Restaurants Archives - Budapest Guide

Leo Rooftop Bar in Budapest – Pictures and information.

Posted on May 30, 2023May 30, 2023 by Budapest Guide

Hotel Clark is one of the most luxurious hotels in Budapest, and the rooftop bar (Leo Rooftop Bar) is a part of the success. On the hotel’s top floor, you can sit down and drink a glass of champagne, eat a delightful meal, or drink a cup of coffee while enjoying one of the nicest panoramas in Budapest. Leo Rooftop Bar is extremely popular, meaning you need a reservation to visit the place. There are guards by the elevator taking you to the top floor, so only with a valid reservation can you visit the bar itself.

The bar (Leo Rooftop Bar) and the hotel (Hotel Clark) is at Clark Adam Square, on the Buda side of the Chain Bridge (the most famous bridge in Budapest). It gives a spectacular view of the Margaret Bridge, the Parliament, the Chain Bridge, the Castle, the Gellert Hill, the Elisabeth Bridge, and everything in between.

Leo Rooftop Bar – the menu.

One would expect food and drinks to be expensive at such a place, and compared to similar bars in Budapest, it is expensive. Here you can see a couple of price examples as of May 2023.

1dl of white wine (cheapest version)	2200 HUF
1dl rose (cheapest version)	2500 HUF
1dl sparkling wine (cheapest version)	3000 HUF
Strongbow-Gold (0,33l)	1400 HUF
Classic Lemonade	1950 HUF
Cappuccino	1650 HUF
Caesar Salad with Chicken	5700 HUF
French Fries	2700 HUF
Chocolate Brownie	3200 HUF
Angus Mini Burgers (3 pc)	7200 HUF
Garlic and Chili Prawns (5pc)	6200 HUF

cottage cheese dumplings in leo rooftop bar — Cottage cheese dumplings for dessert in Leo Rooftop Bar.

Leo Rooftop Bar – the atmosphere.

The place has a fantastic atmosphere as you can see the beautiful city no matter where you look. The design is modern, and even though you sit inside, you can still enjoy the view from all the tables. This isn’t a place for the poor, meaning that you feel surrounded by wealthy people as you enjoy the view and drink your coffee. It is a perfect place for a vorspiel (if you have the money to pay for the drinks) and it is especially popular among tourists coming to enjoy everything Budapest offers.

One interesting effect of the bar is that you wash your hands in the actual bar. What do I mean? You go to the toilet, and you do your thing. Then you leave the toilet and wash your hand in the open space where everyone can see you. In other words, people will notice if you wash your hands, and maybe even worse, if you don’t wash your hands!

Leo Rooftop Bar has space for 80 people at most. It is important to know that the location is frequently used by companies who arrange a luxurious events for their employees. In other words, you shouldn’t be surprised if you cannot book a table here on a dedicated night, even though you try to book months in advance.

Leo Rooftop Bar – What more is there to say?

This is a perfect place for a drink and a good meal with a splendid view. The panorama is beautiful, and it will become even more beautiful as the construction work on the Chain Bridge is finished. Even though it is tempting to look towards the Danube and the bridges all the time, do not forget to look at the Buda Castle as it looks truly magnificent from the terrace of Leo Rooftop Bar.

the buda castle seen from leo rooftop bar

Have you been to Leo Rooftop Bar in Budapest? How did you like your stay? Write your thoughts below in the comment field.

In our Budapest Guide, you can read more about nightclubs, bars, and restaurants here.

Cat Café in Budapest – The ideal place for cat lovers?

Posted on May 23, 2023May 23, 2023 by Budapest Guide

Are you a person in love with all sorts of cats? Are you dreaming of eating and drinking surrounded by cats, and you don’t mind having a cat jumping onto your lap while sipping a Cappuccino? Cat Café is not worth visiting if you can’t stand the thought of cats, and if you are allergic to cats, you should probably head elsewhere as well. But, if you are a cat lover, is Cat Café in Budapest the ideal place to visit?

Cat Café is in Révay utca in Budapest, next to the famous Andrassy út, and close to the inner city and St. Stephen’s Basilica. On the menu, you can find hot and cold drinks and some snacks. The price level is similar to other cafés, so it is neither cheaper nor more expensive than what you will experience elsewhere. The question, therefore, remains – what’s up with the cats in Cat Café?

You don’t have to spend many seconds in the café before you see the cats. They are walking around like they would in a normal home. There is a basement, a ground floor, and a first floor in the café. The basement is mostly where the cats go to eat and use their toilets and where the rest of the guests also go to the toilet. Besides that, not much action takes place in the basement.

The ground floor has one special room in which there is quite a lot of toys available to the cats, and there are also benches where guests can sit and chat and drink and have a good time.

There are tables and chairs on the first floor, which has a more traditional café look and atmosphere. All in all, the cats are visible and you immediately see and notice that this is a cat café. But, is it worth visiting?

Is it worth visiting Cat Café in Budapest?

It is impossible to answer this 100%. It is, however, important to come to the café with the right expectations. The cats in the café are used to people, and some of them are probably quite tired of all the people coming around throughout the day. As a result, there is no guarantee that you will meet a cat that actually wants to be with you. What do I mean? You cannot be sure that a cat will jump into your lap and let you pet it. It is more likely that the cats will keep their distance, and if you approach them, they will go another way. A worst-case scenario is that a cat might try to bite you (if you are very annoying) or at least make some angry noises.

What is your expectation? The cats are beautiful and they are a joy to look at. If that satisfies you, Cat Café is a place to visit in Budapest. If you come with higher expectations and long for more intimacy with the cats, you might end up disappointed.

What about the quality of the drinks? They are absolutely fine, and will satisfy you in the same way most other cafés in Budapest will.

Cat Café Budapest

Address: Révay utca 3., Budapest
Opening times: 10:00 – 21:00

Have you been to Cat Café in Budapest? How did you like it? Do you have any comments or questions? Use the comment field below!

Bitcoin Bar Budapest

Posted on May 4, 2023May 4, 2023 by Budapest Guide

Are you a cryptocurrency fan who wants to drink something strong in Budapest? Or would you like to buy a Sprite before discovering Budapest’s remaining attractions and exciting activities? What is the Bitcoin Bar in Budapest? Where is it? Should you visit the place?

You can find Bitcoin Bar Budapest at Karoly körut 3/c. This is very close to the big Synagogue, making it a central location easy to find. It is a small bar, but with seats both inside and outside. On a nice summer day, you can discuss the latest news about Solana, Avalanche, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin while sipping a cup of coffee outdoors. Or if it sounds more tempting to discuss the latest MEME coins like SHIB while drinking a Hungarian Unicum inside, that is also possible.

It is nice to have a bar named after Bitcoin in Budapest. But does that make it worth visiting?

Let us take a look at the Bitcoin Bar Budapest menu.

Below you can see a picture of the Bitcoin Bar menu.

The strange thing about the bar is that besides the name, there aren’t much on the inside or the outside that makes you think about Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Shouldn’t a BItcoin Bar at least accept payments in different cryptocurrencies? And why don’t they have some more fun with the menu and call it a Satoccino instead of Cappucino or maybe rename the Jägermeister to Lambomeister (while keeping the original title next to it so people will understand what they are about to get)?

Somehow I find the place to be a bit disappointing because I would expect a Bitcoin bar to be all about cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, and it would be a natural place to meet fellow traders and people sharing the same interest. Instead, I feel like you could rename the place to “Stop your Thirst Bar” and it would suit the place perfectly as nothing but the name made me feel like it had anything to do with Bitcoin.

What are your thoughts?

Have you been to Bitcoin Bar Budapest? DId you like it? What are your thoughts? Write a comment below and let me hear from you!

Benedict Cumberbatch ate in Pampas Steakhouse while Adrian Brody celebrated his 50th birthday in Rosenstein Vendeglö. Where will you eat?

Posted on April 18, 2023April 18, 2023 by Budapest Guide

Budapest is a trendy city for producing TV series and movies. Right now, there are several productions in the city, and since celebrities need to eat (just like the rest of us), you can sometimes meet them at all sorts of Budapest restaurants. Last weekend Benedict Cumberbatch decided to enjoy his dinner in Pampas Steakhouse while Adrian Brody celebrated his 50th birthday in Rostenstein Vendeglö.

These are just some examples of popular restaurants among celebrities in Budapest. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrities have earlier visited Pampas Steakhouse, while Rosenstein has been visited by TImothée Chalamet, Stellan Skarsgard, Willem Dafoe, and Mark Ruffalo.

The only question remaining now is where you will eat while in Budapest. We have written lots of articles about different Budapest restaurants, and we have also written a thorough article about the best restaurants for a traditional Hungarian meal in Budapest.

Above you can see a picture of Empanadas, one of the very popular starters in Pampas Steakhouse.

Why is Vaj so crowded? We have been to Vaj in Budapest.

Posted on January 17, 2023January 17, 2023 by Budapest Guide

There are places you hear of because they get lots of reviews online. Then there are places you notice because they are always packed with people. That is how we first discovered Vaj. Every Sunday morning, we drove next to Vaj, and even on cold winter days, it was crowded both inside and outside. What’s the reason? Is it worth it?

First, vaj is a Hungarian word, and it means butter. Everyone in love with cooking and baking knows butter is an essential ingredient. What can you eat if you decide to visit Vaj?

As you enter the café/restaurant, you will quickly notice that they have all kinds of sandwiches, cakes and biscuits, and pizzas. As a result, this is a place where most people will find something they like, not only for breakfast but also for lunch and dinner.

In the picture, you can see examples of what we could eat during our visit. There were more sandwiches and sweets available, in addition to the pizzas, of which there is a wide selection. You can place your order at the desk. The food will either be given to you immediately, or you will receive an alert as the food is prepared.

During our stay, it was interesting to see that the person behind the desk only spoke English. In other words, we couldn’t use Hungarian to place our order, but we had to speak English. No problem for us, and it felt a bit exotic, but that is still an interesting phenomenon considering that many Hungarians only speak Hungarian.

There is a wide selection of pizza options in Vaj. This place is for those who like traditional Italian pizzas with an extremely thin crust. Would you rather have a thick crust? Go somewhere else, or eat something else.

Besides the fact that we prefer a thicker crust, the biggest problem with the pizza was the taste of the pizza sauce. For some reason, we didn’t like it at all. If we forget about the pizza, we enjoyed everything we ate in Vaj.

Is Vaj expensive?

Butter is quite an exclusive product (in Hungary). Most people use cheaper margarine instead. What about Vaj? It cannot be considered cheap, but it isn’t expensive either. It is quite average, meaning sandwiches cost around 2000 HUF, pizzas are priced between 3500-4000 HUF, and coffee and similar drinks cost between 1000-1500 HUF.

Are you need a place to meet friends while eating and drinking? Vaj is a perfect place for the purpose. It is close to Blaha Lujza square (red metro) and Rakoczi square (green metro). The popular tram lines 4&6 stop at both locations, making this a place easy to approach using public transportation.

Vaj Budapest information

Address: József körút 30-32, 1085 Budapest
Opening times: 7.00 – 20.00

Website: Facebook

Have you been to Vaj? Did you enjoy your stay? Write a comment below and share your thoughts!

What is the price of a Big Mac Menu and a Whopper Menu in Budapest? [Updated in 2023]

Posted on November 25, 2022January 3, 2023 by Budapest Guide

I know this might be an offense to many tourists visiting Budapest. It is, however, a reality that many people eat fast food at Burger King and Mcdonald’s while in Budapest. Why is that? Because it is easy and cheaper than most other restaurants, you don’t have to wait for a long time, and you know what you get.

So, what should you expect if you visit a Mcdonalds’ or a Burger King in Budapest to buy a Big Mac menu, a Whopper Menu, or maybe a Happy Meal in McDonald’s’? After all, families with children often hate waiting 30 minutes for an order to be served in a restaurant that visits such places. Or maybe students who are on a budget want something quick and cheap.

Are you hungry for a Whopper menu in Burger King in Budapest?

The price of a Whopper Menu in Budapest (updated in 2023)

If you are a fan of Burger King and their Whopper sandwich, the price of a Whopper menu in Budapest is 2260 HUF. (appx 5,5 Euro). If you want two pieces of meat in your Whopper menu (making it a Dupla Whopper King Menu), the price is 2560.

Why should you eat a Whopper and not a Big Mac? It feels fresher due to the fresh vegetables, and the meat feels more like meat.

The price of the children’s meal (King Junior Meal) at Burger King is 1290 HUF.

The price of a Big Mac menu in Budapest

Would you rather go to McDonald’s? I know the taste of a Whopper feels fresher than a Big Mac, but there is something about the Big Mac taste that makes it so easy to eat that you just love eating it. I remember watching Super Size Me once, and do you know what I dreamt of as I left the cinema? A Big Mac! 🙂

If you would like to buy a Big Mac menu in Budapest, the price for a normal size menu is 2250 HUF (appx. 5,5 Euro). If you want a bigger menu with larger fries and a larger drink, the price is 2410 HUF.

big mac in budapest — Do you want to eat at McDonald’s while in Budapest?

The price of the happy meal at McDonald’s is 1500 HUF as of January 2023.

Do you find these prices expensive, or is it worth it? It is worth noticing that you can get much better hamburgers for the same price (or lower) in serious hamburger bars in Budapest, so it isn’t necessarily cheaper to eat at Burger King or McDonald’s, compared to other places. But, it is quicker, it often feels safer, and the kids love it.

Fun fact: There are more than 50 Mcdonalds’ restaurants in Budapest. In addition, you can find lots of Burger Kings restaurants. Besides these giants, you can also find more and more KFC restaurants.

Want something tastier accompanied by good Hungarian wine? Read about our wine dinners in Budapest here.

So, what kind of tourist are you? Would you ever eat at Mcdonald’s or Burger King during a trip to Budapest or some other big city worldwide? Or would you rather find something local no matter what?

Michelin-star restaurants in Hungary (2022-23).

Posted on November 4, 2022November 4, 2022 by Budapest Guide

Would you like to eat the best possible food in Budapest? As of November 2022, Hungary has seven restaurants with one Michelin star and two restaurants with two Michelin stars. Would you like to book a table in any of these restaurants? In order to get a table, you need to make your reservation months in advance, but if you are late, you can still give it a try.

Many people believe that the best restaurants in Hungary are all located in Budapest. That is almost true, as seven out of the nine restaurants in Hungary with Michelin stars are located in Budapest. But, there are two exceptions, and one of those exceptions has two Michelin stars. In other words, you can find delicious food outside Budapest as well.

Michelin-star restaurants in Budapest.

The seven restaurants with Michelin stars in Budapest are.

Two Michelin stars.

Stand (Chefs: Tamás Szell and Szabina Szulló)

One Michelin star.

Babel (Chef: Kornel Kaszas)
Borkonyha (Chef: Ákos Sarkozy)
Costes (Chef: Levente Koppany)
Essencia (Chef: Tiago Sabarigo)
Rumour (Chef: Jeno Racz)
Salt (Chef: Szilard Toth)

Michelin-star restaurants outside Budapest.

The two restaurants with Michelin stars outside Budapest are.

Two Michelin stars.

Platan Gourmet, Tata (Chef: Istvan Pesti)

One Michelin star.

42, Esztergom (Adam Barna)

Tata and Esztergom are two cities not very far from one another, so you can easily visit both these during a trip to Hungary and to Budapest. Tata is located a 45-minute drive from Budapest, close to the highway in the direction of Györ, Vienna, and Bratislava. Esztergom is a beautiful city next to the Danube, especially known for its fantastic basilica on the top of the hill (the largest church building in Hungary). It is on the border with Slovakia, meaning that you can easily cross the Maria Valeria bridge and also visit Slovakia on your trip (if that sounds interesting).

If you go by car, it should take approximately 60 minutes to drive from Budapest to Esztergom.

Have you been to any of these restaurants? Do you have any comments or thoughts that you would like to share? Write a comment below.

It is Christmas market time in Budapest!

Posted on November 4, 2022November 4, 2022 by Budapest Guide

The Christmas market at Vörösmarty square has already opened, and recently, we also got to know the dates for the fantastic Christmas market in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest. If you haven’t booked your flight tickets yet, go ahead and do so right away. But, be sure to arrive in time, as the Christmas markets close on December 31st (Vörösmarty square) and January 1st (Szent Istvan square).

Would you like to know more about the Christmas markets in Budapest? You can find much more information on our Christmas markets in Budapest page.

What else is worth knowing about life in Budapest right now?

Life goes on as usual. There are no masks (unless you have to go to the hospital), restaurants are running with business as usual, and stores are open as they normally are. What might be new and interesting is the fact that two restaurants in Hungary got rewarded with two Michelin stars. One of the restaurants is named Stand and it is located in Budapest. The other restaurant is named Platán Gourment and it is located in the city of Tata (a 50-minute drive from Budapest in the direction of Vienna). If you have time and money, these restaurants are for sure worth visiting.

There are also several restaurants with one Michelin star. All of them are located in Budapest with the exception of one.

42 (Esztergom
Babel (Budapest)
Borkonyha (Budapest)
Costes (Budapest)
Essencia (Budapest)
Rumour (Budapest)
Salt (Budapest)

We hope you will enjoy your stay in Budapest and that you will eat a lot of good food while here.

Restaurants in Budapest closing because of the Covid-19 virus!

Posted on March 15, 2020March 15, 2020 by Budapest Guide

Everyone working with tourism is suffering because of the Coronavirus. That is also true in Budapest, and as a result, lots of restaurants have decided not to remain open in the coming days, weeks, and most likely, months.

One of the best restaurants in Budapest, Textura, which is operated by the same people who run the restaurant Borkonyha (with one Michelin star), reported that they will close the restaurant from March 16th. At first, they plan to re-open the restaurant at the start of May.

We also received a report from a waiter in a very nice Hungarian wine restaurant in the city center (BorLaBor), that after only having a few visitors in an entire day, the management decided to close the restaurant from March 16th as well. Hopefully, the restaurant will be able to re-open once the virus danger is over.

These are just two examples of something that is a trend among restaurants, not only in Budapest but worldwide. Many restaurants in Budapest reported about a 20% revenue decrease in January, followed by approximately 40% in February, and with the total stop of tourism in March, the March numbers will be catastrophic for everyone.

For more daily updates on the coronavirus in Budapest, click the link!

We will return with more information about restaurants in Budapest as we expect many more announcements because of similar situations in the upcoming days and weeks.

The easiest way to order a pizza to your hotel/apartment in Budapest!

Posted on February 14, 2020August 2, 2022 by Budapest Guide

Are you a tourist stranded in an apartment or in a hotel room, but don’t actually want to leave it? Maybe someone got sick, and now you have to cancel your night out, and instead, you just want to order some quick and easy food to your hotel? How and where can it be done?

I know you don’t come to Budapest to stay in your hotel room and to eat food delivered at your door. But, there are times when it is needed, and the question is: In such a moment, how and where to order your food online?

The answer is actually quite easy. One of the most successful startups is the so-called Netpincer, meaning Internet waiter. Here you can find all sorts of restaurants included in the list, and once you give them your location, you will find a big overview showing all the restaurants currently open near you, and able to deliver food to your address.

Visit Netpincer to check it out.

Once you get to the site, register your address and a phone number. You will then be able to start, and soon you can have your food delivered at your door, or to the reception of your hotel.

Ordering pizza to your house in Budapest — *The website from which you can have pizza and other food delivered to your house in Budapest.*

Can I make my entire order in English?

As you can see above, the website is available in English and all the general information is available in English. But, when you look at the ingredients of the pizza, it is all in Hungarian. Are you in for some risky business? Ordering a pizza or some other food without actually understanding what it is all about?

You don’t need to. They have included a Google Translate function at their website (normally at the right side of the website). There you can choose between a couple of languages (including English), and it is actually capable of translating the menus in a quite decent way.

As a result, you don’t have to play yatzy as you order the meal, as you can actually get a decent understand of your meal with the translation help before you order.

How much do I have to pay for the home-delivery?

There are quite big differences in the home-delivery fees as you order on this platform. Quite a lot of the restaurants will deliver to your home for somewhere between 0 and 300 HUF (from 0 till 1 Euro), while some are more expensive. But, you can see this easily on the website during the order process, so you shouldn’t have to worry about this.

Where to order pizza online in Budapest? — Pizza home-delivery in Budapest

How fast is the food delivered?

This is also very different between all the restaurants. The average delivery time is somewhere between 45-60 minutes, but some restaurants deliver faster, and during peak-hours, things can also be much slower. But, all restaurants have an estimate available as you order, meaning that you should get a quite fair estimate of the arrival of the food even before you order.

How can I pay for my pizza-order?

As you place all the food you want in your basket, it is time to place the order. But, before you actually place the order, you will have to decide whether or not you want to pay online (with card) or if you want to pay in cash to the delivery guy. That is entirely up to you!

We hope this information will help you find the food you need. Once you are ready to go out and eat in a restaurant in Budapest, make sure to look around here in our Budapest Guide for inspiration and information. We have a really nice list presenting nine dinners in Budapest you will remember for a long time. You can also read more about all sorts of restaurants here at our website, and if you want to dine out on the Danube, make sure to enjoy a river cruise on the Danube with dinner.

If you have further questions about food-delivery in Budapest or some other topic related to that, use the comment field. We always try to answer questions and help out as quickly as possible!