Food And Drink In Budapest

Restaurants in Budapest serve hearty, traditional Hungarian food whilst the bar scene here is one of the most unique in the world.

When it came to food and drink, there were only two things on my mind when I arrived in Budapest: goulash and ruin bars. I was looking forward to sampling the local food and checking out the famous Budapest Ruin Bars in dilapidated buildings around the city.

As it turned out, I didn’t get to eat out that much. To save money, I took advantage of the superb kitchen in my hostel. I did manage to visit a few bars though 🙂

This is by no means a definitive list but simply the places I visited during my time in this lively city.

Food And Drink In Budapest

Arioso Cafe & Interiors Kavezo

Good coffee and a selection of pastries but the real highlight of this place is the decor. It really is beautiful inside. The coffee comes with a flower. Lovely. Map.

Central Market Hall

Go upstairs in the market and you will find a number of small cafes selling traditional, home-cooked Hungarian good. I had the goulash served with Hungarian pasta and it was delicious and fairly priced. Map.

Csendes Letterem – Vintage Bar & Cafe

On my first night in Budapest, I made my way to the ‘For Sale’ bar (map). After finding I would have to queue to get in, I moved on and discovered ‘Csendes Letterem’ (map). This was my first taste of a ‘ruin bar’. It’s a cozy place filled with old junk and they play great music. They had a very tasty IPA on draught at a reasonable price. I visited again to find a septet playing in the middle of the bar. Probably my favourite place for drinks in Budapest. Don’t miss this place. It’s probably the best quirky bar in Budapest.

Drum Cafe Budapest

On my first night in Budapest, I visited ‘Drum Cafe Budapest’ (map) for my first taste of traditional Hungarian food. I was ready for goulash!

Surprising myself, I opted for the vegetarian ‘mushroom goulash’ as I’d never had this dish before. It came with a side of cheesy pasta and was delicious! The service was a bit indifferent but I was on my own so I welcomed the no-fuss approach.

Ellato Kert & Taqueria

I found this place completely by accident and what a find it was. It’s a ruin pub with a wonderful garden area. They sell Mexican food and have special events. The beer is well-priced and there was a real good atmosphere among the punters. Map.

FIRST Local Craft Beer

Nice bar selling local craft beer. Prices are reasonable but be aware the drinks are 0.4 litres, not the usual 0.5. The beer was very good. There is at least one other FIRST brewery bar in the city centre. Map.

Fogashaz

Whilst the Instant Club (see below) hadn’t impressed me at all, this place was a little more like ‘Szimpla Kert’ (also see below) with various bars and dance floors and a ruin setting. However, I didn’t get the ‘WOW’ factor as I had with Szimpla. It just did nothing for me and I stayed for just one beer. Map.

Grease Monkey

Very cool cellar bar that hosts the weekly couchsurfing socials every Tuesday. The staff are friendly and the beer is well-priced. Be sure to check out the mini escape room at the back. We didn’t know it was there until halfway through the evening. Map.

Illegal Pub & Club

Located on the busy Kazinczy Street, this is a nice bar with a good selection of beer including its own brand. Map.

Instant Club

Ruin club that I missed on my first visit to the city. I had heard some negative reports online and from other travellers about the security so it put me off a little. When I did finally visit, it must have been too early as it was almost empty. Only one room was open. It didn’t really impress me. Map.

Kakas Presso

Nothing special about this place other than its open 24 hours so it attracts those people who have just never quite had enough to drink. I guess that includes me! Map.

Kozpont

Nice coffee shop and bar with a relaxed atmosphere and super-friendly staff. It wasn’t the best coffee I had in Budapest but the customer service was good enough to make me go back. Map.

Lampas Student Pub

Excellent cellar bar with cheap drinks and live music every night. On my first visit, I saw a great Dixieland band. The jazz night on the next evening was not to my taste. Three minute introductions to one minute songs was a tad pretentious. Map.

Legfelsobb Beerosag

Large bar with a huge range of craft beer. They have 14 beers on tap but more than a hundred bottles from across the globe. If you enjoy craft beer, you simply must come here. Map.

Liquid Rock

Rock bar just on the edge of the Jewish Quarter. Good selection of drinks at reasonable prices. Map.

Milk Cafe

Situated on the Buda side of the Danube River and mostly frequented by locals, I stopped here for a coffee when I was visiting the Fisherman’s Bastion. Worth a visit if you’re in the area. Map.

Patmos Records Book & Cafe

I had high hopes for this place but left very disappointed. The food was mediocre at best but what annoyed me was that I am sure they tried to rip me off. First of all, my bill came to 3,300. I gave them 10,000 and the waitress asked if I had any coins. I started counting out 300 then the waitress took over and took 500 in coins to give me 7000 back, ensuring she got a tip. She then gave me change for 5,000 not 10,000. Maybe it was an honest mistake. Either way, the food is not worth it. Map.

PiAzza

Late night pizza place that sells by the slice. The pizza is pretty average but it is cheap and does the required job. I visited about 4 times 🙂 Vegan pizza available. Map.

Placc Cafe

Good coffee at good prices in this small but cozy coffee shop in the heart of the university area. Visit here before climbing up to the citadel. Map.

Prague Cafe And Tea Room

Nice, quaint cafe that sells good coffee. It was very cozy inside and a perfect place to sip coffee and escape the cold. Map.

Szimpla Kert

A trip to Budapest would not be complete without spending a night or two in ‘Szimpla Kert’ (map). I came here on my first night as there was live Hungarian folk music and dance. It was great fun.

And as a most welcome treat, they were followed by an excellent band from India.

There are many bars in Szimpla Kert and I loved getting lost and discovering more rooms of chaotic decor.

There is always something happening at Szimpla Kert, day and night. On Sunday morning, check out the farmers’ market for local produce.

Zino Burger Store

This is a street food burger truck situated on the street just next to Szimpla Kert. There are many other food trucks to choose from including goulash, vegan, Mexican, hummus, etc. You can buy beer here too so it’s a good place to drink and eat outdoors if the weather is good. The burgers were excellent. I was a little miffed at having to pay 50p for ketchup but it was homemade and delicious. Map.

Things to do in Budapest