What to eat in Budapest and where: 10 typical dishes and 5 restaurants

It's very curious, but I have to admit that I enjoy trying it more and more. typical dishes of the places we travel to.

It has become a fundamental part of our trips, and when we visit Budapest There were several dishes that I was very clear that I wanted to try.

We just returned from a 5 day trip through Budapest and something we have given a lot of importance to has been food.

We had several signed up typical dishes that we wanted to try, and by talking to local people, we decided to include some more, plus we were lucky that they recommended several restaurants where to try them.

This is Hungarian gastronomy

Compared to the rest of the world, central Europe is not one of the places where they have a greater variety of food; Many times you go to different restaurants and the food is the same.

Even dishes that, for example, in Spanish gastronomy are everyday staples, in certain countries are the jewel of its gastronomy.

And a clear example of this is the schnitzel, a typical dish of many central European countries, which is still a breaded filet whether pork, chicken or beef, which in most restaurants in Spain you only see on the basic daily menus.

Let's see it's good, but it is what it is...

But Budapest we have to admit that it has surprised us in this regard, and it has a curious mix of dishes from different origins that we have enjoyed quite a bit.

After experience of our trip to Budapest, then I am going to show you what they are the typical dishes that are essential to eat in Budapest and then I will recommend some restaurants that are worth it.

What to eat in Budapest, typical dishes

It must be taken into account that in Budapest and in everything Hungary winters are quite cold, so it is not surprising that most traditional dishes are very caloric and tend to be consumed hot.

Furthermore, for this same reason there are not many vegetables or fruits and what was easiest was to get animal proteins; The majority is usually pork (which I will tell you about later, something surprising), a little less beef, and also a lot of chicken.

In fact, in Hungary they even have a pig of a unique variety with which they make very special sausages with healthy fats.

But let's start with what, in our opinion, is the best of typical Hungarian dishes.

Goulash soup, star dish of Hungarian gastronomy

Goulash is the star dish of Hungarian gastronomy, That's right.

It is one of those spoon dishes that is a pleasure to try and that makes you want to do it in your own home when you return from a trip.

Traditionally it is eaten in soup, although in reality it is a stew that is always made with beef and is accompanied by potatoes and carrots.

A warm and very tasty dish, ideal for winter.

Halászlé, Hungarian fish soup

Something that is very Hungarian is the chowder and it's curious because Most Hungarians are not passionate about fish.

However, they reserve this dish for special dates of celebrations, such as Christmas or some national holiday.

Hungary has no access to the sea, so the variety is not great and the majority are river and lake fish.

That's why the traditional hungarian soup usually prepared with spiced carp with paprika, paprika from some parts of the world

Lángos, Hungarian pizza

This is without a doubt another of the dishes that we liked the most.

It is known as hungarian pizza because the base ingredients are quite similar to those of Italian pizza.

Specifically, a dough made of flour, water, salt, sugar and yeast, which is shaped like pizza and fried in sunflower oil.

Then it is incorporated on top a sour cream base and, from here, the ingredients that you like the most, cheese, garlic, cooked ham... to your liking.

It is a food that Hungarians mainly eat in summer, on the banks of rivers.

Chicken Paprika

As I told you before, in Hungary they consume a lot of chicken and The most classic dish is chicken paprika.

A chicken cooked with a lot of paprika which is pretty good, although I also tell you that it depends where they do it.

We've tried it a couple of times, and once it was very good, but the other time it was a very basic dish.

Then later, when we get to the restaurants section, I'll tell you where they make it very delicious.

 Hungarian Gnocchi (Nokedi)

The Hungarian gnocchi It is something very curious because it is not that they are a dish in themselves, there is surely some place where they serve it alone, but most of the time It is an accompaniment.

The flavor is similar to traditional gnocchi, but wins a lot when you mix it with something that has sauce and is soaked in it, and that is why they usually put it in some traditional restaurants with chicken paprika.

Just as we have also seen them within the g, something we loved because it is soaked with the soup broth and the gnocchi are brutal.

Sweet and salty strudel

This is the typical dish in dispute between many Central European countries for its origin and, probably, all of them have some reason to claim it as traditional dish own given in enormous exchange of populations throughout history.

The thing is that Hungarians have been making them in a traditional way at home for many years.

A cake that, in principle, was apple, but today it is made in many flavors since it is a very thin dough that is then filled.

Be that as it may, it is a dish that we tried several times in different places and that we really liked, both in savory dishes and in sweet dishes as a dessert.

Mangalica Pork Sausage

A very curious thing that surprised us a lot on our trip was discovering the variety of Hungarian pork.

Es a very special pig which has hair “similar” to that of a sheep, which is highly appreciated for its nutritional values ​​and its amount of good fat.

With this pork some chorizos and sausages very delicious that are worth trying, which are also considered a gourmet product.

Fireplaces – Kurtos Kalacs

Hungarians really like sweets and this is probably the most curious sweet.

And we already saw it a few months ago during our trip to the Czech Republic, because they sold it everywhere, and when we asked they told us that it was Hungarian.

And indeed there are in many places. It is not so much a restaurant food, but something that is sold in street stalls, like churros in Spain.

Kurtos Kalacs are a chimney-shaped sweet For those with a sweet tooth, you can fill it with almost anything, such as chocolate, oreas, kit-kats, etc...

The variety of flavors is enormous and a real temptation.

Hungarian Liquors

For lovers of Typical liqueurs, there are several that you have to try.

With the cold and Slavic influence of Hungary, various liqueurs have been produced over the centuries; the most traditional and authentic is the Palinka.

This liquor that dates back to Middle Ages It is distilled with fruits such as apricot, plums or pear.

It is something that all rural people usually produce with their own crops.

Hungarian Wines 

It may surprise you, but Hungarian wine is pretty good and appreciated worldwide.

They are, yes, small but high quality productions, with white and red wines.

There are several wine regions, but the wines we liked the most were those from Balaton, and one of the most famous in Hungary is called Sangre de toro, in case you dare to try it.

Where to eat in Budapest: recommended restaurants

If we have recommended you before typical dishes, now let's go with the places to try them.

We will also include some restaurants and places that are very good, and where if you are traveling and are caught nearby, it is worth stopping.

At the end of the article we will also leave you a map which include the essential places to visit in Budapest, And a list of all ruined restaurants and bars that we recommend you visit.

Regos Vendéglo, traditional cuisine restaurant

If you are looking for a traditional restaurantAway from the hustle and bustle of tourists and at a very good price, this is the place.

Probably the restaurant we liked the most in Budapest., a small, unpretentious, but very pretty place, located in a cave.

It catches you very well if you are visiting the Andrassy Street, Heritage what we teach you in a video real that you can see published on our channels Instagram y TikTok.

That's where we try the best goulash and the best chicken paprika.

They have several options, including the normal menu and daily menus, and the food is luxurious.

Price: 10-20 euros per person

Retro Lángos, temple of Hungarian pizza

Would you like try Hungarian pizza? This is the site.

A restaurant that is near St. Stephen's Basilica and Parliament and where also you eat very well and very cheap.

We ordered two “pizzas”, and we liked them both a lot, especially the one bacon and red onion.

Price: between 6 and 7 euros each “pizza”

Strudel House, specialized restaurant

If you want to try one of the best strudels, in the city this is the place.

Also very close to the basilica and parliament; Yes, it is not cheap but it is a site specialized in strudels.

We were actually really surprised by the variety, as there are so many to choose from with lots of flavours, and you can eat it in the restaurant or pick it up to go.

They have a very funny counter where they put all the cakes that have been sold.

And, also, one thing that is very cool is that you can see how they make them live through glass, since they do it in the dining room, as a show.

Price: 15-25 euros per person

Best Ruin Bars in Budapest

Ruin bars are something very characteristic of Budapest and it is essential to visit some, but what is not usually known is that you can also eat there.

You're not going to try the best food of your life, but they are very good for a quick bite in a good atmosphere.

Rather than basing this recommendation on gastronomy, we base it on the general atmosphere, and that is why we are going to recommend the three that we liked the most.

Of course the Simpla Kert, the original where the movement we told you about in a video that we have posted on our social networks arises.

He too Puder Barzzinhaz, where the variety of foods is wider, and the Csendes Letterem another of the most authentic.

There are more throughout the city that you can see on the map we leave you below.

Budapest Central Market

It is probably not the place with the best traditional food in Budapest, but it is a place that you should always visit, and upstairs they have several fast food places that are not bad to get by with some Hungarian food.

It is far from a Michelin star or being a place to go expressly to try something in particular, but it can help you get by eating local food.

And those of us who travel know that it is not always time for us to eat next to the best restaurant, and that is why this recommendation would be in the section of a useful place due to its variety.

Other recommended restaurants in Budapest

It's not always when we travel through a city that we eat traditional food all the time since the right place doesn't always come across you, and that's why we leave you some restaurants that have nothing to do with Hungarian food, but that we liked in Budapest.

Karavan Food Trucks

Right next to Simpla Kert, in the Jewish quarter, there is an area called Karavan, from Food Trucks, which we really recommend because it is very good, both the variety of foods to get by and the atmosphere.

There are burgers, Hungarian pizzas, cocktails, tacos, even chimneys, the traditional Hungarian dessert.

The best time to go is for an early dinner, as that is when it starts to fill up with people who are going to have something to eat there before entering the Simpla Kert.

Pho 36 vietnami etterem

A Vietnamese that wasn't cheap, but the food was spectacular. If you like Asian food, this place will not disappoint you.

Furthermore, it is in the Ráday u street. which is full of restaurants of many nationalities.

Oriental Soup House Szervita tér

An Asian restaurant specializing in soups, very well priced and very delicious to eat quickly and cheaply.

Map with best places to visit in Budapest

With the experience from our recent trip, here you have a map with the location of the main places you should visit on your visit to Budapepieces.