River cruise Archives - Budapest Guide

Are you looking for suggestions on places to eat in Budapest? Here we have compiled a list of nine dinner opportunities that for sure will give you many memories and experiences to remember for a long time.

We don’t expect you to consider all nine suggestions just as good, but, we are sure that everyone will find some of the ideas to be brilliant. And based on our own experience, we can clearly say that these are awesome experiences that will be stuck in your mind for a long time after the actual dinner.

Are you ready to go? If you find something you like, click the links to fix your reservations and to read more about the different restaurants and programs.

Nine fantastic dinner options in Budapest

Let us start with two gourmet restaurants that will give you a culinary experience to remember. These are not the cheapest experiences in Budapest, but considering the quality you get, the prices ain’t that bad at all!

Onyx Budapest – A two-starred dinner

Onyx was the first restaurant in Budapest to receive a Michelin star and was later the first restaurant ever to receive a second Michelin star. In other words, this is the only restaurant in Budapest with two Michelin-stars, and it is food and ingredients at the highest level. You will for sure remember your meal here for a long time, but be aware of the fact that you should reserve a table months before arrival if you want to be sure to get a free seat.

Onyx Budapest
Address: 1051 Budapest, Vorosmarty ter 7-8
Reservation: +36 30 508 06 22

Aszu Budapest – A gourmet dinner without stars

If you want to experience a Budapest dinner in high class and with the best ingredients, but without paying for the Michelin stars, Aszu is a perfect option. The restaurant is located in the heart of Budapest, not far from St. Stephen’s Basilica. Here you will often find free tables if you book a few days in advance, making it perfect for a very fine dinner in Budapest booked quite late. Aszu is also the name of the most famous wine produced in Hungary from the Tokaj region, making the restaurant a perfect place for a wine dinner where you combined the best ingredients with some of the best Hungarian wines.

Aszu Budapest
Address: 1051 Budapest, Sas u. 4.
Reservation: can be done here.

After two gourmet restaurants, it is time to change to some different restaurants in other interesting categories.

Dinner at the Danube River

The dinners you are served on the Danube might not be the most exclusive, but they will still give you memories to remember for a long time. What is better than enjoying a delicious meal (either served at the table or taken from a buffet), and then eating it while watching the beautiful city of Budapest outside the windows of the boat? Many of these boats also have live music in the background, giving you an even nicer experience during the trip.

There are river cruises with food available both during the daytime and nighttime, but if you want to see Budapest at its most magnificent, make sure to book a cruise in the evening!

Budapest River Cruises
More information about tours and booking opportunities here.

Eat a lot in Trofea Grill

Are you one of those who simply want to eat it all and taste it all? Maybe it is hard to choose only one main course from the menu? Go to Trofea Grill and enjoy food from a giant buffet. Here you can eat without stop and without limitations and taste a whole lot of variations of Hungarian food. There are soups, main courses, salads, desserts, fruits, vegetables, grill bar, and so much more to choose from, and besides eating a lot, you can also drink without limitations as everything is included in the price.

Trofea Grill
Address: Kiraly utca 30-32 , Margit Korut 2
Reservation: fix it here

There are a total of six Trofea Grill restaurants in Budapest, but the two addresses above are to the best two restaurants in the category.

A fantastic wine dinner in Budapest

Hungary is a nation of wine production, and what can then be better than to enjoy a large wine dinner while in Budapest? We have two awesome wine dinners available to our guests and they are both arranged in central Budapest, not far from the Ferenciek square. At both dinners, you will be served traditional Hungarian courses combined with 100% authentic Hungarian wines. Neither of the menus should be considered gourmet dinners, but they are still in high quality and should be satisfying to most people out there looking for dinners with good drinks and high-quality food.

Wine dinners in Budapest
Arranged in BorLaBor and Karolyi restaurant in Budapest
More information and booking can be done here.

A Medieval dinner with belly-dancing

It might not sound so attractive, but the Sir Lancelot restaurant is one of the most popular restaurants in all of Budapest. It is crowded on all evenings (almost), and here you can enjoy giant plates of food served to you and your companions. But, that isn’t all. The restaurant is furnished with medieval furniture, there is live middle age music in the background, you can experience sword-fights and belly-dancing, and it is an experience people come to experience over and over again while in Budapest. A really authentic and awesome experience for those who want a somewhat different restaurant experience in Budapest.

Medieval dinner in Sir Lancelot Budapest

Sir Lancelot Budapest
Address: 1065 Budapest, Podmaniczky u. 14.
Reservation: fix it right here.

Brewery dinner for those who love beer

Are you in love with beer? Do you want to eat a lot, and at the same time drink and enjoy beer brewed at the actual restaurant? Our brewery dinner might be exactly what you have been looking for. The restaurant/brewery is located near the Kalvin square and here you will combine a four-course dinner with a brewery visit, accompanied by four beers and four Hungarian fruit spirits (Palinka). You will for sure not leave the restaurant hungry, but you might walk a bit shady after getting quite a lot of alcohol into your blood during your time at the place.

The four courses served are quite traditional Hungarian courses, and the portions are like you expect them to be in Hungary – BIG!

Brewery dinner Budapest
Address: Kinizsi utca 30-36 (Kaltenberg)
Reservation: This program is made for us and can be booked here.

Juicy steaks in La Pampa / Pampas

Do you like the sound of a juicy steak, or maybe a Kobe steak while in Budapest? At both La Pampa and Pampas Steakhouse, you have the chance to eat steaks in all sizes and with all sorts of side dishes. Both restaurants are known for their high quality, and they are both located in the heart of Budapest. La Pampa is close to the St. Stephen’s Basilica and has a beautiful interior, while Pampas is next to the Grand Market Hall and might look a bit rustier on the inside. The menu is, however, identical in both places, so the only difference between the restaurants is the waiters and the interior.

Pampas Steakhouse
Address: 1053 Budapest, Vámház krt. 6
Reservation: Fix your reservation here.

La Pampa
Address: 1065 Budapest, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 23
Reservation: Fix your reservation here.

Eat your dinner at an outdoor market

The last option might sound strange, but if you want a dining experience in Budapest that you might remember for a long time, why not find an outdoor market and eat there? It might be the Easter market or one of the Christmas markets, but these are perfect places to taste very authentic and tasty Hungarian food. Here you will find Hungarian sausages, lots of pork, fresh salads, hot soups, and of course, lots of traditional Hungarian spirits and drinks.

This might sound boring, but it isn’t. At these markets, you will find lots of meals that you don’t find in average restaurants, and just take a look at the following picture from the Christmas market at the Vorosmarty square in 2019 to see what was served.

Do you see what was served here? Rooster Testicles Stew! It might not sound delicious, but it will for sure give you an experience that you will remember for a long time. And maybe you will even enjoy the taste? This is just one of many examples of what you can taste and eat at these outdoor markets in Budapest

Are you ready to eat your Budapest dinner?

We hope these nine suggestions will inspire and help you out. If you have further ideas or suggestions, write them down in the comment field beneath. Have you been to any of the places described? Feel free to write some feedback and tell us all about your experience!

The only thing that remains after this is to wish you GOOD APPETITE!

During the summer of 2019, a terrible accident happened on the river Danube as a ship with more than 20 passengers sank after a collision with another boat. This leads many people to ask whether or not it is actually safe to do a river cruise in Budapest? Here you will find the answers and the information you need!

If you have ever seen a picture of Budapest, you have most likely seen the beautiful Danube as well. It is amazing as it divides the city of Budapest into Buda and Pest, and it can be crossed on one of many bridges. The most famous of the bridges is the Chain Bridge, the first bridge that was built. It was finished in 1849. But, do you know why it took such a long time for a bridge to be constructed at all? Because of the current! There is so much water floating down the river at all seconds, making it a much harder river to control than, for example, the Charles Bridge in Prague (a bridge that was built more than 500 years earlier).

Budapest by night - a beauty for the eye and for the soul! — River cruise in Budapest – is it safe?

There is a lot of water passing by at any second, and the normal rate is somewhere between 2500-3000 m3 per second. But, in times of flooding (which it was during the time of the accident), the amount of water can increase to around 6000 m3 per second. The most extreme amount ever measured was more than 10,000 m3 per second.

Swimming in the Danube

The quality of the water in the Danube has improved lately, and at some locations, people do swim in the Danube. But, that is not in the main river, but at smaller extensions of the river without the strong current. There is an annual competition in Budapest where one can swim across the Danube by the Liberty Bridge, but every single participant is followed by a boat in order to be able to pick them up in case they do not manage. In other words, if you do not have great swimming skills, the Danube can be a really scary river.

If you are a great swimmer, it can still be dangerous, especially close to the bridges where underwater currents can pull you down towards the bottom before you are pressed towards the surface once again. During normal circumstances, the deepest parts of the Danube within the borders of Budapest is around 6 meters deep. But, when the river floods, it can easily reach 10 meters and more.

The conclusion is: Do not swim in the Danube when in Budapest, do not even try to swim, and warn any others that even consider getting close to the river.

What about a river cruise in Budapest?

There are many river cruises available in Budapest, and lots of companies working with providing awesome tours that give tourists fantastic memories. You never hear much about them, simply because they get no attention, and because there are no accidents. The only time you hear about them is when something happens. Luckily, that is very seldom, and that is why you never heard about it before the accident on May 29th in 2019.

As long as you stay on the ship (and not in the water), there is no problem and no need to worry before you board a river cruise in Budapest. The ships are also well equipped, meaning there are safety vests available for all passengers. During the accident on May 29th, things went so fast that they didn’t have time to get any such equipment. The accident was caused by human error, something that might just as well happen on a bus, in a taxi, or in an airplane.

The conclusion is: You shouldn’t worry at all about taking a river cruise in Budapest. It is very safe, the boats are controlled and well-equipped, and it will give you a memory for a lifetime as you enjoy the view and the food/drinks served on board.

Maybe it sounds dangerous considering the strong current. Of course, it does. But, doesn’t it sound dangerous to sit in a box of metal at 10,000 meters? Wouldn’t be fund to fall out from there either, would it? In other words, stay on the plane and stay on the boat, and you will be safe and have an enjoyable time!

What are your thoughts/questions?

These are some pure facts and thoughts related to whether or not it is safe to go on a river cruise in Budapest. Do you have some experience that you would like to share? Or do you have a question related to the river Danube or some specific river cruise in Budapest? Write your question or comment in beneath!

Tag: River cruise

Nine dinners in Budapest you will remember for a long time!