabó. “But oh my, those sandwiches. It’s honest food that hits the spot every single time.”

Sunday

8:30 am Have breakfast and a stroll

Head to District V early and nestle into the cushion-lined windows at Deszka for black sesame seed-strewn Turkish eggs doused in garlicky Greek yogurt. Then, walk over the soft green-hued Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd) and revel in views of the Danube as you cross into Buda.

Historic yellow tram moving on Liberty Bridge at sunrise, Budapest, Hungary. Getty Images

10 am Dip into Hungarian culture

Weekends at Budapest’s storied thermal baths inevitably attract crowds, but at Gellért, there is an abundance of beauty to distract yourself from the maddening hordes. The Art Nouveau marvel, completed in a hotel of the same name in 1918 (following a significant revamp, it is slated to become a Mandarin Oriental), is adorned with stunning stained-glass windows, statuary and swaths of Zsolnay porcelain tiles that heighten all plunges into the mineral-rich waters.

Mandarin Oriental Gellert in Budapest. Image Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Gellert

1 pm Savor a book-lined café

One of Budapest’s liveliest streets, Bartók Béla út is steps from Gellért. Say goodbye to the city with a batch-brew coffee and slice of cherry crumb pie surrounded by books at the library-reminiscent Kelet Kávézó és Galéria.