Nik and I have said all along that if any of our friends or family make a trip to Europe, and it’s not the city we live in, we’d try to take a trip to meet up. That’s how we ended up spending a few days in Budapest in late October seeing our friends Luke and Monica! Little did we know we’d end up eating some of the best meals in Budapest.
Dining out in Budapest
From the moment we landed and had our first meal, Nik and I knew we were in for some treats. Staying near the Jewish Quarter, we ate several meals that showcased a Jewish influence and enjoyed some other local cuisine.
Remma’s Bistro
Dinner our first night was at Remma’s Bistro, a place that Nik read about. We had a reservation for 7pm and it was pretty empty when we got seated. For a few minutes we second guessed eating there, but as the restaurant slowly filled up, we knew we’d be ok.
I started with the roasted cauliflower on a bed of hummus while Nik enjoyed a bowl of goulash. For the entree, we both had their Wiener schnitzel. One of the best we have ever had. A very generous portion, with two pieces. They had the perfect crisp and flavor. Dinner ended up being delicious and we highly recommend eating at Remma’s.
Lunch at Mazel Tov
I think a friend mentioned eating at Mazel Tov, but I also saw it on Google Maps and the menu looked delicious. To play it safe I made a reservation for lunchtime and good thing because it filled up quickly. Even as we left, a line had formed of people waiting to get a table.
The restaurant is in a beautiful space, as described on their website:
“…the vision of having a pleasant urban garden within the historic Jewish quarter of Budapest with its special atmosphere.”
We were there during their Hummus week which had a few special flavors to choose from: broccoli, pumpkin and beetroot. Because I’m a fan of almost everything pumpkin, I wanted to try the pumpkin hummus. It came with baked plums, baked sweet potato slices and pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top. The pita was also some of the best we’ve ever had. Nik had a bowl of their Yemen-style chicken soup with pulled chicken thigh, Middle Eastern spices, cilantro and lemon, which he raved about.
All the entrees sounded delicious and we couldn’t decide what we wanted so we ordered the meat plate for two. It gave us the chance to try a little of everything: chicken Shawarma, kebab patties and merguez sausages. The plate was served with sides of beetroot salad, matbucha (a cooked salad consisting of cooked tomatoes and roasted bell peppers seasoned with garlic and chili pepper), tahini and lentil rice. The meat was layered on top of freshly grilled pita. (Wish I could eat this whole meal again right now as I write this.)
Really an outstanding lunch and I highly recommend a meal at Mazel Tov and making a reservation ahead of time.
Dinner at Meshuga
A bit later we met up with our friends and after some strolling around an area that was on the border of Old Town and the Jewish Quarter, we walked into Meshuga for dinner. Other than knowing “meshuga” is Yiddish for crazy, we were not expecting such a lively experience during dinner.
What started as a simple birthday celebration at one table quickly turned into a full-blown dance party, complete with a rendition of “Hava Nagila.” In the end, the fun atmosphere made perfect sense — Meshuga lived up to its name in the most unexpected and joyful way.
For our mains, Nik ordered the lamb chops and I went with the Moroccan shrimp pasta. Everything was excellent.
Can you tell yet that we’ve been having some of the best meals in Budapest?
Belvarosi Lugas Etterem
Another of our dinners for our group was at Belvarosi Lugas Etterem, a traditional Hungarian restaurant. Nik and I shared a bowl of goulash and a schnitzel, while Monica and Luke had Chicken Paprikash (paprika chicken) a popular Hungarian dish.
It was actually quite busy but all four us were fairly underwhelmed with our food. Feeling still bit more hungry, and inspired by a meal Luke and Monica had in Prague, we strolled a few doors down for Georgian cuisine!
Hachapuri Georgian Restaurant
“Second dinner” at Hachapuri did not disappoint! As a table we shared most of what was ordered. We definitely over ordered, but it was worth it. I didn’t take pictures of everything but we started with the degustation menu: small portions of chicken stew, eggplant stew, red beans with marinated paprika, chicken in walnut sauce, tomato-Cucumber salad with yogurt sauce, steamed basmati rice and Georgian bread.
One of the stars of the meal were the meat and pork dumplings. We ordered both the boiled and fried style. The boiled were much better. The other star was my first ever Acharuli Khachapuri and it was outstanding. You mix up the egg and cheese and dip the bread in it. I can’t wait to have another somewhere to compare.
Safe to say that all four of us highly recommend a meal at Hachapuri, you won’t regret it.
Retro Lángos
Lángos, a deep fried flatbread, is one of the most typical Hungarian foods. Both myself and Monica had heard of Retro Lángos, a pretty casual spot for some of the best Lángos in the city. Our group was able to squeeze in a stop for a late lunch. We might’ve over ordered again, but as they say, variety is the spice of life! A wide view of our order:
A closer look at the four we ordered (and all shared) is below:
Top left is the bolognese with a tomato and meat ragù; top right is the Hungarian topped with sour cream, cheese, roasted bacon and red onion.
Bottom left is tzatziki chicken; bottom right is a sweet lángos topped with Nutella.
All of them were delicious and there are still others on the menu I wish we could’ve tried.
If you arrive to Retro Lángos and it seems busy, don’t worry. The line to order moved quickly for us and the tables opened equally as fast.
Porc and Prezli
The same day we ate at Retro Lángos for lunch was also the same day we were having dinner at Porc and Prezli, a traditional Hungarian restaurant that we tried to go to the day before but they were booked.
As you walk in, you’re greeted by fantastic live music. Two men on the lower level, one playing violin and the other playing a cimbalom, which is a type of chordophone, an instrument that produces sound from vibrating strings.
I was still so stuffed from lunch that Nik and I decided to order their Wiener schnitzel and goulash soup for us to share. Our friends ordered the Chicken paprikash with dumplings and the pork knuckle which looked delicious. Everything was so good that we all ended the meal with clean plates.
Overall everything at Porc and Prezli was great, and like everything else, we highly recommend a meal there. Definitely make a reservation ahead of time.
Related: Eating and Drinking in Nice, France
Ruin Bars and Szimpla Kert
Known for its ruin bars, Budapest has turned former abandoned buildings into unique eating and drinking spots, becoming a defining feature of the city’s nightlife culture.
They’re generally found in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter and Szimpla Kert is widely considered to be the first. Though it’s a pretty relaxed space, with tons of quirky seating options, it’s definitely very touristy. We stayed for a couple of drinks, which was the right amount of time.
Karavan Street Food
Next door to Szimpla Kert is Karavan, sort of a food market/food hall with a nice variety of street food options. Giving off food truck vibes, some of what’s available at the different stands include burgers, Asian cuisine, local flare such as Lángos (deep fried bread usually topped with sour cream and cheese) and chimney cakes.
Our group made two stops at Karavan for quick snacks. We all shared a lángos lamb burger (lamb patty between two small lángos flatbreads) and a chimney cake rolled in cinnamon sugar. Both were made to order, served piping hot and incredibly delicious.
Cocktail Bars in Budapest
While we didn’t set out to visit many cocktails bars in Budapest, I want to mention two places we did visit and recommend.
White Raven Skybar & Lounge
Atop the Castle District (and on the “Buda” side of the Danube) is the Hilton Budapest and its White Raven Skybar & Lounge. The rooftop overlooks the Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church while also offering amazing views of the Danube River and various landmark buildings all across Budapest.
Going to Skybar was somewhat of a last minute plan when I learned a distant cousin of mine, Len, was also in Budapest. Len and his wife Andrea, and their friends Debbie and Jerry, just finished a cruise and spent a few days in the city and it was so wonderful to meet them. An added highlight to the trip for sure.
Historians say that Fisherman’s Bastion was originally formed as part of a fortification and this part of the wall was protected by the guild of fishermen (who lived below) during the Middle Ages. The whole complex is enormous and gorgeous. A fee is required to walk along the walls and into the towers, which we did not do.
If you find yourself on the “Buda” side of the Danube, make a stop at Skybar. Reservations are recommended. Though I don’t have closeup pictures of our drinks, the cocktail menu and wine offerings were vast. My boozy hot chocolate, topped with a giant marshmallow, was delicious.
Hotsy Totsy Cocktail Bar
For a speakeasy vibe, stop in to Hotsy Totsy. Their theme and drinks are all inspired by New York City and the roaring twenties.
The cocktail menu in its physical form was pretty impressive. High quality cover, bound spine, glossy pages and almost each drink had a NYC tie to its name.
My first drink was inspired by The Wolf of Wall Street. Use your imagination to guess what the sprinkled coconut on top is meant to represent.
The four of us agreed it was the perfect way to end the night, and we were all glad we decided to stop in.
Hungarian Pastries
Let’s talk pastries. Nik and I started two of our days with some delicious baked items. Once again, showcasing the best food in Budapest!
Aran Bakery
Arán means bread in the Irish language and the owners lived in Dublin for some time and wanted to bring Arán Bakery to Budapest. It’s a small space inside but with a wide variety of items to choose from.
Since it was mid-October, they had a seasonal pumpkin spice cruffin, which I devoured. Nik opted for a cinnamon swirl bun. Both were outstanding.
Finding Arán Bakery was either a recommendation from a YouTube video or a Google Map search. Either way, Nik and I are glad we found it.
Freyja Croissant
A Google Map find was Freyja Croissant. A short walk from our hotel, it was in a different direction than we had walked the whole trip, so it was great that we stopped in. The menu is small but business was booming.
Craft Beer in Budapest
I don’t know that Budapest is known for its craft beer, but we managed to find a couple cool places with a nice variety of beer on tap.
First Craft Beer
One such stop was at First Craft Beer. They have a couple locations with a wide selection of drafts including 16 of their own. While we didn’t eat there, everything that we saw looked good.
Related: Craft Beer in Barcelona
Madhouse Bar
On a pretty cool side street not far from the Chain Bridge is Madhouse Bar. Many of the beers on draft are brewed by Budapest’s Mad Scientist and everything Nik and I tried were all very good.
I truly mean that we ate some of the best food in Budapest on this trip. I would absolutely make a return visit to explore new place and revisit a few of the ones mentioned here. Have you been to Budapest? What would your recommend?
Once again I have no words to even try and comment on your whole experience. It is super amazing and to me like a fantasy. Keep enjoying every minute.❤️