Check out my travel blog post: Budapest! The last time I was in Budapest was too long ago and before I got into food blogging so I had to document my exciting return especially as I am half Hungarian. This charming Central European city has also become much more vegetarian-friendly in the past 15 years from when I last visited and much easier to navigate for English-speaking tourists (which comes in handy when you have dietary restrictions). Budapest has incredibly beautiful architecture and is very walkable without feeling overwhelming or claustrophobic. From street food stalls selling langos to Michelin rated restaurants offering prix-fixe courses, eaters can find plenty of options with their dietary restrictions and budgets. Check out my favorite spots in one of my favorite cities!
Restaurants
While it may not look exciting located in a mall-like area, it is a vegan-Hungarian heaven! So many Hungarian staples that usually come with meat and sour cream are veganized. It was hard to choose a few dishes because I could have had a lot more. But I absolutely loved their Hungarian bean soup, palacsinta with a divine paprika sauce, and their mushroom paprikash (more gravy-like than what I am used to but still good). Their vegan schnitzel was perfectly crispy with creamy mashed potatoes.
Budapest has a thriving Israeli and Jewish food scene so I had to try one of these spots that are also quite vegetarian-friendly. It is the sister restaurant to Mazel Tov, which is also delightful. It’s a bit more formal than Mazel Tov though but still approachable. We ordered their grilled celeriac, which was heavenly. Super flavorful with a crunchy texture drizzled with tahini and black garlic.
Their marinated olives were also quite tasty with an amalgamation of different olives. I also really loved their burrata, which had super fresh tomatoes and truffle oil.
If you’re looking for a more upscale twist on contemporary Hungarian cuisine, Textura is a very unique and distinctive restaurant to try. They do have a prix-fixe option, but we decided to go à la carte because they don’t have that many vegetarian options for mains. If you are pescatarian you will be fine though. They give you a little amuse bouche that had an incredible horseradish mouse! I also was obsessed with their cultured butter that came with their freshly made bread. We had their celeriac three-way appetizer and it was a fascinating-take on eating celeriac because they had different versions with different textures of celeriac (a jelly, a pudding, and grilled). It was very flavorful and nothing like I ever had before.
For the main we had the a ricotta ravioli with artichoke foam, grilled pistachios drizzled with basil oil, it was very fresh and succulent. While we were too full to order a dessert, they gave us a little petit-pastry plate with two different kinds of mini-desserts. It was a lovely way to conclude an incredible meal.
Yes, it’s a touristy thing to do but you have to enjoy some chimney cake because they are all over Budapest and obviously delicious. I recommend getting a cinnamon cake with a Nutella filling. It’s not as heavy as it looks. Where else in the world can you get these?
Retro Lángos: Podmaniczky Street
There are plenty of lángos spots all over Budapest, but my recommendation is to get the one at the former Godor Klub park (the stall near Podmaniczky Utca) and get a plain one. They have many varieties with cheese and sour cream, but the plain one is the tastiest and crispiest with a delightful garlic flavor.
Coffeeshops
This wonderful coffee shop is located in one of the most charming parts of Budapest, near the Opera House. It is pretty large as it also serves as a community space and has rotating art exhibits that you can look at as you’re consuming your coffee. Service can fluctuate at some coffee shops, but they were super friendly here and I enjoyed my iced lavender latte. Many coffee shops in Budapest have non-dairy milk, which makes it easier to order.
This coffee shop not only has a lot of space inside and a delightful patio but also a vast collection of books. I had their iced lavender honey latte and it was well-balanced and refreshing in the 85F weather.
Bara/Clubs
Golya Presszo: Outer 8th District
If you want to check out a spot that is frequented by locals, Golya Presszo is definitely worth visiting. It’s a multi-use space serving as a community center, music venue, restaurant, and bar. They have a vast rooftop area and plenty of indoor space to listen to music and hang out. It’s not a cocktail or wine bar destination but I loved the feel of it because it felt more authentic.
While this mega ruin bar/club is on every Budapest blog, it really is a must-see because of how unique and massive it is. Every corner and level has something exciting ranging from a wine bar to an ambient music room to a cavernous corner. I recommend going on a weeknight before 10pm as it can get quite crowded with a line. There really is nothing else like it if you are visiting from North America.
Located below Balagan is the charming and airy Mazel Tov. This gorgeous spot is in high demand though so I recommend getting a reservation ahead of time if you want to come here for dinner. Otherwise, this is a lovely spot for a post-dinner drink as we came here after Balagan. They have a vast cocktail menu but I was feeling more in the mood for wine so I had a refreshing glass of wine.
This is barely scratching the surface because there are a plethora of delicious spots for food, coffee, and wine in Budapest. Hungry for more? Check out more of my travel blog posts here.
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