It is warm outside, the sun is shining, and you are exploring the city of Budapest in shorts and a T-shirt. Now you would like to grab something to eat, but sitting inside feels like hypocrisy with the beautiful weather outside. Where can you go in Budapest to enjoy a nice cup of coffee, a delicious dinner, or a quick snack while enjoying a stunning view or a quiet street? There are lots of options, and you will probably succeed in your mission even without this article. But, we have still written this article to help you find a somewhere to eat and drink outdoors in Budapest.
Budapest’s weather brings joy to outdoor enthusiasts, and the warm evenings arrive already in March and April. If you are lucky, you can sit outside and eat your dinner until late November. This delightful climate sets the stage for a long season of outdoor eating, inviting both locals and tourists to relish the outdoors while indulging in delectable meals. Of course, you might be unlucky and experience terrible weather with rain and wind in this period, but if you are lucky, you can sit outside and eat fantastic food from March until November.
But, where should you go? We will come up with some concrete suggestions, but also give you some general suggestions and ideas.
General tips about eating outdoors in Budapest.
It isn’t difficult to find a place where you can eat and drink outdoors in Budapest. It is very normal for restaurants and cafés to have tables outdoors, so you can mostly find this wherever you go.
There are certain areas in which you will find it much more concentrated, and here I will share some popular areas with you.
Váci utca – the pedestrian street of Budapest.
There are many restaurants in Budapest’s main shopping street with chairs and tables outside. The closer you get to Vörösmarty Square, the better they get, and you will find even more at the square itself. There are several Italian and Hungarian restaurants in this area, and you might be surprised to discover that these restaurants aren’t much more expensive than restaurants elsewhere in Budapest.
Liszt Ferenc tér – the square named after the most famous Hungarian composer.
This is a fantastic square for dining outdoors, and if is packed with restaurants, bars, and cafés. Honestly, this is probably the best area for dining in a peaceful environment in Budapest, at a square without car traffic, and you are only surrounded by hundreds of others at the square eating and drinking together with you.
The restaurants at the square have all sorts of profiles and the quality they serve is very good. In other words, the restaurants you will find at this square should be suitable for an evening with friends, or with colleagues and future business partners.
Ráday utca – a popular street among locals and tourists.
Starting from Kalvin tér, the Ráday utca is popular for dining and drinking. It has restaurants located next to one another, and you will find restaurants mentioned by the Michelin guide, fast food restaurants, great places for pizza, bakeries, and whatever you might look for in this street.
Some people complain that there is car traffic in the street, meaning that you might be disturbed by the traffic passing by (it is a one-way road). If you don’t mind some cars making noise, then this is a perfect place to go for a good dinner while enjoying a fantastic spring/summer/autumn evening in Budapest.
Bonus: Along the Danube – dining outside with a spectacular panorama.
One should not forget about the Danube, the river that makes Budapest so special and beautiful. There are lots of restaurants along the Danube, and two of the premium locations for dining is the area close to the Szabadság híd (as you walk towards the Petöfi híd). This area is undiscovered by most tourists, but it gives a spectacular view while enjoying premium bites of food.
The more typical area to dine is next to the Danube Princess, the statue located at the Vigadó square. Here you will find several restaurants, and this location is only 150 meters from Vörösmarty Square, the popular square at the end of the pedestrian street of Budapest. The most famous restaurant here is Corso, a place known for delicious Hungarian food accompanied by Hungarian gypsy music.
Cut the trap – Where can I eat outdoors in Budapest?
We have given you lots of useful information already, but are you looking for concrete names and suggestions? Here you go.
Corsó – Apáczai Csere János u. 12-14
We mentioned this earlier in the article, but it is a great option if you want a very traditional Hungarian meal with a stunning view of the Danube. The profile of the restaurant is outdoor seating, meaning that this restaurant is available with seating outdoors throughout the year (almost). It might be a bit touristic, and if you don’t want musicians playing the typical gypsy music close up all evening, you might want to find a seat as far away from them as possible (they will most likely come and play by your table once anyway).
Aszú & Rézkakas – Sas utca
These restaurants are located opposite one another in the popular Sas utca. This street has restaurants with Michelin stars, and even though Aszú and Rézkaks don’t have Michelin stars, they are still great for fantastic dinners while enjoying the fresh air of Budapest. The outdoor area of Aszú is bigger and better than that of Rézkakas, so if you want to make sure to get a good table outside, Aszú is a better option.
Both restaurants have a very traditional Hungarian profile with the best dishes from Hungary, traditional Hungarian music, and tasty Hungarian wine. It isn’t a coincidence that the restaurant Aszú has received its name from the most famous of all wines produced in Hungary.
The most famous confectionery in Budapest is located at the Vörösmarty tér, and it’s named Gerbeaud. Gerbeaud has been around since 1858 and people love it for its yummy cakes and pastries. Inside, it has kept the atmosphere of a traditional confectionery, and the place is especially known for cakes such as the Dobos cake and Gerbeaud cake.
Gerbeaud has a large outdoor area in which you can eat and drink, making it a perfect way to relax and enjoy something after a long day with shopping or just as a place for a coffee break in the middle of the day before you get at exploring Budapest once again.
Prime Steakhouse – Sas utca.
Would you like to eat something else than a Hungarian wiener schnitzel, or an Italian pizza? Do you feel the water in your mouth if you think about a juicy 300g steak? There are lots of steakhouses in Budapest, but few of them have outdoor seating. Prime Steakhouse in Sas utca is first of all an indoor steak restaurant, but they have 4-6 tables outdoors at which groups can sit down and eat. Of course, it is very important to book a table if you want to ensure that you get to sit and eat outside during a busy evening, but you might also be lucky if you are just walking by.
It is possible to eat delightful steaks outdoors at Prime Steakhouse in Budapest.
Prime Steakhouse isn’t only one of few steakhouses in Budapest with outdoor seating… it is a very good place for steaks. The restaurant also has a cool way of presenting their desserts, meaning that they have models of all the desserts available in the restaurants. As a result, you can decide what to eat for desert based on what they will look like on the plate. Isn’t that cool?
We have now given you basic information about dining outdoors in Budapest and suggestions for areas where you can find lots of great restaurants. If you have read through the entire article, you also know that there are lots of restaurants all across the city where you can eat outside, so there is no need to worry.
If you have any further questions, or maybe suggestions and input that you would like to share, use the comment field below. We look forward to hearing from you!
Hungarian food is well-known worldwide. It might not compete with the fame of the Italian, Mexican, French, and Indian kitchens, but it is still widely known and famous. So it is no wonder there are Hungarian restaurants located in big cities all around the world. But you expect the best Hungarian food to be served in Hungary and the country’s capital, Budapest. So where should you go to eat the best Goulash soup and other traditional Hungarian dishes as you come to Budapest? This article will tell you about several restaurants worth considering!
We will not only tell you about some of the best places for a traditional Hungarian dinner in Budapest. That is the article’s main focus, but if you keep reading until the end, you will also find recommendations for what to order as you visit the different restaurants. Hungarian Goulash soup is the most famous course, without a doubt, but it doesn’t mean that you should eat Goulash three times a day during your stay in Budapest. Fantastic meals are waiting for you, and we share information about different meals worth tasting at the end of this article.
11 Restaurants in Budapest for those who want to eat a traditional Hungarian meal.
A traditional Hungarian restaurant normally serves you a giant portion of food on a big plate. At least, that was the way it used to be. However, times and the culinary picture of restaurants in Budapest are changing. Instead of giant portions, restaurants are moving toward fine dining. The large plates are still there, but the portions are smaller, and the prices are higher. Luckily, it tastes amazing and looks fantastic. Let’s get started!
Traditional Hungarian restaurants with Gypsy music.
The so-called Gypsy music is trendy in Hungary and an essential part of the culture. The musicians are incredibly talented, meaning you can get a nice musical experience accompanying your food if you visit such a restaurant. In some of these restaurants, the musicians offer to play a song of your choice by the table during the evening, but you can say no if you don’t want that to happen.
Gundel
Gundel might be the most famous restaurant in Budapest. It is located in the beautiful City Park, next to popular activities such as the Zoo, the Circus, and the Szechenyi thermal bath. This restaurant has served celebrities and royalties for over a decade, and it is where you can feel like a royal if you decide to dine there. Gundel is one of few restaurants in Budapest with a dress code, meaning that you should dress up if you choose to eat your dinner in the restaurant.
Gundel renewed their menu recently, meaning that it is now all about traditional Hungarian courses in a modern way. As a result, this might be one of Budapest’s best places to taste the best Hungarian food in royal surroundings.
Gundel serves the Goulash soup with homemade noodles, making it unique compared to other restaurants.
Goulash soup in Gundel.
Aszu
For generations, Egri Bikaver (a blended wine from several blue grapes) was the most famous wine produced in Hungary. During communism, it was exported in all directions and was known as a cheap but delicious red wine from Hungary. That has changed, and currently, the most famous wine from Hungary is named Aszu and origins from the Tokaj region. This region is primarily known for its sweet white wine. What better place to combine a traditional Hungarian meal, Gypsy music, and fantastic Hungarian wines than in Aszu?
The restaurant is in a nice area packed with fantastic restaurants; some even have Michelin stars. The restaurant has won several awards and is ideal if you want an upper-class Hungarian dinner in the center of Budapest.
Why not try beef prepared with red wine sauce made from the Bikaver wine? Or the traditional Hungarian stuffed paprika? What about a stuffed pancake as a starter? You will find all this and much more on the menu in Aszu.
Eat a Hungarian dinner on the Danube.
There are different options if you want to eat dinner on the Danube. It is obvious that you don’t eat on the Danube if you are interested in the best ingredients and the most celebrated chefs in Hungary. But if your goal is a nice Hungarian dinner with a magnificent view, you should consider dining on the Danube in a boat traveling up and down the river.
One option is to eat a buffet dinner with traditional Hungarian courses and desserts accompanied by live Gypsy music and Hungarian folk dance. However, a four-course dinner with some laidback live music in the background is a different option. Once again, these might not be the best gastronomical experiences you will have in Budapest, but they are still an excellent way of combining Hungarian food with an extraordinary view.
Eat your Budapest dinner on the Danube while enjoying this view.
Rezkakas
Opposite the Aszu restaurant in a street known for outstanding restaurants, you can find Rezkakas. It is almost identical to Aszu’s style and has more similarities with Aszu than differences. There have been some complaints that service is slow and that it takes a while for the food to be served, but many also praise the quality of the food, the service, and the musicians present in the restaurant every evening.
The restaurant often has tables available for last-minute guests. That makes it a good option if you are looking for a table for tomorrow evening or the upcoming weekend.
Have you been longing to taste Hungarian goose liver? Or an ice cream based in which they use the famous Hungarian sweet Aszu wine from Tokaj? You can taste these and other fantastic dishes in Rezkakas.
Traditional Hungarian dinner in Rezkakas.
Hungarian food with a Michelin star.
Would you like to eat food made by Michelin-awarded chefs in fantastic restaurants? There are some restaurants in Budapest focusing on Hungarian cuisine with Michelin stars. Remember to reserve a table in advance if you want to dine in one of these restaurants.
Stand 25
The most famous chef in Hungary is Tamas Szell. He has participated and performed very well in competitions such as Bocuse d’Or. In addition, he was the chef in the Onyx restaurant, which became the first Hungarian restaurant with a Michelin star during his time as a chef. Since then, Tamas has moved on and is now running the restaurant Stand 25 with Szabina Szullo.
The restaurant quickly received a Michelin star and is one of the finest places in Budapest if you want to eat Hungarian made by the best chefs in the country.
The restaurant isn’t in the center of Budapest, but if you walk across the Chain bridge (the most famous bridge in Budapest) and through the tunnel on the other side, you are suddenly very close to the restaurant.
Have you ever wondered what a Michelin-starred Goulash soup tastes like? Or would you instead taste a roasted duck leg with cabbage and potatoes? It might sound easy, but hopefully, you will experience miracles as the food hits your tongue in Stand 25.
Babel
Babel isn’t a restaurant; it is an experience. You don’t order from a standard menu. Instead, you buy a degustation menu consisting of eight courses (or more). Babel is about reinventing traditional Hungarian dishes with modern cooking techniques and presentation. As a result, the degustation menus frequently change according to the season and which fresh ingredients are available.
The restaurant is on the Pest side, close to the Elisabeth bridge. As a result, it is easily accessible for all tourists in Budapest.
What should you taste in Babel? Whatever they serve you!
Salt
Salt is yet another Michelin-starred restaurant in Budapest, focusing on Hungarian cuisine. Just like in Babel, you buy a degustation menu and eat whatever they bring to the table. The poultry served in the restaurant comes from the chef’s family’s meat manufactury. Besides this, the chef (Szilard Toth) often heads out to the wild to pick wild plants that he uses in the food served in the restaurant.
As you can see in the picture, the dishes might not be gigantic, but they are attractive, local, and tasty!
Other restaurants where you can eat delicious Hungarian food.
If you want to eat Hungarian food in a Michelin restaurant or with Gypsy music in the background, you have already read some suggestions. But would you rather dine in a nice Hungarian restaurant without those extras? Here you have some remaining tips.
Trofea Grill
Trofea Grill is a restaurant chain in Budapest with six restaurants in the Hungarian capital. The restaurant operates with a buffet system where you can eat and drink as much as you want for a set price. It might sound primitive, but the quality is surprisingly good. In addition, you can taste a large number of Hungarian dishes during one single meal. You can choose from soups, starters, main dishes, and desserts. The main focus is on Hungarian food, making it easy to get a quick introduction to the local kitchen.
Since you serve yourself, it looks less nice on the plate than in a regular restaurant, but it still tastes incredible!
You can find the most central Trofea Grill restaurant near the State Opera, making it easy to access for everyone.
There are lots of desserts to choose from in Trofea Grill.
Fatal restaurant
Would you like a restaurant serving giant portions and gigantic wiener schnitzels? Then, fatal is the place to go. The restaurant is in Vaci utca, Budapest’s pedestrian street, and it is terrific for Hungarian food the way a grandmother would serve you.
This restaurant is not so much about fine dining. Still, I suspect kids and those hungry will appreciate a dinner in Fatal more than the previously mentioned restaurants in this list.
As mentioned, this is the place to visit if you want to eat a 250g wiener schnitzel in Budapest. The menu is extensive, meaning you can choose from a wide selection of starters, soups, main courses, and desserts if you decide to dine in Fatal during your Budapest stay. Throughout the years, celebrities such as Ralph Fiennes, Brian May, Antonio Banderas, and Ferenc Puskas have used this restaurant as the location for their dinners.
What to eat and drink in Hungary?
It is one thing to find a good restaurant and another to know what to order. Here we will briefly introduce some of the most famous and traditional Hungarian courses and drinks.
Traditional Hungarian food worth tasting.
Stuffed cabbage
Stuffed cabbage, also known as “töltött káposzta” in Hungarian, is a traditional dish in many European countries, including Hungary. The dish consists of cooked cabbage leaves filled with a mixture of ground meat (such as pork, beef, or lamb), rice, onions, and various seasonings. The filling is then rolled up in the cabbage leaves, and the rolls are typically braised or baked in a tomato-based sauce.
The exact recipe for stuffed cabbage can vary depending on the region and the family preparing it. Some versions may use different types of meat, while others may include additional ingredients such as paprika, sauerkraut, or bacon.
Goulash soup
Goulash soup, also known as “gulyásleves” in Hungarian, is a traditional soup from Hungary typically made with beef or pork, with lots of onions, paprika, and other vegetables and spices. The soup is flavorful and popular in Hungary and other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. Some people fear the soup’s spiciness, but that isn’t usually a problem.
If you want to spice it up, ask your waiter for some strong paprika and you will quickly feel the heat!
Wiener Schnitzel
A Wiener Schnitzel is a traditional Austrian/Hungarian dish made from veal, pork, or chicken. It is breaded and fried until it is crispy and golden brown. The dish is often called a “Wiener Schnitzel” because it originated in Vienna, Austria. But since Hungary and Austria have a common history in many ways, the Wiener Schnitzel is considered a Hungarian meal by Hungarians, just like the Austrians consider it Austrian.
To make a Wiener Schnitzel, a thin slice of veal, pork, or chicken is first pounded with a meat tenderizer to make it even thinner and more tender. It is then seasoned with salt and pepper, coated in flour, dipped in beaten eggs, and then coated in breadcrumbs. The breaded veal is then fried in hot oil until it is crispy and golden brown.
Chicken Paprikash
Chicken paprikash, also known as “paprikás csirke” in Hungarian, is a traditional dish from Hungary that features chicken cooked in a paprika-based sauce. This is one of the most popular Hungarian dishes among foreigners, which means you can find it almost everywhere.
The chicken and the sauce are normally served together with homemade noodles, often called “galuska” in Hungarian.
Goose liver
Hungarian cuisine features goose liver as a delicacy and is often served as an appetizer or as part of a larger meal.
Goose liver can be prepared in a variety of ways, including searing, poaching, and pan-frying. One traditional Hungarian preparation is to slice the goose liver into thin pieces and sear it in a hot pan with a bit of oil or butter until it is crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The liver is then typically served on a slice of toasted bread or a bed of lettuce with a side of jam or chutney.
Cottage cheese dumplings
Cottage cheese dumplings are a traditional Hungarian sweet dessert made from cottage cheese, flour, eggs, and sugar. The dumplings are formed into small balls, boiled in water, and then served with a variety of sweet toppings.
Gundel pancake
The Gundel pancake, also known as “Gundel palacsinta” in Hungarian, is a famous Hungarian dessert that is named after Károly Gundel, a renowned Hungarian chef and restaurateur. The dessert is a thin pancake filled with a mixture of ground walnuts, raisins, and rum, then covered in a sweet chocolate sauce and flambéed with rum.
It tastes better than it looks!
Somloi galuska
Somlói galuska is a traditional Hungarian dessert that consists of three types of sponge cake layered with vanilla pastry cream, chocolate sauce, and rum-soaked raisins, and topped with whipped cream and caramelized walnuts. The three types of sponge cake used in Somlói galuska are often made from a combination of flour, sugar, eggs, and often ground walnuts or breadcrumbs. The cakes are baked separately and then cut into small pieces or broken into crumbs.
Gesztenyepüré
“Gesztenyepüré” is a Hungarian dessert made from pureed chestnuts, sugar, vanilla, and sometimes rum. The chestnuts are boiled until tender, then peeled and either mashed or pureed into a smooth consistency. Sugar, vanilla, and sometimes rum are added to taste, and the mixture is typically served chilled with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of vanilla sauce on top.
Golden dumplings
Golden dumplings (aranygaluska) is a sweet Hungarian dessert made with sweet yeast dough, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and chopped nuts. The name describes the dessert’s color and shape.
To make aranygaluska, a sweet yeast dough is prepared using flour, yeast, milk, butter, sugar, and eggs. The dough is then divided into small pieces, rolled into balls, and dipped in melted butter before being coated in a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and chopped nuts, often walnuts.
The balls of dough are then placed in a baking dish and left to rise for a second time before being baked in the oven until golden brown. Once baked, aranygaluska is typically served warm and can be accompanied by a sweet vanilla sauce or a dusting of powdered sugar.
What to drink in Hungary?
Which are the typical Hungarian drinks that you should taste while enjoying your meal in Budapest? Here you have a couple of suggestions.
Palinka (Hungarian fruit spirit)
Palinka is a type of fruit brandy produced in Hungary. It is made by distilling fermented fruit mash, typically from plums, apricots, pears, or cherries.
Palinka is a clear, colorless liquor with a high alcohol content, usually around 40-50% ABV. Most restaurants serve the Palinka as an aperitif or digestif in small glasses. It is worth drinking slowly to fully enjoy the fruit taste.
Wine
Hungary is known for its wine production. In this article, we have already mentioned the sweet white wine from Tokaj and the wine Bikaver from Eger. There is so much to taste as Hungary has 22 wine regions producing wines from all sorts of grapes. In some restaurants, especially the Michelin-starred restaurants, you will often be offered a wine menu specifically made to match the degustation menu.
No matter what you do, taste lots of fantastic Hungarian wine in Budapest.
Unicum
Unicum is a traditional Hungarian herbal liqueur. They make the drink from a secret blend of over 40 herbs and spices. It has a dark brown color and a bitter, slightly sweet flavor with notes of citrus, cinnamon, and clove. Unicum was created in 1790 by a Hungarian physician named Dr. Zwack, who developed the recipe as a medicinal tonic for the royal family.
Over the years, Unicum has become a popular alcoholic beverage in Hungary, often served as a digestif after meals or as a remedy for stomach ailments.
Aszu Budapest is an amazing restaurant. Would you like to reserve a table in Aszu? Would you like to book a table in Aszu Budapest so that everything will be ready for your arrival in the restaurant? Here you can fix your table reservation in Aszu right away.
Aszu is a restaurant in the very heart of Budapest with a very good rumor. There are hundreds of awesome Aszu reviews online, and this is a perfect place to enjoy traditional Hungarian meals prepared by great chefs in nice surroundings. During the evenings, you can also enjoy traditional Hungarian gypsy music in Aszu Budapest.
Reserve a table in Aszu Budapest
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Where is Aszu located in Budapest?
Restaurant Aszu can be found in Sas street in Budapest. This is located very close to the St. Stephen’s Basilica, close to the Erzsebet square, and there you will also find the Deak square (where three of the metro lines in Budapest meet). This is very central, and it isn’t far from the Danube either. This is a fashionable district in Budapest packed with nice restaurants, and it is a typical area in which you will find banks, lawyers, and many of the wealthy citizens of Budapest. There is no wonder why this area gives a home to several nice restaurants, including the Rezkakas restaurant which is just across the street of Aszu.
Aszu has a nice indoor area, but during nice summer days, you can also sit outside and enjoy your meal. This is very nice, and it can also be a nice experience on a warm spring evening, as they turn on the heaters that will keep you warm, even though the temperature outside might be a bit colder than you normally enjoy.
What does a meal in Aszu cost?
The starters in Aszu cost between 2000 and 4000 HUF, while the main courses cost between 4000 and 8000 HUF. If you are a fan of Tokaj wine, a brilliant solution is the cheese plate which should be accompanied by the delicious Tokaj Aszu wine (the most famous wine from Tokaj). The waiters’ in the restaurant have good knowledge about wine, so this is ideal if you want to combine delicious Hungarian food with the best of Hungarian wines.
We might not be TripAdvisor with thousands of reviews, but we would love to hear your thoughts about Aszu. Have you been to the restaurant and want to write a few sentences about your stay? Which was your favorite meal in the restaurant? Did you have a favorite wine? Did you enjoy the gypsy music? Why not use a few minutes to share your thoughts about Aszu Budapest with us, and all of our readers?
