Of all the Central European cuisines, Hungarian is the most distinctive. This is thanks to its liberal use of paprika. The pungent spice is derived from capsicum peppers and can be mild and sweet or hot and zesty. Hungarian paprika is known for its rich red hue and robust flavor which can elevate any common stew to something extraordinary. While nearly every dish I sampled was a winner, there were some standouts. After eating my way across town for over a week, I found these to be the best restaurants in Budapest.
Fülemüle
The very best meal of the trip was served at Fülemüle, a restaurant specializing in Hungarian and Jewish home cooking. I chose the fantastic “Hungarian Touch” set which began with an appetizer of lecsó, a piquant pepper and tomato stew with spicy sausages. For the second course, a bowl of savory bean goulash. The grand finale was a traditional paprika chicken with gnocchi so delicious that I nearly wept with joy. The set meal came with two glasses of wine and a shot of pálinka, the local fruit brandy.
My companion ordered the playfully-named “Wonder of Goose” set. It included succulent goose cracklings, a hearty goose and matzo ball soup, and a spectacular crispy goose leg with potato latkes covered in sour cream and cheese. The “wonder” was that anyone could walk after such a feast!
Menza Restaurant
Should you find yourself in need of a good meal on Andrássy út, look no further than Menza. Located in one of Budapest’s most popular squares, Menza stands out for its classic fare and retro atmosphere. We started with the antipasti platter of grilled vegetables which came with a creamy cheese dip and freshly baked bread. Next came Hungarian crepes stuffed with chicken and smothered in paprika gravy and sour cream, then a plate of chili-mustard pork medallions atop a pile of cheesy noodles. As if this wasn’t indulgent enough, we finished with sour cherry strudel and poppy seed ice cream. I needed a long walk after that incredible meal!
Paprika Jancsi
The owner of our guesthouse directed to Ráday utca, a street known by locals as a culinary hotspot. He specifically recommended Paprika Jancsi Restaurant for authentic Hungarian cuisine and we were not disappointed. The veal stew with cheesy noodles was the most memorable dish, but all were excellent.
Rivalda Café & Restaurant – now closed
Our best meal on Castle Hill was at Rivalda Café, which I’m sad to learn has since closed. We enjoyed a casual lunch in Rivalda’s charming courtyard – part of a former convent – taking advantage of the reasonably priced set menu. We started with hearty bowls of soup – cream of mushroom and boar with gnocchi – paired nicely with glasses of Hungarian beer and wine. The winning entree was a paprika pork chop with homemade noodles and pickles. This restaurant was truly a star of the castle district!
I can’t write a post about all the fabulous things we ate in Budapest and not mention the pastries. We happened across this table set up in Deák tér and locals were as excited by the homemade treats as I was! The sour cherry strudel was marvelous! If you aren’t fortunate enough to fine a similar sidewalk sale, the Princess Bakery chain is a dependable choice.
Which do you think are the best restaurants in Budapest?
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Just about everything tastes better with bacon, and that chicken looks divine all wrapped up in it!
Everything IS better with bacon! I was surprised not to find it in more Hungarian dishes. Paprika really is the star!
Clearly it was a mistake to read this post right before having to go make dinner! My hubby joined me while reading this and now we’re both slack-jawed and ready to buy a ticket to Budapest. I couldn’t choose a favorite ~ each one sounded most wonderful until we scrolled down to the next!
LOL! We certainly ate well on this trip. Fortunately we also did a lot of walking so I miraculously managed not to gain a single pound!
All the dishes looked good. I don’t remember what I ate when I was there, but I’m sure it was tasty. I do think we ate at Menza, though. Good times to remember 🙂
You and I did eat at Menza and it was even better this time around!
Awesome food photos! I love paprika, but I didn’t know it played such a big role in Hungarian cuisine – interesting. The goose with potato pancakes looks particularly yummy.
Thanks! I didn’t realize paprika was such a major component either until we went there. They actually refer to paprika as “red gold” because it’s such a major cash crop!
Seriously drooling over here! Everything looks amazing-especially the pastries. Now that I think of it I’m not sure I’ve tried Hungarian food. I think I have been seriously missing out! Great food photos 🙂
Hungarian food is sadly underrepresented around the world, that’s for sure!
I quite like Hungarian cuisine and these all look delicious! I’m bookmarking this list for my next trip to Budapest.
I’m hoping we can recreate some of these dishes at home!
Oh wonderful! I really enjoyed Hungarian food when I was there – your photos made me miss the cuisine…
I’ve been missing the cuisine ever since we got home!
I haven’t eaten dinner yet, Heather, and this post about sent me over the hunger edge ha, ha! I went through all of them twice and if I HAD to pick one (though I didn’t see one dish I didn’t want) it would the goose leg! 🙂
LOL! That goose leg was my husband’s favorite dish also. I only got one bite before it was devoured!
I’d do *almost* anything to visit Budapest again as I absolutely loved our time there last year, but we didn’t have an Lecsó which looks delicious. I’d love to make a return visit to try it and explore the city a little more.
Oh yum yum… I am so hungry suddenly. I love Hungarian food too and could never get enough while I was living in Germany. Now that I have moved back to my homeland India, there aren’t too many Hungarian eateries around. Your post brought back so many memories.
Hungarian food is pretty scarce in Shanghai, too, which is where I’m currently living. Hopefully I’ll be able to recreate my favorite dishes with the cookbook and paprika I brought home!
Looks yummy – love that they all seem to come with gnocchi or sort of creamy spatzle. I went almost 15 years ago and don’t think I appreciated the food or the restaurant scene hadn’t really become what it is now. Great film about Budapest and its history through the eyes of one family is ‘Sunshine’ with Ralph Fiennes – really fantastic.
The accompanying noodles were a very nice bonus 🙂 Thanks for the movie recommendation! I love Ralph Fiennes so will definitely check it out!
We know that when we get to Europe we are going to have cut a whole bunch of the countries we had wanted to visit because we just won’t have the money to see them all, but I have been resolute that we must visit Hungary for at least a little bit. And now I have all the photo evidence I need to know that we simply must spend a few days in Budapest—enough time so that we can stuff our faces with all this incredibly decadent looking food. I think I have gained 5 lbs just looking at your photos, but seriously, getting fat will never have been more fun! 😉
Some of my pants no longer fit when we got back but it was totally worth it 🙂 Seriously though, you really should spend some time in Hungary. We also visited Gödöllő and Eger which I highly recommend. (Posts on both forthcoming.) And Budapest is one of my favorite cities in the world; I’ve been twice and know I’ll go again. The attention to detail in their reconstruction work just impresses me to no end.
Wrrrrr it’s so unfair! I’m back in China to my healthy diet and you keep reminding me of amazing European cuisine :). Never been to Budapest, but the food looks amazing. I would definitely go for Roast leg of goose with potato pancakes coated in sour cream and cheese and of course the sour cherry strudels! They look so yummy!
LOL! We just left China and now I am stuffing myself with all my favorite American foods like pizza and cheeseburgers. Will have to try to find a good Chinese restaurant in our new neighborhood!