City guide: 24 hours in Budapest
Planning a city trip to the capital of Hungary? Excellent. Besides being suitable for culture, nightlife and nature, Budapest is also a fantastic place to eat. Where exactly should you go? We’ve listed it all for you.
Breakfast – kakaós csiga
Hungarians eat a large and elaborate breakfast; the table is filled with both sweet and savoury options. Think sandwiches, fresh bread rolls, various spreads, ham, cheese, jam, sweet treats and pastries. In the world city of Budapest, on the other hand, the elaborate breakfast has turned into a quick to-go bite in recent years. The city is therefore full of grab-and-go breakfast spots and bakeries, where you can still get the same Hungarian delicacies. For example, try kakaós csiga, a traditional Hungarian breakfast pastry with chocolate.
In between – street food: lángos
A few hours after breakfast, it is naturally time to treat yourself to a tasty snack again. Hungarian speciality lángos is exactly what you’ll be craving. A pizza-shaped piece of dough goes into the deep fryer for a few minutes, after which it is topped with crème fraîche, cheese and various toppings of your choice. Why is it so amazing? Dough. Deep-frying. Cheese. You can get it from many a street vendor throughout the city. Can’t say no to fried dough.
Lunch – Kör
How often do you visit Hungary? Not often, probably. That’s why you should of course sample some of the Hungarian cuisine. You can do that at Kör. The restaurant proves that food from this part of Europe is somewhat underrated. A shame, because you can eat so well in Budapest. The national dish is goulash (pronounced ‘gooyash’). The goulash at Kör is one of the best in the city, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a restaurant where it isn’t on the menu. A steaming-hot bowl, filled with slowly cooked meat, carrots, onion and a mountain of Hungary’s national product paprika.
Drinks and nibbles – Börze
One of the city’s newest hotspots. Börze is both a restaurant and delicatessen. Enjoy the tastiest Hungarian hams and cheeses with a good glass of wine. By the way, did you know that Hungary is an excellent wine country? The Egri Bikavér in particular is famous all over the world. Well worth trying!
Dinner – Mazel Tov
One of Budapest’s nicest features is the secrets the city hides behind walls and buildings. You walk into a small restaurant—or so you think—and suddenly find yourself in a huge courtyard. Mazel Tov has such a courtyard. You’ll be surprised by hanging plants, cosy lights and, last but not least, good food. As the name may already suggest, Mazel Tov serves Jewish cuisine. Enjoy the tastiest pita and the freshest hummus in Budapest. After dinner, be sure to stay a little longer for some convivial live music.
Would you rather continue exploring the local food? Then order paprikás csirke, one of the most commonly eaten dishes in Hungarian cuisine. Pickled peppers with tender chicken and fresh yoghurt.
Drinks – Szimpla Kert
Szimpla Kert is enormous. It is one of Budapest’s celebrated ruin bars: bars in old ruins. Enjoying drinks and taking in culture all in one. Szimpla is one of the largest in the city and is therefore also very well known. Combined with a convivial atmosphere, it is the ultimate bar to end your day (or start your evening).
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